Looking for Maytag. A906 and matching dryer

[jasonlittle]

Hey I don’t post that often here. But I am definitely a lurker. I check the site every night to see what new interesting stuff you guys talk about. I have been looking for a while now for a Maytag A906 washer and matching dryer. They are hard to find and I felt like I would have a lot better chance asking on here if anybody has a set that they would be willing to sell or if they knew of a set. I have borrowed a picture off of Google images that I am sure probably came from this site originally. Ultimately I would love to have a set in avocado green but would definitely not turn down anything else. I am more than willing to drive to pick these up. Any leads would be much appreciated. Thanks everybody.

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome, Jason ~

Have always admired the look of the 906, so futuristic yet also timeless. The good thing is that you live in the state where Tags were made, so you may have a geographical edge. The only disadvantage for me would be inflexibility, but Greg Gansky says you can mess around with the buttons and alter the cycles; to what degree,
I'm not sure.

Good luck on your search, and don't give up. Persistence rewards.

 

[goatfarmer]

About 20 years ago, I had an avocado set.

 

[jasonlittle]

Thank you. Yes I know there are many old Maytags still around in Iowa. But I have yet to ever see a 906 in real life LOL. I literally check craigslist multiple times a day for any new listings. When I was a kid almost everybody I knew including all my friends mothers had Maytag.‘s. Newtons only an hour and a half drive from where I live. And my niece actually lives two blocks away from the Maytag park. I’m not sure what the model number of the matching dryer is. I’m sure if I dug a little online I could find out. I would have been eight years old at the time that you had your avocado set LOL. Even at that age I was very into appliances. I would not mind at all to take a little vacation to go pick up a set. Although right now I’m not sure how that would work with most states been under a shelter in place ordinance.

 

[mickeyd]

If your heart is set on a 906, so be it, but when Ross gave me his 806 S, I was so satisfied that I stopped wanting a 906. The SUDS seemed to have trumped everything else. Not that I would pass up a 906, since I would love to play with one, learning all its cycle maneuvers, and the challenge of what I could make it do by pushing button-work to the limit.

I have a good feeling about you finding one, Jason.

 

[jasonlittle]

Thank you. But that is actually what I’m currently using. I have a matching avocado set. I have just always love the look of the A906.

 

[goatfarmer]

I know where they went. My dad had a rental house at the time, and they went over there. I don't know if they survive there today or not.

 

[repairguy]

I believe many Maytag fans would have a 906 set given the chance. I agree that being in Iowa does give an upper hand on finding a set. I’m not looking for a set but if I found them I wouldn’t hesitate to have them shipped to me. Hope you find a set.

 

[bajaespuma]

Gold???

Was there ever a 906 with a gold panel like the one in your picture? Or was that one painted? I thought they were discontinued when the gold paneled center dial machines were introduced.

 

[jasonlittle]

Yea that would be a long shot goatfarmer. But oh how I would jump for joy if they where still there!! LOL

 

[jasonlittle]

Was the 906 a machine that didn’t sell well back in the day?

 

[combo52]

TOL Maytag W&D Sales

It would be neat to see sales figures for these machines model by model and year by year, My guess from working with Maytag from 1971-1977 is the A806 probably out sold the A906 by at least 10 to1 if not 20 or 30 to 1.

 

When this all push-button washer came out around 1959 as a model A160 there was a lot of advertising promoting high end all push-button washer and dryers by nearly all manufactures. Most of these high end machines that were released around the end of the 50s did not sell all that well as the country was in the Eisenhower recession. It was not until the mid 60s after Kennedy had been elected that the economy really took off that these higher end appliances really started to sell in greater numbers. In 1961 the all PB washer was an A900 or A900S for the Suds-Saver version.

 

The A900 was probably the best selling version of this washer.

 

But this all PB washer was never going to sell well, the cost was a little higher and even though Mts were always expensive most buyers justified the cost because of Mts reputation for durability and practicality, this model was neither. 

 

The biggest problem was a severe lack of versatility that anyone that had ever used a washer could see, I suspect that these all PB models mainly sold on styling and a little snob appeal and most sales were driven by men that did not use the machine.

 

When I started working for the Maytag Home Appliance Center we had a coppertone 906 pair hooked up on the showroom floor. After these were sold we replaced them with a pair of 806s. The 906s were discontinued by MT around 1974 due to poor sales from the failing Nixon economy and oil price hikes that were making Americans be much more careful with what money they would spend.

 

So yes they are fairly rare which makes it a fun set to try and find, We have a Coppertone A900 pair that I restored about 8 years ago at the museum, I would love to find a 1966 906 pair in turquoise that would get my attention.

 

John L.

 

[gansky1]

That is a pretty set.  Those white 906's in Jason's pic were mine, that's my basement.  They have made the rounds from here to St. Charles, IL and now reside in Minnesota with Don (jetaction). 

 

I think it's just the picture, Ken, both had the blue on the lower panel.  Discontinued in '74, I don't think they made it into the gold-paint era.

 

I spotted that set in the window of my local Launderall/Kelvinator dealer, brought them home in 1999.  They were a pick-up at a house not far from mine, rarely used.  

 

 

 

[jasonlittle]

Yes combo52! I agree that a turquoise set would be amazing. I think they are hard to find in any model. At least that’s been my experience. And gansky1 I was pretty sure that Picture was from automatic washers. I have found that the majority of vintage appliance photos are originally from this site. As a matter fact that’s how I learned of this site. A lot of the pictures I would click on said it was from AutomaticWasher.com. So I would go to the site and scroll through all the conversations and pictures that came up with that specific picture I was looking at. So I finally looked into it more and found out that I could sign up as a member. I love this site it gives me something to look forward to every evening whenever I settle down for the night.

 

[jasonlittle]

I should also mention that if someone even just had the consuls and controls for this kind of washer and dryer I would be happy to buy those from somebody. That’s what I did with the set I’m currently using. I had a lower end avocado set. And I had a really nice harvest gold 806 set. So I took the Consuls off of the harvest gold set and basically just took the cabinets off and swap them. So now I have a really nice avocado set.

 

[jasonlittle]

[No message]

 

[jasonlittle]

This is the set I am currently using.

 

[jasonlittle]

The light stopped working in the washer. I have change the bulb and I have change the starter and neither have resolve the issue. I believe there is some sort of little transformer in there and I am thinking that is the problem. I cannot think of anything else it would be. I just got up one morning and the light was flickering on and off.

 

[goatfarmer]

Might be a bad connection in one of the sockets.