1966 Maytag's First Power-Fin Agitator

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ancient chinese secret!

got you wondering don't I?

some people said it couldn't be done, and for most things this could be true, but somethings get the best of me and I have to figure out a way....

I'll bet you want details?
 
LOL! Calgon. That's the same agitator used in the commerical.

Tell us about, please?

Martin, you know what I noticed when you removed the lint filter in the power fin agitator, the circulating water in the barrel causes extra suction that helps force the clothes faster downward into the fins.
 
Simpler than you think......

and your gonna say "Why didn't I think of that!"

well here goes.....

I had a loadsensor agitator which the spiral internals were broke beyond repair.....so I removed the spiral and all the internals, left me with a short center post, had to cut off the powerfins from the bottom....

re-installed into the machine and tightened down the screw.....then tried several agitators over top, with three small screws to hold it in place...and presto!

I used Surgilator first, then the GE straight vane, but the GE ramp works best and has the best turnover in this machine...

what you have to consider is Maytags a little slower than a GE, but the stroke is longer...every third stroke backwards caused one complete revolution of the clothes in the tub, on a normal load, full water level

What do you think Harry?
 
MT POWER FINN AGITATORS

The PF agitator can be very hard on clothes especially if loaded heavily. When CRs tested 1 speed washers to see if you really needed to spend the extra money on a two speed model the MT was the only washer in the test that put runs in the sheer curtain panels they used for testing. Check out the report some one down loaded it on this site within the last year.Thats the reason I don't use MT washers as ever day machines they just use too much water for the amount of clothing that can be safely washed in them. I do love them for the history and will have more than 10 machines in the warehouse restored from the first AMP-the last electronic stack gas washer-dryer.
 
WOW!!! SO DIAPPOINTED...

See I was totally unaware that Maytag washers were hard on clothes. The power fin agitator was not as GENTLE as claimed. The surprising thing is I've never read any CR ratings article about a "harsh and rough" factor with Maytag washers. Nor, ever read any threads complaining about the power fin agitator being too hard on the clothes. My 712 will be my daily driver.

Harry
 
Maypool Mayhem

They ARE harsh if overloaded since they don't rollover heavy loads well at all,causing the clothes at the bottom to get a beating, whilst those on top little if anything. HOWEVER, they are quite gentle when underloaded, generally no more than 2/3 full if not a little less. I live in a condo and am forced to use a Maytag made by Whirlpool coin-op with the straight vaned 180 SPM agitator. This IS the harshest washer I have ever used,would love an old 2 speed Power Fin instead!
 
Yes, overloading, or a heavy load in any machine will cause the tearing of clothing.....

but properly loaded, meaning clothes circulate, they sink and then re-appear, you can keep adding clothes until this slows down, but if the rollover stops, you have added too much...

just in the back of my mind knowing that a Maytag will give in to a load, it's just something I would not fill above 2/3rds with dry clothing, just to be sure its getting the best possible wash, even though I would be so-called wasting water...but these machines are not my daily drivers, just for the fun of drama to watch, if I wanted to do a heavy load, I would either choose a GE FF or a FL
 
WOW!!! SO DIAPPOINTED...See I was totally unaware that Maytag washers were hard on clothes.

Meh, take combos opinion with a grain of salt. I have 50 year old towels that have been washed in nothing but long stroke Maytags and they show little wear. I personally have 17 year old clothes that only show wear and tear from use, not washings. My grandmother owned nothing but Maytags for 45+ years (her last was a late 60's HA/HDE806 that she left behind in her recent move). My grandfather was still wearing clothes from the 60's/70's when he passed away in 2001 (gotta love the depression era folks). Yep, spent the majority of their life being washed in that HA806 washer.

However, Grandma was not a stuffer and all of her Maytags were 2 speeds, so that probably helped the gentle items last longer. She was a chronic cold water washer though. Luckily, I've actually made some recent progress in that department and she has been delighted with the results. She did immediately regret leaving the 806's behind after a few loads in the Kenmore DD washer. She complained about it being very harsh on the clothes and didn't come out as clean as the 806. She did mention that the lint filter for the dryer is a little easier to clean and install on the Kenmore vs. the HDE806 HOH dryer.

What was the reason she left the 806's behind, you ask? She wanted a washer/dryer in white.....so they could be hidden behind closet doors in the laundry area
 
Mrcleanjeans, no more than 2/3 full if not, less seems such a bad waste of usable space. The deep tub is such a waste in size permitted only to wash smaller loads.

Hey Martin, unfortunately I only have room for one washer at a time. My 712 is my new daily, it's why I'm taking it a little hard. I am using an extra spring to strength of the power fin stroke to decrease the give.

Dan, apparently, the "extra boost" double flexing of the fins from the back and forth is also tearing the clothes. The extra spring was suppose to help handle my big load easier, not cause damage.
 
You really must do 2/3 full of clothes or less. I'd rather "waste" a little water than waste my clothes. These machines just can't clean too big of a load. I could work with that. They ARE the BEST in quality and longevity and are very gentle when used properly!
 
That's because you loosely load to the top. The 2/3 rule is general and depends on the fabric. Most people will HAVE to follow it since few load loosely. Of course, most on this site likely load their clothes very well!
 
most on this site likely load their clothes very well!

You would be shocked! A lot of people on this site come just short of standing in the machine to get more clothes in the tub.
 
WASHER PERFORMANCE

Dan I don't appreciate your discounting my nearly 40 years experience in working directly with tens of thousands of customers and thier experiences with thier machines performance. I have tried to Email you directly about this and other offensive quips and the Email address on your profile won't work, please Email me when you get a chance. Thanks your friend John.
 
John,

I'm not discounting what you have said, I'm just saying that your comments are not what my family, who has been running long stroke Maytags for a combined 75+ years, have experienced. As stated earlier, I have 50 year old towels and sheets that have seen nothing but Maytag fins and they're not torn nor shredded. It's very difficult to argue with 50 years worth of tangible evidence sitting in my linen closest and 20 years of clothing in my dresser drawers. Respectfully yours,

Dan
 
We have a Maytag A606 and we actually wear our clothes untill they're worn out. Wearing them out takes a long time. My towels are finally starting to fray, but we don't have many so they've been washed once a week for 13 years.

Load it properly, and set the timer accordingly. I've seen people wash everything for the full 10 minutes, 5 minutes is about right for most loads.

Ken D.
 
Load time

I always use the maximum time available, regardless of machine or load. On my Lady K that's a full 14 minutes!
 

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