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Thread Number: 10321
What Is Harvest Gold & Is 100lbs of Fun? |
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Post# 189416 2/7/2007 at 23:59 (6,286 days old) by launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Why a Whirlpool compact dryer (model LE4900XX)! Have been on the prowl for a good compact dryer mainly for fluffing woolens after laundering and other light drying duties, since most all my wash is line dried. Today's offerings by Whirlpool and it's rebadged cousin Kenmore seemed poorly built and worse heating power seems to have been dumbed down to 1200 watts. Ssssssssssoooooooooooooo! Spotted this on local Craigslist Tuesday and contacted the seller to make arrangements to pick it up Wednesday. Rented a SUV and a few mintue drive over the Triboro bridge into Flushing and voila, arrived to pick up my prise. Seller kept telling me to bring a man or two along as the unit could not be lifted by one man, and certianly not a woman. Well I may be small, but am quite wiry and can handle myself quite well thank you. However nothing prepared me for this "compact" dryer. Compared with today's versions it is a behemoth. Took both the seller and I to haul it out of the basement, down the drive and into the SUV. Got home and managed to slide and lift the unit onto an appliance dolly, then into the house. Powered her up and so far the dryer works, will have to give it a good cleaning both inside and out, but it is in quite good condition. Seller stated unit was hardly used as they prefered to line dry their laundry as well. Should have asked if they meant it was bought second hand and hardly used by them, or bought new and hardly used. This dryer is all metal outside, but much more substantial than units sold today. Tried searching Whirlpool's site for information/user's manual but guess Whirlpool does not have information on items this old on their site. Now here is the pay off: 
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| Post# 189421 , Reply# 1 2/8/2007 at 00:24 (6,286 days old) by exploder3211 () | ||
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If i can ever get the crapola off the old laptop, i have the book.. | ||
| Post# 189422 , Reply# 2 2/8/2007 at 00:26 (6,286 days old) by exploder3211 () | ||
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Here's the closest thing on there site Its from 1981/1982 ish... Should be similiar if not the same CLICK HERE TO GO TO exploder3211's LINK | ||
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Post# 189424 , Reply# 3 2/8/2007 at 00:31 (6,286 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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For Me Doc? | ||
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Post# 189443 , Reply# 5 2/8/2007 at 03:06 (6,286 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Thank you Steve.
Should have said, but that is the picture from the listing, as one does not have a digital camera it was the best one could do for the moment. Will take "snail snaps" soon and post. This dryer is not exactly "compact",*LOL* In fact it really is quite large to my eye. Then again have it on a set of appliance rollers since seller didn't have the casters. Will have to call Whirlpool tomorrow and order a four. Have seen Whirlpool dishwasher casters on sale, but not sure if they work with portable dryers. After cleaning down the drum, outside cabinet,vacuuming the lint filter (why don't people keep their appliances clean?, ran a test load of one sheet that was chucked in with a load of jeans. The sheet was used to wrap the dryer for it's trip home, and got pretty foul from being messed about. Set the dryer for 10m, and the sheet was totally dry. Mind you it tis polyester, so dries fast any way. Will dry some cotton sateen sheets over the weekend. This dryer has 1450 watts of heating power. While not exactly blazing hot, better than most of what is being offered today on compact dryers. Oh and another thing, that (profanity deleted)end of cycle signal almost gave me a heart attack. Darn thing could wake the dead and there is no way to disable it There is a bit of rust towards the bottom on on side with peeling paint. Probably from being in a damp basment. When one has some time will scrape off the loose bits, apply some Rustolem (sp?), then paint as close to Harvest Gold as one can find. More concerned with arresting further paint chipping/rust than cosmetics. | ||
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Post# 189444 , Reply# 6 2/8/2007 at 03:28 (6,286 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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I am happy for you
I found one of these for my mom after the accident nearly two years ago. Hers is about this age, but 240V. There are two pulleys which need regular lubrication in the beast and I carefully did the main bearing, too. She still has trouble with the knob, that 45° angle throws her for a loop. I find it drys a full load out of the frigimore FL very fast, but she is not happy with it at all...mainly because she sets it for way too short a cycle and refuses to use the fast spin speed on the washer. Sigh. These little dryers can work well if clothes are spun at 1200 or faster. The only thing I think would be a big improvement would be reverse rotation like the European dryers have... makes a big difference in tangling and, surprisingly, drying time. Pretty much bullet proof, and if you ever figure out how to turn off that damn buzzer, please share. Gah! Could wake the *dead*. | ||
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Post# 189448 , Reply# 8 2/8/2007 at 05:20 (6,286 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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glide pads
