Maytag Machines After Whirlpool Buyout - What Remained?

[panasonicvac]

You have great tastes Third best front load Speed Queen in my book. The Speed Queens that I really miss at number two were the ones with the heater in them. They discontinued them which I think was a big step back. I life front loads that gradually boost the water temp to a pre-selected level.

Personally, I don't see why having a heater is necessary. In my opinion it's just an extra thing to break. My LG front loader has a heater built in but I couldn't find a difference cleaning wise so I just don't use it anymore. As long as I have straight hot water, I'm pretty much good to go. Some of the other UniMac stackables with the touch screen I use as well do have heaters built in, they get very hot. And they're one of those models where the soap automatically dispenses in during the wash cycle, we use Ecolab detergent.

 

[Chetlaham]

Personally, I don't see why having a heater is necessary. In my opinion it's just an extra thing to break. My LG front loader has a heater built in but I couldn't find a difference cleaning wise so I just don't use it anymore. As long as I have straight hot water, I'm pretty much good to go. Some of the other UniMac stackables with the touch screen I use as well do have heaters built in, they get very hot. And they're one of those models where the soap automatically dispenses in during the wash cycle, we use Ecolab detergent.

Front load heaters make a night and day difference all around, and are the only practical way I feel that front load technology will excel in the United States. Here are some advantages, number one being the most significant:

1) Filling with cold and gradually heating to warm then to hot lets detergents work in stages. Different stains and different soils are lifted best at various temperatures. The gradual heating over time lets enzymes work to their full potential. By having a heater in every front load incorporated into the cycle, the US could adopt common EU based detergent formulations which produce the best cleaning results of any laundry system when coupled with a graded temperature wash.

2) A true hot wash. Even with a hot fill, the small amount of water in the front load quickly cools down to warm due to the cool drum, cool tub and cool clothes. That is of course assuming a best case scenario. In reality water cools down in pipes and purging doesn't always get all of it out to the point the washer connects to the plumbing. Water enters cold, cool and then warm. By the time hot water starts entering the machine, the pressure sensor is satisfied. The end result is a cool wash.

3) Sanitation. With a heater you can be guaranteed 200*F wash water when needed.

4) Energy Savings. It is much less energy intensive to heat water on point to the required temperature than idling 50 gallons of hot water 24/7 only to have a considerable percentage of it lost within the wall.

5) Water savings. No need to purge the line to make sure the machine has hot water so you get at least a warm wash.

6) Much harder for mold and gunk build up in the machine due to the superior wash system.


The whole concept of relying on concentrated detergent originally evolved from that intended for a top load and off board hot water is a flawed implementation and behind nearly all of the problems encountered with front load washers in the US.

 

[pierreandreply4]

Ok, so I swapped the wrinkle control and fabric knobs on this version. What do you think? Which do you prefer?


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i love both version @Chetlaham

 

[Chetlaham]

i love both version @Chetlaham

I am glad you like both. I am still deciding which version I like more. I am leaning slightly more toward the first version since both fabric type switches are paired. Second version comes across as having more variety however the disadvantage is that the wire harness behind the fascia would be a bit thicker since wires would need to cross over from the color switch to the fabric switch and then back over.

Either way I love the look of the centennials.


If curious about the cycles- whites gives a hot wash, colors gives a warm wash and bright colors gives a cold wash with a cold rinse. Wrinkle free changes all rinses to cold as intended for permanents press garments, delicate defaults to cold wash cold rinse on all selections.

 

[panasonicvac]

Front load heaters make a night and day difference all around, and are the only practical way I feel that front load technology will excel in the United States. Here are some advantages, number one being the most significant:

1) Filling with cold and gradually heating to warm then to hot lets detergents work in stages. Different stains and different soils are lifted best at various temperatures. The gradual heating over time lets enzymes work to their full potential. By having a heater in every front load incorporated into the cycle, the US could adopt common EU based detergent formulations which produce the best cleaning results of any laundry system when coupled with a graded temperature wash.

2) A true hot wash. Even with a hot fill, the small amount of water in the front load quickly cools down to warm due to the cool drum, cool tub and cool clothes. That is of course assuming a best case scenario. In reality water cools down in pipes and purging doesn't always get all of it out to the point the washer connects to the plumbing. Water enters cold, cool and then warm. By the time hot water starts entering the machine, the pressure sensor is satisfied. The end result is a cool wash.

