Carbon-dating for Kenmores

I've nurtured a passion for major appliances ever since my grandmother gave me her GE Mobile Maid to play with ("don't plug it in!" came the shouts). I also enjoyed reassembling old washers from my grandfather's junkyard.

Since I'm only 26, I don't have any time context when it comes to these vintage machines. For example, my grandmother got rid of her Kenmore 70-series Super Roto Swirl machine when I was seven, so that doesn't help me identify what year it was.

To this end, I found a machine that I loved when I was in high school--it was sitting out by the bus stop. I dragged it home with a dolly and got it running again (although I didn't understand what a wig-wag was for, so I shifted between agitate and spin by sliding the shift levers with a hammer).

This machine was a Kenmore 70 series (not a Lady Kenmore or anything fanta-bulous like that), with a Super Roto Swirl agitator (hence my affection for it--it was like my grandmother's in that respect) that offered as much capability as my parents' Dual Action 80s Kenmore machine! (I was thoroughly impressed, and this machine even substituted when my parents' machine died a few months later--maybe it made the Dual Action machine give up...)

It had a matte, textured chrome control panel with a sort of retro-metal-ice-cube-tray pattern embedded in it, and it had one of the big, plastic-flanged timers with the red line painted on it, located on the far right. It did not have a backlit control panel or anything so fancy. It had a mottled black/white spatter porcelain basket.

Of note, however, were that it had an infinite water-level control (consisting of a chrome slider that you slid all the way to the right until it "sprang" back slightly to the left, initiating a reset of the level) and a second-rinse switch (configured the same, but no spring action).

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos, nor do I remember enough of the details to be super-helpful. I would, however, like to ballpark its age so I can begin hunting for a similar model, if not the same one. The fact that it's chromey but not backlit, with a Super Roto Swirl agitator, though, would seem to confine it to a certain year range.

Can anyone help me narrow it down to a span of years? I'd greatly appreciate your expertise :-).

Nate


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Post# 58945 3/3/2005 at 18:10 (6,983 days old) by Roto204 (Tucson, AZ)
Checkrate/Likes I've nurtured a passion for major appliances ever since my grandmother gave me her GE Mobile Maid to play with ("don't plug it in!" came the shouts). I also enjoyed reassembling old washers from my grandfather's junkyard. Since I'm only 26, I don't have any time context when it comes to these vintage machines. For example, my grandmother got rid of her Kenmore 70-series Super Roto Swirl machine when I was seven, so that doesn't help me identify what year it was. To this end, I found a machine that I loved when I was in high school--it was sitting out by the bus stop. I dragged it home with a dolly and got it running again (although I didn't understand what a wig-wag was for, so I shifted between agitate and spin by sliding the shift levers with a hammer). This machine was a Kenmore 70 series (not a Lady Kenmore or anything fanta-bulous like that), with a Super Roto Swirl agitator (hence my affection for it--it was like my grandmother's in that respect) that offered as much capability as my parents' Dual Action 80s Kenmore machine! (I was thoroughly impressed, and this machine even substituted when my parents' machine died a few months later--maybe it made the Dual Action machine give up...) It had a matte, textured chrome control panel with a sort of retro-metal-ice-cube-tray pattern embedded in it, and it had one of the big, plastic-flanged timers with the red line painted on it, located on the far right. It did not have a backlit control panel or anything so fancy. It had a mottled black/white spatter porcelain basket. Of note, however, were that it had an infinite water-level control (consisting of a chrome slider that you slid all the way to the right until it "sprang" back slightly to the left, initiating a reset of the level) and a second-rinse switch (configured the same, but no spring action). Unfortunately, I don't have any photos, nor do I remember enough of the details to be super-helpful. I would, however, like to ballpark its age so I can begin hunting for a similar model, if not the same one. The fact that it's chromey but not backlit, with a Super Roto Swirl agitator, though, would seem to confine it to a certain year range. Can anyone help me narrow it down to a span of years? I'd greatly appreciate your expertise :-). Nate

Post# 58971 , Reply# 1 3/3/2005 at 21:34 (6,983 days old) by fixerman ()
Checkrate/Likes It sounds to me like you describe a circa 1970 machine. Couldn't tell you the actual year but I have seen many machines like the one you describe. If I had to guess I would say 1972 but there could have been a number of years these machines were Mfd.

