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Thread Number: 62782
/ Tag: Vintage Dryers
Opinions wanted-Best performing "vintage" Dryers? |
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| Post# 853467 11/24/2015 at 11:44 (3,069 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
So Im keeping my eyes open for a "vintage" dryer. Though I would lean more to electric it would be possible to go gas or electric. Have no past experience with gas. Would like to know what some of the best performing and dependable 60s to roughly 80s, give or take, dryers were/are?
I recall in the past as examples have been posted here in SS some of our more knowledgeable members have commented on them being poor or good performers. It would probably see limited use as when weather permitted wash would be hung outside. I would definitely want one with heat selection. This probably isn't much of a concern as by the 60s, as I understand, most dryers did have adjustable heat. Would like opinions on both gas and electric. Curious as to when the last gas units were made with a standing pilot? Thanks, Ken This post was last edited 11/24/2015 at 14:29 | ||
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| Post# 853476 , Reply# 1 11/24/2015 at 12:31 (3,069 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
Hi Ken I think most will agree and from what I've used over the years,
Kenmore/ Lady Kenmore/Whirlpool Dryers have been the Longest Lasting and Great Dryers. The design has been pracitcally unchanged over the years until Whirlpool stopped manufacturing for Sears. I've only used Electric and only a few Gas ones.
The Experts should soon be here. Just my Opinion. | ||
Post# 853477 , Reply# 2 11/24/2015 at 12:35 (3,069 days old) by kenwashesmonday  (Carlstadt, NJ) |
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I'll cast another vote for Whirlpool/Kenmore dryers. They hold up well, are easy to repair, and dry up a storm. | ||
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Post# 853480 , Reply# 3 11/24/2015 at 12:59 (3,069 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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| Post# 853483 , Reply# 4 11/24/2015 at 13:25 (3,069 days old) by volsboy1 (East Tenn Smoky mountains ) | ||
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| Post# 853485 , Reply# 5 11/24/2015 at 13:40 (3,069 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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I just remembered when I bought my house the washer and dryer came with it. I put both in storage where they still are. The washer was a Kenmore probably from the 80s. And the dryer, if I remember correctly, was a Montgomery Ward. Id say from the late 70s-late 80s. I tried it out at the time. The motor ran but the drum didn't turn. Probably just needs a belt. Who would have manufactured dryers for MW at that time?
This post was last edited 11/24/2015 at 14:30 | ||
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Post# 853487 , Reply# 6 11/24/2015 at 13:52 (3,069 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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 Most of my experience is with vintage Norge and Maytag dryers -- gas models. My mom's '67 Snorge lasted for around 20 years. Another Snorge replaced it, and that dryer was working well in 2008 when a new Affinity pair came in and it had to go. I don't think that one ever needed a single repair, but by the time my parents bought it, they were well into retirement and it had a fairly easy life.
I'm probably this site's biggest Norge washer basher, but I can't say much bad about their dryers.
My favorite dryer of all time was the Maytag DG806 Dave and I got when we bought our first house and there was only a gas hook-up in the laundry area. I loved the ease of use and how quiet, fast and efficient it was at getting the job done perfectly every time. Highly recommended, regardless of what others may say about HOH models. | ||
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Post# 853491 , Reply# 7 11/24/2015 at 14:26 (3,069 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 853497 , Reply# 8 11/24/2015 at 16:23 (3,069 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room) | ||
>I would definitely want one with heat selection. This probably isn't much of a concern as by the 60s, as I understand, most dryers did have adjustable heat.
Not sure how many dryers had heat selection, but I'm pretty sure that not all did in the 1960s. I don't remember my mother's Kenmore having any sort of heat selection. This was bought probably in the late 60s. A few years ago, I used a dryer dating to 1969 that was pretty much BOL, however, and that did have temperature control. My dryer experience is limited. I've mostly used WP/KM designs over the years, and they seem to perform well. The 2 GE family dryers I've used--an older GE and a ca. 1989 Hotpoint--never seemed to work as well. They took forever to dry clothes. Although, of course, it might be issues with age/wear, and (in the GE's case) the vent system in that house, which was less than optimal. >Would like opinions on both gas and electric. I've never used gas; however, a huge selling point is that the running cost could be lower than electric. This, of course, depends on local rates. And whether, of course, there would be a meaningful difference for a given user. >Curious as to when the last gas units were made with a standing pilot? I'm now wondering that, too. One thing I seem to recall: didn't dryers with pilot lights tend to rust out? If so, a survivor--if there are any--might be a real collector's item! | ||
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Post# 853512 , Reply# 9 11/24/2015 at 18:26 (3,069 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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My parents had a 50's gas Bendix that basically fried the clothes. One knob on the front with up to 60 minutes. My father MORE than insisted the pilot was on only when the dryer was on to save gas. They replaced it with a Kenmore 80 gas in the early 80's. Dad liked that it had electronic ignition. Only dryers I had in my life was 70's Kenmore 80 gas that as far as I know my ex-brother in laws family is still using. I bought this Maytag electric 410 in 1984 and have never spent one cent on a repair. The automatic settings still work perfect. A load of light fabrics are done before a load of towels can come out of the washer and the dryer takes 45 minutes to dry them on the same setting.
