verizonbear
Well-known member
A little pricey I think but someone may want this and you can always negotiate a better price .
Neptune Top Load Pasedena MD Craigslist
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MT NEPTUNE TL WASHER
These are very cool washers and will diffidently be collectable in the future, the ad said that they also have the 24 cubic drying center, these are also a must have for the serious collector. The prices are diffidently on the high side so I would do some serious bargaining or look else where for one of these cool washers and dryers.
Parts pricing? I haven't found anything that struck me as outrages but lots of parts prices are high these days and some parts for the dryers are already NLA, so you may need a parts donor eventually.
These are very cool washers and will diffidently be collectable in the future, the ad said that they also have the 24 cubic drying center, these are also a must have for the serious collector. The prices are diffidently on the high side so I would do some serious bargaining or look else where for one of these cool washers and dryers.
Parts pricing? I haven't found anything that struck me as outrages but lots of parts prices are high these days and some parts for the dryers are already NLA, so you may need a parts donor eventually.
The clutch/pulley is quite expensive for what it is, for example.
Neptune TLs are interesting machines. The TOL model FAV9800 is more rare, has onboard water heating and the same LCD control panel as the Neptune FL MAH7500.
However, they do not perform very well on certain kinds of loads -- small loads and lightweight fabrics, even a set of sheets. I recently ran a load of SEVENTEEN typical cotton and synthetic blend short-sleeve button-down shirts and a few other items. I figured surely that'd be a large enough load to tumble properly ... but it did not. The bundle of items simply sat there between the tumblers, wiggling a little. The items on bottom got a drubbing, the pieces toward the top got nothing. The shirt on top had a small dry spot as well. I watched for the entire medium soil level wash period and the load never flipped over even once, so I reset it for another wash and helped the load roll throughout the wash and rinses. The dry shirt would have been fully wet by end of the cycle after spin-sprays and rinses, but several of the items would not have gotten a good/proper washing with detergent.
A load of heavy items (towels, jeans) or mixed lightweight and heavy items tumbles quite nicely, though.
I'll admit it's an interesting concept, but probably would have worked better if the agitator discs had fins or baffles on them and it used more water for better turnover. Kind of like a impeller based machine...
Come to think of it, that would kind of make it like a Hoover Twin Tub with the side impeller..
Come to think of it, that would kind of make it like a Hoover Twin Tub with the side impeller..
MT NEPTUNE TL WASHER
I have never had any trouble getting a load to turn over in this machine, however there are a lot of different cycle choices that have varying amounts of water and agitation and it is more important in this machine than in most washers to use the correct cycle and watch the type and makeup of the load. The biggest faults of this machine are, sometimes severe tangling, this machine can keep up with and maybe out do a Frigidare Unimatic with a load of say 20 mens long sleeve dress shirts. The other major annoyance is its inability to balance a load quickly and get up to full spin speed [ much like far too many new FL washers these days ] but I find if you don't try to watch the machine and come back that it almost always does finish and does a good job extracting water.
The WP built Calypsos shared the need to sort and use the correct cycle for what was being washed, but it did not have and tangling or issues with balancing and spinning at full speed always.
When CRs tested this machine it out cleaned every TL & FL washer in the test report, one could argue that this may be the best cleaning washer ever built for home use. But like some other washers that clean very aggressively it dose so with more wear on clothing.
I have never had any trouble getting a load to turn over in this machine, however there are a lot of different cycle choices that have varying amounts of water and agitation and it is more important in this machine than in most washers to use the correct cycle and watch the type and makeup of the load. The biggest faults of this machine are, sometimes severe tangling, this machine can keep up with and maybe out do a Frigidare Unimatic with a load of say 20 mens long sleeve dress shirts. The other major annoyance is its inability to balance a load quickly and get up to full spin speed [ much like far too many new FL washers these days ] but I find if you don't try to watch the machine and come back that it almost always does finish and does a good job extracting water.
The WP built Calypsos shared the need to sort and use the correct cycle for what was being washed, but it did not have and tangling or issues with balancing and spinning at full speed always.
When CRs tested this machine it out cleaned every TL & FL washer in the test report, one could argue that this may be the best cleaning washer ever built for home use. But like some other washers that clean very aggressively it dose so with more wear on clothing.
John, of course I'm not as experienced as you and even after several years I have not used *all* of the various cycles ... but in my observation the Neppy TL has only two water levels, normal and a higher fill used on the Bulky cycle and the final rinse. I've run into the same issue of very lethargic or non-tumble with a single large bulky item (such as a queen-size down comforter) on the designated Bulky Items cycle, as well as loads of lightweight fabrics. I was *very* surprised that the problem occurred on the aformentioned load of seventeen shirts, a couple underwear, one boxer short, and two pairs of my grandmother's capri-type pants. I used the Normal/Wrinkle Control cycle (at Medium soil level). Which cycle would have been a better choice?
