Thread Number: 45410
1976 D&M Kenmore Dishwasher
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Post# 664998   3/10/2013 at 23:16 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Out at the estate sales yesterday we ran into this $10 D&M Kenmore Dishwasher, one model down from the Lady Kenmore. What struck me about this machine is it was in the basement and it appeared to used only a few times. Nearly rust free in the sump.




Post# 664999 , Reply# 1   3/10/2013 at 23:17 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

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Nice cycle options

Post# 665000 , Reply# 2   3/10/2013 at 23:17 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Boy the Kenmore dishwasher dials of the mid 70's were so reminiscent of the washer dials of the late 60's and early 70's.

Post# 665001 , Reply# 3   3/10/2013 at 23:18 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

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Under normal conditions I wouldn't have picked up a machine like this, but everything just shines...

Post# 665003 , Reply# 4   3/10/2013 at 23:20 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
The motor and pump assembly are amazing quiet and run like its brand new. Its the same motor/pump assembly that is in my '65 Lady Kenmore, so this new machine will be a perfect parts donor to keep my window door LK running for years longer.

Post# 665004 , Reply# 5   3/10/2013 at 23:22 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

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We recently installed our new dishwasher uni-coupler faucet in the kitchen sink, so this is perfect timing. We purposely installed this so we could drag home dishwashers to play with temporarily. The big fancy new kitchen sink sprayer faucets are not uni-coupler friendly, lol.

Post# 665005 , Reply# 6   3/10/2013 at 23:24 (4,035 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        
Fall-Winter 1975

unimatic1140's profile picture
It even has a three level wash...

Post# 665008 , Reply# 7   3/11/2013 at 00:03 (4,035 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Robert thats the exact machine we had as dishwasher #1 in our family. Mom kind of thought she did not need it. She lived on to completely wear it out plus 2 replacements over the years. Best money we ever spent. She converted quickly, if an item could not go in the dishwasher she seldom used it. I am glad you found it and it will live on in parts as needed. arthur

Post# 665014 , Reply# 8   3/11/2013 at 00:47 (4,035 days old) by xpanam (Palm Springs California )        

xpanam's profile picture
Hi Robert! That is a great find, it looks brand new! In 1975 I use to ride my bike to the Sears at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa Californian, to watch the one they had running all day with the plastic insert. Also at Penney’s at Huntington Center mall, were they had a Pennies DW that was an old Hotpoint design! I just stared to wonder how long these display models lasted? Running all day every day.

Post# 665031 , Reply# 9   3/11/2013 at 06:31 (4,035 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
kenmore!

peteski50's profile picture
Good friends of mine had this same exact DW built in. I used to load for them most of the time at parties and always packed it. When they sold the house in 1992 it was still working. The only thing that was falling apart was the top rack. Robert this is absolutely a Great find and a keeper.
Best Wishes,
Peter


Post# 665033 , Reply# 10   3/11/2013 at 06:47 (4,035 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

turquoisedude's profile picture
Wow, I have its Canadian cousin in Avocado Green! I know D&M gets a lot of bad press, but we used ours in Hubby's country house for 10 years and it worked fine. I think it may have been one of the last D&M's to feature forced-air drying. Oh, and I have the Canadian version of the user guide if you'd like a copy, Robert.

Post# 665040 , Reply# 11   3/11/2013 at 07:19 (4,035 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
Not very different than the '73/74 I grew up with! AWESOME



Post# 665041 , Reply# 12   3/11/2013 at 07:23 (4,035 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        
WOW !!!

toploader55's profile picture
That's in Gawgious Shape. Love that 3 level wash system.

But I never understood DM's choice of color for the racks. They look like Nicotine Yellow.

But that's the Seventies.


Post# 665048 , Reply# 13   3/11/2013 at 08:05 (4,035 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
1970s D&M Portable DWs

combo52's profile picture

Oh My Robert that just doesn't look right in your kitchen, LOL, I guess next we will see WP DD washers showing up in your laundry room.

 

The motor and many major pump parts are different from the motor etc in your older machine, but you may be able to install the complete assembly if you ever need it for the 1965 LKM DW.