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Post# 853578 , Reply# 11 11/25/2015 at 06:27 (3,069 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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50's gas Bendix | ||
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Post# 853593 , Reply# 12 11/25/2015 at 08:25 (3,068 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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Post# 853606 , Reply# 13 11/25/2015 at 09:41 (3,068 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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one thing that the Kenmore/Whirlpool had an advantage over is that 'soft heat'....stepping down the temp at each cycling of the heat ALWAYS gave the best wrinkle free results.....
despite that I have more Neptunes of matched sets, preference always goes to using the one Whirlpool I have.... electric or gas doesn't matter to one of these......for my area, Gas is cheaper to run, plus allows for many machines to be hooked up..... I believe machines from the 60's and early 70's, you may find ones with a 30,000 btu burner, definitely higher speed drying, compared to newer ones with only 22,000 btu burners.... | ||
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Post# 853731 , Reply# 15 11/26/2015 at 01:55 (3,068 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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Another vote for the WP/KM top lint filter dryer. I have used one of these for most all of my life and never had a moments trouble with them.
Years ago we had a early 70's Kenmore lower line model that was a WP made top filter electric dryer when we lived in an all electric home. When our family moved we relocated the dryer. A couple years later my brother John (Combo52) did a 'sex change' to the machine swapping all the parts over to turn it into a gas dryer. That machine performed much better then the electrically heated version. We used that machine for about 20 more years without a single problem. It was replaced a few years ago with a Cabrio gas model but that old Kenmore is still drying clothing at my friends son in laws house!! | ||
| Post# 853772 , Reply# 16 11/26/2015 at 15:49 (3,067 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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KENMORE! I use a 73 Lady Kenmore, with the "Garage Door" panel, It dries at least 1 load a day and on weekends sometimes 4 or 5 ,We have used it about 6 years and only have had to replace the heating element once, The Automatic Control NEVER misses, the clothes are always perfectly dry..I couldn't ask for any better. | ||
| Post# 853782 , Reply# 17 11/26/2015 at 18:24 (3,067 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
 I'd say it depends of which vintage!
The old Whirlpool/Kenmore dryers from the mid-1960s or earlier weren't the best-performing of their period! I don't have many brands to compare but I wouldn't trade my 27" Frigidaire vented or non vented model from the 1960s for a Whirlpool Kenmore with the positive airflow going through the lint filter.
The newer models with the fixed bulkhead and long negative airflow lint filters were a real improvement. Minor complaints I have about them is that they tend to get noisier as they age (the drum rollers are much better than others like those in the Frigidaire 1-18 but they still get noisy as they wear), the heating elements seem to fail more often than those from other brands and the paint wears off quickly in their drums and bulkheads. | ||
| Post# 853787 , Reply# 18 11/26/2015 at 21:01 (3,067 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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Would this be a good candidate? I guess this would use the later negative airflow as Phil talked about?
Serial number has me confused. According to online info Id take second character as a 0 (zero) which would indicate 1970 which the styling would indicate. Also there isn't an O code listed in the chart. But the D in Model number indicates this model was introduced in 1976. | ||
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Post# 853789 , Reply# 19 11/26/2015 at 21:55 (3,067 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA) |
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Yes, it's a good candidate... | ||
| Post# 853790 , Reply# 20 11/26/2015 at 22:00 (3,067 days old) by dynaflow (rockingham nc) | ||
Kenmore | ||
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Post# 853794 , Reply# 21 11/26/2015 at 22:24 (3,067 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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| Post# 853843 , Reply# 22 11/27/2015 at 09:12 (3,066 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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Ralph
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Post# 853847 , Reply# 23 11/27/2015 at 09:42 (3,066 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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Vintage Dryers: Buyers/Users wanted but where'r Washers? I would believe what keeps a lot of these dryers around would be:
And of course, Line Drying...
