Is this a good preformer? 1960's? Sears Dishwasher

Both the Mobile Maid and this D&M are extremely cool and capable machines. You've also proven your tenacity and skill at taking on some killer mechanical projects, so I think either would be workable in the bigger context.

That said...

I have found one golden rule in the world of vintage appliances: You can be screwed by anything. This is why I have two of everything. No matter how much an evening spent over the kitchen sink with Palmolive softens cuticles, it can't soften my rage.

I have spent countless evenings after dinner crawling under every dishwasher I've owned--KitchenAids, GEs, Thermadors, and of course, D&Ms. Many, many D&Ms. Everything has, at some point, leaked, shorted, thrown the pump seal, broken the detergent dispenser, or--my favorite--sheared off the wash impeller. This only happens in the middle of a load, of course, and as un-entertaining as it is with a portable (cue sound of screaming as machine gets pushed outside to be drained into the yard), it's far less so with a built-in.

I'm a relatively sane and somewhat normal person. I don't dump bags of gravel into the machines; I don't pre-wash my dishes, either. I don't get hit by lightning six times a day, and pianos don't usually fall on me, so I think my luck is par for the course. Still, I'm probably the only person in the neighborhood who has nut-drivers and silicone sealant in the kitchen drawer.

I usually go for vintage stuff, but I also research the parts scene first. It's all relative, but it helps me know what I'm getting into. The vintage v. modern debate is apples-and-oranges; you can get good performance from just about anything with the right loading and combination of other parameters. (Except that Tappan wet-tire-drum thing.) The real difference is repairability. Yes, the Internet is full of modern dishwashers with dead control boards, but you at least do have the option of getting a new one to repair it.

Neither the Mobile Maid nor this would be my choice for a daily driver, unless you were cool with hand-washing dishes when either one crapped the proverbial bed. Despite the great performance of these machines in the days when we had vintage Cascade, positively throbbing with phosphates and that great fragrance (can't someone bottle that?), and despite the fact that it's possible to find a way to get good performance now, keep in mind that we've fast-forwarded forty years (more like fifty for the Mobile Maid).

Parts are nearly nonexistent for the Mobile Maid, and all the stuff that breaks commonly on these D&Ms are the things that require long-distance phone calls to local appliance shops in distant lands to find, or forlorn wanderings through eBay. Working on the pump-guts of either of these after years of use is almost as much fun as skydiving from an airborne papercut convention into a salt mine, and I'd rate the Mobile Maid as about six times worse in that department. I've also had both machines do things like get NIB pump seals...and then leak a week later. The "new" parts are, sometimes, nearly as old as the machines, and they don't escape the throes of aging, either.

So...if you love it, get it--but I cringe when I suggest vintage-anything for a solo role. I've owned brands that were exalted for their reliability that died early on me, and machines that were supposed to be garbage that ran and held up beautifully.

But seriously, $250 for a used D&M? Bump the decimal one to the left.


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Post# 910775 12/12/2016 at 13:47 (2,692 days old) by tinkr (Phoenix Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes Opinons needed replacement for a MT Jetclean plus' prefer to go vintage. sudden death of my jet clean, no control panel lights. Power outlet is good, if it's not seperation of the power cord wires. Will check that tonight. I presume it's the board SOOO. I don't know if its worth $$$$ to get a new board. The machine cleans great. Found this on CL Price is !!!!!!!! but it's just down the street. CLICK HERE TO GO TO tinkr's LINK on Phoenix Craigslist View Full Size

Post# 910786 , Reply# 1 12/12/2016 at 14:55 (2,692 days old) by turquoisedude (.)
Checkrate/Likes 1 This is actually a late 70s model dishwasher. I had a 1978 Kenmore just a notch below this TOL one for a number of years in one of our weekend homes and I found it worked pretty well. It won't clean as well as your Maytag, though! This is one of the D&M-built Kenmores; D&M don't have a great reputation, but like anything, you can get a good one that will meet your needs. It depends on how the machine was used (or abused) over its lifetime... $250 is a bit steep. If you can wait, they'll probably be glad to get $50 or $75 for it.

Post# 910790 , Reply# 2 12/12/2016 at 15:13 (2,692 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *D&M's* worked fine. This is one of the final types before Sears switched to all Whirlpool. D&M was making almost half of the nations dishwasher in the 70's. Caloric's, Modern Maid, Kenmore, they even made a Frigidaire for GM. White Consolidated bought D&M and closed it. Westinghouse dishwasher of that era were no better.

Post# 910791 , Reply# 3 12/12/2016 at 15:15 (2,692 days old) by tinkr (Phoenix Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes *Paul* thank you. Hum I want something that cleans well. That machine is probably original to the house. I agree it is a 50 or 75 $ machine. Found a duplicate to the maytag for $50. But I would like vintage.

