How Late Were Centre-Dial Maytags Made?

[danemodsandy]

Hello:

Does anyone know the last year that the classic centre-dial style Maytags were made? I have someone telling me that they think that style went on into the 1980's. I thought that Maytag stopped making them earlier than that.

Thanks for any help...

 

[peteski50]

Maytag Center Dial!

Actually the beginning of 1980 was when the center dial Maytag went away and the dial went to the right of the machine. Those machines made after the center dial were still very good for a long time. Also around this time Whirlpool got rid of their plastic dial timers.
Peter

 

[danemodsandy]

Thanks!

Peteski:

I have a pair coming tomorrow, and the seller thought they were circa 1987 or so, because that's the last time his mom redid her kitchen and laundry area. I figured he was wrong, which is okay; I wasn't holding him to that date.

They're like the ones captainmoody has FS; I believe they're 806's. Electric dryer, though. I only hope the dryer is in good shape; I have heard more stories about the Halo From Hell...

 

[peteski50]

Dates!

I am good with dates and it's definatly not 1987. Don't let anyone fool you. I am sure it is a nice pair. If it is one of the later models made from 1976 - 1979 it will probably have the color coded center dial.
Peter

 

[danemodsandy]

Pete:

Believe me, I'm not the least bit worried about the date. They're center-dial vintage machines and that's what counts!

A few months ago I couldn't spell "vintage washer owner" and now I are one...

 

[peteski50]

center-dial

You will learn so much from being in this club. I am not a repair person nor do I collect, but I have always had a intensive interest in appliances. Even though I still like modern technology, their is nothing like the old in terms of being most durable built.
Keep us posted.
Peter

 

[gansky1]

If the dryer is a Halo-of-Heat, it would be pre - 1975. Be sure to take some pics when you get them!

 

[danemodsandy]

Pete:

I'm a vintage person. My car is a Volvo 240, and my vacs are Eluxes- a 1205 and a Diamond Jubilee. My alarm clock is a Westclox Big Ben from 1964. My mixer is a Sunbeam Mixmaster from the 1970s, and my cookware is vintage Farberware. So, a vintage W/D are just the next step, I guess.

Off to get my beauty rest- the new machines come at noon tomorrow and I've got some rearranging to do before then...

 

[peteski50]

New Machines!

I wish you the Best Of Luck with the new machines. Can you post pictures if possible?
Peter

 

[lesto]

Good, another Atlanta washer boy. I'm in Atlanta too.
Les

 

[danemodsandy]

Photo of New Maytags

Here's a photo of the machines- they're due to arrive here about noon today.

"This is just like my wedding night- so exciting!"
- Butterfly McQueen, "Mildred Pierce", 1945

 

[gadgetgary]

"This is just like my wedding night- so exciting!"

Jitters?

It will all be over soon.

Congrats and please do Enjoy~!

 

[peteski50]

Centre-Dial

This is just how I pictured them.
Best Wishes
Peter

 

[mixfinder]

No Halo

Sandy,
The dryer pictured is manufactured after the Halo of Heat years. When the filter went from the back of the drum to the front, the design changed and the heating element is located on the right cabinet floor. The dryer is very easy to service, should that ever be needed. The dryer is quiet and efficient but you will find it is not as good with permanent press as your Whirlpool. It does summon you on the Permanent Press cycle with a lovely chime.
Kelly

 

[danemodsandy]

S'Awright, Baba Looey...

Kelly:

Since I iron, the permanent press abilities of the machine aren't all that important to me. I REALLY appreciate knowing that I don't have the Halo From Hell; that makes me feel a great deal more confident about tackling repairs.

An ironing story: A few years ago, I was at a family gathering and my nephew (late teens) asked me why I always wore freshly pressed clothes. He said, "No one does that any more!" I told him, "Kid, when you get to be my age, you'll appreciate having at least ONE set of wrinkles under control!"

 

[revvinkevin]

Wow.. the photo is great and those Maytags are BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 

[gadgetgary]

Good one Sandy!

"Kid, when you get to be my age, you'll appreciate having at least ONE set of wrinkles under control!"

ROFLOL~!