3) Sanitation. With a heater you can be guaranteed 200*F wash water when needed.

4) Energy Savings. It is much less energy intensive to heat water on point to the required temperature than idling 50 gallons of hot water 24/7 only to have a considerable percentage of it lost within the wall.

5) Water savings. No need to purge the line to make sure the machine has hot water so you get at least a warm wash.

6) Much harder for mold and gunk build up in the machine due to the superior wash system.


The whole concept of relying on concentrated detergent originally evolved from that intended for a top load and off board hot water is a flawed implementation and behind nearly all of the problems encountered with front load washers in the US.

Again, I hadn't noticed a difference even on steam mode and that is likely due to having the laundry not very dirty. Believe it or not, sometimes I'd wash in cold water and I still can't notice the difference. You can ask our good friend John who owns a SQ front loader with a heater and one without, I recall him saying he prefers using the one without a heater.

 

[johnb300m]

The Maytag designed and built dish drawers look to be a superior product to the FNP models, but they didn’t hold up well at all, and they didn’t wash near as well as the FNP models, but it was a neat machine.

One of the last KitchenAid Maytag designed dish drawers that I worked on was for Ruth Bader Ginsburg at her home in the water gate condos had to replace the drawer tracks on the upper drawer. They fell apart.

Fun fact!
My brother's house has a KitchenAid(Maytag) dishdrawer set.
It's been running flawlessly in their home for about 5 years. And it was several years old before they got it.
You can totally tell it's a Maytag design because the wash arms are very similar in design language to the old tall tub MT dishwashers from TN.

 

[johnb300m]

So much for being "outdated". That's a lie! Try getting cologne smells out of your laundry or tough ground-in dirt with these new machines! The Speed Queen Classic and commercial heavy duty series Whirlpool/Maytag are the closest you'll get to the direct drives!

Oh lord this again.
New machines 'can' work perfectly fine.
Over the past 10years, I've had a Maytag front loader, and now an Electrolux front loader.
They both use very little water, although, will do a healthy final rinse with water up to the door glass.
I've washed sweaty gym clothes, dirty, smokey camping clothes, paintball clothes etc, all with great results with no stains leftover or any smells lingering.
My parents have a Maytag TL 765 washer that's 7yrs old. It washes all their clothes, and their grandaughter's stained clothes, towels. Even dirty house rags. Set up properly, my mom has never complained about anything coming out stinky or stained.
My brother has an old Samsung TL (I'm frankly surprised it's still alive, but it is!) and they wash their daughter's grungies in there. They wash pet beds, pet towels, camping ware, sleeping bags etc. Again, it all comes clean, when properly set up.
They even did "reusable diapers" for a hot minute but then stopped. You may find interesting, to no fault of the washer. They just ran out of time, and thought it was grosser than they were willing to put up with.

I don't know what's up with your warped view of things Jerome. Practically everyone I meet in life are not walking around with stained, stinky clothes. And by now in 2025, the vast majority of them have a laundry set from probably around 2010 or newer.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Oh lord this again.
New machines 'can' work perfectly fine.
Over the past 10years, I've had a Maytag front loader, and now an Electrolux front loader.
They both use very little water, although, will do a healthy final rinse with water up to the door glass.
I've washed sweaty gym clothes, dirty, smokey camping clothes, paintball clothes etc, all with great results with no stains leftover or any smells lingering.
My parents have a Maytag TL 765 washer that's 7yrs old. It washes all their clothes, and their grandaughter's stained clothes, towels. Even dirty house rags. Set up properly, my mom has never complained about anything coming out stinky or stained.
My brother has an old Samsung TL (I'm frankly surprised it's still alive, but it is!) and they wash their daughter's grungies in there. They wash pet beds, pet towels, camping ware, sleeping bags etc. Again, it all comes clean, when properly set up.
They even did "reusable diapers" for a hot minute but then stopped. You may find interesting, to no fault of the washer. They just ran out of time, and thought it was grosser than they were willing to put up with.

I don't know what's up with your warped view of things Jerome. Practically everyone I meet in life are not walking around with stained, stinky clothes. And by now in 2025, the vast majority of them have a laundry set from probably around 2010 or newer.

