Thread Number: 44735
Vintage Kemore in south Florida
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Post# 656508   1/28/2013 at 12:59 (4,076 days old) by washer-kid ()        

A guy sent me a email over the weekend saying that he had bought a 1950's house and it had an old washer that was left behind...he sent me a pic..it seems it is a Kenmore...I have no clue the age of the washer...I am not really into Kenmore machines...This was the only pic .....




Post# 656514 , Reply# 1   1/28/2013 at 13:10 (4,076 days old) by 1966_mustang ()        

Does it have a price tag?? How much doese he want for it..

Post# 656515 , Reply# 2   1/28/2013 at 13:11 (4,076 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)        
Yup it's a Kenmore!

revvinkevin's profile picture

 

 

Based on what I've learned from Gordon (Kenmoreguy64), I would venture to say it's a '74 or '75 model.   

Belt drive, std capacity??

The control panel looks pretty rough though (paint worn off).

 

I just noticed the rear access panel laying on the machine, did he say if it works or has any problems?

 

Once Gordon sees this I'm sure he will give you all the details about this one.  

 

Kevin


Post# 656521 , Reply# 3   1/28/2013 at 13:26 (4,076 days old) by washer-kid ()        

He did not mention any price.....nor if it worked....if you want his email...I will send it to you...tony-atlanta@hotmail.com

Post# 656522 , Reply# 4   1/28/2013 at 13:34 (4,076 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)        

kenmoreguy64's profile picture
Wow - that poor machine really looks rough.

This is a 1974 Kenmore 70/700.

This model debuted when the 'brushed aluminum' top models came out, also in 1974, but it was designed to "one-up" the brushed top models, with its "balcony" as I call it of control knobs. I have a nice one which will hopefully make its debut into the AW.org family of vintage working machines later this year.

This was a very highly featured machine - quiet pak belt, large capacity, Penta-Swirl agitator in gold, three solenoid controlled dispensers including powdered detergent, second rinse, auto-advance soak option, etc. The only fancier common machine was the 1974 Kenmore Lady K 900. Note I say "common" as there was a brushed-top Kenmore 80/800, but I've only seen parts literature info on that model, never a real one even in a picture.

The 1974 model year for Kenmore was a turning point year in some respects. This was the first year ever in which a full line of large capacity machines with matching dryers was available, and they VERY quickly became the staple of Sears sales and consumer expectations. This model was the nicest MOL model available to date, other than the TOL Lady. Interestingly, the Lady's agitator, which was functionally the same, came in white, while the 70 and 80 series' agitator was gold.

I don't think this was a popular machine for Sears and Kenmore (relatively speaking, as Sears seemed to sell a lot of even their low-volume models). I have seen a few here and there, but rebuild shops seemed by the early 1990s to discard these, even nice ones, for parts. I think consumers didn't find them very attractive (including myself). Oddly, every one of these that I recall seeing has been gold until now.

The 1975 version, which was basically identical but lacked the second rinse, had the brushed top control panel and seemed to be much more common.

Gordon


Post# 656523 , Reply# 5   1/28/2013 at 13:36 (4,076 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

That's the machine my mom had for 25 years.   Hers was a 1974 model, largest capacity available, with Quiet Pak for silent operation and a gold Penta-Swirl agitator.  Hers had the "Soak & Wash" feature with the removable automatic detergent dispenser that mounted at left rear over the tub.  I think this model is one notch below LK.

 

It looks like somebody went a little crazy with the Spray N Wash.  That happened to my mom's machine and I was able to find a replacement for the cycle selection panel but not the simulated wood ones on either side of it.

 

This is a great machine, and a fairly rare model.  IIRC it cost $310 new back in spring of 1975 (it was left over 1974 inventory).


Post# 656526 , Reply# 6   1/28/2013 at 13:41 (4,076 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Poor aim or total lack of aim with Spray & Wash took out a lot of control panels. I have seen them with all markings missing except a black arrow: Start Here.

Post# 656531 , Reply# 7   1/28/2013 at 13:53 (4,076 days old) by washer-kid ()        

If interested in the washer you can email "Grant" at ga_goldstein@yahoo.com.

He seems very nice and wants to get rid of the washer ASAP! He told me that the inside of the washer was super clean...


