Thread Number: 42433
Rescued! A G.E. dryer with a console I've never seen...
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Post# 624278   9/11/2012 at 19:26 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

redcarpetdrew's profile picture
This caught my eye. Sitting in an alley with a "free for scrap" sign on it.

Scrappers... DENIED!

M/N: 1DA516YW
S/N: NY210915





Post# 624279 , Reply# 1   9/11/2012 at 19:28 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

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I've seen a few G.E. consoles in my time but this one is different.

Post# 624280 , Reply# 2   9/11/2012 at 19:30 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

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The controls. Really basic. How old is this and was there a matching washer?

Post# 624282 , Reply# 3   9/11/2012 at 19:32 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

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Say aaahhhh... Metal filter and a round door knob.

Post# 624284 , Reply# 4   9/11/2012 at 19:34 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

redcarpetdrew's profile picture
How to convert to that pesky 110v. The console's plastic with clean lines. Anybody know about this one?

RCD


Post# 624287 , Reply# 5   9/11/2012 at 19:55 (4,215 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

turquoisedude's profile picture
Hmmm... This might be a "match-all" version of the GE dryer... I bet Ken knows for sure though!!

Post# 624303 , Reply# 6   9/11/2012 at 21:44 (4,215 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

redcarpetdrew's profile picture
Hmmmmm... I was wondering if GE ever made a match all model.

RCD


Post# 624311 , Reply# 7   9/11/2012 at 22:08 (4,215 days old) by golittlesport (California)        

golittlesport's profile picture
I think this is a BOL model from early 60's. Very cool.

Post# 624313 , Reply# 8   9/11/2012 at 22:18 (4,215 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Auntie Em

My aunt got this dryer, a range and a freezer at the same time, in 1961 when my uncle worked for Hanford Nuclear site in the Tri Cities area of Washington state. At that time it was oeprated by General Electric. As a job perk, employees got super buys on selected models and the payments were taken from their weekly checks.

Post# 624314 , Reply# 9   9/11/2012 at 22:26 (4,215 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        
Did I hear my name?

bajaespuma's profile picture

Thank you so much for a. Saving this dryer, and b. taking such beautiful close-ups and detailed shots.

 

The short answer is I don't know if this is a "match-all" dryer but it's likely. I think, I say I think, I saw a matching washer once, but I can't be sure. This model is from 1964 and makes sense in that there was a major comprehensive design change for Home Laundry appliances between 1963 and 1964 and GE always came up with models that would utilize, use up, whatever, parts from the previous year's models. I've seen these models in black and white and in blue and white and they are both using toggleswitches from 1960 and 1961 model years. Tom Stiyer has a 1963 BOL that uses the same toggleswitch design.

 

I always wondered whether these models were prototypes for a totally new design of backsplash that used a lot more Lexan than metal, but for some reason never made it to full production.

 

As Cloris Leachman once uttered, in a memorable episode of "Malcolm in the Middle" , "itz a myztery". Nice to see one up so close and personal.


Post# 624315 , Reply# 10   9/11/2012 at 22:34 (4,215 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))        
Nice catch Andy.

whirlykenmore78's profile picture

Glad you got it brfore the scrappers got it.  The guy I bought the Nearly unused 81 BOL KM also got saved it from scrappers.

WK78


Post# 624360 , Reply# 11   9/12/2012 at 06:10 (4,214 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

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Nice save, Andrew!

Post# 624371 , Reply# 12   9/12/2012 at 07:25 (4,214 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL)        

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Nice save! Thanks for sharing the photos. I've never seen one like this before, either.

lawrence


Post# 624372 , Reply# 13   9/12/2012 at 07:29 (4,214 days old) by macboy91si (Frankfort, KY)        
BOL GE

macboy91si's profile picture
We had this essentially same dryer growing up, I think ours was a 1958. The one we had was essentially just a box with a dial and levers on top of the machine and had the horizontal handle. As said, I think this is just the BOL model, but I like the console on these, very simple, and to me they don't look cheap...

-Tim


Post# 624374 , Reply# 14   9/12/2012 at 07:34 (4,214 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
I think Robert and I saw a couple of washers similar to this down in Tulsa, I think they may have been a bit older than this though. IIRC, they were solid tub washers so pre-61...probably the ones that matched the dryer Tim is talking about.





