When did Maytag start to go bad?

IMO,

The beginning of the end was 1989/90 when they switched from the long-stroke Pitman transmission to the short-stroke orbital one. That marked the first major "cheapening" of the machines. Although these were still really decent machines up until the late 90s or so. Just not quite the *legendary* Maytags of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

When they switched from the center-dial panel to the new design in 1980, I think some of the parts were cheapened a bit as well. For example, when setting my 85 A506, the sound of the switches is "thinner" and less of a "thunk" than my 75 A107. And the dial doesn't quite have that same heavy metallic sound as that of the latter. So you could say this was the VERY beginning of the decline. But IMO, the true beginning was the introduction of the orbital trans.

The mid 90s white panel Dependable Care machines were the last "true" Maytags IMO. So the company was declining well before the buyout.

You’re very lucky to have a still working top loading Neptun

The Maytag Neptune top load washers are rarely found to be working, and almost every top loading Neptune that’s even found is broken. Those were horribly made machines.

Maytag motor

My family got a Maytag A207 washer and matching dryer in the summer of 1973, and it had a Westinghouse motor. A little over a year later, the basement got flooded with about 4" of sewer water, which caused the motor to go bad. I went to a Maytag authorized parts distributor, and bought a new one, which was a GE. This lasted until I got rid of the machine in 2004.

direct drive

I think Maytag would've been better off with the direct drive design.

It does beg the question...

How did Whirlpool save Maytag? There is nothing left of Maytag except for the label.

Whirlpool saved the Maytag name

From going into oblivion, like Kelvinator, Gibson, Norge, and many others.

John L

The Whirlpool-built Maytag direct drives were great

The Whirlpool-built Maytag direct drives were great and were just as good as the Kenmore or Whirlpool counterparts.

The only difference was that they had a different control panel, but other than that they were Whirlpool direct drives. The best washers under the Maytag brand was the dependable care or the Whirlpool-built direct drives.

Whirlpool did NOT save Maytag’s factories, Maytag is just a rebrander from Whirlpool, there’s no significant difference between a Maytag and a Whirlpool and both have similar problems. The reason why you see more results online with Maytag issues than Whirlpool is because Maytag seems to be a more popular brand for many of their appliances, Whirlpool washers these days are still popular, but are a bit less popular, meaning Maytag products naturally get more repairs.

I actually prefer the Maytag washers over the whirlpool branded ones (although I have a Whirlpool branded one) because they have a 10 year warranty on the drive motor and wash basket. Whirlpool does not have this limited warranty.

Many kenmore machines were built by Whirlpool, older ones were direct drive, newer ones were Whirlpool and VMAX. Kenmore isn’t really a popular brand anymore and is probably less popular than brands like Crosley now because Sears has gone out of business.

 
<blockquote>Many kenmore machines were built by Whirlpool, older ones were direct drive, newer ones were Whirlpool and VMAX.</blockquote> I'm sure you're aware that Whirlpool was primary supplier of Kenmore laundry beginning in the 1950s, if not the late 1940s.  I recall there have been three primary toploader mechanical designs through the years ... classic belt-drive (ending in 1986), direct-drive (1981-2012), VMW/VMAX 2010-current).  Momentary diversions into the Calypso and Fisher & Paykel's floating basket.

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BTW, this board as you see it has been in existence since Sept 2004.

May 2001 to Sept 2004 there was a different site/layout known as "Classic Appliances" with the discussion board being "Applianceville."  Robert/Unimatic1140 is one of the primary collectors, and is a programmer who developed both of them. 

It was on Yahoo Clubs and Yahoo Groups prior to that.

This thread has some photos of Classic Appliances and Applianceville board.

This link is a history of the Applianceville board.

Whirlpool supplied all of Sears washing machines

Since 1926 it wasn’t till the 80s that Sears started to get some Frigidaire built machines and later some LG and Samsung toward the end of Sears as they were going out of business.

