Vintage Frigidaire Range- Should I buy? Pros and cons?

[dustin92]

We have been looking to buy a white 30" range, as we have a nice white refrigerator (not vintage, but works great), to install. Our Kitchen appliances are currently (icky) almond Whirlpools from 1990's. They work fine but look terrible. I was out thrifting with my Mom today, and in one of our favorite thrift shops, ran across this nice stove... At first I barely gave it a second glance, thinking "just another icky old stove", then looked closer to see that it appears to be in *really* nice condition. Quite obviously "little old lady owned". All parts appear to be there, the only issue (which I didn't get a picture of unfortunately) was that the broiler assembly seems to be hanging down a bit. I'm sure if nothing else a screw can be used to put it right. The oven was nearly spotless, with only a couple dirty spots. My only disappointment is that it doesn't appear to be self cleaning All the top burners looked fine, and to my hand felt flat (I know there has been mention of them warping over time), the burner bowls looked pretty dirty, but not a big deal, I'm a clean freak, so they wouldn't be dirty long. The only cosmetic damage was the storage drawer, where it looked like oven cleaner had been oversprayed, and removed some of the paint. The inside of the storage drawer looked nice, and was lined with paper towels. The controls looked nice, maybe a bit of fading on the knobs. My questions would be- How good would this be as a daily driver, provided everything works properly? And I noticed the left front burner is a speed heat, which I have seen on here have a reputation for not working properly, what would be necessary to convert it to a standard burner? (that is, if it has an issue). Would we notice any differences in performance from our ugly 1994 Whirlpool (good or bad?) Any info would be appreciated! Is it worth the $50 they are asking? The thrift store does have a return policy if all goes south though. Thanks!

 

[dustin92]

Oven... pretty nice, the racks even shine!

 

[dustin92]

Storage drawer.. pretty clean, granny's paper towels still intact!

 

[epixstar128]

I can't speak for this electric stove but my whole house is vintage appliance s . I don't buy
Any thing that's not a going to be a daily driver. So my advice to you is go for it. The new stuff these days has no quality. And the price seems
Right too

 

[kevin313]

Dustin,

If it were me, I'd buy that stove! It has a lot of nice features, and for $50 it is priced right. I have a number of older Frigidaire stoves and they have all performed well.

Kevin

 

[danemodsandy]

You're Crazy....

....If you don't go get that beauty.

Fifty bucks? Chicken feed, and the thing will last your lifetime with a few repairs.

And you will never hear the dread words: "Control board's blown, and we can't get 'em for this model any more" again.

 

[tomturbomatic]

One thing I will warn you about. The stop time dial for the Cookmaster is in the Red OFF position. The Oven will not work until you turn it to MAN for manual operation. There were lots of needless service calls for this situation so don't get tripped up by it. I agree that the stove should work just fine.

The element support under the right rear unit with the slightly rusty center is the one that belongs under the left front Speed Heat Unit. A little Bar Keepers Friend will remove the rust, most likely. If the Speed Heat unit is still operating, you can greatly prolong its life by starting it out on the lowest setting until you hear a click, they turning the heat to the higher setting. Starting on the lowest setting only activates the Speed Heat function for about 15 seconds and does not stress the control or the element as much.

 

[dustin92]

And *if* the speed heat isn't working, would the element still function as a standard burner, or would repairs be needed?

 

[mattl]

My speed heat on my '59 range is still working and i don't think we ever started in on low.  True it get very little use anymore, but it survived a number of years of daily use.

 

[norgeway]

Trust me!

Once you use it, and see how sturdy and well built it is...how even those Radiantubes heat, and after the first cake you bake...you will NEVER have a new stove again!!

 

[frigilux]

Did all Frigidaires have this coat hanger-looking thing in front of the bake element? It looks like something to keep the element elevated off the oven floor. Is it standard-issue, or did someone rig this up on their own?

It's unanimous: How can you go wrong for $50?

Tom-- On using the automatic start/stop feature: I finally talked my Mom (who didn't trust the feature) into trying it once on our 1967 Kenmore oven. It worked like a charm, of course, but the next time she tried to use the oven...nothing. I'll never forget her shrieking in her heavy Italian accent, "You see?! I knew we shouldn't have done that! Now the oven is broken!" I calmly turned the knob to MANUAL and all was well.

 

[dustin92]

Well I think I'm going to try to pick it up tomorrow. The thrift store is closed on Sundays, so will try to be there early monday.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The wire bake element support was not a Rube Goldberg invention. Frigidaire used it for support, just like GE used the legs and Westinghouse used the little Vs under the bake element.

If the Speed heat control or element is not working, it will need servicing. The element is basically a 120 volt element and the control passed 240 volts through it for a metered amount of time, depending on the setting, which was almost 60 seconds on HIGH which caused it to get red very fast. It was stressful to both the element and control. Both original parts are NLA, but cross that bridge when you get to it. There are ways of coping with modern generic replacements.

I was only suggesting a way to keep a fragile piece of 50 year old equipment functioning, if it was still working, not denigrating Speed Heat units in general or yours in particular. Some older things need special care.

 

[customline]

Please...........

Make sure you rewire it !!!!!! Use updated silicone and fiberglass sheathed 12 gauge nickel range wire !!!!!

 

[dustin92]

Any ideas on age? I'm guessing mid to late 60's or so? I plan on getting over there tomorrow morning to take a closer look and probably bring it home! Hoping all goes well.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The control panel looks more like around 1963, but the clock does not match up with the clocks of a US model. I wonder if it is a Canadian model.

From the rust visible on the surface units, it has not been used for a long time.

 

[kenmore71]

Well, I have done and exhaustive search of my archives.  I cannot find a pic of that range.  The 2-prong convenience outlet tells me is before 1963.  I do NOT have info on the 1961s which would lead me to believe this IS a 1961 Deluxe 30" range.  If others can provide documentation to refute this, it would help me clarify my own library!

 

[dustin92]

I did a bit of a search and found a turquoise 1961 model that is very similar, so could be a 1961.

 

[mattl]

The styling cues are very reminiscent of my '59 so I'd put it in that time frame.