Post# 910804 , Reply# 4 12/12/2016 at 17:27 (2,692 days old) by tinkr (Phoenix Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Ghost in the machine???* Well hubs pushed several buttons at random and then ran his finger across all option buttons and the crazy thing came on. So it may work when I try it Friday we'll see. Thank you all for the info. You are all invalueable.

Post# 910929 , Reply# 5 12/13/2016 at 09:35 (2,691 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes This may bee the model that has 3 detergent cups for a triple detergent wash--one for pre wash and the other two are where the covered dispensers are for wash. The triple dispensers would work on the Pots & Pans Cycle. The flatware baskets belong on the right side of the bottom roack and not in the front as theya re located. This will improve loading Capacity.

Post# 910931 , Reply# 6 12/13/2016 at 09:52 (2,691 days old) by tinkr (Phoenix Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes *2 silver baskets* I hadn't noticed that. for the maytag hubs found a long silver basket that i put in the back of the bottom rack. Works great. Even gets peanutbutter off of knives. This is a real looker of a machine, but the price is unrealestic. It's possible that some yuppie is willing to shell out that much not this girl.

Post# 910946 , Reply# 7 12/13/2016 at 12:00 (2,691 days old) by brucelucenta ()
Checkrate/Likes Only thing about vintage is that you sacrifice performance usually. Especially with dishwashers. The new dishwashers will clean better than anything vintage regardless of what some may tell you. Having used everything from GE to Kitchenaid, the newest ones are great at cleaning.

Post# 910981 , Reply# 8 12/13/2016 at 14:38 (2,691 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)
Checkrate/Likes 4 Seriously... A new machine would out clean a KDS-18 through 20 series ??? I have a KenWhirl I bought in 2004 that I would just about put on the same pedestal as my KDS-18 and 20. Yes, They use alot of water but I don't have to wait 2.5-3 hours for a load of dishes. I know these D+Ms lacked filtering and were yibble producers. And I never pre rinse.

Post# 911040 , Reply# 18 12/13/2016 at 21:40 (2,691 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore!* more to come! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 911043 , Reply# 19 12/13/2016 at 21:43 (2,691 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore!* some more Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 911044 , Reply# 20 12/13/2016 at 21:45 (2,691 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore!!* Last enjoy Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 911048 , Reply# 21 12/13/2016 at 22:33 (2,690 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes yay, I remembered correctly 3 washes. Thanks Peter.

Post# 910993 , Reply# 9 12/13/2016 at 15:55 (2,691 days old) by brucelucenta ()
Checkrate/Likes Yep, the Kenmore Elite Dishwasher, made by W/P I bought in 2014 will outclean anything I have used before. I had a Kitchenaid superba back in 1981 that I HATED. It not only took forever to cycle when you used the heat boost, it left little bits all over the tops of glasses. Granted, it was when they eliminated the top sprayer, but it left me not really too crazy about earlier Kitchenaid dishwashers.

Post# 910999 , Reply# 10 12/13/2016 at 16:36 (2,691 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)
Checkrate/Likes I'm not going to get involved in the old vs. new war as for dishwasher performance. I only have experience with somewhat older dishwashers (1990 or so through maybe 2000 or so). But it's interesting the diversity of opinion here where some people swear by vintage and others swear by new. It's one of the things I like about this site: a variety of views. One issue for this Sears DW that needs consideration is the reliability/durability question. It seems to me that I've heard D&M had durability issues, particularly towards the end. Sort of sad, because at one time I had half thought about a Sears with a Roto Rack...

Post# 911013 , Reply# 11 12/13/2016 at 19:00 (2,691 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)
Checkrate/Likes Just thinking... Did the KD 10-14 series ever had problems with Yibbles ? I don"t really recall complaints about them except the loading was so sparse and imperative on racking. They were quiet and powerful machines as long as you racked properly.

