Maytag Neptune dryer restoration

[ovrphil]

You have an audience

If this thread has been viewed 4000 times, you definitely have some Maytag Sports enthusiasts who drop their pants and would/do watch them tumble, in a window.

..not sure how the Whirlpool phenomena will change - do consumers vote with their wallets or just go on being trained to expect less, pay more, and get ready for the next candified solution? I enjoy this thread and the graphics- and hope fewer are taken to the cleaners and hung out to dry.

 

[tecnopolis]

I sincerely believe that if it hadn't been for Sears and Lowes offering their 0% or delayed payments credit scams, Whirlpool would not have the dominance in the laundry market.

 

[electronicontrl]

Maytag's demise.

Tecnopolis,
I love your appliance collection. Maytag is alive and well and in my basement, I like to think. The appliance industry is so different now. It is no longer fun to go "window shopping" at appliance stores. When Maytag came to an end, it was like someone died. I sometimes wonder why couldn't Maytag get a gov't bailout? But then again a philosophy that has consumers pay "more" for a better product doesn't work anymore.
Back in their day, Maytag manufactured their own rubber hoses, their own electrical wire, essentially everything down to the screws they used because they could make the components to a higher standard - "theirs". With the exception of timers, motors and die-cast consoles they made everything. Fast forward to the year 2000 when outsourcing as much as possible was the norm.
Then what if they stayed focused on laundry and dishwashers? Would they still be around? They had ZERO debt through 1986 until they acquired Magic Chef. I know they paid cash for Hardwick Stove Co in 1981 and perhaps they did finance Jenn-Industries in 1982. That gave them quality cooking products. But the Magic Chef thing - that was major. Then Chicago Pacific in 1989 for Hoover and a European market that almost bled them to death. They were already on different path before the Neptune was put on the market. Of course not "field-testing" the Neptune, was a strike against their name. Then with the Amana washer-transmission massacre they were probably at the point of no return. I've read many takes on the death of Maytag. Emotions ran high here on this site. Folks were angry. But no one ever mentioned the African-american president of Maytag (Lloyd Ward) who left his position at Maytag completely unannounced. Their stock price plummeted by $79 in 1 day and never came back. That sure didn't help! I still remember the day in 1985 when I interviewed at Maytag Ahh, the plant tour and the merry-go-round. Yes one of the finer moments. So today when I want to recapture a bit of the past I go to my basement - where Maytag is alive and well. (Did i say I love your Maytag collection)?

 

[tecnopolis]

@electronicontrl

I love your lighted Maytags. I always wanted a set with that feature and I don't know why it ever went away.

 

[tecnopolis]

Here's a technical bulletin that came with my bearing kit that talks about addressing "bearing knock" complaints. Not sure how you can detect bearing knock over the failed bearings, but I guess it's meant as a preventative measure.

 

[tecnopolis]

Another Maytag Neptune clone....this time from Amana. (looks like some goon was real aggressive with the hand truck and dented her door)

 

[tecnopolis]

. A little pixel surgery.

 

[ovrphil]

Reminds of me of one of my favorite movies - Uncle Buck: "c'mon open up, what do I have to do , talk dirty to you (bangs on the washer repeatedly)..."c'mon, c'mon, that's it...I'm going to shove my load in you, whether you like or not..c'mon...(banging and pounding continues)..." Yep, this was probably just "manhandled", a wittle bit too much..

 

[whirlcool]

Last week I did two belt replacements for neighbors. One on a Kenmore dryer circa 2000 and another one on a circa 2000 GE dryer. Inside both dryers looked alike.

The Kenmore had 80% of the airflow in the lint filter chute blocked(between the filter and the squirrel cage fan) of hardened lint. I had to use a screwdriver to break it up. And there was some lint past the squirrel cage fan too. I vacuumed the whole thing and washed everything in hot water with some dawn. All the parts in the airflow loop were very sticky like someone put glue in there.