-- Dave | ||
| Post# 853856 , Reply# 24 11/27/2015 at 10:56 (3,066 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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I've seen this question asked here before. As I remember from the answers washers are inherently more complicated machines with more parts to wear out/break. They see more use than dryers so get used up sooner. And they deal with water. Any machinery that is constantly subjected to water is more prone to developing issues sooner than one that doesn't.
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Post# 853858 , Reply# 25 11/27/2015 at 11:04 (3,066 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Ahem. If you don't have 29 inches of width to dedicate to a dryer, you might want to consider a standard GE dryer. They kept with the same basic successful design from 1957 through the '90's. I've used them all my life and they're fast, quiet, trouble-free and you don't have to be a short Munchkin to load and unload them comfortably!
Ducks and saunters away gracefully. | ||
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Post# 853864 , Reply# 26 11/27/2015 at 12:31 (3,066 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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Ken, yes, that's the type of drop-down door I was referring to. I think it's a matter of personal preference for a door that's hinged at the bottom or on either side. The drop-down door on my mom's '67 Snorge had a few positions and could be opened 180 degrees to get it completely out of the way. I'm not so sure the door on the dryer pictured above could be opened further than 90 degrees, which may or may not present access issues. IIRC, the Snorge door had a stop somewhere around 45-60 degrees which was adequate for fishing out the contents and acted like a sort of chute for tossing damp ones in. | ||
| Post# 853877 , Reply# 27 11/27/2015 at 14:30 (3,066 days old) by Blackstone (Springfield, Massachusetts) | ||
I'm partial to Blackstone
Of course. The Blackstone dryers from the 1950s had a very wide drum, with a relatively slow rotation speed, allowing for increased airflow to pass through the tumbling clothes. Front door dropped down from the top, creating a temporary shelf. They operated quietly, too.
No safety start switch, so it was easy for a child to climb inside the big drum. I know, I did it. They were available with a stainless steel top. Lint trap was a removable cage, accessible from the top of the cabinet. These dryers used a 3" vent. I must find a picture to scan. | ||
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Post# 853888 , Reply# 28 11/27/2015 at 16:17 (3,066 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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| Post# 853963 , Reply# 30 11/28/2015 at 07:38 (3,065 days old) by Blackstone (Springfield, Massachusetts) | ||
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I did sell 2 Blackstone dryers (one electric, one gas) that were new-in-box. Jon bought one. I remember he did post pictures long time ago. These dryers matched the 350 washer.
The model with the French doors was an older model, to match the 250 washer. The red knob was infinite temperature control. I think I still have some 3" vent pipe; don't know what to use it for. | ||
| Post# 854248 , Reply# 32 11/29/2015 at 20:17 (3,064 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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Post# 854267 , Reply# 33 11/29/2015 at 22:00 (3,064 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Tom makes good points about load sizes and different machines.
I love the super-sized 29" WP dryers. The late 80's-early 90's KitchenAid was probably their finest of the long genealogy for this style. I also have a '67 Lady Kenmore dryer that I adore, I put a rebuild kit on it a few months ago in under and hour and it's a brand new machine again. Of the five installed dryers in my collection, all but one are Whirlpool/Kenmore. I picked up a late 80's BOL Maytag electric dryer today and it's a solidly built, reliable performer. No complaints, clothes are always dry on Auto-Regular. | ||
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Post# 854276 , Reply# 34 11/29/2015 at 22:50 (3,064 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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my grandmother had an early/mid 60's GE that she used for about 40 years....it NEVER needed anything done to it! Had the fluorescent light in the panel. It always dried well. My other grandmother had a late 60's/early 70's Kenmore(WP) with the plastic slanted control panel, basic machine with the drop down door and it lasted at least 30 years until she couldn't live alone anymore but was still going strong too...and it dried many loads of my grandfather's denim overalls! | ||
| Post# 854400 , Reply# 35 11/30/2015 at 18:34 (3,063 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia) | ||
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1955 Frogeye Kenmore I use mine every other day!!!!! My second frogeye in 35 years.Great dryers,I just took mine apart and greased it and cleaned it good. Well built,my dog loves his bed towels when they come out! I use the matching washer as much! Just put a new wig-wag in it and belt what a difference! | ||
| Post# 854532 , Reply# 37 12/1/2015 at 11:19 (3,062 days old) by ken (NYS) | ||
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Looks like 60s WP built Kenmore. Anyone know what year?
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Post# 854611 , Reply# 38 12/1/2015 at 17:39 (3,062 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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Easy answer: | ||
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