Today's Doctrine - 5/25/12 - Early 1960s Kenmores

[kenmoreguy64]

All I can say is "Wow", "Kewl", and "Thanks Robert!"

Naturally, those who know me realize this doctrine is right up my alley. I have a decent sized stack of these Kenmore owner's manuals, all of which I've either bought on eBay since finding AW.org or they came with a machine I got.

I've never understood the rationale that Sears used to compile these manuals. I have one that covers the 1966 Lady Kenmore, and two or three absolute BOL Kenmores, one which does not even have a two-coil mixing valve. Why combine such models in one book?

What Kenmore did not do is issue a single manual with new models that were coming out for a new model year. Wouldn't it make sense to have one for the 1963 line with all the '63 models? Yes it would, but they didn't do it that way. Sometimes two or three manuals covered the same model, but each had various other models as well. Odd, but fun.....it just adds another facet of the life-long mystery of why Kenmore marketed what, and how.

This manual covers machines which originated in 1960, 1962, and 1963! They are all one version or another of the 70/700 series range of machines. Specifically we have an alphabet 1960 machine, which was one of the first to have 1960's newly designed squared-off cabinet. Then we have the 1962 Kenmore 70, which was possibly one of the most easily used automatic washers on the market at the time, followed by the 1963 Kenmore alternate 70 alphabet machine.

Most interesting. This will make for some fun reading this weekend.

Thank you again Robert!

Gordon

 

[appnut]

the 1960 Alphabet

My best friend form high school's mom had this machine. I never was able to get a very good look at it because their laundry room was kinda dark, the clothes hanging rod went across the washer and dryer and shielded alot of the view of the machine most times plus me not being able to see it all when coupled with the two aforementioned issues. It was replaced with the exact washer Gansky1 showed that's in his basement in post #598352. In fact that washer is what I perceived as replacing our Kenmore 800, alled it the 1970s version of the Kenmore 800, had all the same features;. Incidentally Greg, the detergent dispenser flushes for the first 4 minutes of the 14 minute normal wash cycle. It actually flushes for the first 4 minutes of the 3 main wash cycles longest settings. The 800 only flushed for 2 minutres.

 

[frigilux]

My next door neighbor had the alphabet machine. I always found it funny that their Cottons/Linens White Heavy Soil had a 14-minute wash, while our Model 80 had a 12-minute wash. Their C/L White Light soil had a 6-minute wash and ours had an 8-minute wash.