Farewell Maytag Neptune

[panasonicvac]

Hi there everyone, happy holidays to you all!

Well, I was gone on vacation for overnight. I came back the next day with this in our laundry room. Apparently our Neptune washer has gotten louder and louder everytime it would go in the spin cycle. My dad had someone come over a week or two ago without me knowing about it yo look at it. The repair tech said that the bearing inside the washer is going out and there was no way that he could've fixed it. Even if he did had the part for it, it would've cost just as much as buying a new front loader washer. We went with an LG because just like our LG dryer, they were the brands to repair the least according to the tech. Anyways they had this delivered today and all hooked up. Now my dad is thinking about replacing the dryer with the matching set, shat do you guys think? Should we keep the dryer or replace it with the matching set?

The washer is a model WM8100HVA and the dryer is a model DLEX5170W.

 

[panasonicvac]

And pardon some of the words that I mistyped, I apologize about that.

 

[combo52]

Keep The dryer, it is easier to use with the rear controls and China already has enough of your money, there is absolutely no reason washers+ dryers need to match to have a great laundry. 

 

Stoves, refrigerators  and DWs never match, nor do furnaces and water heaters which are often installed SXS.

 

Let us know how you like the new washer compared to the old Neptune, Which Neptune did you have ?

 

John L.

 

[panasonicvac]

Hi John,

I believe it was a model MAH7500AWW, it was one of those models where it had a touch screen control. I know I showed ours here not too long ago. Had I would've known it was getting replaced sooner, I would've written down what it was. I will definetly let you all know how we are liking the new washer, right now we are just kind of playing around with it so it may take us a few weeks or so.

 

[maytagneptune]

Well atleast it's a LG

LG is a pretty well built product and it should last you a good 7-15 years before first fail. LG and Speed Queen make the best front loaders these days!

 

[panasonicvac]

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Hope everyone is all having a nice holiday so far. So after some consideration, we're going to get the matching dryer to match with the washer for a good reason. My sister's dryer has been having problems recently and we're going to give her our other LG as part of her Christmas present.

So far we really like using the new washer, but I feel that it's going to take a little while longer until I would give a full review of it because there's still some other things I haven't washed yet that I would like to try out. It'll be up eventually, as well as a review of the new dryer.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Washer looks nice.  FL wash better than TL tests have shown.  My experience has also shown that.

 

I like the laundry area there with the floor drain.  It looks like where the appliances sit it's a hard surface, but the rest of the room is carpeted.  Is the floor pitched toward the drain?  

Is that a curb around the perimeter to keep water from leaking out of that area?

 

Love your Central Vac videos too.

 

Happy Holidays to you, and everyone here at AW.

 

[panasonicvac]

New dryer had arrived!

Had it installed this morning and just gave it a test run. So far it's working good! Just need to play around with how where going to have the dryer vent hose set up so that it's not sticking out like in this photo here.

Thanks Keith! From what I see, the floor seems completley flat. There is a curb that would prevent water from coming out of the hard surface. We've never had any major leaks from any of our washers before which is good. However though we did had a clog in that drain once before from all the dryer lint that was built up in there since we have a sink in the laundry room where it would also drain down in the same pipe as the floor drain. I think there's probably no doubt that FL washes better than TL. But I think when it comes down to FL compare to TL washers, I guess it would depend on what the user would prefer to use over the other. I seem to like them both, they both have their pros and cons. I grew up with TLs' but I have been using FLs' more. We'll see what I would end up with when I get my own place.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Looking good.

 

I like the carpet idea.  That probably helps quiet the room by absorbing appliance noise.

 

What is the drawer for in the upper left corner, on the dryer?

 

[potatochips]

I had a tech in to replace the smooth top on my brand new stove after Home Depots contracted movers dented it during delivery. The tech and I got talking about the Neptunes and their bearings. He said WP will only warranty bearing repairs if you buy the whole outer tub with new bearings pressed in which in Canada is about $800. He said the Tony Tool was never approved by WP or MT, and neither company would warranty or allow the work to be done by any contracted repair company. He was impressed that I, and others, have managed to chip out old bearings and put new ones in, and said its a great way to repair it, but that, again, WP and MT never approved that repair method and would never warranty it. Which to me makes total sense, too much liability is what WP and MT told the repair companies.

[this post was last edited: 1/2/2020-23:24]

 

[combo52]

Replacing Main Bearings On Original Style Neptune FL Washers

MT and then WP not wanting techs to replace just the bearings was just so much BS, MT and later WP was selling bearings alone all along for the commercial versions of these washers, liability had nothing to do with it, if the machine was going to fly into pieces after it had new bearings in the old tub there would be much greater risk with the machine in a laundromat with much higher use and people around it waiting for their launder to finish.