Oh please! Tell it to the thousands upon thousands who have issues with cleanliness. Nobody likes them. Many consumers are waking up. They had to learn the hard way. Plus, many of them are cheaply built. GEEZ!

 

[maytag85]

I actually agree with you on this. The only down side was the belt drives had a slow spin speed. Perhaps that could be worked out in a redesign. However the rest was admirable, the durability, longevity and of course the cleaning action. I know in the very least those yellow water valves in the belt drives should be in every top load washer made today. They are the best water valves ever made. Modern VMWs fill way to slow.

You couldn’t make the belt drives spin any faster without essentially having to belt them down to a concrete floor.

The hanging suspension is 1940’s technology and was only meant for speeds of 505 to 525 rpm, no faster than that.

Because of the slower spin speeds, Whirlpool engineered the 29” dryers to have a drum that turns in a counter clockwise direction which has items tumble in front of the exhaust outlet literally forcing all the moisture out fairly quickly.

 

[Chetlaham]

Oh please! Tell it to the thousands upon thousands who have issues with cleanliness. Nobody likes them. Many consumers are waking up. They had to learn the hard way. Plus, many of them are cheaply built. GEEZ!

i love both version @Chetlaham

Jerome and Pierre, this is what I want to see in every laundry room. Commercial DDs with Commercial components. And a window so you can see all the water and suds. No electronics.

 

[Chetlaham]

You couldn’t make the belt drives spin any faster without essentially having to belt them down to a concrete floor.

The hanging suspension is 1940’s technology and was only meant for speeds of 505 to 525 rpm, no faster than that.

Because of the slower spin speeds, Whirlpool engineered the 29” dryers to have a drum that turns in a counter clockwise direction which has items tumble in front of the exhaust outlet literally forcing all the moisture out fairly quickly.

Well, with some compression springs modern VMWs have been able to go to 800 RPM.

But still, in general, I don't care for a hanging suspension.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Jerome and Pierre, this is what I want to see in every laundry room. Commercial DDs with Commercial components. And a window so you can see all the water and suds. No electronics.



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Exactly! Forget this new stupid crap! The reason why clothes are dry is because they never saw water to begin with! The only time is they're sprinkled on!

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Well, with some compression springs modern VMWs have been able to go to 800 RPM.

But still, in general, I don't care for a hanging suspension.

We saw that with GE!

 

[Chetlaham]

We saw that with GE!

The best suspension is that of Speed Queen, the second best was that of the DDs, third of the 3 belt Raytheons.

 

[DADoES]

Well, with some compression springs modern VMWs have been able to go to 800 RPM.

But still, in general, I don't care for a hanging suspension.

F&P SmartDrive hangs on springs, spins at 1,000 (1,010) RPM since 1997. Increased a smidgen to 1,100 at the 2013 revision.

 

[Chetlaham]

F&P was ahead of its time.

 

[DADoES]

F&P was ahead of its time.

LOL, they're typically considered plastic trash/toys, unnecessary electronics.

 

[pierreandreply4]

its currently not the case but i can say if i had to change tommorow next month or next year even if more costly washer dryer set my choice number 1 is the speed queen huebsch tc5 with matching electric dryer

 

[panasonicvac]

Jerome and Pierre, this is what I want to see in every laundry room. Commercial DDs with Commercial components. And a window so you can see all the water and suds. No electronics.



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Certainly that would've been a loads better machine than the one my grandfather has with an impeller. However, this would've not been my first choice at least for a DD. From my understanding the Centennial models had some issues. And personally, it just doesn't look as pretty especially with the window. My brother's Maytag in the window fogged up a bunch when you had hot water. My all time favorite is the Kenmore 90 Series I own, I'd get another one cause it was perfect enough for me. If I had to get a different one, this time it'd be a pacific blue Kenmore 800 but even those I heard had problems as well however it's one of the best looking washers I've ever seen. For my ideal top loader to have if I'm able to get a second set for my next house, this time I'd get a Speed Queen preferable the AWN432SP113TW04. I really don't have much interest in owning another DD. It'll just be something I'd only use once in a while because front loaders would still be my daily driver. It's no wonder UniMac doesn't offer a top loader anymore cause people are realizing that front loaders are the way to go. Even the place I go help do laundry at once a week has no room for a top loader not even the UM202.