How I Imagine a 2024 Maytag Helical

[Chetlaham]

This is how I imagine a 2024 Maytag Helical washer. Mallory, Kingston or Singer EM timer, Stainless Steel tub, lint filter in agitator, choice of either straight van or load sense agitator, pitman transmission, quiet pak sound absorption, porcelain on steel top, long wash cycle to let HE detergents work,  rear self leveling legs, full 10 year parts and labor warranty, 30+ year average life expectancy. 

 

 

Cycle starting from Heavy Duty; normal, casual, delicate beginning at respected pauses; as follows:

 

Fill- 4 minutes {Heavy Duty}

 

Wash- 6 minutes

 

Pause- 4 minutes {Normal}

 

Wash- 6 minutes

 

Pause- 4 minutes {Casual}

 

Wash- 6 minutes

 

Pause- 4 minutes {Delicate} 

 

Wash- 6 minutes

 

Pause- 30 seconds

 

Spin- 4 minutes {Rinse and Spin}

 

Spray Spin - 30 seconds

 

Spin- 2 minutes

 

Spray Spin 30 seconds

 

Spin- 2 minutes

 

Spray Spin- 30 seconds

 

Spin 7 minutes {Drain and Spin}

 

End

 

57 minutes heavy duty cycle, 47 minute normal, 37 minute casual.

 

 

 

What a random Maytag model from the 2024 lineup would look like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maytag85]

If Maytag didn’t bother with the Neptune machines or anything HE, they’d still be around to this very day. Definitely would square up the competition since if it was on the sales floor, that’s probably the machine people would gravitate towards. Since it would be the only thing that was selling along with being popular, competitors like Whirlpool and GE wouldn’t have a choice but to make a quality product since they’d loose a lot of sales to Maytag.

If the Maytag Helical was still around, probably would put some sort of motor in like the one Maytag Robert hot-rodded back in 2019 to meet the requirements along with allowing for a variation in agitation and spin speeds etc.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

to chetlaham

Very well said!

 

[Chetlaham]

Yup- or didn't try to make extra large capacity washers. It was all the performas, herrins, and other weird designs that caused word of mouth to get around as Maytag being "awful". I know because I heard the convos first hand in the early 2000s. Had Maytag kept their DC line while it would have kept the company small Maytag would being growing today since more people are gravitating toward the old school design today. 

 

[gelaundry4ever]

also to chetlaham

I have a feeling that even GE washers of today have lots of cycles, plus are even more cheaply made since 1995. Jack welch is behind this entire disaster. It has only snowballed since then. And yet they had the audacity to compete against Maytag and Whirlpool. Yes, Maytag and Whirlpool did follow suit, but not as miserable as GE did.[this post was last edited: 3/7/2024-14:40]

 

[Chetlaham]

Well, Maytag was not far off from GE in making terrible market decisions. While I do not believe (or at least see any direct evidence) that Maytag wittingly wanted to capitalize off their reputation without giving anything in return like GE did, Maytag did try way to hard and way to short a time to take large amounts of business from Whirlpool. In doing so they did release a number of really reasonable washers but either didn't pre launch test them enough or cheapened them in hopes of being price competitive without sacrificing durability. Unfortunately both gambles backfired- the Neptunes molded while the non DCs began breaking down. The harm done to the business ultimately lead them being eaten up by Whirlpool.  

 

But, if everyone was like me in the 2000s something would have happened. Everyone would be buying DCs and rejecting all other platforms to the point there wouldn't be enough supply to meet DC demand. Maytag would begin building DC factories while dropping all their now non selling non DC platforms. Plummeting WP DDs sales and a total flub in launching tech based advertisements defending the DD line would have resulted in Whirlpool having to invent their own DC line- the LEAP 2.0 but with dependability in mind. Others would soon follow. Whirlpool, GE and Frigidaire would soon realize discover just how hard it was going to be to build their own version of the helical drive washer. Along with mystique of what consumers were really seeing all of a sudden, going by in their imitation designs- and craving- a simple, indestructible design capable of lasting well over 30 years.      

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE t model

If GE was going to make the t model, they should've beefed it up just like their filter-flos.