Post# 911025 , Reply# 12 12/13/2016 at 20:00 (2,691 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Swearing by (or at) anything* Both the Mobile Maid and this D&M are extremely cool and capable machines. You've also proven your tenacity and skill at taking on some killer mechanical projects, so I think either would be workable in the bigger context. That said... I have found one golden rule in the world of vintage appliances: You can be screwed by anything. This is why I have two of everything. No matter how much an evening spent over the kitchen sink with Palmolive softens cuticles, it can't soften my rage. I have spent countless evenings after dinner crawling under every dishwasher I've owned--KitchenAids, GEs, Thermadors, and of course, D&Ms. Many, many D&Ms. Everything has, at some point, leaked, shorted, thrown the pump seal, broken the detergent dispenser, or--my favorite--sheared off the wash impeller. This only happens in the middle of a load, of course, and as un-entertaining as it is with a portable (cue sound of screaming as machine gets pushed outside to be drained into the yard), it's far less so with a built-in. I'm a relatively sane and somewhat normal person. I don't dump bags of gravel into the machines; I don't pre-wash my dishes, either. I don't get hit by lightning six times a day, and pianos don't usually fall on me, so I think my luck is par for the course. Still, I'm probably the only person in the neighborhood who has nut-drivers and silicone sealant in the kitchen drawer. I usually go for vintage stuff, but I also research the parts scene first. It's all relative, but it helps me know what I'm getting into. The vintage v. modern debate is apples-and-oranges; you can get good performance from just about anything with the right loading and combination of other parameters. (Except that Tappan wet-tire-drum thing.) The real difference is repairability. Yes, the Internet is full of modern dishwashers with dead control boards, but you at least do have the option of getting a new one to repair it. Neither the Mobile Maid nor this would be my choice for a daily driver, unless you were cool with hand-washing dishes when either one crapped the proverbial bed. Despite the great performance of these machines in the days when we had vintage Cascade, positively throbbing with phosphates and that great fragrance (can't someone bottle that?), and despite the fact that it's possible to find a way to get good performance now, keep in mind that we've fast-forwarded forty years (more like fifty for the Mobile Maid). Parts are nearly nonexistent for the Mobile Maid, and all the stuff that breaks commonly on these D&Ms are the things that require long-distance phone calls to local appliance shops in distant lands to find, or forlorn wanderings through eBay. Working on the pump-guts of either of these after years of use is almost as much fun as skydiving from an airborne papercut convention into a salt mine, and I'd rate the Mobile Maid as about six times worse in that department. I've also had both machines do things like get NIB pump seals...and then leak a week later. The "new" parts are, sometimes, nearly as old as the machines, and they don't escape the throes of aging, either. So...if you love it, get it--but I cringe when I suggest vintage-anything for a solo role. I've owned brands that were exalted for their reliability that died early on me, and machines that were supposed to be garbage that ran and held up beautifully. But seriously, $250 for a used D&M? Bump the decimal one to the left.

Post# 911028 , Reply# 13 12/13/2016 at 20:16 (2,691 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)
Checkrate/Likes 5 YAY,YAY,YAY !!!!!!!!!!! Nate is back. (Or I hope !!! :) Love you man and your critiques. Been too long !!! You're the best !!! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 911029 , Reply# 14 12/13/2016 at 20:27 (2,691 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)
Checkrate/Likes 3 Thermador Experts

Post# 911033 , Reply# 15 12/13/2016 at 21:06 (2,691 days old) by jeb (Mansfield Ohiio)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Kenmore dishwasher* This is the model that was installed in my parents kitchen in 1978. It was used hard (at LEAST one load a day),loaded poorly by 4 people in a hurry, nothing pre washed (barely scraped),pots and pans in most loads, on well water, with inexpensive detergent, and usually just the normal cycle. It was Very unusual to find any load not completely clean and no trouble with kibble. The house was sold 5 years ago with that dishwasher still going strong after 33 years without a repair. If the price was reasonable I would grab it. Just have to mention, that was the dishwasher that my brother and I would wash our hamster cages in when mom wasn't home! JEB

Post# 911037 , Reply# 16 12/13/2016 at 21:20 (2,691 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Kenmore!* I have a friend that used to have the next model down from this unit and it was a great cleaner and easy loading with lots of room. I loaded many times at parties. Very simple to operate their model didnt have these loops in the bottom rack that I hated. They had the straight tines making loading much easier. I wish they made these machines today! Peter

Post# 911039 , Reply# 17 12/13/2016 at 21:36 (2,691 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore!!* Lets take this baby out for a spin! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 911074 , Reply# 22 12/14/2016 at 04:20 (2,690 days old) by brucelucenta ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 I guess I was just unfortunate enough to buy a new Kitchenaid Dishwasher in about 1980-81 when they had newly added the second spray arm under the glasses and eliminated the small sprayer at the top of the machine. They also had added the heat boost, which would shut off the motor whenever the temp was lower and heat the water. What it ended up doing was to shut off, heat up and come on for a minute, until the temp was lowered by the water hitting all the cold dishes again and shut off again. This was very annoying indeed and took what seemed like forever to run a load of dishes. Then of course without the small sprayer at the top, glasses and anything on the top rack had particles all over them. The longest cycle with heat boost was about 3 hours, which is about what is normal for these days. But at the time I was very disappointed, having spent considerable to buy what I thought & had heard was the very best dishwasher I could at the time. It pretty well soured me on Kitchenaid dishwashers. I did replace it within the year with a reverse rack Maytag dishwasher that I liked very much. It was the all push button one with rapid advance timer. I had that one the longest of any dishwasher and replaced it with a Maytag made Jennaire, which was one of the best machines I ever had. It was before they had two full size spray arms under each rack and had the shower tower non reverse racks. That machine was the easiest to load of any machine I ever had. I could fit all kinds of odd pieces in it and everything came out clean. Now days, all those brands are Whirlpool owned and the dishwasher I have now is a Whirlpool built one for Kenmore. The spray arm on the bottom interchanges with a new Kitchenaid one, so pretty much the same. Good machine for cleaning, but you have to be careful how you load it to get everything clean. I think that is probably because the spray is not as powerful as older machines because they are trying to make it run as quietly as possible.