Post# 665049 , Reply# 14   3/11/2013 at 08:09 (4,035 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
super find Robert

jetcone's profile picture

I had the model down from this in an earlier apartment life, never had a complaint about it. You could heap the dishes in, and living with two women --they did and everything came out glistening!

 

You're right Eddie about those racks Dog Bile Yellow, what were they thinking was color back then is a mystery!!

 

 


Post# 665056 , Reply# 15   3/11/2013 at 08:30 (4,035 days old) by HooverWheelAway ()        

Ugh, you have no idea how releaved I am to know that it has a sliding panel to conceal the pushbuttons.

**phew** -- that was a close one.

Cool


Post# 665062 , Reply# 16   3/11/2013 at 08:51 (4,034 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
The motor and many major pump parts are different from the motor etc in your older machine, but you may be able to install the complete assembly if you ever need it for the 1965 LKM DW.

Yes John that I what I mean, the parts are different, such as a round motor on the earlier machine and square on the newer, but the mounting and hose connections are exactly the same as well as the function, so the entire assembly will fit and can be used as a replacement. They also sound almost exactly the same. The bottom rack (ugly color as it is) is nearly the same and fits perfectly. The spray arm as well has a different hole pattern, but otherwise is the same. I'm going to install the newer spray arm in the window LK to see the difference between the two. The newer machine has much smaller holes and more of them, where as the older spray arm has only four holes, but they are much larger.


Post# 665064 , Reply# 17   3/11/2013 at 08:57 (4,034 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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The woodgrain adds a bit of warmth and Bi-Centennial flavor to the room :-)



Post# 665081 , Reply# 18   3/11/2013 at 11:31 (4,034 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)        
Greg:

danemodsandy's profile picture
That makes you a perfect candidate for a mid-'70s Cadillac - remember that injection-molded Ye Olde Fayke Woode Graine - with carvings?

Post# 665082 , Reply# 19   3/11/2013 at 11:36 (4,034 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)        
BTW:

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This unit is very high-quality by today's standards, but at the time, the cost-containment in evidence on the '75s was a shocker.

The biggest, most noticeable difference was the hose console, now molded plastic. Previously, it had been extruded aluminum with die-cast chromed end caps.

It really wasn't all that huge or damaging a change, but it sure set tongues a-wag down at Sears on Ponce de Leon.

And there was much worse to come.


Post# 665092 , Reply# 20   3/11/2013 at 12:12 (4,034 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Inside, except for the deluxe cutlery baskets, it looks just like the one a friend had in a house bought in 1970 except it was a Norge--you see that Hans? The whole kitchen was Norge, Hans, and avocado green.

The worst thing about these machines was that the timer triggered the detergent dispenser to fly out of its little house at the start of the wash fill and it threw the granules all over the lower rack so not only did anything aluminum get discolored as it does in a dishwasher, but it got little white dots on it where the detergent landed and sat for the whole fill time before the wash action started.

Robert, Where did you find the hot only faucet?


Post# 665105 , Reply# 21   3/11/2013 at 13:07 (4,034 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
The worst thing about these machines was that the timer triggered the detergent dispenser to fly out of its little house at the start of the wash fill

Well that's odd Tom, because my '65 LK opens the dispenser as soon as wash begins with a full take of water, and this '76 machine opens the dispenser about 20 seconds after the wash beings. I wonder if it was the non Kenmore branded D&M's that did that?

As for the faucet we got it here, but you have to order the faucet and handle separately... www.faucetdepot.com/prod/Delta-23...

You can adjust the rate of handle travel of this faucet to bring the faucet up to full pressure for operating a dishwasher and it looks nice as well.


Post# 665106 , Reply# 22   3/11/2013 at 13:11 (4,034 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)        
BTW, Robert:

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I like your Frigidaire dealer giveaway trivets - I have them too.

(For the uninitiated - they are the things that have roosters on them, behind the faucet - they're shaped like tiles. They're heatproof, stain-resistant Frigidaire porcelain, which was the point of the giveaway. Frigidaire called them "Pot Roosters").