 

[Chetlaham]

[No message]

 

[Chetlaham]

Tech Sheet

Here is how the tech sheet would look for the 2024 model pictured above. Continuous advance timer. Timer may require detents so not to inadvertently start agitating with the tub empty of water. Drop on/Drop off concept to prolong contact life. Backup pressure switch for flood protection assurance.

 

[Chetlaham]

Full Size Tech Sheet Pics

Can be found here:

 



 

 



 

 

Can be downloaded and saved for personal enjoyment.

 

[qsd-dan]

"If Maytag didn’t bother with the Neptune machines or anything HE."

Ehhh, I don't quite agree with that. Front loaders were the future back then, as proven today. Where they miserably failed was R&Ding the flaws out of it before sending it down the assembly line. Towards the very end of its production, the Neptune washer (not the Samsung based ones) was a decently reliable product but the damage was done and reputation badly tarnished.

They also kind of tarnished their reputation with the Norge design and MISERABLY failed with the Amana platform, which was a huge POS from beginning to end.

Buying Chicago Pacific Corporation was another bonehead move.

Realistically, the big 3 kind of went stupid around the same timeframe when they retired their decades old legacy designs or introduced new designs. Whirlpools Calypso washer was riddled with problems. GE's post filter flow washer (Model T) was a POS. The Hydrowave was a little better but not by much. They didn't hold up as well as the Filter Flo washers from their sturdy days of the 70's through mid 80's and cheapened by the 90's towards the end of their production. Even the Whirlpools DD washers had noisy transmissions from worn out tooling at the end of their production.

I wouldn't trust any top loader made today except maybe TC based Speed Queen but their layout is just way too restrictive. I'd rather get an older machine with better flexibility and more options. Top loaders really just need to die out already, what's leftover now is either junk or restrictive. I bet most front loaders with a heater will easily outperform the TC based Speed Queen washer in all areas except for maybe keeping large amounts of dirt/mud in suspension.

 

[Chetlaham]

Dan, you're preaching to the choir. The Neptunes were great performing machines no doubt about that. But as you said- they had their demons. Neptunes molding along with control board failures did them in. 

 

I don't think the toploaders need to die out. Existing designs like the DC and DD were on their way to perfection- just like Speed Queen perfected the Goodman platform- all existing topload designs needed some small improvements and they would be rivaling front loads today.  

 

[appnut]

HERE HERE DAN!!!!

 

[qsd-dan]

"Existing designs like the DC and DD were on their way to perfection"

The DD's had their own set of problems. The motor couplers had a shorter lifespan than the belts in the Maytag DC and GE FF washers. The water pumps are kinda a weak. The agitator dogs have a very common failure rate. The neutral drain design was weak. They ARE known for shredding clothes at higher agitation speeds and if overloaded...which is the case for most washers but the fast OPMs of the lower fins would tear stuff up worse than other designs. They are easy to repair in most areas except the neutral drain kit which is sort of involved and expensive if not performed by the owner.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE belts

If I'm not mistaken, GE used the same belts from the filter-flo as well as the ones that came after.

 

[Chetlaham]

Right, though all that can be fixed through some re-engineering. Beefed up pump seals, motor coupler, agitator dogs, clutches and simply ditching the neutral drain would have taken an already brilliant design and pushed it to near DC status. Kenmore fixed the shredding but using low as a normal speed. DDs are great washers that could have lived on. Everyone who had one misses it when it was replaced.

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #10

"Top loaders really just need to die out already"

But Dan, don't you use a vintage TL as your daily driver? If you feel that FL's get your clothes cleaner than a TL, why not use an FL and just have the vintage machines as collection pieces? Or are you talking strictly about modern TL's?

 

[qsd-dan]

But Dan, don't you use a vintage TL as your daily driver?

I was speaking about modern top loaders.

 

[gyrafoam]

I knew three couples who bought the first Maytag Neptune f/l's. Almost immediately after their purchase Maytag contacted them about a new rubber door gasket that would
drain collected water better than the original. Maytag set an appointment and came by and switched the problem gasket out and that was that. I think that said a lot about the integrity of Maytag at that time.

All three of my friends used their machines for DECADES with no problems and one of my friends had two children to wash for, as well.
Say what you will, however, in my opinion, the first of the Neptune f/l's were good washers.