I solved the non-existent caster problem with those heavy-duty glide pads they sell to go under really heavy cabinets, refrigerators, etc. Leveled the dryer first, the put them under...there is even a very heavy microwave on top of it and it can still be moved easily but stays put in use. Steve is right about cleaning out the innards. I forgot to mention that...seems a lot of lint does build up over time. Couple of sharp edges in there, too...but really very well put together. Wonder how the newer models with their plastic this that and the other thing will hold up. Seems to me, be better to keep buying these "used" 20+ year old machines and invest the few dollars in repairing them. At least all the parts which can fail or wear out are either still current or industry standard. Re the 145°. The problem is not so much the temperature, as that the lower wattage means the recovery time is so much higher. You just can't heat enough air to a high enough temperature on a standard 120V, 20A circuit to come close to the 240V, 30/30 A hookup. Wonder what a clothes spinner would do...anybody know? It cuts my drying time in half over here in Europe and our 16Amp/230V circuits (single phase and, please folks from the UK, let's not go there again on the US 240V stuff, ok?) aren't all that much more powerful...my heater is rated at 2500 watts... | ||
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Post# 189450 , Reply# 9 2/8/2007 at 05:59 (6,285 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Both Hoover and Maytag had compact dryers that used 1450w of heating power, and they did a pretty decent job. Mind you those twin tubs had spinners which left laundry much drier than say your average top loader. My Miele does a prett decent fast final spin, so am not too worried about long drying times. Again not trying to dry load after load of heavy items. Towels and such could in theory either line dry until damp, then popped into the dryer for a bit to "fluff", or the other way around. Am also thinking that since older dryers had much more metal, they retained more heat, which would help if, no? Only European dryer sold on this side of the pond that works on 120v and offers reverse tumbling is made by Malber. While Malber's older product line seemed decent enough, not sure about their new items. Someone is offering a Malber dryer on Craigslist for only $50, but the handle is broken. I'd rather stick with GE or Whirlpool/Sears for compact dryers. They have been around for ages, and parts are easily enough found. Must say, this dryer is quite quiet, aside from the end of cycle signal. One only hears a hushed humming of the motor. Steve, Don't know how or if the end of cycle timer can be bypassed, and not too electrically inclined to mess about inside. Though will probably take the back off the unit and give it a good cleaning. Looks like the previous owner used one of those indoor vent kits, and not sure if the dryer liked it one bit. There was lots of lint behind the lint filter when I took it out for cleaning. That could just have been from not emptying the lint filter after each load. Still am blown away in the difference in terms of quality between this vintage Whirlpool and it's modern cousins being sold today. Stopped in PC Richards to check out today's Whirlpool compact dryer, and it is really horrible. Very light weight, made in Mexico garbarge. Door barely aligned. lint filter felt cheap and flimsy, and plastic, plastic, plastic. L. | ||
| Post# 189451 , Reply# 10 2/8/2007 at 06:13 (6,285 days old) by christfr (st louis mo) | ||
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| Post# 189461 , Reply# 12 2/8/2007 at 07:31 (6,285 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
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Post# 189465 , Reply# 13 2/8/2007 at 07:36 (6,285 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Post# 189475 , Reply# 14 2/8/2007 at 08:09 (6,285 days old) by wiskybill (Canton, Ohio) |
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L, Congrats. Excellent score! That't what I was looking for when I found my Hoover. I think it's about 1/2 again as big as a Hoover/Maytag portable. Even if you have a full size dryer(well, only one) it is a good back-up. Enjoy! Bill | ||
| Post# 189487 , Reply# 15 2/8/2007 at 09:23 (6,285 days old) by exploder3211 () | ||
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Glad I could help ya! I like these things | ||
| Post# 189490 , Reply# 16 2/8/2007 at 09:35 (6,285 days old) by veg-o-matic (Baltimore, Hon!) | ||
I had the LK version of that dryer and in about 30 years of use, all it ever needed was a new belt. The best thing about it was the Permanent Press cycle. Once the cycle was over the buzzer would go off, but the drum would continue turning (constantly, not intermittently) without heat until I went down and took the clothes out. The buzzer would go off about every 5 minutes or so as a reminder. I sure wish my current dryer would do that. veg | ||
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Post# 189493 , Reply# 17 2/8/2007 at 09:48 (6,285 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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big quality difference
I really noticed that while shopping for the little thing two years ago...the new ones at Sears were just POS. Like the 24" stoves and all the other "miniature" stuff in the US I have seen. Big pity. Small need not mean cheap, but this stuff is both extra expensive and extra badly made. I don't know if all Mexican made products are this bad, but am reminded of the horrid blender lid which just softened so much a few weeks ago when I only had lukewarm sauce in it...the replacement cap I found for it had been in the hardware store for maybe 20 years. Solid, well made. Actually, I think towels and other heavy stuff should be no problem in this dryer - my mom complains about it, but has done two loads a day for the last 22 months in it, bedsheets and heavy cottens and towels. No problems. Built to last and really quiet...except that damn buzzer. Next lube job comes up, I want to see what exactly causes all that screaming. | ||
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Post# 189589 , Reply# 18 2/8/2007 at 15:15 (6,285 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Thanks for the well wishes gang! Gansky: IMHO dryers should always be vented outside. Tested the unit last night with the hose out the window and it didn't seem to cause much "smoke", or anything else that would give the game away. Since the motor/fan is so quiet there isn't the loud roar one often hears when passing a dryer vent. W'iskyBill, Half as big as the Hoover dryer units? That would make those some pretty big compact dryers! *LOL* This unit has roughly at 3.2 cu/ft drum inside a pretty decent sized housing. One thing noticed about all metal construction is it can lead to some sharp edges. Perhaps the reason for much plastic these days? Contacted Whirlpool and new casters are $9/each. That is pretty pricey IMHO so will wait and see if some pop up on eBay or can be found elsewhere cheaper. Does anyone know if Harvest Gold appliance paint is still around? L. | ||
