The largest dryer whirlpool ever produced for home use

[combo52]

I finally finished my whirlpool built Kenmore 8 ft.³ dryer from 1969.
I converted it to gas with a 25,000 BTU modulating burner, I also put the high-speed lint separation system in so I would not have to bother with a lint filter and add a window and a switch for the light so it will be on any time the dryer is running or any time the door is open.

So far it’s working beautifully a gas dryer operating outdoors produces the nicest, smelling clothing you can imagine. [this post was last edited: 6/18/2023-16:49]

 

[combo52]

Now drying to oversized pillows

Because pillows give up their moisture slowly and have to be baked for an hour or two to completely dry them through the gas burner his modulator down to only five or 6000 BTUs, keeping a nice steady 165° in the drum to slowly try the pillows completely.

 

[DADoES]

 
I recently heard mention of that project from someone who'd seen it.

 

[appnut]

Wow John!! Beautiful color!! Is this the same size as a 1/18 ryer? A shame they idn't resurrect this for their ultra large current washers.

 

[maytag85]

That’s one huge dryer. Could easily dry 2 or 3 loads from my ‘63 Whirlpool without a problem.

 

[repairguy]

Looks great.

 

[peteski50]

Kenmore!

John you did a awsome job
Best of Luck
Peter

 

[qsd-dan]

What year(s) was this bigger dryer available?

 

[circlew]

Very nice! I like the color, too - is it a metallic auto finish? I think the KitchenAid control panel looks better than the original did on it.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Nice modifications you made and may it give you many years and dry tremendous loads!

-- Dave

 

[askolover]

That's neat!  Is that a Kitchenaid dryer beside it?  I remember seeing those on KA's website when they were being sold.  But they weren't WP built were they?  I've been looking for a while for one of those around here but never ever see them...not even in snobby Brentwood up the road!

 

[DADoES]

 
It's a KitchenAid Pro Line® washer, which is a vamped-up Duet.  The dryer (made by ADC) has a horizontal pull-out filter at top of the toekick panel.

 

[combo52]

Whirl pool, supersize dryer

Hi Dan, this machine was made in 1969. I don’t think it was made more than a year or so. I only ever saw about five of them in my life. I had two of them that were combined to make this machine.

There was a club member, who Lives in Florida who worked for Whirlpool and he saw this dryer 20 years ago at my warehouse. He was shocked to see it because he thought it was only a prototype that he had seen back at whirlpool didn’t know they had ever marketed it.

Hi Bob, this dryer is quite a bit bigger than a Frigidaire one to 18 the machine is 4 inches wider right off the bat and has a much bigger, drum then the one to 18.

So far, I have done about eight loads in it. It’s drying well, but there is a glitch with the electronic dry sensor that I added, it’s not advancing in the electronic cycles. I will have to look into this.

The washer next to it is indeed a Kitchenaid pro line model. It’s been there for about two years. It has the German to wet guts in an American made all non-magnetic stainless steel cabinet.

It works very well I like it almost as much as my new stainless steel Speed Queen front load washer.

The only real problem with it is you can’t wash pants in it without them all being tangled into a knot so they get thrown in the Speed Queen normally

John

 

[DADoES]

 
The super-size dryer is in Sears big book catalogs for Fall/Winter 1970, Spring/Summer 1971, Fall/Winter 1971, and Spring/Summer 1972 at an online site.

Muse Technical - Catalogs & Wishbooks

 

[Unimatic1140]

Very cool John, love the modifications, that makes for a great dryer. I don't know if I've ever seen on those early 70s large capacity dryers.

 

[tomturbomatic]

From 1958 Christmas Wish Book

Our 1958 Lady and the Lady Kenmore Combo are pictured. This was the first time I have seen Sears give the complete cycle time for a combo. I guess this was for the 50Amp electric model and the 37K burner in the gas model.

1958 Sears Christmas Book, Page 221 - Catalogs & Wishbooks

1958 Sears Christmas Book, Page 221

christmas.musetechnical.com

 

[tomturbomatic]

Remember the parts page?

I still remember the note not to order the Roto Swirl to replace a straight vane.

1969 Sears Fall Winter Catalog, Page 657 - Catalogs & Wishbooks

1969 Sears Fall Winter Catalog, Page 657

christmas.musetechnical.com

 

[tomturbomatic]

Here is the Special Washer that handled 18 pound loads

and the combo[this post was last edited: 6/19/2023-23:08]

1969 Sears Fall Winter Catalog, Page 661 - Catalogs & Wishbooks

1969 Sears Fall Winter Catalog, Page 661

christmas.musetechnical.com

 

[ozzie908]

Sear's

Really did sell everything and anything you could possibly want/need.

Department stores here seem positively poorly stocked in comparison.

I guess thats how they stayed in business for so long until the internet ruined the show..