Post# 665158 , Reply# 23   3/11/2013 at 17:21 (4,034 days old) by rollermatic (cincinnati)        
i love those old d&m machines!

rollermatic's profile picture
i remember gazing at them in the appliance section of dept. stores and plumbing supply houses when i was a teen! who knew then!

your's looks perfect! love the controls!

as far as spray arms go i have one lady kenmore top loader roto rack with the older spray arm with the big holes and several front load models with the newer small hole arms. i much prefer the older spray arm and i will say that my top loader always does a great job of cleaning everything when i use it.

have fun with it but shudder to think that this beautiful machine could be stripped down for parts! hopefully that day will never come!


Post# 665164 , Reply# 24   3/11/2013 at 17:42 (4,034 days old) by kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)        

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Love it Robert!
Congrats!


Post# 665201 , Reply# 25   3/11/2013 at 18:53 (4,034 days old) by rpms (ontario canada)        

rpms's profile picture
Could you please take a close-up of the instructions printed on the top of the door? The graphics on mine are worn away. I love these dishwashers.

Post# 665246 , Reply# 26   3/11/2013 at 21:29 (4,034 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )        

ovrphil's profile picture
I'm choking here....with envy . BEAUTIFUL - really amazing.

Post# 665258 , Reply# 27   3/11/2013 at 22:24 (4,034 days old) by alsaroy (New Jersey)        
Pardon my ignorance

I love this forum, but I am not as knowledgable about all the initials used here. What does DM Stand for?

Post# 665262 , Reply# 28   3/11/2013 at 22:28 (4,034 days old) by A440 ()        

What a fun find!
It looks showroom new!
These were very powerful dishwashers. I remember many
apartment buildings that had them. They were quite old
when I would run into one and were still washing.
Not as nice as yours of course.
Brent


Post# 665270 , Reply# 29   3/11/2013 at 23:15 (4,034 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi Roy, D&M stands for Design and Manufacturing, it was a company that made dishwashers and sold them other companies to put their name on it. Here is a thread about them:

www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/T...

Brian, of course, here is the picture you asked for, its not the easiest thing to photograph, but this sorta works...


Post# 665293 , Reply# 30   3/12/2013 at 01:09 (4,034 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
We had a late '73 or early '74 Lady Kenmore, so it must have been one of the last with a Roto-Rack. As with many of these machines, it was rust that took her. That pristine tub is awesome---hardly used, obviously. Great find, and congratulations!

Post# 665302 , Reply# 31   3/12/2013 at 01:54 (4,034 days old) by chetlaham (United States)        

chetlaham's profile picture
@ Robert, You hit the jack pot once again! Im not a big D&M fan of appliances (more of a kitchen-aid one) but I wouldnt mind having that one just for a test drive. The water heating is one I always look for, especially if its the stop timer until hot kind.

Two questions though, Does the pump module have any food particle filtration like on whirlpool or maytag machines and would you happen to have a pick of the underside/motor as well?

Again great find!!! Im jealous lol!


Post# 665359 , Reply# 32   3/12/2013 at 08:47 (4,033 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)        
our parents

firedome's profile picture
Had this machine as a built-in in their 1975 new house... it always did a good job and was still going strong when they moved to FL in 1986. Congrats on a cool find!

Post# 665463 , Reply# 33   3/12/2013 at 19:26 (4,033 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
D&M DWs, Did They Have A Filter?

combo52's profile picture

D&M like many DW designs of this time period did not have any type of food filter, they did have one of the most effective food choppers up till the time WP Power Clean DWs came out in 1984. Many other DWs had no filters of any kind, GE for example did not have their first filtering system till the early 1980s and GM Frigidaire DWs dropped their filter system in 1965 and never introduced another.

 

DWs without filters relied on many water changes to get rid of food particles, but they never could do as good a job as DWs with a filter system. NO modern DW made today does not have a filter. Interestingly every Kitchenaid DW ever built had a filter and every Whirlpool DW ever built that used a wash-arm instead of an impeller has some sort of filter or filtering system.

 

 

 

 


Post# 665493 , Reply# 34   3/12/2013 at 22:12 (4,033 days old) by dishwasherfan (Phoenix, AZ)        
What a find.

dishwasherfan's profile picture
Hi Robert, I love the machines that are hidden jewels & never used. Congrats, Bob..

Post# 665503 , Reply# 35   3/12/2013 at 22:45 (4,033 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Ya know I just

jetcone's profile picture

noticed, I've never seen one of these with all the door printing intact along the top edge there! It must have been a lo use machine!