The GE dryer was much worse. The chute from the filter to the squirrel cage was 100% blocked, the squirrel cage was completely packed with lint. I removed the tub and must have filled two vacuum bags with general lint all inside the bottom of the dryer. The motor was even more linty than yours was! But I noticed it was not sticky nor clumped together. Guess who used fabric softener and who did not! The exhaust tube was only 2 feet long to the outside and was completely clean.

While talking to the owners of these dryers I asked them if they had heard of dryer fires before. One said a house two streets over had the back half of it burn down a few years ago from a dryer fire. And the second person had heard of dryer fires but never thought to do anything to prevent such things. I certainly let them know how close they came. But they didn't see that phased by it all.

A few days later I asked one of the neighbors how her dryer was performing. Has she noticed it is drying faster than before? Her response? "I haven't really noticed any difference, I'm just glad it's working again!"

I know in our Whirlpool manual it states that every three years the external cover should be removed and the entire unit vacuumed out. But how many people read the owners manuals? I knew of the possibility of the lint fire but never knew how many people are living on the edge with these things.

 

[tecnopolis]

Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but I'll bet she'll notice a difference in her electric bill.

 

[tecnopolis]

From the web.

Frederick Louis Maytag (1857-1937).

The farm boy's hard work and vision led to the production of the washing machine that became the top-seller. Today the name Maytag is known all over the world.

Maytag was born on a farm near Elgin, Ill., the oldest child of German immigrants Daniel and Amelia Maytag. They brought their children to Iowa in a covered wagon, settling near Laurel in Marshall County.

Their son worked on the family farm. At 24 and with little formal education, he took a job with a Newton implement dealer. By 1909 he owned his own farm implement company, which began marketing washing machines in 1910 because Maytag needed a product to sell in winter when sales of farm equipment were slow.Washers sold so well that Maytag discontinued selling farm equipment in 1923.

Maytag, who spent a great deal of his life on the road drumming up business, credited much of his success to inventor Howard Snyder, who as chief engineer at Maytag brought his expertise into making a wringer washer.

Sales took off later with the addition of an agitator that forced the water through the clothes.

Maytag - who called himself "F.L." - married Dena Bergman, and they had two sons and two daughters.

Maytag's philanthropy was evident: He gave Newton a 40-acre park and swimming pool. He built and donated the Maytag Hotel and spearheaded a theater and a water plant. He also built hundreds of houses for his workers, selling them on easy terms.

Maytag died of a heart ailment at his winter home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He left a $10 million estate.

It was estimated that up to 10,000 mourners attended Maytag's funeral. Those who could not fit into Newton's First Methodist Church were taken to four other churches and two halls.

 

[whirlcool]

And L.B Maytag was a large shareholder of Frontier Airlines (I)as well as President of the airline in (1950-55).

And Lewis Maytag was CEO of National Airlines too.

So besides washing machines the Maytag family had aviation in their bloodstream too!

 

[tecnopolis]

Question,
I noticed that none of my Neptunes are labeled "Energy Star", though they clearly are. Can anyone shed some light here?

 

[tecnopolis]

Maytag Logo decryption?      "Labor and Time Saver?"

 

[tecnopolis]

Maytag Neptune Coin-op dryers still available for purchase, minty fresh and of course, sealed for your protection!

 

 

[tecnopolis]

I've been busy tending to my Filter-Flo's, but decided to take a little break and try out a quick mod to my Neptune Dryer drum light housing while I had it out.[this post was last edited: 1/7/2013-05:12]

 

[tecnopolis]

.

 

[tecnopolis]

.

 

[tecnopolis]

The idea was to direct more light into the drum. I used some leftover bumper chrome paint I had lying around. Unfortunately I won't be able to gauge the effect until I can get the dryer hooked up to a 220 outlet, so this may have just been an exercise in futility. But hey, it keeps me off the streets!

 

[tecnopolis]

I was finally able to get all the parts together to set up one of the gas dryers to run off of propane. To get the lowest possible price, I sourced all the necessary parts from both the internet, as well as the big box stores. Now I have all the parts together, time to get to work.