Maytag - 30 years and STILL running!!

[ingliscanada]

Exactly 30 years ago around this time in 1979, my mom was given money for our first dishwasher from her dad as a Christmas gift, when I was only 12 years old. My folks chose the then-new Maytag JetClean dishwasher, and decided to buy a new Maytag laundry set as well. Our Inglis set (as I mentioned in my self-intro) was 15 years old at the time. The motor went on the old dryer, and the old washer was spinning sluggishly (belt?), so it seemed to be their time. The new dryer, I believe, was one of the first "Stream-of-Heat" designs. Now to jump ahead; the dishwasher died in the late 90's, and we scrapped the dryer in 2001. However, the washer now at 30 years old is STILL running! It still agitates and spins at the proper speed, and runs quietly. Let me tell you; in their heyday, Maytag washers were INDESTRUCTABLE. I think the ones with the spinning tranny were the best. I know some people describe Maytag as humdrum, as they were always simple, but they proved their ads true about longevity. My parents washer has the traditional centre dial, spinning tranny, and filter-in-the-agitator. And the agitation makes that soft "vrum-vrum-vrum-vrum" sound. It was 3rd from BOL, with the gold lower half of the instrument panel, single speed, smaller tub, and turquoise agitator with fabric softener cup in the top. Three water levels and 4 temperature combinations (push-buttons of course). I bet if the dryer was a "Halo-of-Heat," it would probably still be with us. Long live the old Maytag!

 

[appliguy]

Maytag stopped producing Halo Of Heat Dryers in 1975

the dryer your mombought in 1979 had was what was known as the Big Load Design that actually was manufactured until quite recently. The way to tell a Halo Of Heat from a big Load dryer is in the location of the lint filter. Halo Of Heat filter is in the back of the drum...Big Load Filter right in the door opening.

 

[ingliscanada]

Pros and Cons

I do recall the difference between the HOH and SOH. The HOH is noticed right off the bat by the small door, as opposed to the much larger door of the SOH. And you're right about the lint filters. The HOH was the companion for the spinning tranny washers. Before that era was the early Maytags. The washer was the AMP, consisting of a solid tub with a perforated inlay, and a one way motor with cycle changes controlled by solenoids. The companion dryer was the old-style down-flow, with the heat source at the top and lint filter below the drum, and a 3" exhaust opening. The SOH came out long before the newer Orbital Drive washer, and lasted together untill Maytag's demise (as an independant company). The HOH was a well-built machine that had comparable longevity to the spinning tranny washer, and it was extremely quiet. But it had the outdated belt-and-pulley drive, a small drum, and an awkward to reach lint screen at the back of the drum. The SOH was more modern in design, allowed a larger drum, bigger door, and an easier to reach lint screen. But they didn't have the same reputation for longevity as the HOH.

 

[qsd-dan]

It's funny how people complain about the small drum of an HOH, yet it can efficiently dry a huge comforter that would never even begin to fit in Maytags largest 2006 dependable care washer. As much as I love my DE808, the HOH drys bigger items more accurately, thoroughly, evenly, and quicker than the 808.

My guess to the accuracy of HOH's is the placement of full length sensor strips in all 3 baffles vs. a tiny little sensor strip up in front of the lint filter.

 

[qsd-dan]

Oh, BTW Gary, congrats of the 30 year old Maytag washer. Don't the age of this unit scare you! A 30 year old Maytag transposes to 3 years old, or less, compared to new appliances that have multiple repairs and then kicked to the curb a few of years later after the purchasing date.

 

[rp2813]

Great story. My little 806 gas HOH dryer was the best one I ever owned. Quiet as a mouse compared to modern dryers, and no air movement whistling sounds out the exhaust like a modern dryer. If the drum hadn't frozen up on it I'd wager we'd still have that center dial pair right now--because we all know the washer is somewhere out there (it was down the line a bit from an 806 model), still working trouble free for someone.

The Maytag center dial machines are right up there with the Western Electric model 500 telephone as one of the most impressive and enduring pieces of equipment manufactured in the 20th century IMHO.