Maytag A906 - Pushbuttons only!?

[vivalalavatrice]

Hi all!

I'm just come back home... really I can't imagine I was out so long time...

As soon as I put myself at work again I'm ready with a question for you Maytaggers.

I remember that the main feature of Maytag control panel is the center dial, which has been softly proposed again with some current Maytag models, but I remeber too that there was a model with pushbuttons only, the A906 if I'm not wrong, so what was the hidden system? Was there perhaps an eletric/electronic board inside? Was there somehow to manually advance/reset the cycle?

What about then Simpson? I saw from some Australian friend a Simpson model either without knob though what was it like the "inside"!?

Thank you all in advace and obviously I'll do my best to post as many pics as possibile of my summer "reportage"...

Good Bye
Diomede

 

[pturo]

The A906 was not electronic, it was electo-mechanical. Behind the row of pushbuttons was an horizontal timer that advanced based on the selection. The fabric chosen dictated the water temp, speed for wash and spin, water level(full or partial) and agitate time.

How the buttons talked to the timer is beyond me. I do have a fabricmatic with pushbuttons for regular, gentle and perm press that talk to the center dial timer, so I would imagine the same principle applies.

I would love to have an A906 someday!

 

[qsd-dan]

There was also a 900 and 902 pushbutton washer/dryer as well. However, the 906 would be much easier to get parts for since it had a much longer production run.......and because it's a newer model.

 

[vivalalavatrice]

Thank you....

I'm glade for your answer and is a little piece of the "puzzle" I'm trying to rebuild up.. now it would be great if some A906 or Simpson or any other pushbuttons only washing machine owner could post some pics of the control panel and why not of the interior to explain how this fabouluos non-electronic system was used in past and worked and now instead the wide used electronic is not so realiable as the producers want to convince the customers that is.

Wait and see...
Diomede

 

[gansky1]

The all-pushbutton washers began their run in 1960 with the model 160. There wasn't a matching all-button dryer until surprisingly later - '63 that was the DE/G-750.

Here is a shot of my 160.

 

[gansky1]

Here is a shot of the inside of a 906.

It looks intimidating but makes sense if you study it for a while. The timer is on the right end of the machine with a shaft connecting it to a gearbox and a small motor on the left. When you select a cycle button, the motor turns the timer shaft to the selected cycle, the advance-motor turns off and a switch allows the power to the timer and begins the cycle.

The water level control is on the left side - black circular with red dot on top. There are two levels selected depending on the cycle chosen and controlled by a solenoid.

Later versions of the 906 used a completely different system - a more compact timer with two motors, one for advancing and one for running and two air-switches for the water levels. The inside of the panel on these later models looks empty compared with these. Most the parts of the 160, 900, 902 and earlier 906 machines were interchangeable. My 160 has a timer from a 906 - same part numbers but 10 years apart. The small motor and gearbox used to advance the timer is a Robertshaw unit that looks, sounds and moves at a speed strikingly similar to a rotisserie motor from some electric ranges ;-)

 

[vivalalavatrice]

WONDERFULL!!!!

Thank you so much!!! Just what I was looking for...
GREAT!!

Diomede

 

[goatfarmer]

I never knew that about the washers! I figured they used the "electronic control" like the dryers did.

Learn sump'thin every day....

 

[fnelson487]

Here is a picture of my 906

Before placement in the laundry room. Thanks Greg! I used them today.

 

[fnelson487]

Here They Are

In Place in the laundry room.

 

[fnelson487]

BTW Greg

The starter is still sticky. Remember this shot?

 

[irishwashguy]

Greg, I sent you an e-mail a while back about this very thin

Although, i am looking at this, how do you start it? How do you change the water level setting? It resembles what the Beverly Hill billies had in their or rather right off of their kitchen.

 

[charbee]

Be still, oh mah heart...

Many thanks for the photos, guys. Absolutely beautiful machines, y'all!

 

[appliguy]

You start the washer and the dryer by pushing the button for

If you want to use the same cycle you used for the previous load you press it in all the way again (even if it is already selected). That is what you do on both the washer and the dryer....PAT COFFEY

 

[appliguy]

Oh and I forgot

If you wanted to do a load in less than full water you selected the partial whites or partial colored cycle buttons....If I am not mistaken every other cycle(bright colors, wash & wear, delicates, and wool) used a full tub of water.... The partial whites and the partial color buttons gave you the same cycles as the full whites and full color cycle buttons did...they just gave you half a tub of water to do it in. Is this correct????? PAT

 

[maytaga806]

how do you set the water level???

 

[redcarpetdrew]

The water level is set thru the buttons. There are two buttons for both the whites and colored cycles, one labeled whites partial load and whites full load and the same for coloreds. Any other cycle such as wash and wear are automatically large or full loads.

RCD

 

[danemodsandy]

Water Level:

This was part of what the A906 represented - pre-programmed everything. When you press a cycle button, you get what Maytag wanted you to have; you can't alter anything. As Appliguy mentioned, some of the cycles are marked "Partial," for those times you have less than a full load. However, "Partial" was still pre-programmed for water level; you couldn't select anything but what those cycles were set up to give you.

In the Maytag brochure introducing the "New Generation" machines, the A906 is touted thusly: "Ten Programmed Cycles Provide Best Washing Procedure Automatically with the Push of a Single Button." The machine just below it, the A806, was the same machine with different controls; it was described as "A Washer for the Woman Who Wants to Set Her Own Washing Procedures."

On the A806, everything was variable; you could set water level, wash temp, rinse temp, cycle, length of cycle, agitation speed, soak, and pre-wash.

I have an A806, and it's wonderful. But I would not turn down an A906, trust me - I dream of owning one someday.

If you want some beautiful eye candy, the 1966 Maytag "New Generation" brochure is available through Automatic Ephemera; just go to www.automatice.org and search on "Maytag." The download is very reasonably priced. It shows the full Maytag automatic washer and dryer line, including exhaustive information and photos for the A906 and the matching DE906 dryer, in glorious Technicolor. [this post was last edited: 9/13/2013-19:23]

 

[maytaga806]

Oh thats so cool!!!! I want one because it looks so good with out the dial.