Post# 624396 , Reply# 15   9/12/2012 at 09:43 (4,214 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        
Neat find from the mid 60s

I saw lots of these with different features in the 60s. Tim is correct. This control panel sort of replaced the rectangular box from the late 50s that sat in one corner of the top and let things fall behind the dryer, but I don't ever recall a GE "Match all" model. GE's idea: if you want it to match, buy our brand for both washer and dryer. Some washers with this control panel did not even have Filter Flo; a friend had one with the matching dryer. They were usually one cycle rarely had a water level switch and I don't think I saw one with 2 speeds. GE made all kinds of funny low end machines, possibly for markets in poorer areas. Weirdest one I ever saw in the downtown Rich's was a two speed with a single fill valve with water temperature regulated at the faucet; the only switch on the panel was the speed switch.

The only other dryer on which I have seen that door knob was the yellow "Sunshine" dryer seen occasionally in magazine ads for $99.00. Like a "Fertile Myrtle" this knob only needed one screw whereas the larger handle took two screws to mount to the door. The ads usually featured children coming in with wet clothing or a window showing a gray, rainy day to contrast with this bright yellow dryer. Back then, dryers were not advertised except in the fall and winter months in magazines. I was told by someone that this dryer was only 115 volts. It had no control panel, just a timer dial on top and a little round metal push to start button beside it.

Thanks for rescuing and sharing, Drew.


Post# 624462 , Reply# 16   9/12/2012 at 13:36 (4,214 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        
GE made all kinds of funny low end machines

bajaespuma's profile picture

I'll second that.

 

GE produced tons of different iterations of many BOL's to grab all sorts of different markets. I've seen GE BOL's featuring mini-baskets with only one speed, one cycle, no temperature choice but a full range of fill selections. I think GE took a page out of the Sears Kenmore playbook. Maytag didn't do anything like this until the late eighties.

 

Bottom-of-the-barrel BOL's  in the sixties usually had a WA3... or WA2... designation and frequently had no filter-flo and only a cycle-dial mounted directly on top of the cabinet covering only one of the panel access holes using in the more expensive units. Here's a model that I've seen from 1960, a WA350T (it features a wash temperature choice, Hot or Warm):


Post# 624568 , Reply# 17   9/12/2012 at 22:52 (4,214 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

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You really do some neat designs, Ken. So, the WA-475W is the matching washer to this dryer? Interesting. I wonder what other console designs GE has floating out there?

RCD


Post# 624602 , Reply# 18   9/13/2012 at 03:40 (4,214 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
What cool control panels

jetcone's profile picture
Never have seen them. I didn't know GE had so many iterations on its machines. Trying to make a $$ in all markets it seems.

Ken your drawings just DRAW me in.

So glad "scrappers were DENIED'!!!

j


Post# 624627 , Reply# 19   9/13/2012 at 07:05 (4,213 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Nail Down Appliances from GE, WP and KM and Others

combo52's profile picture

These basic appliances were made to use to get customers into the showrooms so they could be sold-up to more expensive models. This is why you see what appear to be silly combinations of higher end features in otherwise BOL models, like a two speed washer that doesn't even have water temperature choices, super capacity machines with no water level control etc etc. They did this so a newspaper ad could advertise a low price on an automatic washer with TWO SPEEDS knowing full well that 98% of consumers would never be buy that model. Salesmen were under great pressure not to sell these machines, not only was there NO commission on them there were often financial penalties if they actually allowed someone to buy one. This is where the sales term Nail Down came from as the salesmen was supposed to think of the machine as Nailed to the floor, this is where the term from the consumers point of view Bait and Switch came from.

 

Most major manufactures built these low end Come On models to some extent, even MT built the DE90-DG90 dryers that did not have matching washers to lure people into the showrooms. This trend has died down as consumers became wiser and several Stare Attorney Generals cracked down on this Bait and Switch practice, Sears for one got hit with this for advertising $50 full sized clothes dryers that were almost never sold in spite of many people trying to do so.

 

The neat thing about these BOL models today is that they are fairly rare and were in almost all cases perfectly good machines.


Post# 624632 , Reply# 20   9/13/2012 at 07:43 (4,213 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

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Thank you for your compliments.

 

Those model numbers I assigned to the weird BOL's were just guesses and were wrong. Because of the black panels and the controls I thought Drew's dryer was produced in 1962, where, in fact, it's a 1964 model that's using old parts. I still don't know whether the washer existed or not, but I'm going with the camp that thinks they did.

 

The model Number Drew gave us for the real dryer that he saved is: 1DA-516YW which breaks down to...

 

1= it was made in Louisville, KY

DA=it's a GE automatic dryer(which are all electric at this point; later on we get DDE {for electric} and DDG {for gas}).

516=it's a step down from the retail catalogue BOL, which was a 520, but it's much higher in features than "Nail-Down" models.

