The JE 896D1AV General electric versa Tronic range

[combo52]

I finally got this project done, this is the range that Kenny Goatfarmer from Indiana spotted in Wisconsin a little over two years ago, I had it shipped to Eugene's shop in Cleveland, Ohio and he brought it to me about a year ago along with some other appliances that we traded, that's when he got the GE partyocart from me.

This is been a fun project. This range cost about $1500 in 1967 equivalent to about $14,000 today, the amount of engineering and technology that went into this is about the equivalent of the mission to land a man on the moon in 1969, at least in terms of appliances.

I wouldn't want to guess how many parts went into this range, it has six motors 12 heating elements eight neon lights five terminal blocks two dozen switches several solenoids five fuses.

We have the same range in the museum kitchen, but I've never really been able to use the microwave feature because we have 208 votes there and it doesn't produce sufficient microwave power to cook It says in the service manual not to run this range on 208 V. I guess that's why.

This range will reside in my range collection in the basement of my house and I intend to do some cooking in it. I've never really cooked in these 915 MHz microwave ranges. It's supposed to penetrate more deeply into food, as far as I know, it's the only 915 MHz cooking system ever used in the United States in any type of microwave oven.

I have four of these ranges in my basement at the moment to harvest gold and one white one just like the green one I stripped the white one to make the avocado one complete. I'm going to complete one of the harvest gold ones for a friend in Kentucky.

A few pictures to follow. The pile of wire is the wiring I pulled out of the white one that will be recycled for copper I won't try to add up how many feet of wire went into this range.

 

[combo52]

GE Versatronic Ranges

I am wondering if anybody knows anything about when these were produced or has any sales literature for these very interesting ranges.

I think the first one came out around 1965. The oldest one I have here is a 66. The one I just completed is a 67, the two harvest gold high low ranges. I have here are 70 and 71.

They also made single oven inversions, I believe they kept the 915 MHz microwave system through about 74 or five, then they switched to a 2450 MHz cooking system and continued that into the 80s. I don't think they made any high of inversions of the later cooking system.

Over the years that I've worked with appliances, I have run into two customers that had one of the ranges like I just finished. Both of them had some tie to general electric. Both customers told me it was the most fantastic thing that anybody had ever seen and they were thrilled with the way it worked. It must've been pretty amazing range to have back in the late 60s.

John

 

[gansky1]

 

This is so cool - congrats on getting it going again.  I've only seen a couple of newer Versatronic ranges around here, nothing this age though.  Keep us posted on the performance. 

 

 

[jamiel]

It's interesting that GE didn't play in microwave ovens before this...Tappan and Westinghouse were the only household microwaves (individual built in wall oven form factor). GE clearly had the hit of the decade with the P7 pyrolytic system, but only after that was well established did they bring out microwaves (in a pretty spectacular manner like this example).

 

[steved]

No specific date but

Some of my literature shows the Versatronic range offered in 1972, perhaps earlier, but there is no identifying information on the brochures. I suppose if someone know the model year based on the letter in the model number, that might help. Other items in the full-line catalog (pic #5) show model numbers with "L". like J766L.
The first 4 pics are from a separate brochure, the 5th may be from 1970-71, and the last is from a catalog that states 1972.

 

[magic_clean]

What memories of this

fantastic range. My folks had the early 1970's J845 as shown in Steved literature. My mom loved that range and really mastered the techniques of Combination cooking. She was always baking/roasting something for us, someone or some event. It really got a workout! I recall the only things baked in the traditional way were cakes, bread & cookies.

The Self Cleaning feature was really effective. The whole range was very heavily built and worked great.

-LP

 

[petek]

I've known two people who had the single oven model and one of those iirc was a Hotpoint but I could be wrong. That was in the very early 80s.

GE also came out with an induction stove somewhere in the 80s called the Magna-wave . I saw it at a home expo which was the first time I'd seen an induction stove.. Can't seem to find any info on it. It cost about $10 or 11k at the time.

 

[qsd-dan]

Fascinating range but I'm sure these gave appliance techs some "Oh shit, what did I get myself into" moments when diagnosing problems.

That harvest gold one looks like it came out of the box!

 

[goatfarmer]

Looks good, John. I remember the hassle you had dealing with the people "up nort". trying to get that.

 

[combo52]

Got the GE VersaTronic range all back together

And in its new spot, where is hooked up in the auxiliary Appliance mostly stove display area in the basement of my home, this is where our office used to be years ago.

Baked eight seasoned and breaded chicken drumsticks in it in 11 minutes at 400°. They came out beautifully.

This is the first time I've actually cooked food in one of these for many many years, I'm curious to see if the 915 MHz cooked any differently than the normal 2450 MHz micro combo ovens that I'm so used to. They claim that the 915 MHz will penetrate deeper into and through the food, apparently.Miele makes a combination oven that uses this frequency.

 

[repairguy]

Congrats on another cool project completed. I hope it gives you many years of enjoyable cooking.

 

[norgeway]

Id love

To find a good working pushbutton GE but NOT one of these ill leave this up to you, lol The most complicated GE product ill tackle is a GE oil fired boiler and there are very few left.This is a really fascinating thing , its amazing what people thought up, if you were into microwave cooking this would be for you!