Whirlpool and Sears grew together. Series became the biggest seller of washing machines in the country for many decades and whirlpool the overall largest manufacturer because of all the serious business between the two of them there was enough money for great innovation, great quality along with great prices.

John L

 
1926, thanks John for that detail, I wasn't sure at what date the full Sears/Whirlpool relationship began.  I was referring to toploader automatics.  Non-automatics / wringer machines are very relevant in relation to Maytag.

Many kenmore was made by Whirlpool

Many of them were direct drive and later VMW. Towards the end of Sears, Kenmore washers used the VMW and VMAX platforms.

 
<blockquote>Whirlpool862:  Many of them were direct drive and later VMW. Towards the end of Sears, Kenmore washers used the VMW and VMAX platforms.</blockquote> You don't consider the years of classic belt-drive toploaders produced by Whirlpool beginning from the late 1940s until introduction of direct-drive in late 1981 to be a valid part of the Whirlpool/Kenmore relationship?

Whirlpool and Sears Roebuck laundry appliances

Whirlpool manufactured Sears laundry appliances for nearly 100 years starting around 1926.

Whirlpool has passed 100 years in the Appliance business and they’re still going strong still the largest appliance maker in the world of major appliances.

John L

I know there were some older kenmores using the belt drive system. Kenmore was one of the first brands to ever be manufactured by whirlpool (except Whirlpool itself).

The Whirlpool belt drives were great machines (not referring to VMWs)

"Upton Machine Company, which eventually became Whirlpool, sold its first washing machines to Sears in 1916. Sears later took a stake in the appliance company in 1921."

Above just to be clear explains that Sears wasn't just getting appliances from WP, they owned a percentage of the company and thus had far deeper ties. In some ways and or instances Sears pretty much had very good deals with WP and or called shots.

Sears would have exclusive rights to various designs or whatever for appliances that came from WP so "Kenmore" or whoever brand got new technology before WP itself launched their own.

Sears (IIRC) moved more WP appliances than the company itself for most of history of their relationship. When "one out of three American homes have Kenmore appliances" guess who sold and serviced those units?

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/24/sea...ny, which,, Frigidaire, Electrolux and Bosch.

The story of the WP/Sears relationship is actually quite interesting. (Films are in the queue!) The CNBC link is a little misleading; Sears never really owned part of WP, but they did agree to a mutually-beneficial business relationship.

In 1921, Sears approached Upton Machine for a large order of washers, and loaned Upton the money for factory expansion to satisfy the order. The market dropped out as the construction was nearing completion, and Sears cancelled, leaving Upton holding the bag.

Both agreed, on a handshake, that when things improved, Sears would come back for that order, and regarding the oustanding loan, the amount Upton owed would be paid in company stock (this is the so-called "investment"). Both kept their word, and once production resumed some years later, it's said Upton suggested to Sears that they be their sole supplier of washing equipment. A great deal for them both.

Cory, I was told by someone who owned and operated a Sears Catalog Merchant store that Sears owned controlling interest in Whirlpool, and lesser amounts of several other suppliers. This was in 1976, when I worked part time for her.

Reply #36: If that's true, I'd love to see some proof, and I do mean that in the most earnest way.

Google is silent on the matter, but I'd think it would be disclosed in an annual report some place, especially if controlling interest. Adding to the complication was WP's mergers and acquisitions, some that could be seen as anti-competitive with Sears' investment. I'll do a little digging; I'm curious, too.

Cory, I'm only going by what Faye told me, and of course she could have been mistaken. However, I also remember reading somewhere about Sears divesting their stock in Whirlpool over a period of time.

Didn't save link to information but one also distinctly recall reading that at one point yes, Sears did own stock in Whirlpool, thus one's previous comments.

Sears and "Upton Machine Company" through various incarnations of Whirlpool names were together for near or over 100 years. For most of that time Sears had considerable say in what seems to one above and beyond any handshake agreement in workings of Whirlpool.