pricey Roto-Rack

Sears sold a LOT of these D&M machines. Not a bad dishwasher, in reality. My family had the Modern Maid version of the D&M machines, which my dad bought in 1968.

It had really good scrubability, as far a pots and pans, baked on foods, etc. But, it did have an annoying tendency to leave little nibblets of food, which had been ground up by the "macerator" blade, on the tops of glasses. After the dishwasher went through the dry cycle you had baked on nibblets.

After two years, though, the motor had to be replaced. Then it worked fine up until 1973 when my dad replaced it with a General Electric Potscrubber. I don't recall why it was replaced, probably had rust-through of the tub.

The used house my sister and brother-in-law bought had a similar Roto-Rack, as the one picture above. Oddly, they did not seem to have the nibblet problem. I guess the centrifugal force, from the rotating rack, flung the nibblets off the top of the glassware before they could accumulate. That upper rack could get some speed on it.

The only negative thing they said was the top rack sometimes got out of balance if you had something really heavy on one side of it. It didn't get out of balance as a washing machine tube does, as the rack is locked to a central axis, but it did wobble a little vertically (sides tip up and down). and could make a thumping noise when out of balance.

They didn't have it long, though, as they soon remodeled the kitchen after moving in. They replaced everything with General Electric appliances. Which I thought was interesting, as my brother-in-law worked for Frigidaire, at the time, and could have gotten his employee discount on appliances.


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Post# 1110116 3/3/2021 at 17:36 (750 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )
Checkrate/Likes CLICK HERE TO GO TO reactor's LINK Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 1110119 , Reply# 1 3/3/2021 at 18:07 (750 days old) by Superwash (Cape Coral, FL)
Checkrate/Likes My aunt had the portable version in Avocado. I think she got it in '73, give or take a year.

Post# 1110120 , Reply# 2 3/3/2021 at 18:18 (750 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)
Checkrate/Likes 1 It is amazing that it does not have rust stains in the sump/tub. Porcelain in D&M machines was so thin that few, if any, made it out of the testing at CU without showing rust and it was noted in the ratings. Other than that, if you boosted the wash temp, the hotter water and longer time would produce clean dishes, but I don't see where they came up with the price unless it is our of sheer ignorance and there is a lot of that.

Post# 1110132 , Reply# 3 3/3/2021 at 19:54 (750 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *At Least They Adjusted The Price For Inflation, LOL* Now they had just adjusted it for the fact it is a total POS. D&M DWs after 1968 were crap, be sure to build it in over a drain pan for when it starts leaking. John L.

Post# 1110146 , Reply# 4 3/3/2021 at 21:20 (750 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes That was the eexact model we had for weekend getaway house. Bought fall of 1971 or 1972. Ours was harvest gold. Model just under the LK. the bottom rack is in backwards.

Post# 1110163 , Reply# 5 3/4/2021 at 02:46 (749 days old) by toploadloyalist (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Checkrate/Likes This is from 1971. The cycle selections are Rinse & Hold, Light Wash, Normal Wash, and Sani-Wash.

Post# 1110168 , Reply# 6 3/4/2021 at 06:16 (749 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)
Checkrate/Likes *That countertop??* What's up with that countertop? Is that masking tape of some kind of odd counter that is supposed to look like that?

Post# 1110178 , Reply# 7 3/4/2021 at 08:00 (749 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )
Checkrate/Likes *a popular dishwasher* Sears sold a LOT of these D&M machines. Not a bad dishwasher, in reality. My family had the Modern Maid version of the D&M machines, which my dad bought in 1968. It had really good scrubability, as far a pots and pans, baked on foods, etc. But, it did have an annoying tendency to leave little nibblets of food, which had been ground up by the "macerator" blade, on the tops of glasses. After the dishwasher went through the dry cycle you had baked on nibblets. After two years, though, the motor had to be replaced. Then it worked fine up until 1973 when my dad replaced it with a General Electric Potscrubber. I don't recall why it was replaced, probably had rust-through of the tub. The used house my sister and brother-in-law bought had a similar Roto-Rack, as the one picture above. Oddly, they did not seem to have the nibblet problem. I guess the centrifugal force, from the rotating rack, flung the nibblets off the top of the glassware before they could accumulate. That upper rack could get some speed on it. The only negative thing they said was the top rack sometimes got out of balance if you had something really heavy on one side of it. It didn't get out of balance as a washing machine tube does, as the rack is locked to a central axis, but it did wobble a little vertically (sides tip up and down). and could make a thumping noise when out of balance. They didn't have it long, though, as they soon remodeled the kitchen after moving in. They replaced everything with General Electric appliances. Which I thought was interesting, as my brother-in-law worked for Frigidaire, at the time, and could have gotten his employee discount on appliances.

Post# 1110195 , Reply# 8 3/4/2021 at 11:26 (749 days old) by estesguy (kansas)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Sears / D&M* Back in the 70s I went to install a dishwasher in a kitchen that had never had one and bought a Sears version of this. Upon installation, me being the picky person I am, I took the racks out and inspected the sump area of the tub, only to discover that most of the screws had cracks in the porcelain next to them. You could already see rust along the cracks. I took it out and back to Sears, and replaced it with a KA Imperial. End of D&M in my kitchen

Post# 1110350 , Reply# 9 3/6/2021 at 01:37 (747 days old) by bradfordwhite (West Coast, U.S.)
Checkrate/Likes 2 My aunt and uncles DW exact from their 1972 built house. It worked for them until about 1985 when the leaking had just been too much. They replaced it with a White Westinghouse that the retailer did a crap job installing and it slowly leaked and rotted the floor. --- This thing even has the original door seal. And yes, that lower rack is in backwards. That door would not have shut all the way with it like that.

Post# 1110394 , Reply# 10 3/6/2021 at 12:23 (747 days old) by seedub (South Texas Hill Country)
Checkrate/Likes Am I recalling correctly that the clear plastic timer dial was incandescently backlit?

Post# 1110397 , Reply# 11 3/6/2021 at 12:40 (747 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes 3 Yes, backlit timer. Also had water temperature progression lights across the front. Cool, Normal, Delay, and Sanitize.

Post# 1110402 , Reply# 12 3/6/2021 at 14:47 (747 days old) by bradfordwhite (West Coast, U.S.)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I forgot about those cycle progress lights. The Lady K with self advancing timer would have the same PLUS an additional strip of lights to indicate each phase as the timer progressed. Add that to the two lights behind the escutcheon lens, it was like Christmas.

Post# 1110419 , Reply# 13 3/6/2021 at 16:40 (747 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *two lights behind the escutcheon lens, it was like Christmas* Keith, I whole-heartedly agree.