Maytag Launches Their New "Super Size" Front Loaders

[launderess]

Quite few pension funds are underfunded, not just Maytag.

IIRC it has something to do with the face many companies with pension plans switched from investing mainly in bonds to stocks. During the "tech boom" this was fine as high stock prices allowed companies to put less of their own money into the funds. When the stock boom ended, companies were left to pick up the difference.

Also, IIRC Newton is called by Maytag one of, if not the highest cost plant it operates. Everything from labour on down costs more, so appliances produced in that plant are "uncompetitive" with Maytag's competitors. Maytag has been trying to cut costs, and that may have been one of the reasons for the strike at the Newton plant last year.

For what ever reason, wouldn't surprise me if less and less is made by Maytag in Newton, and eventually that town like so many other American manufacturing towns, will loose it's largest employer.

Front loaders with timers:

Think only the BOL offerings have them. Don't think the kind of fancy computer controls for fabric care/cycle speed and such can be done just by timers.

Launderess

 

[Cybrvanr]

The frigimore front loaders have both electronic or mechanical timer styles avaliable. The newer style ones look more like LG's or samsungs, and defnitley not USA made, home-grown designs, while the older style ones with the mechanical timers look like designs from this side of the pond.

Loading…

www.frigidaire.com

 

[alr2903]

Thankyou Laundress and cybrvanr

I appreciated your answers laundress, i guess also increased prices for steel in the USA will also impact Newton, Cybrvanr thanks for your link. Something about those electronic control boards causes me extreme anxiety

 

[super32]

Update

There was some heated debate on THS about who is making the new maytag f/l. I went to the service training on it yesterday and yes maytag confirmed it IS samsung . It's rumored that samsung doesnt make a full size dryer. This means that the dryer was sourced for samsung, because one good look inside this dryer and you will see the dryer was made by our freinds in Marion Ohio.

Scott

 

[launderess]

Always Knew the MaySung's Were Based on Hauzen

Line from Samsung, someone got a bee in his bonnet that the units looked so similar to LG, that the units must have come from them.

Wouldn't surprise me if the MaySung dryers were out sourced from SamSung, as they probably do not build large American sized clothes dryers.

So far a few buyers over on THS have taken the plunge and purchased these units, I'm standing back and taking a wait and see attitude. Too many of these new front loaders,especially those with fancy electronic controls boards have growing pains in the first model year. I refuse to be test case for Maytag, who if they got their act together need not have bothered "going Asian".

Launderess

 

[repair-man]

Scott

For those who don't know (including myself) who makes dryers in Marion, Ohio ?

Any comments on the machines since you got to see them up close? (Inside and Out)

Ed

 

[christd1]

manufacturing location

Marion, OH is where Whirlpool builds dryers.

Maytag produces dryers in Searcy, AK and Newton but mainly in Herrin, IL.

 

[super32]

I couldnt help but to think of it as a F&P w/o an agitator. It has the direct drive motor and even sounds like an F&P. Its big, has a window, quiet, 10 degree tilt on the drum, and is fairly service freindly. The heater will only come on once during a cycle and is only for maintaining and boosting the temp. The sani cycle will heat to 151 or 155 and will delay to reach the temp. The other cycles will not delay. So unfortunatlly this means no profile wash. The 2 piece drum sits on 4 struts with 2 springs on top. I found the suspention to be rather soft. They only had the 9700 there to show. The 8700 is soon to come and the 6700 which is belt driven will come later in the summer. The 6700 is the only one that can be stacked and does not have a heater. It will be competitive as far as sales because they will be priced with other brands. The reliabilty remains to be seen.

Scott

 

[repair-man]

So Maytag sells a dryer from Samsung made by Whirlpool?

I miss the old day's.

Ed

 

[kreftgr]

Dryer Not Made By Whirlpool

Although it sure looks a lot like the Whirlpool dryer, right down to the tri-ring holding the support wheels on, the "made in Korea" on the label and the assurance of the Maytag service trainer at the meeting that I attended today, it is not a Whirlpool. We were told that they were designed by Maytag but manufactured in Korea by Samsung. As far as looking like a Whirlpool, check out the GE Harmony dryer design. I don't know how the law suite is going against LG by Whirlpool. It seems like there has been an awful lot of infringement of designs in the last few years by relatively new foreign manufacturers. I was told that LG went so far as to have parts that came out of molds that match the imperfections that were in the original Whirlpool molds.

 

[christd1]

Functional vs. cosmetic design protection

The Korean manufacturers are notorious at reverse engineering product down to a point where it is almost silly. The real issue is that patent lawsuits are mostly based on performance enhancing design while violations of patents on styling are easily place in the market due to the little amount of evidence needed to show subtle variations.

 

[super32]

not a whirlpool?

kreftgr,

Im not 100% that whirlpool did make it solely. Our service trainer couldnt assure us it wasnt made by whirlpool. He said he was told it was made by samsung for maytag. If whirlpool did not make it, or at least have their hands in it, then I smell some more lawsuits brewing. With all the other out sourcing going on in manufacturing these days nothing surprises me any more.

Scott

 

[mayken4now]

gotta get one soon

Saw a demo of the Maytag, how nice. Can fit your whole hose in it!

Steve

 

[frigilux]

Since I'm ticked that Frigidaire didn't increase the size of the dryer drum on their new king-size machine, I'm starting to get the hots for the new Maytags. I've never had a Maytag, so that would be cool. They look great and I like the 1200 rpm spin.

Mayken4now----Do you mean you can fit your whole HOUSE into it? We'll put that one into the 'typos can be fun' dept.!!