Congratulations Andy on a great pair for your collection. It certainly does look like the owner was not a dryer person, that dryer was lucky if it saw much more than a few hundred loads of use. On the washer you can see the staining inside the cabinet from when the original water pump failed and see the newer replacement water pump. The washer will certainly need a new spin tube, seals, agitator shaft and probably new bearings. I love rebuilding machines like this that have not been worked on by 1/2 dozen different people over the years.

A good friend of my mothers got this set in 1966 in Turquoise with the Suds-Saver and when the Sears repairman told her that the clutch was going bad at 7 years of age she bought another KM washer. I took the old LKM put a new belt on it and sent if off with my parents when they moved from Maryland to Minnesota in 1975. It ran until about 1982 when it was getting tired and I gave my Mom a new 1982 LHA5705WO Suds-Miser WP washer that is still working just fine with just a belt and water pump replacement.

It is amazing how much more reliable cars and newer appliances keep getting, many new washers today will outlast most of the 60s, 70s, 80s, washers and dryers and most will never need a repair at all to do it.

wow, that dryer looks like it was never used.  i bet who ever owened them orginaly was like my mom and hung clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer but was more careful to not spill bleach all over it unlike what my mom did years ago. lol

Any way you cut straight vane agitators work best at turning over clothing and washing large loads, The most useless agitators ever are the ramped vane agitators, even on the Roto-Swirl it is only the three straight vanes that make it work well at all, and everyone's beloved Maytag agitators are all straight vanned. The only real improvement ever devised for oscillating agitators are the dual action models with the spiral section that turns in one direction only to turn over loads more constantly which aids cleaning and reduces clothing wear, and every leading US TL washer maker went to this superior design.

at such a statment about kenmore and poor folks lol

Nice machines, all of them!

Generally more highly educated and higher income folks were more likely to buy Kenmore's and GEs. Maytag was much more middle and lower middle class in its main customer base, just look at there advertising over the years. Growing up all my 22 aunts and uncles were college educated and fairly well off and there was not a single MT washer or dryer ever among them. I can't even remember a MT DW, although my Moms mother did have one MT wringer washer which she kept about 6 years and finely bought an automatic washer, a new 1968 KM 800.

You're so lucky, and that crazy looking spider leg Rotoflex is my absolute dream agitator. Have never had the pleasure, but hope to some day; in fact until I saw one of these spiders, here in the club, never in the flesh, the straight-vaned, extendable-finned Variflex had been my favorite, enjoying one of those for two years.

Can't wait to see the Rotoflex in action at multiple levels, and maybe a capacity test with towels. Look at how much more room is available in the tub next to the cumbersome Super rotoswirl in my 62 turq LK. Alas, have learned that my LK won't accept a Rotoflex--a damned rotten shame.

Good Luck with these Betty White Babes.

This was always the oddest looking agitator to me, I always wondered why they did it without a base. Those rotating gaps are just waiting to grab something and destroy it between the tub and fin. I also notice that the porcelain around that area under the fins seems dull. How long did KM use this agitator?

-Tim

In Reply 16, where Andy has the measuring cup removed and the bright nubbies of the scrubber look brand new, the RF looks so much like an Octopus. And you can also see there are no scrape marks. Would appreciate the link at some point. Have you G. or any other of our club members used the octopus yourselves or currently have one in use. That is commentary I would respect, youtube--NOT! lol

Any doctrine you have on the RF would be wonderful G.

Later agitator designs from both Maytag and Whirlpool released the fins/blades from the skirt, such that where the fins were once connected to the base of the agitator, they are now free with visible gaps; even the enormous KA agi has this gap. In a way then, one could say that the RF was a prototype, with the base taken out altogether.

Have always always wanted one and hoped for one, and have never really cared for the Super Roto. Like salmon, clams, oysters and octopuses, it's all about personal preference.

I'm sure you know this but just in case: You can get this machine to agitate at any water level, as low as you want by filling to, say a few inches or whatever, and then move the dial to the empty space for SUDS, and she's off. That way you can treat us to the wonders of this agitator at various low levels. I'm dying to see this and am very grateful that you're going to do vids. (My main devotion to suds-savers is the multiple fascinating views they offer of water chaos as the levels change. The Rotoflex would have to be a chart topper in this regard.)

Just had a funny post dinner joke, entitled "Button People" If Jacqui sews, she probaly has a stash of button. If so, you could throw a whole bag o' buttons into the machine and see what horrors the rotoflex visits upon them. I bet the people with scraped bottoms were harsh overloaders.