New to Us Beautiful Maytag LA612 and LDE412 Manuals Needed!

[88gibson]

Hello,

I am a new member to your forum, and I would like to show off a few of our vintage Maytags. My wife and I bought these gently used machines for only $200! The washer had a nasty squeak, which the owner was not very candid about. After buying a new drain pump, installing some new belts, the washer purrs like a kitten. I disassembled the dryer and gave her a good clean out. The photos were taken before we bought them. The machines were cleaned and waxed, and the gunk was removed from the front of the dryer. After years of battling with a moldy LG front loader, the Maytags are a welcome addition to our household. My wife and I were hoping that somebody on this forum has a copy of the owners manuals for both machines ( most importantly the washer). We are using standard Tide ( non He), and although we adhere to the detergent directions, sometimes I feel as if the machine gets too much detergent. I have seen some suds left over on a few loads ( especially on gentle spin out). Is there a magic formula we are missing? The clothes come out pretty wet on delicate cycle, because of the slower spin cycle. Do you guys use less water during delicate cycles? Also, does the fabric softener dispenser work on delicate cycle, or does it not dispense due to the slower spin cycle?

 

[rp2813]

Those are beautiful machines and offer enough customizing options to handle most anything you throw in them.  You've opted for the best vintage alternative to your modern front load machines, as your Maytags were/are the most efficient top loaders of their period.

 

The Ephemera site doesn't have any Maytag automatic manuals later than 1976 for downloading.  If no one comes forward with manuals here, you should check ebay periodically and see if a set shows up there.

 

[88gibson]

Thank you, I have always appreciated older things. I also reconditioned a classic insinkerator cl700 dishwasher. I will post that machine in another thread. Simple and durable. Something that gets the job done well, and I can work on!

 

[kenmore71]

My wife and I were hoping that somebody on this forum has a copy of the owners manuals for both machines ( most importantly the washer).

>I have the owner's manual for the D412. I also have the owner's manual for the A312 washer which is identical in terms of features and cycles, it just has the 16 gallon tub instead of the 19 gallon tub.

Do you guys use less water during delicate cycles?

>No. Pump-out is a little bit slower with the motor speed being lower, but that is part of the point of the delicate cycle that clothes get spun for less time. Also, you should know that the final spin on the PP cycle is 3 minutes and the final spin on the Reg. Cycle is 5 minutes. In my experience, most Mayatgs will pump out the full tub of water in about 1:30 on normal speed and in about 2:00 on low speed. So that means that clothes only spin about 1 minute once the tub is empty on PP.

Also, does the fabric softener dispenser work on delicate cycle, or does it not dispense due to the slower spin cycle?

>It work just fine on Delicate. 400-ish rpm vs. 600 rpm isn't enough of a difference for it to not work

 

[rp2813]

I'm looking forward to your ISE pix.  I have two Classic Supreme models, a CLSUP-4 and a CLSUP-5.  They are the same machine, but I presume they're from different production runs.

 

Re:  Your Maytags, you'll be fine with a combination of common sense and label information on items to be laundered.  The only thing I remember from the instructions on the center dial pair we had was the advice regarding tub/drum capacities, stating "A washer load is a dryer load."

 

[db130]

Congrats, I recently picked up an A512 as well. It is similar to yours but with the 1-speed motor.

I've been using HE detergent because I have quite a bit left from my Kenmore front loader days.

 

[oldskool]

Super find

Congratulations!  They look to be in excellent condition.  

 

I had the same dryer but in gas and similar washer for years.  Dried well, quietly and did not "ball up" linens nearly as often as others I've used. Especially liked the soak cycle that preceeded the wash cycle - very effective.  

 

I wish you many happy years with your new machines!

 

John

 

 

 

[whirlcool]

Just don't overload them or the wash rollover action will stop. We had to constantly watch out for this when we had a set of similar Maytag machines.

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice set!

 

[nmassman44]

Gorgeous machines you have! I gotta ask...where did you get those? I am in Lynn as well!

 

[88gibson]

Thank You Everyone! Kenmore71, I will send you an e-mail tonight, for I will take you up on your offer. As far as where I got these machines, I got them from Cranston Rhode Island (craigslist). Here is an outside picture of my Insinkerator. The control panel was purchased through an out of state craigslist transaction, for the original one was in really rough shape. I searched the internet high and low for a Cl700 for sale. I found an ad for a whole CL700 for cheap. The lady had no bites, so I offered to buy just the faceplate, with the condition that I would send her my old one. She then donated her machine to charity. She got some money for the machine, someone got to use it, and she got a tax write off. Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner! I bought a fresh tub gasket, and a NOS top pump assembly (the filter screen was torn up on mine). The racks were taken from another Kitchenaid that were in super nice condition. I found a NOS white panel kit to replace the god awful plywood, that the original owner crammed into the door, and painted. I served the old girl a big cup of "shut the... you know what up", by insulating it with aluminum backed asphalt. This is the same stuff that dynamat is made of, but dirt cheap from Lowes. They sell it in rolls. I also used the insulation that came with the new piece of junk it replaced. Yes, imagine a one year old, GE, piece of garbage. Sorry no inside picture (it was filled with dirty dishes). Dig the Radarange