Heavy Duty Maytag

[washerlover]

Just ran across this machine in the Sacramento area on Craigslist (no, I’m not going after it, I already have two Maytag sets).

Wanted to share because I’ve never seen the “Heavy Duty” label on these before. It looks like a cheap adhesive sticker — wondering if it was sold that way?

 

[qsd-dan]

The "Heavy Duty" script wars began in the 70's and Maytag was behind the times of this false advertisement gimmick so these cheesy stickers were the last minute answer. If you look at the washers of this era: Whirlpool/Kenmore belt drives, GE Filter Flos, Frigidaire 1-18, ect, they have this notation on the console. Maytag incorporated "Heavy Duty" into the console beginning with the 12 series machines (around '83-'84) which continued through to the last orbital washer in 2006.

 

[DADoES]

 
I recall a customer coming in the Whirlpool dealer in the late 1970s for a new washer, saying "I don't need heavy duty."  She was told the truth, that they're all the same.

 

[washerlover]

I love the “heavy duty” badge…but when I compare my 1975 Montgomery Wards Signature heavy duty washer to my 1974 Sears Kenmore with Pentaswirl agitator that also claims it’s heavy duty, we all know who wins the title when it comes to washability between the two..!

 

[wayupnorth]

Maytag sent those stickers to their dealers during the Heavy Duty craze. They recommended to put it under the timer. Real Maytags didn't have to prove they are Heavy Duty.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Vague marketing lingo

It's interesting how terms are thrown around yet when you stand back and look at the term it's often quite general.

Heavy Duty.... compared to what?

I'm SAVING MONEY when I buy something? heh? So I just spent $300 but I SAVED $24 because it was ON SALE.

It's always ON SALE.  Have you ever gone to a store and wanted to buy something and were flatly refused?

And if I come back in a year how much interest will my $24 THAT I SAVED have accumulated?

 

That hamburger is LOW CALORIE ?  Compared to what?

 

The triple chocolate cheese cake in the grocery store window is ALL NATURAL?  Compared to what?  A bucket of oil based paint?

 

I remember being perplexed as a teen how these adorable little washers could be HEAVY DUTY.  They even had it printed on the control panel.  Heavy duty would imply they could double as dump truck. 

 

Do you ever remember a kitchen appliance stating that it was HEAVY DUTY?  Maybe it was because Washers and dryers have many more moving parts and cycles and they break down more that they felt they needed to compensate.  It was no doubt becoming more obvious to the buying public in the 1970s which types of appliances lasted longest.

 

[tolivac]

I have a worm drive SjilSaw77 circular saw that has a plate on it saying "super Duty" Has another other appliance had a tag like that?So remember the "heavy duty" craze-that showed up more than "automatic"!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

My mom's Maytag which I bought her in 1992 boasted it was Heavy Duty--by then I even wondered why it was necessary even given the way everyone was 1990's junk why such labeling (or here being printed under such a brand name, that I knew already boasted being Heavy Duty) still was necessary but maybe especially there the public really needed that much convincing...!

-- Dave