Y=1964

W=it's white

 

Most 1964 pairs looked like this (did GE steal Frigidaire's panel design, or did Frigidaire steal from GE?):


Post# 624637 , Reply# 21   9/13/2012 at 07:54 (4,213 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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Ooooh! Thanks for the 900 series drawings, my favorite GE from childhood. My best friend and neighbor had this set growing up. Hope you don't mind if I captured the pic for my profile? Too cool.

Do you know how long they made this panel style? I believe Steinberg's set was bought in '66 or '67, in white.


Post# 624651 , Reply# 22   9/13/2012 at 10:05 (4,213 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)        

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This is a little bit of an aside, but I've had some experiences with 'nail down' models.

John is right - stores didn't want you buying those. While living in Denver, I saw an appliance store run a weekly ad in which in 1981/1982 they were always advertising either a GE BOL or a Frigidaire BOL for $249. This is how I became fascinated with the the one-knob wonder models, and clearly, the GE was the much better washer of the two offerings.

Within the last two years, I tried to buy a one cycle Roper DD washer - it had even only a single solenoid fill valve. It was on every floor of Charlotte's Queen City Appliance for $199. Matching dryer too. I nearly had to create a scene to get the salesman to even consider selling me one. It was frustrating. When I realized I truly didn't need it, I backed off.

Law requires, as John eluded to, that these models be available for sale, or an alternate be made available, if they are advertised to be on sale, etc. I stopped one day in fall 1982 at that store on my way home from school, just to see what the GE was - it was a non-FF basic single cycle standard capacity GE. There were blanks in the two toggle switch holes on the left side of the console. I stood there looking at them, a salesman came up and didn't even say hello, but said "You don't want that model" or something like that.

What I paid more attention to is that Sears didn't offen have a washer that could compete with that sale. They had the 24-inch belt-drive at this time in the catalog for $249, but that required shipping. Once in a while they'd advertise the one-knobber for this price, but usually just a weekend only.

They may not have intended to sell many back then, but if recent Craigslist evidence is any indicator, the 1990s version of this one-knobber sold like hotcakes in their various Kenmore, Sears, Capri, etc. versions.

True too about the large capacity machines without a water level adjustment - Sears did that in a number of models - 1972, 1976, 1980, and 1982 to name a few. It would take me some adjusting of habits to use a large capacity machine to its fullest without wasting water, if I could not adjust the level. I have the 1980 model - it needs a full resto but it will one day get it.

One thing about Sears - they always had a one-knobber / Nail down model in the catalog. I presume they could be had that way with less hassle than from a salesman.

Gordon


Post# 624660 , Reply# 23   9/13/2012 at 10:51 (4,213 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

bajaespuma's profile picture

I'm honored. That style of GE 950's was around from 1964, the "Y" series, to 1966, the "B" series. Also, in the middle of the 1964 model year, GE changed the mini-basket to a larger size and the activator to accommodate it.  For some reason that I haven't learned yet, GE skipped some letters in their model sequences. In 1967, GE introduced TOL's with the canopied fluorescent lights; they finally figured out that shining a light into the eyes of the user wasn't as smart as shining a light on the controls and the control panel. There was a learning curve.

 

I have to go now. The shipping people just dropped off my new vintage DA-720V from Pennsylvania and I have to go take "before" pictures to post and figure out where I'm going to put it for disassembly and cleaning.


Post# 624867 , Reply# 24   9/14/2012 at 10:19 (4,212 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
1960s GE Dryers

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Lots of good information, Ken and Gordon. I was just checking my GE service manuals that covered GE Dryers in the 1960s and GE did introduce Gas dryers in 1964 with the Premier name on them, they did not come in all models as they would later. By July 1964 they had 5 different gas models available ranging from a DG4920Y down to a DG4520Y.


Post# 624869 , Reply# 25   9/14/2012 at 10:23 (4,212 days old) by 76speedqueen (Orleans County Ny)        
super cool dryer !

76speedqueen's profile picture
Nice to see it !

Post# 624870 , Reply# 26   9/14/2012 at 10:36 (4,212 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA)        

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I always wondered where the term "nailed down model" came from. Thanks for all the info. Does anyone have this model dryer and possibly the matching washer (if it exists) in a catalog or advertisement?

RCD


Post# 624942 , Reply# 27   9/14/2012 at 15:12 (4,212 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

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I've seen only two of these before, both were offered on the Boston Craigslist in the last five years. One exactly like yours and the other:

 

 

(and of course I want the blue one)


Post# 625020 , Reply# 28   9/14/2012 at 20:18 (4,212 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

GE was not certain about the success of the gas dryers so they used the name of the vacuum cleaner company they had bought long ago to be able to offer a line of GE vacuum cleaners.


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