I crossed the line today.

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volvoguy87

volvoguy87

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Well, I crossed the line today and am no longer a mere spectator to the wonderful world of vintage washers and dryers. I was down at the local Goodwill and found a Maytag A208 with its matching dryer, both in white, in the rejected section, awaiting a trip to the krusher. The people who worked there were absolutely incompetant and at first refused to even admit that they had washers and dryers, even though they were a mere 40 feet away! Finally I was able to convince the employees that the machines did, in fact, exist, but they didn't want to let me get them. Eventually, I resorted to lying and I said I had the same model machine at home, but it was broken, and I wanted to buy their machines for parts. They eventually sold them to me for $10.00 each after making me promise that they were only for "parts."

Since this is my first experience with Maytags, or for that matter my first experience with vintage machines, I could use a little advice. I need to go and bring them to my house, and I will have to lay them down to get them into my housemate's Ford Explorer. Which side should face down on both machines to prevent damage? Should I expect oil to leak, if so, from where? Both machines are listed as being non-functional, but I will see to the truth of that after I get them home. If there are specific things I should check before plugging in, please let me know, aside from starting the machine in spin. If anyone has any information about the A208 and its matching dryer, I'm all ears. All I know is that the A208 is not BOL, but it's very close! I also think the machines may be from the end of the Center-Dial years.

I will post pictures after I get them home, probably tomorrow.

Taking the plunge,
Dave
 
I have to wonder WTH is wrong with those kinds of people. Promise it's only for parts????? What's the diff to them what you do with the machines?!!
 
Goodwill Is Not Always Full of

Many Goodwill locations make a tidy sum selling off "surplus" goods to various dealers, including those who ship clothing and other goods to "Third World" countries like parts of Africa. Ever wonder why so many people so far from the United States and in such desparate conditions are wearing such nifty items as "Dukes of Hazzard" T-Shirts?

While one knows nothing about this particular Goodwill, the manager for the location near us pulls all sorts of stunts with donated goods, especially high end appliances, clothing, antiques, furniture, electronics and what not. We all are quite sure he has several "special" customers on a list that are contacted when he has things that might interest them. In fact that store no longer has my custom because of the games played.

L.
 
Congrats

Congratulations and kudos for saving the Maytags from the old junkyard in the sky! I'm not 100% sure of model numbers, but I thought it was a lot earlier than the end of the center-dial years. I wonder, is that model Maytag the one with the lighted consoles with the dot pattern or the lighted consoles with the horizontal lines, or is it the non-lit console model? There hasn't been anything worth a second look at any local thrift store chain in probably close to a decade. Some of the local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores won't even take washers and dryers over ten years old, and I have to wonder when benevolent and rehabilitating organizations found it in their hearts to become so particular about their accepting of donations. Some won't even be bothered to come to the house unless one has a "minimum" amount of items to be donated. Anyway, congratulations on your pair and I'll look forward to pictures being posted.
 
"While one knows nothing about this particular Goodwill, the manager for the location near us pulls all sorts of stunts with donated goods, especially high end appliances, clothing, antiques, furniture, electronics and what not. We all are quite sure he has several "special" customers on a list that are contacted when he has things that might interest them. In fact that store no longer has my custom because of the games played."

Ain't that the truth. One Value Village manager near me was playing such games that he went from a beat-up old Chevy Malibu to a small Mercedes in about a year. We all knew something was going on; then he got absolutely brazen, opening a booth in the local antiques show stocked with his skimmings of donated merchandise. That was his downfall; someone videotaped him at the show, and sent it to the company HQ, along with a copy to local media. I don't think the Mercedes gets a lot of use where he lives now...
 
A little more info.

These machines seemed pretty basic to me. I do not believe the consoles are lighted, and the washer's tub seemed to be the smaller size. There is a fabric softener cup in the top of the agitator, and it has a nice layer of gunk inside included at no additional charge! There is also a bleach dispenser in the front left corner under the lid. I do not know if it has a lint filter. I tried to gently pull out the lint filter but nothing seemed to budge. I'll check again tomorrow. The dryer is electric, but that is all I know. I am amazed at how small these machines are compared to the monster Norgetags we have in the house now. Again, any information about the A208 would be appreciated, including how to bypass the lid switch.

I like these machines because they are my first, but I don't think I would like them as part of my perminant collection. I shall fix them and play around with them for awhile, but eventually I'll likely want to pass them on to someone who would care for them in Automaticwasher.org fashion. Any takers?

How should I lay these down for transport?

Thanks,
Dave
 
I have an A206, without a bleach dispenser.

You might wait for a more expert answer, but I think the washer might be OK laid on the front if handled gently and not subjected to jarring bumps. Kinda depends on where the bleach dispenser hose ties in. You don't want any hoses sticking out the side of the tub to get broken if the tub shifts or gets jarred against the cabinet. I don't think it matters which way for the dryer.

If there's a softener cup, I think there has to be a filter. Perhaps it's stuck with gunk.
 
standing in front of the washer,

You can lay the washer on it's left side, the motor is heavy and it will be easier to cantilever it into the truck if most of the weight is lower. The same for the dryer, the motor is on the left side of the machine.

Congrats on the set, this is the washer my grandmother had until the end of her life and I eventually used in my first house. The 08 series were made from 1975 until 1979-80 when the change to the timer-on-the-right style was introduced.

1-12-2007-01-21-12--gansky1.jpg
 
It can be done!

Lay the washer on its left side with the back of the machine facing the back of the 2 front seats so it is in sideways. You'll want to tape the lid closed so it doesn't bang open. Also remove all hoses and secure somewhere safely. Take some old towels to catch any water that may come out of the hoses.