 


Post# 665524 , Reply# 36   3/13/2013 at 04:14 (4,033 days old) by chetlaham (United States)        
DW filter

chetlaham's profile picture
That probably is the reason why I never liked these machines as much. Every single dishwasher that Ive ever washed dishes in without a filter has always left behind small particles behind on cups and saucers in the top rack. Having the grinder in there in my opinion makes things worse in that large pieces of food end up being redistributed around the machine as small particles.

The worst offenders in my kitchen were GEs, the half gallon that was left behind in the sump and pump pretty much rendered the 7 water change outs useless. The In-sink erator was in my experience not that bad, but nothing can compare the Maytag Jetcleans or Whirlpool's Power clean system.


Post# 665532 , Reply# 37   3/13/2013 at 05:42 (4,033 days old) by washer111 ()        
Filters

If you get a machine without filters (Roto-Racks/DM machines, GE Potscrubbers etc), make sure it is one with a rinse-aid dispenser, that is adjustable, or dispenses plenty of agent to ensure the stuff it slipped away. I found that worked great when I needed the replacement filter on our machine, although coffee grinds are a little stubborn still ;-)

 

In regards to GE machines, member "bwoods" seems to have fixed that issue on his GE-2800, where he installed a dual pump setup to completely drain the water out of the sump, eliminating that .5 gallon carry-over between fills. 

 

In the archives, another member posted the results of baked on food stuffs in these supposedly "hopeless" DM machines - the results were great, even if I do say so myself, as were results from the "Machines of Ill Repute" series - where the Wards machine left most dishes quite clean (IIRC). 


Post# 665538 , Reply# 38   3/13/2013 at 06:28 (4,033 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)        
Kenmores:

danemodsandy's profile picture
For many years, my mom had a '73 Lady Kenmore (with Roto-Rack) convertible/portable that I bought for her. Absolute TOL machine, all the bells and whistles.

I'm here to tell you - that thing was a performer. Everything came out of it spotlessly clean, and that was in spite of - not because of - my mom. Mom could be counted on to take the turkey carcass off the Thanksgiving platter before putting it in the dishwasher, but that about all the pre-treating of dishes she ever did.

She used the machine for everything - pots, pans, casserole dishes, absolutely everything. It also took good care of her good dishes, on those exceedingly rare occasions they were ever used.

It should be remembered that this Lady K was being used with '70s dishwasher detergents that probably could have doubled as paint stripper, but still, there were no cleaning issues with it. And it lasted 20 years, until Sears finally declined to renew the maintenance protection plan on it.


Post# 665541 , Reply# 39   3/13/2013 at 06:43 (4,033 days old) by chetlaham (United States)        
GE aux pump

chetlaham's profile picture
In some high end GEs in the late 90s and nearly all high end GE machines today they have a drain pump to the sump boot to remove the carry over water, it makes a big difference. Less water used and cleaner dishes. Mind blowing to me that GE sold such an inefficent pump system for 35 +years.

Thanks for the info, will go look at it in archives :)


Post# 665760 , Reply# 40   3/14/2013 at 09:05 (4,031 days old) by TwinTubber (Toronto)        
That's A Great Find Robert!!!

In such absolutely amazing condition!
I'm sure you are aware that there was a slightly "improved"(?) spray arm after the one in your newest acquisition. It was the same as yours but with much smaller holes and many more of them. It rotated extremely fast for a dishwasher's lower spray arm and did a fairly decent job on heavily soiled cookware.
I used many D&M machines during the 80's and 90's. From round racks right up to the last models when they used plastic spray arms instead of the stainless steel ones.
They are good performers and very reliable albeit extremely noisy!
They get a bad rep, and deservedly so, especially for lack of filtration and generally not very well built. But they really could take a lot of abuse and just keep (trying) to go on washing.
I've seen so many clogged spray arms though on these machines-especially the ends of the upper spray arm. And some nasty looking sumps-Yeeeks!!!
Would definitely like to see a video of that spray arm in action in your window machine :)


Post# 677629 , Reply# 41   5/6/2013 at 08:58 (3,978 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        

pierreandreply4's profile picture
i also grew up as a kid with the canadien versionof this model but it was harvest gold in term of cleaning power its a powerhorse


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