Uh Oh... D+M Caloric Dishwasher in NJ.

[toploader55]

The Real Deal.

Looks pretty much TOL too.

Ummmmmmm... $250.00 ??? I think Not.

But it does have Super Wash and Hot Water Scrub Cycles. Never heard of the "Hot Water Scrub" Cycle.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/app/3410329659.html

 

[appnut]

Very "interesting".  I'd say TOL.  Given the color of the racks, possibly early to mid 1970s or even late 1970s early 1980s. 

 

[rp2813]

Just Scary

Not just the price, but that top lamp designation really made me cringe.

 

If you're going to label it as "On Light" then shouldn't the other two be labeled "Water Heat Light" and "Power Saver Light?"

 

No wonder D&M machines get no respect (OK, except from maybe one of us here).  They (or at least Caloric) had no respect for the intelligence of the end user.

 

[tomturbomatic]

As if you need a light to let you know a D&M machine was on unless it's drying, maybe.

 

[parunner58]

The interior looks exactly like the Kemore one we bought my mom the spring of 1976. It washed so bad we took it back and bought the GE Potscrubber. It left food bits on the stuff in the upper rack and the silverware had spots of stuff on them. Ours had the same wash arm configuration with Normal, Short wash, High temp wash, and Rinse and Hold. We got ours right after the Roto-racks were discontiinued.

 

[stevet]

case of the blahs!

The trouble with the D&M machines is that there was nothing exciting to see when you opened the doors on them. They all looked the same and nothing special going on with the racks. The roto racks were the best because you could easily imagine the action of them goinG round and round. And then there were the ones that were adjustable and that was at least an option.

Once you got past the control panels, they all looked the same. Even with all the water they used and numerous water changes, they still left the dishes less than clean if you didnt wash them in the sink first.

 

[rinso]

Another problem with the D&M made machines of that time is that they rarely, if ever,had food particle filters. I had a D&M made Magic Chef back in the 70's. It had lots of cycle and option buttons, and acceptable rackage. It's super wash cycle had wash-rinse-rinse; 2nd wash-rinse-rinse-rinse so it was a real water hog. I think D&M hoped that changing the water 6 times would take care of the lack of a particle filter.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Caloric DW

When I was very young we lived in a townhouse with a lower line version of this disaster. "Neighbors complaing about the machine's noise and having to bail out water after every cycle". When we moved to MN Mom got a Hobart/KA KDP-20. The Hobart machine was much quieter, faster, held many more dishes and washed them much cleaner using 1/2 the water changes. Of course what would one expect going from a completely worthless piece of shit to a DW made by the world's leading warewashing experts.
WK78

 

[alr2903]

The folks liked our first (D&M), it washed well for the amount of money it cost back then.  Like many people  ( Sears ) was the first forray into autodishwashing, may not be the best.  But better than nothing.  Many times it was the one time expense of reworking the cabinet running the plumbing and electric. So you got the one on sale at sears.  They used up 2 sears machines back to back, then moved on to a  GE Triton. alr

 

[chris74]

Caloric?

Is that the brand's name?

 

[toploader55]

Yes Chris

Caloric used to be a manufacturer of Gas Ranges, Gas Cooktops and Wall Ovens. Popular in the 50's and early 60's that I can recall, (or their HayDay so to speak) One of there selling points was the "Ultra Ray" Broiler Units in their Ovens. Dishwashers however, were D+M machines just with the Caloric Name on them. I don't believe they did anything with refridgeration or washers and dryers. If they did, it was a rebadge.

 

[combo52]

D&M Built DWs

My 8th grade algebra teacher [ who loved her KM washer and dryer ] said she loved to hang around dishwasher sales area in her local Sears store and when she saw someone looking at a KM DW she would go over and whisper get a Kitchen-aid DW, LOL.

 

Our family also bought our first DW from Sears in 1966, we were having Sears remodel our kitchen and my father and I both pushed for the MOL KM 600 built-in DW, my Mother and older brother both wanted to get a KDI-15 because of CRs rating and the fact most of my Aunts had KAs and liked them. My father did not believe in paying for overpriced brand names so the KM won out as the final selection.

