Maytag to Be Purchased by Investors for $1.13 Billion

[launderess]

One of the things I thought would happen with Maytag, finally did.

Read the link:

Launderess (who was telling a certian someone around our house we should have been buying those cheap Maytag shares.)

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aRgcugVu6GWc&refer=news_index

 

[pulsator]

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hooverac216]

whoooo hooooo

 

[agiflow]

Even though it is premature, i have the feeling that that is the end of a once great manufacturer

 

[veg-o-matic]

Great. Now my Maytag stock will be worth nothing. Oh, well. My worthless Maytag shares can keep my worthless KMart shares company...

veg, who will obviously never get rich

 

[gansky1]

Grab Those center-dial 'Tags now!

Going private is probably just a temporary situation in order for the new investors/owners to straighten out some things in the company out of the public eye and then re-introduce it as a public company once things are back in order. Most analysts are thinking increased overseas production will help to bring it back to profitability.

Perhaps the Atlantis/Norge design washers will be collector's items long before we thought!

 

[Cybrvanr]

Yea, chinese junk, that's what they need! Sure helped RCA out in the 1980s!

 

[goatfarmer]

Pulsator,tell us how you really feel!

I too am thinking this is the beginning of the end of Maytag as we know it.They'll probably sell off some of the better known brands,like Amana,JennAir,and Hoover,maybe even get out of the vending machine business.I bought Maytag stock years ago,because it was a company that made a great product,a product you could be proud of.
But after the Neptune fiasco,and the downgrading of their quality over the past few years,I regret not selling my shares a year ago.

kennyGF

 

[appnut]

Greg, the analysts' comments I"ve seen say it will take 5 years to clean things up and return to a public entity. It makes me sad. I just haven't been a maytag fan once they brought out the load sensor agitator and messed up their dishwashers.

 

[doityrselfguy]

Parts

I surely hope this change won't adversely affect the availability of parts from all the on-line stores, for those of us working on old Maytags.

 

[launderess]

Game Not Over Yet

Maytag shares have soared and now it seems others including Samsung may get in on the action.

Launderess

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=8563319

 

[kenmore1978]

Load Sensor agitator

I wouldn't fault Maytag for the Load Sensor agitator, after all, it was a copy-cat thing. I find they work quite well, especially for people who tend to overload their machines. Ensures there'll be SOME kind of load turn-over.

 

[agiflow]

I guess that's also how the Kenmore TL's got the slight increase from 3.0 cu. ft to 3.2 cu. ft washbaskets. It seems the triple action agitator on my machine invites one to overload the tub.

No wonder people complain about shredding of clothes, though i have not had this problem and i try to make sure that whatever i wash has plenty of room to circulate freely and not be forced downward.

 

[agiflow]

Reflecting on Maytag

I still remember back in 1988 when my mother was looking to buy a new washer and i went with her to get a new machine.

The Maytags of that time were like the Kitchenaid dishwashers of the time. The look and feel of the Maytags i felt blew everyone off the map.

At the time spending close to $600 on a Maytag wasn't possible,so we settled on a BOL WP machine that proved great for 15 yrs.

I always loved the KM/WP washers, but the Maytag machines were also my favorites.

What a shame what has happened to "The Dependability People". (sigh)

 

[maytagbear]

I was SO hoping this wasn't true.

This is breaking my heart.

First, Hoover is an easy drive from here, and I doubt if this will be good for North Canton.

Secondly, I hate, hate, hate that manufacturing in this country is seen as "uneconomic." Really hate having to rely on increasing amounts of imported goods. I am totally saddened by the thought of hundreds, if not thousands, of Maycor employees who might be unemployed, and might not make the same wages ever again.

Then, there is the question of parts. Fortunately, my washer and dryer are only 8 years old, which is still on the newer side for Dependable Care machines......especially lightly used ones like mine.

I hated when they started with Sears, but understood that they couldn't stay with "mom and pop" dealers exclusively. I also was far from thrilled when they introduced the "Performa" line. Neptune has been a general disaster, as has refrigeration and cooking.

To me, for close to 30 years, Maytag has meant laundry. Excellent laundry.

