70s, 80s, and 90s Maytags - Comparison

[woodjack99]

The 70s (75 A107) and 80s (85 A506) are my grandparents’, hopefully they will be mine someday. I would say the 90s Dependable Care line were the last true ‘Tags. How would you say they compared to the other 2 machines pictured? I definitely prefer the Pitman transmission over the Orbital one.

 

[eurekastar]

The pitman transmission with its power fin agitator has many commendable qualities.  The one drawback that I have experienced with laundering sheets.  Air pockets can easily develop, making it difficult for the agitator to turn over the load.  The rapid short stoke of the orbital transmission more easily overcomes that problem; however, I suspect it's also harder on clothes!   

 

[matthavertown]

Pitman transmission

Hey Bill,

I have a LA612 with the pitman transmission and air bubbles in the sheets does seem to be an issue. Best fix I’ve found is to bypass the lid switch temporarily. Let the washer fill and start washing. Feed the sheets in until submerged. Close the lid and you should be good to go.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

As a long time owner of a 1972 Maytag A606, I avoid buying sheets with too high a thread count.  Ordinary (read: not really expensive) sheets don't form air pockets that the machine can't work it's way through.  I also don't buy really heavy queen size comforters, as the machine will easily wash a medium weight queen size comforter.

 

[good-shepherd]

will easily wash a medium weight queen size comforter.

I don't how you guys wash anything much larger then a twin comforter in Power Fin DC Maytag?

Even twin size requires stopping the machine to redistribute the load as turnover consists of the top half hardly moving and the bottom getting beat up by the agitator.