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Post# 189610 , Reply# 19 2/8/2007 at 16:16 (6,285 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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ace hardware
Launderess, Last I looked, ace hardware had an appliance patch in that color, but it varys so much, you might be better off taking the top down to a paint store. They can scan it and mix on the spot to hit your color very closely. I went with the slider solution because that price is absurd. Speaking of sharp edges, you can break a nail cleaning that lint filter if you catch it wrong. Been there, done that. I greased the rollers with lithium and the bearing with white silicone made for Miele dryers, by the way - the Miele stuff I just had on hand. | ||
| Post# 189853 , Reply# 21 2/9/2007 at 20:21 (6,284 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
You want to hear something cool, Sweet Lady? | ||
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Post# 190124 , Reply# 22 2/11/2007 at 01:51 (6,283 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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First Major Test
Am doing several loads of satten sheets and pillow slips at the moment. Two king sized sheets and two pillow slips take about 30 minutes and emerge slighly damp in spots but mostly dry. Because the last 5 minutes of the cotton cycle is without heat, and it is below 20 degrees outside, have a feeling the cold air coming into the machine causes items to feel "cool". Because only have the exhaust hose out the window without any sort of lid/vent to close off the end; one can feel cold air coming into the dryer. That is to say the inside the drum feels cold and one can feel air coming in from where the lint filter. Is this normal? Think it is because in the absence of air being blown out by the motor, air simply comes down the hose into the dryer. Peeped out the window during the cycle, and noticed that contrary to my previous post, white mist does indeed come out of the exhaust hose. It is not as visable as the clouds of "smoke" that came from my mother's full sized dryer at home, which was gas and of course vented out of the side of our house; but sill never the less if one looked hard it could be seen. Will have to restrict my drying to late hours when the weather is cold so as not to attract attention. All and all still believe it is best to vent dryers, even small compact dryers out of doors. Who wants to breathe all that lint, dust, laundry product fumes as indoor air? L. | ||
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Post# 190125 , Reply# 23 2/11/2007 at 02:10 (6,283 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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yup,
My mom's does that, too - cold air flows in from outside, clothes feel "damp" when they aren't. Silly question, but who cares whether you vent outside or not? And if it really is a problem, what sort of "stealth" mode solution could there be? I had one nasty bitch for a neighbor who used to complain to the police when I washed on Sundays (in some parts of Germany it is still "technically" forbidden to wash on Sundays, sort of like US Blue Laws). Since that was the only day I could do housework back then, I made up an absurd, Rube Goldberg condensing loop which I stuck in the end of the dryer vent of my European dryer. It pulled the water vapor down far enough so there was no tell-tale con-trail out the bathroom window...but what a waste of cold water it was! Those silly little boxes filled with water you attach the hose to only work for about 5 minutes, then they are overloaded. | ||
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Post# 190126 , Reply# 24 2/11/2007 at 02:20 (6,283 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Though an expensive part of NYC, people here complain about everything. Honestly believe if the angel Gabriel blew his horn, some would complain it was too loud. Then there is the pesky techincal aspect that our building forbids laundry equipment, though think that applies only to washing machines as they consume water and affect plumbing. One nice thing about this dryer is items come out feeling soft and fluffy. Many dryers,even the large commercial ones at the local laundromat leave items crispy and full of static. Those little water filled boxes are more trouble than they are worth. Did that with my last dryer after we moved into the city, and was one of the reasons got rid of the dryer. Such units do not trap that much lint, and create more moisture on top of what is already coming out of the dryer. The overall affect is a very humid area and a coating of dust all over the place. That dust is not only combustible, but can over time cause problems with electronic/computer equipment as it gets into everything. L. | ||
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Post# 190127 , Reply# 25 2/11/2007 at 02:35 (6,283 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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| Post# 190165 , Reply# 27 2/11/2007 at 08:23 (6,282 days old) by magic clean () | ||
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oops, spoke too soon There is 1 compact Whirlpool dryer from europe that is available as a match to a f/l washer. | ||
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Post# 190427 , Reply# 28 2/12/2007 at 05:32 (6,282 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Was almost certian Whirlpool/Kenmore compact dryers were made in Mexico, sorry if one had the wrong end of the stick. Maybe it is General Electric's small dryer that is made south of the border. Whirlpool's 24" models were made in Italy, however IIRC they are now being made in Mexico. The Italian units were rebadged from a manufacturer with one of the worst reputations, so perhaps that is why Whirlpool brought production back home. L. | ||
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