Maytag A208 washer free to good home

[potomac309]

We inherited a Maytag A208 (Serial # 344598 ZU) and matching dryer when we bought our house 3 years ago. Several months ago the washer was not pumping out all the water, so I checked it out, using information from this forum and other web sites. The previous owners must have used tons of bleach, because there is rust at the bottom inside of the cabinet and white stains on the outside of the tub (seems like the bleach fill tube was loose at one point. Hoses & pump were OK, so I replaced the belts and ordered the motor spring and glide kit.
The sliding motor mount was solidly rusted together, no movement. I had to hammer and cold chisel it apart, but eventually got to slide with plenty of wire brushing, new roller & springs, and some grease. It still washes fine, but last week my wife found dark oil or grease stains on some of our clothing. I figure it has to be the top seal on the transmission, and more of a job than I have time for. We have young kids and have to do laundry every day or two, so I was lucky enough to find another washer for free on Craigslist. Its a Maytag A511 (serial # 430290 JL). It works great and is well maintained, much better condition inside the cabinet.

I'm in Arlington VA - does anyone in the DC, VA, MD area want this A208 for restoration or parts? No charge, happy to give it to someone who appreciates these well-made old appliances.
It is white, sorry not one of the novel 1970's colors.

 

[laundromat]

Check and see if the detergent you use has "built in" fabric softener.Oil and water do not mix and these detergents are known to cause black spots on your clothes because a wax build up occurs in the wall of the outer tub and as it loosens,it releases this,now dark brown or black,wax on your clothes. The same problem occurs with the different agitator set fabric softener dispensers especially due to the users not diluting the fabric softener in the dispenser.The Maytags have a small cup that fits right into the lint filter cylinder.It is usually o.k. but,today,softeners are severely concentrated and,even if you dilute them,they can still get gooey and leave dark deposits on your clothes.

 

[qsd-dan]

Mighty kind of you to offer the machine for free. Nice to hear you're sticking with the older long stroke Maytag design (A511). I believe that's a tall tub model so that should free up a few loads in the long run, compared to the 208.

 

[volvoguy87]

Fabric Softener.

If I were still in DC...

As for the fabric softener, it's a sad truth. The stuff does indeed build up in nasty places. It gets sticky and attracts grime and nastyness and eventually, a chunk occasionally breaks free and finds its way into your clothes. This is more likely if you do lots of cold water washing. It has nothing to do with the machine, just its use. Running a good old fashioned hot wash with a warm rinse every now and then helps keep washers cleaner. Liquid detergent can also leave a buildup especially when washed only on cold.

If this is your problem, see about keeping your A208. A second washer can make washday go much faster. All you need is an electric socket, a pair of hot water rated Y-adapters, and a place to drain the machine (a laundry sink is great). If you can't have a second dryer, a drying rack will do. If you're in a hurry, use a drying rack and a fan. It will save lots of energy too. Your washers have effective lint filters so you do not need to run your clothes through the dryer to remove the lint.

Cheers and thanks for posting,
Dave

 

[danemodsandy]

Wish I Were Closer:

Ohhhhhhhh! The A208 is my favourite of that generation of centre-dial 'Tags. Being a one-speed machine, it's of an extremely simple design, yet Maytag gave you the same functionality seen in its pricier machines. The Fabric-Matic delicate cycle (agitate, rest, repeat) works just as well as a low-speed agitation cycle. And you have exactly the same bleach and softener dispenser the more expensive machines had. The temp and fill selections were just as flexible.

I used to have an LA208 (the dread Almond), that I absolutely loved. I now have an 806 undergoing some repairs, but I have to say that my heart belonged to that simple 208.

 

[volvoguy87]

Wait a sec.

The A208 is a 2 speed machine. The A106, A107, and A108 are the 1 speed machines, as are the large capacity A406, A407, and A408. I like the A208 personally. My first vintage machine was an A208 with a DE308 (now in service with Classiccaprice). We have an A206 now, but I miss the bleach dispenser. The A208 also has hot wash and cold rinse, but I never used that setting.

A208, TOL regular capacity of its day.
Dave

 

[danemodsandy]

Dave:

What was I thinking?

My machine in Atlanta was an A108.

My bad. You caught it, congrats.

 

[potomac309]

Thanks for the insight and background.

We never used fabric softener in the A208, so that's at least for the past 3 years. I have noted occasional small water puddles that I could not find the source of. Rebuilding it holds some interest, but I don't have the room to store a second washer and have many other higher priority home projects (1936 house.) If there's no interest from this group after a week or two, I'll put it on Freecycle or Craigslist. As a last resort, if I don't find anyone who wants it for what it is, I'll disassemble it, save some key components as spare parts, and take the large pieces to the county scrap metal recycle center.