I've also had some items damaged. Detergent burn on a fiber-fill queen-size comforter ... powdered detergent from the dispenser caught in the folds didn't get washed out quickly enough probably due to lethargic tumbling. Two bath towels torn. A couple pairs of jeans with tears/rips at the crotch. A cotton/synthetic thermal blanket stretched and slightly torn. The torn items could have been related to when the clutch went bad at 5 months and it was tumbling during spin.&nbps; The thermal blanket was the last load run before the clutch problem became apparent via inability to balance for spin. The other loads spun OK so I can't confirm the clutch was the cause there.
I view the Neptune TL as another golden opportunity lost to Maytag's cost cutting design approach.
The main problem, as has been alluded to already, seems to be that the disks rotate in one direction only. Why Maytag decided not to have both rotate in one direction, pause, and then both reverse and rotate in the other direction, like a modern front loader, I don't know. But the alternating rotation surely could have lessened the tangling issue. I suspect the reason for the mono-directional rotation design was that to have the disks able to reverse direction might have involved more complex gearing and switching underneath.
The main problem, as has been alluded to already, seems to be that the disks rotate in one direction only. Why Maytag decided not to have both rotate in one direction, pause, and then both reverse and rotate in the other direction, like a modern front loader, I don't know. But the alternating rotation surely could have lessened the tangling issue. I suspect the reason for the mono-directional rotation design was that to have the disks able to reverse direction might have involved more complex gearing and switching underneath.
Saw one last week behind a local GE/Speed Queen dealer - I'll have to see if it is still around.
arbilab
Well-known member
Just from the photo of the design, doesn't look feasible. Along with cost cutting, Maytag in their dying days engaged in some common sense cutting.
That was always the thing that really bugged me about that design, the impellers would rotate in one direction, stop as if they were about to reverse direction and then continue moving in the same direction.
It was as if some engineer designed it to actually reverse, but the bean counters said, "No, you'll have to figure out a way to keep it cheap." ..
I recall seeing these machines back in the early 2000's and I remember wanting one, just due to that really unique washing action. I was in the market for a Euro-style 24" washer/dryer then so I didn't buy one.
That and the "new" Calypso machines...
It was as if some engineer designed it to actually reverse, but the bean counters said, "No, you'll have to figure out a way to keep it cheap." ..
I recall seeing these machines back in the early 2000's and I remember wanting one, just due to that really unique washing action. I was in the market for a Euro-style 24" washer/dryer then so I didn't buy one.
That and the "new" Calypso machines...
REVERSING TL NEPTUNEs
Yes it would have cost more to build and made the machine more costly and less reliable. But most of all it probably would not have reduced tangling much as the tangling is caused by the slanted design of the impellers. Like FL washers that have slanted tubs some tangling occurs in spite of the fact that they reverse [ MT Neptune FL, and big WP Duets ] both of these washers can do beautiful job tangling a load of 20-30 mens long sleeve dress shirts. This has always been my test load to determine if a washer or dryer will tangle. Even my older FLs and Combos that don't reverse do not tangle this load.
And I have never seen any advantage in a dryer that keeps stopping and reversing. Building a dryer that can run in both directions compromises good air flow design. If you look at the fastest best dryer ever built [ 29" WPs ] you can easily see why it would not dry efficiently if it stopped and reversed, as fans and drums are best designed to run more efficiently in one direction. Reverse tumbling may help an overloaded 24" dryer, but no 24" dryer ever built American or foreign can compare with the overall performance of full sized American dryers, they are the Gold Standard the world over for great performance and energy efficiency.
Yes it would have cost more to build and made the machine more costly and less reliable. But most of all it probably would not have reduced tangling much as the tangling is caused by the slanted design of the impellers. Like FL washers that have slanted tubs some tangling occurs in spite of the fact that they reverse [ MT Neptune FL, and big WP Duets ] both of these washers can do beautiful job tangling a load of 20-30 mens long sleeve dress shirts. This has always been my test load to determine if a washer or dryer will tangle. Even my older FLs and Combos that don't reverse do not tangle this load.
And I have never seen any advantage in a dryer that keeps stopping and reversing. Building a dryer that can run in both directions compromises good air flow design. If you look at the fastest best dryer ever built [ 29" WPs ] you can easily see why it would not dry efficiently if it stopped and reversed, as fans and drums are best designed to run more efficiently in one direction. Reverse tumbling may help an overloaded 24" dryer, but no 24" dryer ever built American or foreign can compare with the overall performance of full sized American dryers, they are the Gold Standard the world over for great performance and energy efficiency.
It would be a simple matter to make the fins in the Neptune TL non-directional, so that they would function as effectively in one direction as the other.
And tangling is not an issue for me in normal use of the Neptune 7500 FL machine. There is some intertwining of pants legs but nowhere near as extreme as the twisting into one long rope I recall from washing mixed loads in the late 50's GM Frigidaire I used in the mid-60's.
And tangling is not an issue for me in normal use of the Neptune 7500 FL machine. There is some intertwining of pants legs but nowhere near as extreme as the twisting into one long rope I recall from washing mixed loads in the late 50's GM Frigidaire I used in the mid-60's.