******Horrible, Embarrassed Admission Ahead*******

I used to ascribe superior intelligence and aesthetic sense to those who owned Maytag appliances, and held most other brands (and their owners) in much lower regard. (Whirlpool, but not Kenmore, as an exception.)

I'm getting over this fairly crappy attitude, and all of you are helping.

******End Embarrassed Admission******

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[repair-man]

A few thoughts from a former

I personally believe that the Neptune "disaster" did more to hurt Maytag thananything else.I took them off my floor in 2001. I couldn't sell it anymore without feeling like I was selling a lie. A lot of my Neptune customers were people trading in 20 - 30 year old Maytags thinking that they would do as well with the new "top of the line" machine. As time went on I have seen that even Dependable Care machines are not doing so well. I have repaired far too many machines with bad transmission, stem seals, tub covers, timers, etc.
Of all the machines I sold in the mid to late 90's the Performas (or Norgetags as many here like to call them) have had the least problems. An occasional bad transmission but overall almost no problems. I have one myself for 6 years now. A family of 5 doing 20+ loads/week and never a repair.

I don't agree that the refrigeration and cooking products have been a disaster. Except for the dispenser problem with SxS fridges almost all of my customers have been happy. Dishwashers have also done well until the latest design.

When the Loadsensor was introduced on the '97 model year (in late '96) we were told at the big convention that it had to be done to deal with consumer reports. It had become obvious that they would not get a #1 or any high rating without a dual action agitator. The only problem was that we were trained for years in how to bash the dual action agitator. Right up to the release of the '97s the Maytag sales reps would come into the store with new ideas and displays to discredit Whirlpool/Maytag/ GE agitators. We had pictures of sweaters washed 100 times in a Maytag vs. Kenmore. Live machines full of water washing light bulbs. Whatever they could do to drive the point home. So the Maytag dual action agitator had to have a catch to deal with all this. The Loadsensor was to be the best of both worlds- gentle on small loads but able to turn-over large ones. I never liked it.

Finally, I agree with Lawrence/Maytagbear that it is sad that manufacturing in this country is seen as uneconomic. But I fully believe that the consumer drives this. Not the manufacturer. Yes there are the few customers that will pay for quality. But most will go for the one that is cheaper. I have literally spent an hour or more with a customer comparing Maytags quality (back in the days when you could) to that of other brands only to have them buy something cheaper. We actually used to have a row of all different brands with the fronts removed for comparison.

Ed

 

[repair-man]

My subject header was too long and got cut off. It was supposed to say "a few thoughts from a former mom and pop maytag dealer".

 

[westytoploader]

Wow, what a shock. I've always loved the old Maytags; even when I was little those beautiful center-dial machines stood out. I have to agree with everyone else; Maytag's business has been LAUNDRY. Quite a while ago (7-8 years maybe) at a home builder's show I picked up some brochures on Maytag's "other" products, and they weren't that special, really. Disposers were OK at best, and refrigerators and ranges did not seem to stand out at all. Above that, the introduction of the LoadSensor agitator was ridiculous. Consumer Reports had become so biased anyway by then that it would not matter what THEY thought, IMHO. But I guess there has to be "something" on a washer for buyers and CR readers to get attracted to. I never liked the LoadSensor in my Dependable Care. I replaced it with a Power-Fin (even though some may believe it wears out the transmission) and it handles the load much better, provided that it is not overloaded (as is the case with any machine). But guess what, even after that, CR still preferred WP/KM as the top brand. Sort of goes along with "Just because you have a fast car doesn't mean you'll get a date." And "Whoooo hoooo"?? Why is the fact that Maytag is slowly going down the drain something to "Whoooo hoooo" about?? I don't think you understand this situation 100%; maybe you don't really belong on here...

Oh well, time to run to Home Depot and pick up a (future collectible) Norgetag!!!

--Austin

 

[agiflow]

Austin i'm glad you said that

I thought that was a kind of smart a$$ answer myself. But this person isn't from the u.s. so it wouldn't really matter to him/her, but i do agree it was in very poor taste.

This person just doesn't see what our beloved Maytag meant to so many of us.