 

Boy did I learn a lesson, the D&M DW while it did an OK job on dirty dishes [ we never rinsed anything as the instruction book said that it was not necessary ] the breakdowns started during the first year warranty.  The DW had at least three warranty calls and by the time the machine reached its tenth year of life and I pulled it out and installed a three year old WP SAU-500 every part of the KM had either been replaced or rebuilt except the tank and the racks, even the inner door panel rusted so badly I replaced it.

 

The WP DW not only never had a problem it did a much better job and I have had WPs ever since. I also have two KAs a KDS-16 and a KDSS-20 and while these are beautifully built machines they both have design flaws that affect the performance that the WPs do not have. The biggest problems with the KAs are messy [ stinky ] filters poor drying [ especially if used on energy saver dry ] and the lack of real water heating with the pump running where the water gets to a guaranteed temperature during the main wash and final rinse. As a service person I have always found KA DWs to be a lot more fussy and a little more repair prone than WPs, GEs as they are so much more complicated that they often needed a  little help.

 

[jetcone]

.

Uh-huh.

 

[coldspot66]

Not sure what all the fuss is about Kenmore/D&M dishwashers. Our first d/w was a Kenmore 600 top load purchased in 1967 for a grand total of $179.00. I don't ever recall taking ANYTHING dirty out of that d/w...pans included. I was in charge of loading it and wheeling it to the sink at night and parking it back to it's place in the morning. The 2 "repairs" that I can recall were the hideaway cord reel did not hide away so easily and the torsion spring bars that held the top in an open position sprung. I replaced the cord reel and used a piece of wood to prop up the lid. Total cycle time was 49 minutes, unless I selected 145 degree wash, which had a water heating delay in the 2nd wash and final (4th) rinse. Loading the bottom rack when the top rack halves were full necessitated removing one of the roto-rack halves. Not a big deal. I also swapped the bottom rack front to back so that the silverware baskets were underneath the spray tube...my version of the "silver shower"!!! That was a pretty competent quiet dishwasher for the $$$$.

 

[combo52]

D&M Top Loading DWs

The TL DWs were a little less troublesome as the didn't have as many leakage problems. But John how many loads did your families machine wash per week and how many years did it last?

 

[coldspot66]

Hi John,

We prolly ran the d/w 2-3 times per week, and once on a weekend with Sunday dinner. We had it for 10 years, then gave it to my aunt for her cottage. I don't think she used it much, only in the summer. The hose that fed the spray tube started to leak at one end from a crack, so I just cut that part out and reattached to the spray tube. The motor did eventually hum and not always start; it was about 17 yrs old by then. I replaced the motor and sold it in 1983. For the money I can't complain...it was our first dishwasher

 

[jetcone]

I had a roll away model too

that my roomates would BOBLOAD all the time, it cleaned and cleaned, we used it for 4 years and then sold it. It was a great machine.

 

[roto204]

I've loved my D&Ms, but...

I've had lots of great experiences with D&Ms, but I always wondered about this design. I remember Bob alluding to the fact that Sears got their posteriors handed to them one year because the redesigned models after the Roto-Racks washed so badly. Why was that, and what was so different about the design at that point?

D&Ms to me always seemed to be more or less an evolution of the same design; no big surprises, good or bad.

 

[rpms]

The first dishwasher I ever saw was my Aunt Doris's Kenmore,DM dishwasher.
I thought it was the most marvelous thing, EVER. I loved the lights and the sounds. I don't recall it being that noisy?
My mom had a DM dishwasher branded Admiral. It was basically the same as the Kenmore minus the electronic controls and the third level wash. Mom's dishwasher was used and washed for a long time. The door springs broke and the dishwasher was replaced with a Viking GE. The Viking last one year and was kicked to the curb. Actually it got kicked to the loading dock of the Salvation Army and was last seen face down. That dishwasher never produced one clean load of dishes. The Admiral did a much better job.
I found replica of my Aunt's in the garbage several years back. It is sitting behind me at the moment. It too has broken door springs and a cord wheel that doesn't work. The electronics have also froze. I am not sure if it can be fixed? I just can't throw it out. My dishwasher has 8 water changes. Would this make it one of the thirstiest dishwashers of all?