Maytag Electric dryer - Big Load or Halo? Which is better?

[reo580]

Ladies and Gents,

Of the gold trimmed center dial 1970's Maytag dryers, which, in your opinion is the better dryer? The Halo of heat or the Big load? Recently I came across a Maytag I like. I am considering buying it. I assume it's a Halo. It has a small door and gold trim. It does not have any push buttons on the lower console to adjust the heat. How would the heat be adjusted for various items such as wool, perm press and delicate? Would this have been a lower rung model? I am debating on getting this one or waiting for a Big-load (center dial) with push buttons. I have an electric hookup and can only use an electric dryer. I am only interested in 70's vintage center dial Maytag. What is your opinion?

 

[coldspot]

I got one like this it is in storage and works. The dial sets the heat. You have PP Norm etc.

Nice dryer and they work great.

Only thing if it is true was when I fixed mine new element and that was it. The woman told me this was a few years back that if the sensors go out they might be hard to find.

This dryer has no timer it is total automatic. Inside the drum on the paddles are brass sensors that till it when the things are dry. It then dings a bell and does a 5 min cool down and dings it aging. For damp dry it will ding once for so so dry twice for great to hang out dry.

 

[coldspot]

To add the drum is large norm size dryer. It could mine does not have a drum light inside it. They made them with it or with out it.

 

[coldspot]

And this should be it here are the parts for it.

http://www.partselect.com/AdvancedModelSearch.aspx?ModelNum=DE606&mfgModelNum=&fkMfgID=1

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Hi Derek, 

 

I would have to say they are BOTH good dryers.   The HOH has been around and proven itself and the big load dryers are very durable too.   What washer (std or lg capacity?) are you matching it with?

 

I guess you'll have to look at what are the pros and cons for you.   Standard capacity or larger capacity.    A lint filter you have to reach in to the back of the drum to remove, or one right up front.

 

Just because it's a "big load" dryer does NOT mean it will have any buttons on it, that was determined by what model it is.

 

Kevin 

 

 

 

 

 

[rp2813]

I had a gas center dial with electronic control and I loved it.  The best dryer I've ever owned. 

 

[akronman]

Halo versus Big Drum

I only have Halo OF Heat experience, not Maytag Big Drum. If the electronic controls are the same, they are wonderful and you'll get perfectly dried and fluffly clothes. But the Halo design is SMALL, VERY SMALL DRUM. Compare it to a Whirlpool design of the same era,  lots more space. Other than that, a great machine.

 

[polkanut]

I think that HOH dryers only got up to a max temp of about 110 degrees.  With my DE606, I can hear the heating element cycling on/off quite often.  They may dry a little slower because of the low temp, but items dried in it are so soft when done.  I say go for it!

 

[kenmore71]

HOH of heat dryers got hotter than 110 degrees if they were working properly.
The very early ones that had the buttons to select "Normal" and "Wash n Wear" actually had two thermostats in the housing. The Normal one was approx. 140 degrees and the Wash and Wear was approx. 160 degrees. The rational being that the higer temp was needed to "release" any wrinkles in the resin-treated fabrics that were becoming popular in the 1960s.

I can say for certain that the *06 HOH dryers that came on the market in 1966, had only one cyclying thermostat that was preset in the 140 degree range. The second thermostat in the Blower housing was only present on the Electronic control 906, 806 & 606 models. It was the cool-down stat that kept the motor running until the exhaust temperature dropped below 120 degrees. As far as I know the later-introduced HOH 406 & 407 models also only used the one cycling stat, but it was equipped with a double-throw switch that would engage the timer motor whenever the heating circuit shut off.

I have a lot of experience with HOH dryers and I like them for SOME things. They do well with towels and are exceptionally good with bulky items like pillows and comforters. They do OK with wrinkle-free items IF lightly loaded.

As a daily driver, however, I would give preference to the later "Big Load" or so-called "Stream-of-Heat (SOH)" dryers that came on to the market for home use in late 1975 or early 1976. That basic design was used by Maytag all the way to the end of "true" Maytag production in 2006. I've also noticed that Whirlpool has used a minor variant of this design in their more recent 27" wide dryers.

I have both a 1967 HOH and then a much later Dependable Care (1995) dryer that I use regularly. I usually dry towels and jeans in the HOH but always dry dress slack and shirts in the Dependable Care.

 

[mixfinder]

Wrinkle Free

I have had both and currently use a DE806. The later models move more air and seem to do a better job of delivering permanent press items with less wrinkles. I listen for the dinging of the bell and unload a few items to fold while restarting the dryer on air fluff to minimize wrinkling while I am hanging up or folding the load of clothes.

 

[combo52]

CENTER DIAL MT DRYERS

If this dryer is to be your daily driver I would diffidently go with the newer SOH filter in the front design. Most of all you can still get almost every [ functional ] part for these dryers except timer and timer dial. These newer dryers are also much larger in capacity, faster, better blower and 600 more watts of heater power, and safer, less chance of fires.

 

[alr2903]

Someone posted a while back  about a diaper pin that got into the element of a halo of heat dryer causing a short,  I don't know much about the gas version but this hazard would not be present.  Polkanaut is right many people with HOH dryers used the PP cycle for everything  the PP was hotter than the normal dry cycle,  alr

 

[combo52]

Fire hazzards in HOH dryers

Are not limited to items falling on the heating elements in the electric models. The gas models were one of the only modern gas dryers that only have one gas valve and if the valve sticks on after the machine stops its only minutes till the front felt drum seals and all the dry clothes ignite as the flame continues to burn under the drum, stay close if you have one of these dryers and use it.

 

[coldspot]

When I was buying parts for mine electric type. The woman at the maytag shop gasve me a few tips on use of a halo. She did like them but said this is what you should do before using it every time.

Button cloths.
zip cloths
any coins or pins need be removed.
never dry shoes with strings in them
any item with lose straps best not to dry them

Since like most the felt seal in mine is long gone. I ask about if I should replace it she said she would not since they do not last long. That I still wonder about today.

Also said when they worked on them 99% of all calls on them was a element short. She never seen anything major with them just a short from a coin or pin.

As for the gas type she told me she would not have one at all.

 

[macboy91si]

Felt Seal

It's odd that my 1965 Super Highlander still had it's original felt even thought I had heard they were famous for losing them. I purchased a new one, which was white and after comparing the 2 they are much different, I may just re-glue the original seal as it is still in very good shape.

-Tim