Post# 656533 , Reply# 8   1/28/2013 at 13:55 (4,076 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)        

kenmoreguy64's profile picture
Ralph,

Our moms were both Sears customers for 1974 models. Ours was just below this machine, the 60 series, which didn't have the quiet pak belt, or the auto soak and second rinse. It lacked the detergent dispenser as well.

The price you're thinking of sounds reasonable, as I believe ours was $279 or so in Fall, 1974, not on close-out. I remember that shopping day well, as excitement for a new washer was almost overwhelming, but a couple days later the "what's going to happen to the old one?" kicked-in and it became a bitter-sweet event.

Our machine lasted at least 25 years as well, though it had some odd teething repairs in the 9 years we owned it. I had to rescue it from oblivion in 1981 in fact when the basket drive prematurely failed. I sold the machine to friends in Denver in 1983 when we moved, so I could know where it was, unlike the disposal of the 1961 Kenmore. They had it until 1999 at least, when we finally lost touch.

Gordon


Post# 656541 , Reply# 9   1/28/2013 at 14:34 (4,076 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture

That is one sad looking Kenmore! It sure needs some rest and rehab in Charlotte!


Post# 656544 , Reply# 10   1/28/2013 at 14:54 (4,076 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)        
"what's going to happen to the old one?"

rp2813's profile picture

Gordon, LOL!

 

Our old one was the abominable '67 Signature, so I couldn't have cared less.  Shot into space so it could vaporize as it came back down would have been a suitable fate.   The transmission failed within the first year, and the replacement only lasted another six, probably since it was doing double duty trying to drill its way to China.  Toward the end, you couldn't hold a conversation within 50 feet of that beast.

 

The only repairs the Kenmore ever needed (it was a white one, btw) over a 25 year period were a new belt (it was originally equipped with a notorious green one) and a new pump/filter (I can't remember which -- the original was opaque plastic and sort of cone shaped, and the replacement was a thick gray disc).  I made both repairs, and remember the belt replacement being the more involved process of the two.

 

That machine was still performing fine in late 2000, but would produce a sewer smell when first filling the tub if it had sat unused for a day or two.  I'm sure it was just a funky hose that needed to be replaced, but while I was on vacation my mom called American Home Shield about it and they ended up replacing the Kenmore with a BOL GE.  I was sick about it.  I'd probably still be using the Kenmore today otherwise, as my first order of business when Dave and I moved in here was to 86 the GE and Signature-by-Norge dryer and replace them with what has turned out to be a barely satisfactory Affinity pair.

 

 


Post# 656566 , Reply# 11   1/28/2013 at 16:51 (4,076 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)        

kenmoreguy64's profile picture
Ralph,

As I presume you can see, I develop sentimental attachments to things of mine at times that others don't. Cars, appliances, houses, etc. I'm more or less the only one in my family who does... I wanted to put our '61 Kenmore into the basement like so many of our neighbors did, but my Mom, the anti-pack rat, would not hear of that for any reason. Because of that experience, I learned enough to try to control the outcome of what happened to the '74, and it worked.

Our machine needed some pricey repairs while we had it. First, did yours have a sticky timer that was hard to turn? This was a very common problem in the early 70s quick disconnect timers. Ours was bad, bad enough that it would cause the screw-on timer knob to strip and break apart. I think I bought three replacements, first one in probably 1978 or so. Sears revised these knobs to be more meaty in 1979, but by this time the timers were much smoother. The revision was used only on new production and required a revised pointer.

Next, our snubber was loud - it was very rubbery sounding, a sound which I am accustomed to today. The turbulence caused by the Penta-Vane agitator didn't help matters. I changed the pad and spring, only to find out that I could have scraped the glaze off the old pad and it would have made the sound go away. We had to change the spring back then due to a redesign in the pad. These were not high-dollar items, happily.

Then in Feb. 1981, the basket drive failed due to a backed-out set screw which in turn ruins the spin tube and disables the spin. This was going to be a $250 repair. Parents balked at that idea naturally, but I got another case of "what's going to happen to the old one?" and devised a plan to fix the machine for less, and within a cost window which would keep it in service. I think we spent about $75 including the DIY manual. That was a preview of things to come for sure. But, it fixed the machine, and Mom cancelled the 1981 seventy-series which was on order.

