Thread Number: 71404
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
POD 6/23/2017 |
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Post# 944800 , Reply# 1   6/23/2017 at 05:54 (2,471 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Scroll down a bit on today's POD and there's the set I grew up with: The magnificent Model 80 from 1960. The cycle pushbuttons were held over from the '59 Lady K. It had, in my opinion, a fantastic list of features considering it isn't the brand's top-of-the-line.
FOUR WASH TEMPS: Hot, medium (used on Cottons/Linens Colored and Wash 'n' Wear Sturdy), warm and cold. Most rinse temps were warm. Reach around the right side of the console and there's an energy saver toggle switch. Flip it to the down position and medium wash temps were reduced to warm; all rinse temps changed to cold. Hot washes were not changed. Warm wash temps were not reduced to cold.
TIMED DISPENSERS: Solenoid-activated timed dispensers for bleach and fabric softener. Bleach was released during the last 4 minutes of the wash cycle, giving detergent time to work before chlorine was introduced.
LIGHTED CONSOLE AND TUB: Brilliant, literally.
EXCELLENT FILTERING SYSTEM: The waterfall lint filter, while not self-cleaning, was very effective. And it looked wonderful in action.
A strong case of Frigidaire envy prevented me from appreciating the Model 80 when I was growing up. The damn thing was still in the house when I moved back after college, although my stepfather had switched all the innards with those from a lightly-used mid-60s Kenmore. He thought the automatic cycle selection was cool, so he performed a transplant. |
Post# 944821 , Reply# 2   6/23/2017 at 08:48 (2,471 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)   |   | |
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It would be a dream come true to walk into a Sears store now and be able to select from that menu. |
Post# 944826 , Reply# 4   6/23/2017 at 09:27 (2,471 days old) by MixGuy (St. Martinville, Louisiana)   |   | |
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Did you notice the shipping weight of those units?! Nearly 400 lbs! To install in such a unit would be so back breaking! |
Post# 944871 , Reply# 6   6/23/2017 at 15:14 (2,470 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Larry-- The ad is definitely from 1960, although models closer to the bottom of the line had consoles dating back several years. The console on the Lady Kenmore washer/dryer combo made its debut in 1958.
Steve-- It would absolutely be a dream come true to walk into a Sears store and find appliances from the 1950s-1960s. My dream find in the Kenmore line would be the elusive 1961 Lady Kenmore washer and dryer. This post was last edited 06/23/2017 at 17:28 |
Post# 944883 , Reply# 7   6/23/2017 at 16:24 (2,470 days old) by cornutt (Huntsville, AL USA)   |   | |
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That $235 for the Model 80 washer works out to just short of $2000 today. What does a TOL Whirlpool run for now? It's over $1000, is it not? |
Post# 944885 , Reply# 8   6/23/2017 at 16:27 (2,470 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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Post# 944886 , Reply# 9   6/23/2017 at 16:27 (2,470 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)   |   | |
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Next to "plain Jane" 1955 and earlier Frigidaire's, I saw more of those "hump timer console" Kenmore's come in as trades than anything. Sears must have sold tons of them. They were fun to rebuild for the sales floor. The worst thing you'd ever see was a bad spin-tube bearing and there were special tools to remove and install those. Most of the dryers just needed delinting and maybe a belt. Sometimes a gas unit needed a new glow coil. I wish I owned a set of those. They remind me of good times. |
Post# 944976 , Reply# 10   6/24/2017 at 05:43 (2,470 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))   |   | |
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Wondering why the more up the line combo had such high heating power, even higher then the more bottom of the line one. Anybody an idea? |
Post# 944989 , Reply# 11   6/24/2017 at 07:52 (2,470 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA)   |   | |
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Post# 944993 , Reply# 12   6/24/2017 at 08:21 (2,470 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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I believe they were a little above 200 rpm, but not by much. Despite the huge diameter drum, the spinning somewhat negated the good washing ability as the rinsing was not as effective and of course, drying efficiency was just as bad. No Energy Star here...
WP introduced a completely redesigned combo in '61 so this ad was probably clearing the last of the big body machines. I can imagine some deprived washer kids were really let down when a 400lb combo with no window was delivered by a group of Sears pallbearers. But that seemed to be corrected with the redesign as well.
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Post# 945006 , Reply# 13   6/24/2017 at 09:59 (2,470 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 945039 , Reply# 14   6/24/2017 at 13:53 (2,469 days old) by appnut (TX)   |   | |
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