Now take the dryer and lay it on its right side with the back of the dryer facing out toward the tailgate. The control panel should just fit behind the wheel well and you can actually close the hatch all the way.

Bring an old blanket for cushioning between machines and a couple of screwdrivers and pliers to remove the hoses.

I have done this in a 96 Ford Explorer with both Maytag and Frigidaire sets. It's amazing! Good Luck.

Patrick
 
Chances are there is a lint filter under that fabric softener dispenser. If it's never been cleaned hopefully it's had sufficent time sitting idle to dry out. A friends of mines mother complained one time that her Maytag was leaving dark spots on her whites. The machine was 15 years old and she didn't know that it had a lint filter on it. When I finally got it loosened up and out of there it looked like some kind of wet rodent. After 2 hours of rinsing, pulling, combing, rinsing and brushing I finally got it cleaned out. That was the end of the spots on the whites. So just beware when you do get that filter out of there it may be pretty gross!
 
Enjoy the Maytags

I'll bet that they need no more than the belt replacement or some other minor repairs to function. The belts for the washer are under the machine, use only Maytag replacement belts for this machine. The dryer is harder.

Let us know if they work by just plugging in!! The washer probably won't agitate unless full of water.

Martin
 
I got the dryer.

I got the dryer home safe and sound, but the washer will have to wait until tomorrow. The Ford Explorer had a bout with "Blue Oval Syndrome" today, so another friend with a Honda Element helped me out. The Honda was great and we picked up the dryer without a problem. I think it is a DE308, but it was getting dark by the time we got it home, so I could be mistaken. The timer has a regular cycle and a perminant press cycle, both of which are timed. It also has a high heat setting and a low heat setting. There was the usual lint in and around the dryer, particularly around the vents in the back, but nothing serious like a Norge.
I will post pictures once we get the washer tomorrow.

What have I gotten myself into?
Dave
 
LoL... Sounds like my truck...
I have transported many things in the mannor descirbed above in the back of the exploder and it works well..
 
Goodwill

I used to deliver to our local Goodwill,and got my eyes opened!Our's doesn't sell white goods,but they have a trailer that the appliances and scrap metal gets loaded on,to go to the scrapper. Most were ready for the scrapper,although there were a few keepers in the pile from now and then.
However,they had a huge trash compactor,that was switched daily.They threw away so much stuff,it's almost unbelievable.Usable furniture,toys,clothing,lamps,etc. I once saw 8 or 9 childrens Power wheels cars in there. They were new customer returns from Toys R Us in the Chicago area.Most had a minor problem,like a front wheel missing.Didn't try to make one from two,they just pitched them.
Nice find on the Maytags. In the day,Maytag had a tub shipping block.Some were plastic,the later ones were styrofoam. They fit under the lid,and blocked the tub from moving.Maybe a local dealer would have one.If not,it shouldn't be much problem to lay it down as described above.

kennyGF
 
Anyone have a guess what I did wrong?

I wanted to post some pics, but I have never done that before. I uploaded the pics to my hard drive and went to add a message to this thread. I selected the proper picture after clicking on browse, and the picture's (a jpeg) title showed up in the bar. When I posted, the picture wouldn't display. I tried it with both Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Puzzled,
Dave
 
My pictures are too big!

Westy, thanks for your tip, my camera takes pictures that are too big. I will have to do some photo editing before I can post pictures.
I went to the Goodwill and picked up the washer today. I pulled around back where the machine was and told the employes ther that I was picking up a washer. They replyed that they didn't sell them! Same as the day before. They only let me go and fetch it when I showed them the recipt and even that took some persuading. According to the information posted by Gansky1 this little washer weighs nearly 230 pounds! The employees at the Goodwill said it was against policy for them to assist in loading this monster into the truck! I only had 1 friend with me, and we are not strong people. Eventually a nice employee saw us struggling without success and helped us lift it into the truck. We were behind a semi at the time and were well hidden. I thanked him for the effort and tipped him a few bucks. First they didn't want to sell me the machines, then they officially refused to help me remove them from the property after I paid for them. I like supporting those in need and finding really good stuff for cheap, but after this experience, my opinion of Goodwill has been greatly diminished.
Upon examination, the lint filter appears to be rather crusty and is quite content to stay in the agitator. I think that with a bit of work I will be able to fix that. I did notice that there is a bit of oil or grease underneath the machine where the belts are. The grease/oil seems to be mostly around the transmission pulley. Is this normal or should I be concerned? I do have pictures, and I haven't tested the machine yet. Both belts are present and seem to be in ok shape.

I'll edit the photos and post as soon as my housemates come home and help me with it.

Fingers are crossed,
Dave
 
I don't know how it works with your program, but I use iPhoto and when I choose EXPORT from the drop-down menu file, I get this screen, which allows me to scale down the photo size without doing any editing. Maybe your program has a similar feature. Just a thought. Easier than editing, at any rate.

1-14-2007-07-08-59--frigilux.jpg.png
 
Firing up the A208?

My housemate is still re-sizing the photos, but I wanted to know what I should look for before plugging in the A208, connecting water, and giving it a test. I love the design of this machine compared to my Norgetag! I love how you can remove the fabric softener cup for cleaning of both the cup, and the inside of the agitator! The Norgetag has a perminantly affixed fabric softener dispenser and it shall forever be filled with gunk. I shudder to think of the inside of the agitator.

Thanks guys, I would be lost without your help,
Dave
 

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