All was great until mid 1982 when the always sticky timer locked up while I was at school. My Dad got it unjammed, but not before the cam follower that controls wash rinse temps got stuck or broke in the rinse position, thus we only had cold or warm wash, and had to switch the knob to cold for a cold rinse. We used the machine that way for months.

In December I bought a $50-some new timer out of my own money to ensure that we delivered a properly working washer to my friends that next January. The new timer was much less sticky and more smooth operating than the original.

I was told that not much of anything was needed in the next 16 years. From what I've heard from several people, these basket drive failures were very common for a while, and the timer issues as well. BendixMark mentions that in his Kenmore Christmas thread. Seems like lousy manufacturing on both the timer and the basket drive.

As to your machine, yes, the belt replacement is an involved job for a someone who hasn't done it before. These skinny belts are easier to change than the standard one if you know how to handle a short cut with the basket drive yoke but even then there are quite a few nuts and bolts to remove, etc.

The cone shape item is the lint filter, and these too were common to replace from what I am told. I have seen many machines from this era which have received replacement filters. The saucer-like disk is the factory replacement. It is supposedly nearly clog proof and is an adaptation of an earlier filter used in WPs.

As I've written it here, we had our fair share of issues with our 1974 machine, but we did have an active family with two kids, and its two priciest failures were due to common issues of the time. What that machine taught me as a result was priceless, especially as it relates to my restorations to this day.

G





Post# 656582 , Reply# 12   1/28/2013 at 17:58 (4,076 days old) by william637 (Damp pants? Not a chance. )        
We had that washing machine

william637's profile picture
We had that washing machine when I was growing up. I have never seen another one like it. Of course our control panel wasn't beat up like that. I loved the corner mounted detergent cup. It was so cool to watch it flip open at the beginning of the wash when the solenoid engaged.

Post# 656602 , Reply# 13   1/28/2013 at 19:25 (4,076 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

Gordon,

 

Wow!  Such a high-maintenance machine!  We had none of the problems you mentioned.  As far as I know, the machine's original timer lasted the entire 25 years, so did the console light, and there was never any noise from the snubber.  With a full load, you could barely hear the machine operating. 

 

This was the best, most reliable washer my mom ever had.  It outlasted the combined lifespans of its two Norge predecessors by almost ten years.

 

I understand your tendency to develop a sentimental attachment to certain items.  The one big item from my childhood was my mom's '49 Westinghouse Commodore stove -- the only range she ever owned -- which cranked out countless meals and baked goods over the years.  I knew I couldn't keep it (Dave would have none of it and I had gotten used to cooking with gas) so I was determined to find it a home.  It's living happily with former AW member Greg in his historic farm house in Sparta, GA, and draws the most comments when he provides house tours.  I couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

 


Post# 656650 , Reply# 14   1/28/2013 at 22:45 (4,076 days old) by 70series ( Connecticut.)        

My aunt had the matching dryer to this, and to this day it was the coolest one I had ever seen. The console and drum lights made it all the more so. Best of all was the sound of the motor, especially when it started. It's funny, but it was a few years before I noticed the controls on the upper part of the console. I guess I was more focused on the main dial, especially when illuminated by the light right above it.

Have a good one,
James


Post# 656674 , Reply# 15   1/29/2013 at 02:03 (4,076 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Poor thing looked like it went thru WW3!

Post# 656693 , Reply# 16   1/29/2013 at 07:33 (4,076 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Hi End 1974-5 Kenmore Extra Capacity Washers

combo52's profile picture

As Gordon mentioned they did not sell a ton of these for a variety of reasons. With both MT and WP out scoring these KMs in CRs and of coerce there was still significant competition from GE, Frigidaire and even Norge- Montgomery Wards, the Sears KM brand started to do much better in the later 1970s and on to this day as a lot of competitors started to go away.

 

These Hi End 1974-5 KMS [ along with the Lady Kenmore's the in the same time period ] were the last of the highly styled and the really heavy die-cast control panels and florescent console lights for the KM line, the KM line never got back to a florescent console lights or even decent styling till the DD washers were the only offering from the KM line.



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