Maytag A308 3 speed or 2.5 speed?

[pturo]

A neighbor of mine bought all new appliances and asked if I wanted her Maytag, which still worked, but she wanted a new matching set. I went to look, it is really immacculate, extra large capacity 4 wash rinse temps and three buttons for speed-Regular, Permanent Press, and Delicate, 4 fill level buttons. Needless to say, I took the machine, I have a Maytag A106 that is 35 years old with a smaller tub, but it runs great and looks very retro-progressive. I'll put the gold face one next to the teal faced one. I suspect the A308 is really still a two speed, and with the Permanent Press button you get a regular agitation with a gentler spin, the REGULAR gives you a regular wash and spin, the GENTLE gives you a gentle agitation and spin? I rehabed an old A208 for my niece a few years back, same looking machine and tub size but it had only two buttons for agitaion/spin- Regular and Gentle. Anyone familiar with an A308?

 

[fixerman]

Not specifically familiar with the 308 but I know alot of the old Maytags with 3 cycles had only one speed motors. The ones with only one cycle and speed selection obviously had 2 speed motors. That 308 may have only one speed. I'm sure someone here has the definitive answer though.

 

[scott55405]

It almost sounds more like a 408. Are there soak cycles? I think a 308 is one of the ones with that "automatic" thing on the front, and only one speed. The 408 also has only one speed (assuming it is the same as the 407, with which I'm more familiar). Its delicate cycle consists of intermittent normal speed agitation and shortened spin, while if I remember correctly, the perm press incorporates a cooldown of some kind, and shortened regular speed spin.

 

[pturo]

A308 Wiring Diagram

I got the model number off the wiring diagram. It does not have AUTOMATIC on the front,it has three buttons where that would be, my A106 has the AUTOMATIC where the buttons of the A308 would be, but the A106 does have the delicate cycle described by Scott. Perhaps I read the diagram model number wrong. It looks like an almost top of the line Maytag for it's era, minus the lighted control panel. It has a built in bleach dispenser. The permanent press button, not cycle, gives it to me a probable age of 1965 or beyond .

 

[fixerman]

If you look at the wiring diagram it is easy enough to see how many speeds it has. Where the diagram is labeled "Moter". If it is a one speed it will have "Start" and "Run" labeled. If 2 speed It will have "Start", "Hi" and "Low"

 

[peterh770]

Sounds like a Fabri-Matic model. The buttons change the actual progress of the single wash cycle to wash the selected fabric, but it is still a single speed machine. For example, the Delicate button causes the wash cycle to be more of a soak and agitate alternating periods, while the Perma Press button causes a longer spray rinse and a shorter final spin.

 

[peterh770]

If it was a 2 speed machine, the buttons would actually say "Normal Action" or "Gentle Action".

 

[pturo]

A308

I think I get it. The buttons are an extention of the regular cycle dial to control spin and agitation time, not speed. So, if I took off the back of the control panel, the wires from the buttons would lead to the timer, not the motor. The A106 I have has a permanent press cycle, regular cycle and a gentle cycle built into the dial, but the "dashboard" has AUTOMATIC in place of the buttons of the older models. When I get the suspected A306 hooked up, hopefully this week, I will send pictures and run a wash to see if in fact when I press the fabric buttons during cycle, anything changes as compared to my one speed A106. Is there any decipehering to the crypitc dating to the Maytag models? Can anyone break the code? As always, this group is the best...Thanks

 

[gansky1]

A408

This was the same washer my aunt bought after her early 70's Speed Queen set.

 

[gansky1]

Feature comparison chart, notice the suds-saver models had all cold rinses.

 

[panthera]

gansky1

Thank you for the great info - I have always felt confused by the Maytags...now I am still confused, but no longer by 1960's Maytags...

 

[brettsomers]

is the rest of the control panel brochure images available? more Maytag please

 

[bajaespuma]

Sounds like an A408

It sounds like you have an A408, not an A308. It might have a large capacity blue/gray tub. Take a look at the control dial; does it have a long timed SOAK cycle like the 408 pictured above? Does it have a bleach dispenser? If so, this is an unusual machine. These were among the last of the center-dial models.

 

[pturo]

It is a 408!

Gansky1's brochure solved everything!! The machine is immaculate inside and out with just a touch of rust on the motor carriage. I will take pictures.

 

[gansky1]

That brochure I posted is from about 1978 - note the almond color...

 

[bobbyderegis]

Hi pturo!
Good to see some of the old Syracuse Maytags are being saved and not tossed. My aunt still has her A408, in mint condition. Our A608 (and 142 and A606) are still kicking on Union Ave, so is our neighbor's A208! Regards to Syracuse, I'll be visiting this summer.
Bobby in Boston