Help Identifying Mid 60's Kenmore

We had this machine from me entering the 1st grade right thru my high school graduation... I had to do my own laundry by the 9th grade and teenage boys aren't too fussy about stuff like agitator speed and wash cycles. I'm a little fuzzy on the controls now because I never touched the other knobs, that was "Mom stuff". All I had to remember was to use the "A" cycle if it was white, and "B" cycle if it was "laundry of color" The "C" thru "G" cycles were the forbiden zone.

I think zzzzz may be right with his knob and slider IDs - the knob for agitator speed and the slide for rinse temp. He may also be right with the mercury switch. I *think* remember my Dad had to take the lid off and showed me the mercury switch when I was very young .. say 7 or 8. I may have transferred in my mind the door finger toggle from the dryer to the washer. But the agitator was definitely black.

As for Chad's questions regarding the panel, no, the cycle tags were reverse painted onto the dial glass and not illuminated from behind. The only light was a fluorescent bulb under the bonnet. I think that the cycle reminder tags were shaped like that to fill up the dash board so it didn't look blank and harmonize visually with the top of the line push button models.


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Post# 183355 1/15/2007 at 16:38 (6,309 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)
Checkrate/Likes My folks bought their first home in 1966 in Redondo Beach California, and with the new house came the necessity of buying major applianices, including a matching Sears Coppertone Kenmore Washer and Dryer set. We had this unit from 1966 to about 1978 when something broke on it and "in the style of the times" (as Grampa Simpson says) it was thrown out and replaced with a new machine. I've been looking for ages now and have never seen a photo of the unit so I've put together a photoshop simulation based on DickS's 1968 Kenmore photo (thanks Dick) with notes directly on the graphic. Does anybody know the model year (65 or 66) and model number for this unit? I seem to recall that it was a "Middle of the Line" unit. True? Thanks Scoots

Post# 183373 , Reply# 1 1/15/2007 at 18:30 (6,309 days old) by zzzzz ()
Checkrate/Likes Looks like a two-speed version of the 1968 Kenmore 800 three-speed machine my parents owned during my childhood. The speed control (extra-slow/auto/slow, IIRC) was where the water temperature control is on your picture, and, again IIRC, the lever you marked "seldom used" controlled the wash/rinse temperature (auto/cold wash/cold rinse?) It's been so long I forgot the exact details of that machine, but every picture I've seen here has been of a two-speed model like yours.

Post# 183378 , Reply# 2 1/15/2007 at 18:35 (6,309 days old) by zzzzz ()
Checkrate/Likes I almost forgot...the agitator was a gold Roto-Swirl, and the lid switch was a mercury switch, not a microswitch.

Post# 183387 , Reply# 3 1/15/2007 at 18:45 (6,309 days old) by exploder3211 ()
Checkrate/Likes Ehttp://www.. I like! Do the cycle tags light up?

Post# 183404 , Reply# 4 1/15/2007 at 19:30 (6,309 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)
Checkrate/Likes We had this machine from me entering the 1st grade right thru my high school graduation... I had to do my own laundry by the 9th grade and teenage boys aren't too fussy about stuff like agitator speed and wash cycles. I'm a little fuzzy on the controls now because I never touched the other knobs, that was "Mom stuff". All I had to remember was to use the "A" cycle if it was white, and "B" cycle if it was "laundry of color" The "C" thru "G" cycles were the forbiden zone. I think zzzzz may be right with his knob and slider IDs - the knob for agitator speed and the slide for rinse temp. He may also be right with the mercury switch. I think remember my Dad had to take the lid off and showed me the mercury switch when I was very young .. say 7 or 8. I may have transferred in my mind the door finger toggle from the dryer to the washer. But the agitator was definitely black. As for Chad's questions regarding the panel, no, the cycle tags were reverse painted onto the dial glass and not illuminated from behind. The only light was a fluorescent bulb under the bonnet. I think that the cycle reminder tags were shaped like that to fill up the dash board so it didn't look blank and harmonize visually with the top of the line push button models.

Post# 183414 , Reply# 5 1/15/2007 at 19:49 (6,309 days old) by exploder3211 ()
Checkrate/Likes Ahh...

Post# 183419 , Reply# 6 1/15/2007 at 19:51 (6,309 days old) by dadoes (TX,�U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes One of my aunts had a machine very similar to this. Same lighted console, with the ABC tags. The right-side rotary control was for speed. Center was Auto. One side was forced slow agitate and spin, the other side was forced extra slow agitate and slow spin. Finger-lever on the left for water level. The one at the center was for temperature -- Auto, forced cold rinse, or forced cold wash and rinse. Mercury lid switch. Non-pregnant Super Rotoswirl, with scrubber cap. Dual dispensers.

Post# 183420 , Reply# 7 1/15/2007 at 20:02 (6,309 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes New owners bought the house next to us which had had the 2 LK combos. This was about 1968 at the latest. They had a coppertone set that was the only ultimate flexible kenmore I ever designated. It had the sliding water level lever. To the right of the timer was a bank of black buttons for the 5 temp combo selections. To the left of the timer was a typical size knob, like above on the right, that had speed selections for auto and the other 4 combinations. It may have been an 800 series. Black roto & scrubber cap.