Maytag A312 - When was it made?

[michaelr]

I have a Maytag A312 which is still in daily use today. I purchased it and its dryer companion used back sometime in 2002 for $250 delivered and installed. Neither the washer or the dryer have needed any service whatsoever.

The tag states model A312, series 02, serial no 345105. Can anyone tell me how old the machine is? I downloaded a brochure that marketed the AX12 models in 1984. I previously assumed that the machine was made in the mid-nineties but that was just a assumption.

Does anyone at least know the begin and end date of manufacture of this model/series?

 

[repairguy]

They are from the mid to late eighties. There should be 2 letters after the serial number and that’s how the date of manufacture is determined.

 

[rp2813]

If the wash action is the long stroke agitation, the machine is from 1987 or older.  If it has short stroke agitation, that's an indication of the new orbital transmission, and your machine would be 1987 or newer.

 

[michaelr]

The last two letters are RC. What year does that translate to?
With respect to the agitator type, are there pictures somewhere?

 

[rp2813]

Not the agitator type, although there are slight differences between them, but the actual wash action. 

 

Does the agitator appear to move 180 degrees in each direction while washing, or does it quickly jerk back and forth a fraction of that distance? 

 

The former is older, the latter is newer.

 

At this point, you'll probably get an exact year of manufacture based on the two letters you've provided.

 

[repairguy]

Your Maytag was manufactured in February of 1986.

 

[potatochips]

I have the TOL model of this machine, the 712, and its companion dryer. These are excellent machines.

 

[michaelr]

My washer has been washing for 32 years! What an amazing design and machine. I discussed this with my wife and aside from the fact that she thinks I am a total nerd for researching this , she loves that this machine can wash a load in 20-30 minutes instead of 2 hour...

If it ever were to break, do repair guys still fix these machines or is it a do-it-yourself project at this day and age due to its age and I suspect limited parts availability?

If I had to buy a new one, are there even machines that compare to this? What do you guys recommend today?

 

[repairguy]

Hopefully these machines will continue to go strong for many years! You would probably have to find An older repair man these days who likes appliances in order to fix these machines. Most younger repair folks will tell you to just get a new one or will price out the repairs in an expensive manner to push you toward a new one. Personally I like the older machines and in my opinion you cannot buy anything today that comes close to the operation of these classic Maytags. Of course if you are handy there are many folks on this site willing to help you through a repair. Most parts are still available just because Maytag kept the same design for so many years. Enjoy those nice Maytags!

 

[gyrafoam]

Great set. IMO there is nothing on today's market, here in the US, at any price, with the level of quality and performance as your old Maytags. That era has passed.
Wouldn't hurt to gather some spare parts such as belts, water pump, heating element, etc.
Open them up and clean them out.
Some automotive wax will protect the cabinets.

 

[wayupnorth]

Stephens post was so true. My 1984 511 washer and 410 dryer still work flawlessly, same as new out of the box. Fortunately, I have a repair guy that that put in a new $28 motor coupler and told me to never get rid of this washer and dryer as you will never find anything that works like these, the ONE repair either one had. Fills to the top on ex-large as hot as tap is on. What more can I ask for from these nearly 35 year old beauties. I will never sell these for a new plastic crap that will die right after the warranty expires after spending more than I paid for mine brand new way back when.

 

[DADoES]

 
Motor coupler on a 511?

 

[good-shepherd]

do repair guys still fix these machines

Common Maytag DC wear items: Tub bearings, mounting stems, damper pads, etc, are all easily available, even timers can be rebuilt.

Maytag had the platform in continuous production for 30 years and they are one of the easier machines to service.

However, because they're so reliable some may think they never need maintenance, thus when a problem does arise the machine usually has a lot of years on it and and people may balk at the repair cost for such an "old" machine or not even bother and just junk it, not realizing they could get a lot more life out of it if repaired.

 

[wayupnorth]

Yes, my original motor coupler for the 2 belts was a 2 piece that started a loud rat a tat which was the first time when it finally started to seperate I found this site. And thanks to the wonderful people here I found out just what was wrong. It is an LA511, serial # 193361NC and now I have a solid one piece motor pulley with no noise.

 

[michaelr]

I never thought I'd care about a washer & dryer until I had this pair for the past 20 years in my personal possession. Since we moved into a new house, I will make prints of page 1 and 7 of the brochure I downloaded. It will make great laundry room art and even better conversation topic. My personal commitment is to fix these machines. When they do break though, I will face the reality of a wife and three girls (6,6,9) and things will need to move quickly. I live in Omaha, NE. Is there anyone you guys can recommend I can make contact with today to ensure serviceability in the future? I fear when they do break, there won't be time to start doing this research. I realize this is a tall order given the age...

 

[goatfarmer]

<blockquote>
Yes, my original motor coupler for the 2 belts was a 2 piece that started a loud rat a tat which was the first time when it finally started to seperate I found this site. And thanks to the wonderful people here I found out just what was wrong. It is an LA511, serial # 193361NC and now I have a solid one piece motor pulley with no noise.

</blockquote>
Never saw a 2 piece Maytag pulley. Unusual.

 

[DADoES]

 
Terminology of "coupler" for pulley threw me off. 

My sister's 1984 A512 had a so-called two-piece motor pulley.  The lower half for the pump belt wore and loosened from its attachment to the upper half and the pump belt repeatedly slipped off.  They changed the belts, no joy.  I found the problem upon exam and swapped-in a spare pulley I had on-hand.

 

[combo52]

Maytag Two Belt Helical Drive Washers

Were built for just over 50 years [ 1956-2006 ] 90+% of these washers had a 3 piece motor pulley, then in the 80s MT tried to save a few cents and used a 5 piece pulley where the pump drive part of the pulley was also two pieces but to save cost it was not tack welded together but rather just crimped together, what manufacturer has not ever tried to save a few cents ?

 

These crimped together pulleys would after time start to work loose and fail.

 

The only true one piece motor pulley I ever saw on a MT two belt washer were the 50 cycle motor pulleys used on export machines where the pulley was turned out of one piece of steel.

 

John L.

 

[goatfarmer]

Guess I need to look closer.