KitchenAid Advice

A vintage KA in good shape is a great dishwasher to have, no doubt about it. Many people here have them, and I think it's safe to say most of the KA owners here wouldn't want a new dishwasher.

If the eBay seller does not prove to be a member here (and I don't know of anyone who claims they are the seller), you're going to need to be pretty proactive with the questions before buying one from them. Photos are great, and digital cameras are capable of a lot more detail than they used to be, but even great photos sometimes don't really convey some subtle things, like just how shiny an inner tub is - or isn't.

My own suggestion for greatest satisfaction is to take your time looking, to find just the right unit; your partner might get impatient if your purchase is a dud. Most "other halves" are okay enough with vintage if it causes no inconvenience; some get interested in vintage themselves, and the savings over buying new is helpful, too. But a lemon - especially on the first try at owning vintage - is not a good thing.

Depending on your mechanical abilities and your partner's patience with a little mess and upheaval, you might also consider buying a unit on your local Craigslist and doing the refurb work yourself. This site has a wealth of information, including service manuals. Plus, we have the KitchenAid "magic bullet" - stevet, one of our members who is a walking database of every possible KA ailment and its fix.

You're embarking on a great adventure, and trust me, it will become more fun as you go along. I began some years ago with a pair of Maytag washer and dryer bought because I'd had it up to here with new stuff. I now own all-vintage majors - except for a fridge, and that'll be happening soon, I hope - all of them but the range in daily-driver use. The range is on its way from its old home of Wausau, WI and will be here soon.

Good luck!


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Post# 702558 9/10/2013 at 20:32 (3,873 days old) by mattntn (Jackson, TN)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Have a question...been looking for a classic Hobart built KA to replace the piece of crap newer GE that came with the house...I've seen on Ebay several ads for "refurbished" Hobart-made KA dishwashers. Wondering if anyone here has advice on these - maybe a member was posting these for sale? I've got one shot at this, since it's taken a lot of convincing for my partner to consider putting something "old" in the kitchen...he doesn't understand this obsession at all...so I don't want to "mess up" but getting something that's not a good choice. I'll never hear the end of that! LOL Any advice? BTW was thinking more on the lines of a 20 or 21 series (before WP)....really love to find SS panels.

Post# 702560 , Reply# 1 9/10/2013 at 20:48 (3,873 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *Hi and Welcome:* A vintage KA in good shape is a great dishwasher to have, no doubt about it. Many people here have them, and I think it's safe to say most of the KA owners here wouldn't want a new dishwasher. If the eBay seller does not prove to be a member here (and I don't know of anyone who claims they are the seller), you're going to need to be pretty proactive with the questions before buying one from them. Photos are great, and digital cameras are capable of a lot more detail than they used to be, but even great photos sometimes don't really convey some subtle things, like just how shiny an inner tub is - or isn't. My own suggestion for greatest satisfaction is to take your time looking, to find just the right unit; your partner might get impatient if your purchase is a dud. Most "other halves" are okay enough with vintage if it causes no inconvenience; some get interested in vintage themselves, and the savings over buying new is helpful, too. But a lemon - especially on the first try at owning vintage - is not a good thing. Depending on your mechanical abilities and your partner's patience with a little mess and upheaval, you might also consider buying a unit on your local Craigslist and doing the refurb work yourself. This site has a wealth of information, including service manuals. Plus, we have the KitchenAid "magic bullet" - stevet, one of our members who is a walking database of every possible KA ailment and its fix. You're embarking on a great adventure, and trust me, it will become more fun as you go along. I began some years ago with a pair of Maytag washer and dryer bought because I'd had it up to here with new stuff. I now own all-vintage majors - except for a fridge, and that'll be happening soon, I hope - all of them but the range in daily-driver use. The range is on its way from its old home of Wausau, WI and will be here soon. Good luck!

Post# 702567 , Reply# 2 9/10/2013 at 21:22 (3,873 days old) by mattntn (Jackson, TN)
Checkrate/Likes Thanks for the info/advice!! Yeah, I feel like I have "one shot" to impress my better half...lol. It looks like the seller on Ebay has 6 or 7 different models listed - all in the 250-280 dollar range. I think I'll take your advice and look around locally for awhile. P.S. I've always had a "want" for the classic center dial Maytags or the push button ones (I remember being intrigued with the ones from Beverly Hillbillies episodes when I was a kid) - was funny I paid more attention to the appliances on those old shows that anything else!

Post# 702568 , Reply# 3 9/10/2013 at 21:32 (3,873 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *Those "Beverly Hillbillies" Maytags....* ....Are scarce. The washer was a 902 and the dryer a DG750 - at least in the later seasons, when they were both push-button machines that matched. In earlier seasons, they didn't, for complicated Maytag-buff reasons we can let you in on if you're interested. A set of center-dial Maytag 806s is much easier to come by, and actually far more versatile. The push-button machines were heavily pre-progremmed; each cycle was what Maytag thought was ideal, not necessarily what a particular load needed. The 806 washer could vary the water level, wash temp, rinse temp, agitation speed and time, all independently. All this and lighted consoles too!