And I guess when you get to a more advanced age, other things happen too:

 

[pturo]

The Halo of Heat from Hell are troublesome to service, are tempermental, but leave the clothes less shrunk and less wrinkled than my Whirlpool does. It tends to not bake the clothes dry, it coaxes them dry. It is hard to explain, but the heat seems to go through the clothes instead of around them. I notice much less "steam" coming from the vent of the Maytag than that of the Whirlpool, outside when it is 11 degrees. I find that the front of the dryer of the Maytag HOH gets really hot, so the high limit switch kicks in a lot,shutting down the flame thrower, and it then takes the clothes longer to dry. I like mine, but it is not without it's idiosyncracies.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Congrats on a nice set there! I've only got new machines myself, and am keeping my eyes out for a nice vintage set. The worst part about seeing all the vintage washers & dryers here is that I can remember family members having some of the most sought after machines, and if only I knew prior to having them replaced how desireable they are today!

 

[danemodsandy]

Cybrvanr:

You're not the only one- my mom had 1950's Maytags for years (they came with the house she bought in '74) and she threw them out in favour of a Kenmore electronic space-saver unit.

Feh.

And who knew from eBay in 1989?

 

[rp2813]

Sandy, those machines are absolutely stunning and I'm sure they will work flawlessly for you for a long time. Excellent news about not having the halo from hell--I had an early 70's electric and the coil broke and nearly started the whole dryer on fire as it was using the cabinet as the coil. I couldn't get near the thing and had to trip the main breaker to the house to shut the machine off. That dryer's similar vintage gas replacement was a jewel and never a problem. It just got used to death, it was efficient, smooth and quiet but went out with a blood-curdling screeching when the time came. Good luck, those machines will serve you better than anything you could buy new today.

 

[geextrarinse]

And they're BACK!

Though nothing will ever come close to the beauty of an orig. maytag - look at the new center dial versions of the maypools/ whirltags...

 

[danemodsandy]

Hmm...

Wonder what's under the hood, though. Prolly an electronic timer and assorted temp-limiting gizmos.

I will say that it's nice-looking, like an early 1950s machine.

 

[charbee]

re: And they're BACK!

Sorry to be such a purist, but GACK! It looks like a StarWars Evil Empire storm trooper.

All that Nasty Plastic...you can almost smell all the electronic doodads that will probably burn out after two months of occassional use...

"Maytag, why hast thou foraken us?"

 

[mistereric]

~I~ was saying boo-urns!

A cycle timer in the middle of the control panel a "center-dial-maytag" does NOT make.

Where are the pushbuttons? Why are the other dials not mounted on either side of the timer, for the sake of visual balance and symmetry? And what of the dial markings riding around on the timer dial? Must we forsake this for silkscreened gray text?

Sorry. I don't think this machine is handsome at all. This isn't something I want staring back at me from my laundry nook (should I ever have one.) Where the heck is the chrome, anyway?

Bhua! Nice try, guys. Too much Whirlpool, too little Maytag.

 

[bongobro]

Center-dial Maytags

I remember attending a home show in St. Louis in the winter of 1980-81 and Maytag had just launched the new right-side-dial and pushbutton combos; I got what apparently was a salesman's brochure explaining how the new design was even more dependable than the center-dial "New Generation" series they replaced.

The "New Generation" models were launched in 1966-67, so Maytag got almost 15 years out of that series, which was an update of the original center-dial models which I first remember seeing in a neighbor's basement about 1957 or 1958.

(Between you and me, GEExtraRinse, that new center-dial model in the picture looks like the timer has already burnt out and warped the back panel. It has as much in common with the real center-dial Maytags as a cheap chocolate-flavored cigar has in common with a real Cuban cigar!)

 

[johnb300m]

guys, you're never going to get what Maytag used to be. Just be glad they're still around.
I LOVE Maytag, but admit it, the stuff they were producing as of late was shit!
I must give Whirlpool credit for trying to revive this brand before it loses all credibility. Whirlpool's mechanisms are ho-hum, but they are WAY more reliable than the native Maytag crap. This move, though not a total throwback to the good ole days, will definately rekindle customers' with Maytag and the quality it used to stand for.

Just be glad Haier didn't buy them.