Maytag center dial dryer ID- 806?

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lowefficiency

lowefficiency

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Hey everyone. This isn't the best picture, but can anyone identify this Maytag dryer from the dial? I'm pretty new to this, but does the split above the dial indicate that this was one of the models that had the backlit panel?

It looks like the dial has just a few options, and then a large section for "electronic control"... Is this an 806?

Thanks!

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DE806

That is a DE806, electric Halo of Heat dryer, and it is an oddball. It is odd because it is one of the last produced as it has a gold colored control panel instead of a blue one. There is no gas access door on the front, so this is an electric dryer.

It is entirely electronically controlled, it is impossible to set a specific time. 806 dryers have their fans (I am one) and their detractors. I find it to be extremely accurate and always drys things just right.

Dave
 
 
"Electronic Control" is marketing, feature-description text on the dial.  The cycle choices are
Air Fluff
Damp Dry
Heavy -- (Sturdy - Permanent Press - Knits)
Regular -- (Sturdy - Permanent Press - Knits)
 
Thanks everyone. I've done some more reading on the Halo-of-Heat, and can see what you mean Dave. Do you know if that problematic felt seal on the front of the drum can be inspected without taking the machine apart? (I haven't seen one of these in person yet...)
 
The most efficient, most accurate, most user-friendly set-and-forget, quietest, fastest, and best dryer we've ever owned was a mid-'70s DG806 HOH that we acquired for a daily driver when it was a dozen or more years old.

 

I wish I knew about this group when the bearing was failing and the screeching was intolerable because we might still have that dryer now, with an 806 washer to match.   Alas, we didn't even own a computer yet.
 
Those were terrific dryers. They dried very accurately and evenly. There were few drawbacks with them. One was that they were just a tiny bit too small capacity, but not much. A really big load in a large capacity Maytag washer was almost too big a load for one. It would dry, but the clothes were just a little bit tight in there. The other thing was the lint filter was kind of inconvenient to clean. They certainly were work horses though and lasted many years. Very well built machines, like the washers that matched. I do think that many of them later in life did tend to squeak and such from the back bearing, pulley and fan blower wheel. I remember that speed queen dryers tended to have that same problem with the blower wheel on their dryers too. You could take them apart and grease them, but didn't seem to last very long.
 
Malcolm- I was wondering the same thing, and after some searching, I found this post from Bob (appnut):

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http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?61242
Post# 838926 , Reply# 3 8/31/2015 at 11:06pm by appnut

Keith, although this was the TOL, it only had one drying temperature--"low" or delicate. Lower models had regular and delicate. The 806 was viewed as an all-fabric heat setting. The Perm Press was also intended for loads one wanted to have extra dry. The moisture sensor was calibrated for the extra dryness. It had to do with the way perm press fabrics were processed and treated back then. they needed a higher bit of heat to relax wrinkles. It also had a longer cool down than regular fabrics. Many I knew who owned this dryer, the pretty much just left it on the Perm Press setting.
------------------
 
It's here!

Well, it took a little coordination, but this DE806 is now sitting in my garage!!

I spent a few hours checking it out and giving it the basic outside/inside cleaning. It's in surprisingly good shape, and really didn't have very much loose lint inside the cabinet. The belts have take a shape around the small pulleys, so it must not have been run for a while. I'll probably replace them, and keep these as spares.

I wired it up for 110V for testing, following the instructions in this thread:
Thread Number: 42684 "Coverting a Maytag model de308 220V dryer to 110V"
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?42684

It started right up and sounded horrible, so I shut it down. A little bit of searching led me to this thread:
Thread Number: 32586 "Tuning up the DE306 Dryer"
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?32586
Where I learned that the back panel needs to be installed to keep things in alignment, otherwise the drum will rub on the case. Whoops!! Put the panel back on, and it purrs along quietly. :-) Rookie mistake.

The drum light worked, but I had to replace both the tube and the starter to get the fluorescent panel light operable. It might be a gimmick, but it's cool. :-)

Next steps are to take it apart further, check that front felt seal, oil everything that needs it, and change the belts. I'll run some tests as well on that capacitor, and replace it if I need to. Then all I have left is to find a matching washer!
 
Ok, I had a few minutes and was able to do a bit of disassembly. I was a bit surprised, the front felt seal is still intact. I don't see any signs of damage, but it might not be 100% secure judging from the part I tried pulling on gently.

What do you guys typically do in this situation? Should I just re-glue this existing seal, or should I replace it with a new one?

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Wow!

That is so cool.

I've never seen these as too small - but, then, I like my loads slightly undersized so items tumble freely.

What a great find!

Regarding the felt, how 'loose' is loose? My feeling is, if you've gone this far, you might want to replace the major causes of failure, felt seal, capacitor, rear bearing. That capacitor should definitely be replaced. Even if it's still 'good' now, it's way way, far and away out of it's expected lifespan. While I'm not quite sure it's right to call this system 'electronic', it's a well thought out and extremely accurate control.
 
>>My feeling is, if you've gone this far, you might want to replace the major causes of failure

Absolutely. The intention is to put this dryer back into regular service, so I'd rather do any preventative maintenance while it's outside here in the garage, BEFORE I haul it upstairs and replace the other dryer. :-) This is my first HoH dryer, so I'm reading everything I can to figure out what should be looked at.

The capacitor is a Maytag-branded capacitor, so it's either an original or a factory replacement. I've read that the factory changed the value of this capacitor during the production run, so I'll have to find that reference again to make sure I get the correct value.

I also remember reading something about the pulley on the motor, and one type (I think it was the steel version?) being preferred for some reason?
 
A few quick before/after pictures. It cleaned up pretty nicely without too much trouble, I'll give it a light buffing to fix a few areas and make it shine before installing it.

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