Info on Kenmore Powermate sought

[charles~richard]

I am guessing this Kenmore is pre-1980 and thus "vintage" (Oy vey, sometimes I sure do feel old!!) But I am not sure.

Can anyone tell me about this machine? Year? Cost when new? Any good? It has all the attachments btw, stored inside the lid.

Is this something that would be worthwhile to put on eBay you think??

 

[charles~richard]

 

[danemodsandy]

Charlie:

Early to mid-'80s, upper-MOL, very decent machine. TOLs of that era had two-speed motors, height-adjustable Powermate with edge clean and headlight, and an elaborate tool tray on top of the canister. Motors on Kenmores of that era didn't last forever, but while they worked, you had the most features available for the money. And they generally worked a pretty long time, just not as long as Luxes or other really high-end machines. The machine you show was one of the last years before Sears and Panasonic rushed to the altar in the most ill-fated match since Juliet Capulet got hitched to that Montague boy.

 

[arh1953]

I think that would make good eBay material. I'm developing a fondness for that type, I have a BOL Kenmore in rust and cream that looks and sounds good, has all its tools, but a broken tab on the lid.

 

[vinvac]

Charlie,

I love that machine, some friends had that very same model only in a different color. It was a great cleaner. What I liked about Sears during that time frame was that they offered a cloth bag for those machines. The cloth bags actually filtered better then the paper bags at that time.

Morgan

 

[hoover1060]

Charles-Richard,

The year of that machine can be found in the model number. The model number is the first 4 digits after the decimal.

Example: your cleaner has a model number that looks like: 116.27991

Model number is 2799, the year would be 1977, and the -99 designates their TOL cleaner.
That model you have is vintage 1982-84 somewhere in there. Can you post the model number?
Those were very good cleaners!

 

[xraytech]

that is a beautiful kenmore, my aunt had one just like it, it died a horrible death due to a flood in 2004. I miss using that machine

 

[electroluxxxx]

I always thought these machines were fairly loud but great for the price. I think the ones made in the 90s are quieter. but these models have a lot of power.

 

[petek]

They are good vacuums. I've got my little collection of them going, groan. I have the later one in that color/graphics when they "streamline rounded" the shape in the 90's. But it seems all the 90's models I've run across have a terrible hose splitting problem up by the handle. My earlier models don't seem to share that trait.

 

[logan]

Hey Charlie I sent you an e-mail about this particular vacuum.

 

[charles~richard]

Thx for all the info - it's a little newer than I would have thought. Seems to have that boxy 1970s look to me.

I got several private queries on it as well. Not sure yet what I am going to do with it.

I tried it out, it does have great suction but is a bit too noisy for my liking so I don't see it becoming a daily driver.

When I go outside I'll get the model number from it.

 

[danemodsandy]

Charlie:

"Thx for all the info - it's a little newer than I would have thought. Seems to have that boxy 1970s look to me."

There's a reason for that. The basic shape of these machines is unchanged from the '70s. What Sears did was to update the look slightly with new '80s-style graphics and a more subdued, elegant colour scheme than formerly. The TOL machine I had from the '70s was yellow and avocado, with a white bumper and Ye Olde Fayke Woode Graine accents- busybusybusy. The shape of your canister is completely unchanged from before.

The PN is different from Sears' '70s PNs, more Euro-styled and '80s in appearance.

 

[petek]

Funny how the power nozzle is the updated more rounded design yet the canister itself was still the squared off version. It's the same power nozzle as on my newer 94 new design model.

 

[petek]

I guess a picture is better

 

[danemodsandy]

petek:

These were the years when Sears sort of lost its way. All their products became very bland and beige in appearance- there wasn't a whole lot of visual excitement any more. The fashion for Almond appliances didn't help; for some reason, Almond makes everything look the same. You really had to look to tell TOL from MOL machines. In the '60s and early '70s, there was no mistaking Lady Kenmore units for anything else, especially major appliances- LK's had more controls, more chrome, more glamour, more everything. In the '80s, the rise of electronic touch controls meant that everything looked flat and bland. In the '60s, LK laundry appliances had a huge array of big pushbuttons that couldn't be mistaken for any other model in the line, glamorous as hell.

 

[charles~richard]

Another example, I guess, of "models in transition."

 

[danemodsandy]

Meant to Mention:

Charlie, if memory serves, that MOL series was somewhere around $185 or so new.

 

[danemodsandy]

And, Oh Yeah...

...Charlie, be careful with that tool compartment lid. I had this same machine for a while, (in the older dark brown colour) and the pivot pins and latches on the lid loved to break. I think I replaced mine two times.

 

[vacmeister76]

Power mate canisters spring & summer 1983.