Post# 58975 , Reply# 2 3/3/2005 at 22:12 (6,983 days old) by jasonl (Cookeville, TN)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore 70* Did it look like this?

Post# 58976 , Reply# 3 3/3/2005 at 22:28 (6,983 days old) by SactoTeddyBear ()
Checkrate/Likes *Re: Model Number Plate:* Hi! Nate, does the Washer have the Model Number Plate on the back of the Cabinet? It should be located just above the Water Inlet Valve, on the Upper-Right, looking at the back of the Washer. If it does, after the "110" the next couple of Numbers are the Year of Manufacture. I don't remember for sure how long Sears used this formulation on their Washers and Dryers, but I'm guessing at least thru the end of the 70's and maybe into the 80's as well. If it does have the Model Number Plate on the back of the Cabinet, write it down on another Thread Posting and we can help you further with the year. Peace and Happiness, Steve SactoTeddyBear...

Post# 58988 , Reply# 4 3/4/2005 at 00:20 (6,983 days old) by Roto204 (Tucson, AZ)
Checkrate/Likes *You guys are AWESOME!* Steve--alas, my original machine was pitched in the dumpster, MUCH to my chagrin. That's why I'm so keen on finding one again (and this time to keep!!) Jason--VERY, VERY close. Keep the basic control panel and cabinet look and feel, but take away the rotary switches, and move the timer to the far right. In the center, under the "KENMORE 70" marque, put two sliding levers. You've got it so darned close that I'm sure I can look just a year ahead or behind of that. THANK YOU!! As a side note, my grandparent's property next door DOES have the exact dryer pictured in the catalogue, in a gas version...alas, it needs TLC, but probably would match the washer should I happen across one. Maybe I should snag the dryer too :-) Thank you again to all of you--you've been very helpful :-)

Post# 59031 , Reply# 5 3/4/2005 at 16:29 (6,982 days old) by jimmyb (Texas Y�all)
Checkrate/Likes *Welcome* Nate - Greetings from Phoenix!

Post# 59033 , Reply# 6 3/4/2005 at 17:03 (6,982 days old) by jmirawm (Barling Arkansas)
Checkrate/Likes *NATE !* You describe my family's washer we had somewhere from my sixth grade years to Jr high. I cannot tell you when it was purchased. Except that it was purchased sometime around 1972. We moved into our new house in 1972, I was 11 years old. I remember the gold colored roto-swirl agitator and the Slide bar controls for water level and second rinse. And the big plastic dial with the red line on it. I remember being very frustrated with the Neutral drain on the machine. And trying to make it spin with water in it. It would start to spin and then stop. and repeat till the water was mostly gone and then spin.

Post# 59140 , Reply# 7 3/5/2005 at 19:06 (6,981 days old) by Roto204 (Tucson, AZ)
Checkrate/Likes *Fellow 70s-ish aficionados :-)!* Jimmyb -- greetings!! Write me at nsmarle@cox.net sometime and we'll have to compare notes (and eventually, if I get my act together, machines!) :-) Jmirawm -- Hey!! That is the exact way this machine was. (Amusing coincidence--the picture from the Sears catalogue actually shows the EXACT machine set my grandmother had--not the one I had, but hey--and her dryer is still hanging out around the property, though the washer is long gone) Yes, I now understand the boredom of a neutral drain--especially compared with the cool way a lot of the Frigidaires handled it. But since my family has only owned Kenmores since time immemorial, that's all I ever knew :-\|! The machine I tinkered with was more than happy to spin all the water out from ground zero--but only because I could jostle the slides on the transmission and force it to do so (it was missing the wig-wag). I'm sure this was hard on the system since it wasn't designed to deal with a basket-ful of water, but it was entertaining...

Post# 59209 , Reply# 8 3/6/2005 at 08:43 (6,980 days old) by Jmm63 (Denville, NJ)
Checkrate/Likes GREAT scan Jason..... Does anyone have a scan of the 69 or 70 line of Kenmore's?? Still looking for the model that I grew up with and I get outbid everytime on ebay

Post# 59211 , Reply# 9 3/6/2005 at 08:46 (6,980 days old) by Jmm63 (Denville, NJ)
Checkrate/Likes oopppsss.. I hit 'enter" by mistake, I meant to keep saying, I get outbid on e-bay everytime I bid on a Sears catalog from 69 or 70 :)