 

John L.

 

[lorainfurniture]

Neptune bearing

I’ve done hundreds of bearings on Neptune’s. At one point I could complete it in under an hour. Like John mentioned the Neptune bearing had a part number that was specifically the bearing.

I always just figured they wanted those washers to get scrapped so they made the repair not cost effective.

 

[potatochips]

Well I hate to tell ya John, but thats what buddy told me. He stated the liability they were told was on leaks, not blowing up. One of my neighbours sons is a tech and he told me once when I asked him for a Tony Tool that his company just replaces the whole tub, essentially condemning the machine.

 

If you look up the MAH3000, 4000, 5500, 6500, and 7500 parts list the bearings are not listed, only the outer tub assembly. But if you look up the commercial versions, say the MAH21, the bearing is listed as a buyable part.

 

[yogitunes]

liability my butt.....most times for a job like Neptune bearing replacement falls more under a tech/company not wanting to do they job, and uses the liability as a scape goat...

time is money, plus most dont want to tear a machine down in someones home...

even under warranty they didn't want to replace them...or the whole tub...

when I bought one of the first 3000series, it had a computer glitch....they had 5 techs here working on it, basically the issue became worse as they worked on it...what they wanted to do was destroy it beyond repair so the warranty would issue me a new one...yet not make it look like sabotage by them...

but Eugene is correct....bearings/seals cost around 20.00...and in about an hour, you can be up and running again...

I have replaced every one of the machines I found, interesting though, once you replace them, you never have to do it again....

 

[stricklybojack]

.
My version: give a man a Neptune he washes for a while, teach a man to replace the Neptune drum bearing and he washes forever!

 

[dishmobile]

A number of years ago I found a used Maytag Neptune pair (4000 Series) available, and so I contacted the owner, who instructed me to meet him at a storage unit. As I drove to the site (in a kinda "sketch" area) and I thought, "Well...if this 'jumps off' they'll have to drag the river to find my body." I was relieved when the owner finally arrived and told me that the "Tunes" were the product of a recent divorce and he simply wanted to get rid of 'em. He raised the door and there they sat (they looked longingly in my direction). I opened the door to the washer, anticipating a moldy tub boot, and was not disappointed (as there was no lower drain). In addition, it was soon apparent that its owner used tons and tons of fabric softener. None the less, we agreed on a price, loaded the "twins" and I was on my way.

My first task was to take care of two "knowns"--replacing the burned resistor (R11), so that the machine would go into the high-speed spin, as well, ordering a new tub boot (with a drain). In addition, the washer needed a new detergent dispenser door (as the old one was cracked). I called the local Maytag dealer (who, interestingly enough, had a nice collection of vintage machines in the store), placed my order, and in a short time was enjoying my Neptunes.

After about ten years of use, the washer started to become louder, and louder, and louder, so it was time to address the bearing issue. I contacted a number of techs, none of which had any desire to replace the bearings. I was told a number of things from it "Can't be done."; "You'll have to replace the whole outer tub."; It'll cost ya $1100"; to "It's not worth it, throw it away and buy something new." To which I replied, "You don't understand, my father sold "real" center-dial Maytags and...not only can it be done, but I am going to do it myself." So began the journey.

I located an individual, from which I bought the new bearings and rented a Tony-tool. I was able to get the rear bearing out, relatively easily, but not the front, it simply would not move. Even after beating it with a 10 pound sledge, it was rock solid. Not to be defeated, I bought a Dremel and set about to cut out the "offending" member. Starting on the inside chase, I placed two cuts so that I could remove everything down to the outer ring (the inside was toast---black, mucky, nasty). I carefully cut the outer ring, so as to not damage the seat, and soon...it was all out! Victory! After freezing the new bearings overnight, I lubricated them, put them into the machine, and popped them into place. I reassembled the machine and, voila, we are washing again, Neptune-style!!

I am not sure that I would have ever taken this on, knowing what an "odyssey" it would become, but I am happy to keep my Neptunes "on the road". It can be done.

 

[mattl]

Explain freezing the bearing, is it to "shrink" it a tiny bit for easier installation?  I've replaced Duet bearings and they can be a pain to seat.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Freezing has worked for "pretreating" several things.  Bearings would as well.

 

Also, a bearing press if need be.

 

[combo52]

Freezing could make a tiny difference

But they get all wet from condensation as you install them which is not ideal, I have tried it and did not see that it helped and did not like wet bearings.

 

Hi Keith, a bearing press is useful for many things, We have one like the one pictured but it is useless for installing FL washer bearings as it is too small to get the outer tub into it.

 

They make bearing installing tools to easily pull the bearings into place, we have a 1/2 dozen different ones that cover almost any machine.

 

John L.