Maytag's 12-Millionth Appliance - 16mm Film

[cadman]

Here's a real treat from 1959, a look behind the curtain on the production of Maytag's 12-millionth laundry appliance, a 641C dryer. There's also some great downtown footage of Newton, with the dryer being pulled around the town square by an Oliver tractor (built in Charles City). And attached is a pic of the Hotel Maytag I snapped last month, which is now boutique apartments, but still has some businesses on the street level.

 

[maytag85]

Cool to see how the Maytag HOH’s were assembled. People can hem and haw all they want about other dryers of this era etc, but none are as quiet as a Maytag HOH from this era. For sure on the quieter end.

Interesting thing is the Maytag HOH’s used Oilite bearings which were invented by Chrysler Corporation back in the 1930’s.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Congratulations, Maytag & thank you Corey for sharing...

Wonder how long it actually lasted?

 

[phillymatt53]

I wonder....
Is there something on the machine's ID label that identifies just how many were made up my A482 ?

 

[qsd-dan]

Wonder how long it actually lasted?

Use to see 641C's all over craigslist 50 years later in 2009/2010. Not so much anymore but they still occasionally pop up. I rescued a few of them in my younger days.

 

[combo52]

Thanks, Cory for another interesting Appliance movie.

I wonder where that 12 millionth dryer is today, did that make it to the Maytag museum?

Maytag HOH dryers were certainly one of the quieter dryers, but I don’t think anywhere ever as quiet as the Hamilton dryers, it was almost eerie watching a Hamilton dryer run with the window in the door because you couldn’t hear anything, but you would see the clothing tumbling past the window.

Of course, all three of my 29 inch whirlpool dryers that have been heavily sound insulated are not only extremely fast but quiet as well.

All three have a 25,000 BTU modulating, gas burner, and I’ve added window doors to two of them, I just threw a huge load of towels in the 31 inch wide whirlpool in the outdoor laundry area a few minutes ago.

 

[gansky1]

Hotel Maytag!

Great video, I've had a couple of 12 mil's sister-dryers go through my hands over the years and familiar with lots of them in homes.
I wonder what the piglet was named?

 

[phillymatt53]

Speaking of "naming".....
and a bit off topic....
The other year I pulled down the Hunter 52" ceiling fan from the bedroom to lube and clean it, and polish the brass motor housing.
It was installed by the previous owner before I got the house.
I found someone selling the same model, so I laughed when I saw the name of it.

I live in the Mayfair neighborhood of Philly....
And the name of the bedroom fan is.....

 

[vacerator]

Matt, looks like the same Hunter fan we used to have over our kitchen table, without the light that attached separately. I sold it in a garage sale.

 

[phillymatt53]

Matt, looks like the same Hunter fan we used to have over our kitchen table, without the light that attached separately. I sold it in a garage sale.

I hope you got a good price for it.
That's a high quality fan from Hunter.
Mine's over the foot of the bed, and totally silent, no wobbling, on all 3 speeds.
It's amusing that the previous owner chose that particular model for my home.

But Mayfair is a traditionally proud neighborhood, noted for it's dedicated sports fans, and has a suburban-type atmosphere for being within the city of Philadelphia.

 

[vacerator]

I held that sale back in 2021. The buyer of the fan bought several items including computer subwoofer and speakers, a CD boom box, etc. I think for $50 or $100. A few sales were for multiple items. One junk collector had his Honda Odyssey half full already. He bought our old still working 1980 RCA Colortrak 25 inch oak swivel console TV, a custom painted DIA glass top contemporary cocktail table in a verde' green burled finish that I special ordered and paid over $700 for in 1990, a couple old Alsy bronze lamps, for $125 or $150.

 

[Unimatic1140]

These videos showing assembly are really super cool Cory, thank you again! I noticed the Hotel Maytag in downtown Newton, never knew about that either!