Nice TOL Maytag A712 Matching Set

[DigAPony]

Really nice looking Maytag A712 washer/dryer pair on Craigslist, price is reasonable too.

I would grab them but have too many projects going on already, yet I'd hate to see them dumped. I already missed another A712 that got sold hours before I could get there, probably to someone who just needed a cheap washer no doubt.

They probably underestimated how heavy these washers are and beat the heck out of it during the move...

http://allentown.craigslist.org/app/3662293169.html

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[qsd-dan]

That dryer is the rare DE-713 model.

 

[mrb627]

Nice

Those look to be in great condition.

Malcolm

 

[DigAPony]

If no one else is interested should I try to grab these for the sake of posterity? Its about a 1 hr 20 minute drive.
Or maybe "Yogitunes" will be out that way?

 

[appnut]

That dryer is the rare DE-713 model

What's the difference between a DE712 and DE713?

 

[mtn1584]

Do those Maytags have the slow agitation, or the short fast stroke agitation, they look great.
Mike

 

[dnastrau]

Tempting...

Nice...

I saw these on CL the other day. If I needed a daily driver set I'd be all over them especially since they are not too far from me. Too bad the dryer isn't gas. I hope someone here gets them.

 

[combo52]

A712 MT Washer

Yes it has the older slow long stroke poor turnover agitation. I would never want to use one of these washers unless you were at least going to install the 50 cycle motor pulley and longer belts.

 

The electric dryer can be converted fairly easily to gas operation if you just part out any similar style MT gas dryer, any dryer of this age needs to be taken apart and serviced anyway if you actually intend to actually use it.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Sorry, John, but I must differ. The long stroke transmission model Maytags do a very good job of washing, IMHO. I've used one for a great number of years and got fantastic results but you do have to make sure it's loaded properly. You do not have to have a washer that thrashes the load around like some kind of clothing blender to get good results. If anything, I've found less clothing damage with a helical transmission.

This 712 set will make a highly reliable, solidly built, well cleaning set with a very nice set of options and features that not to many machines had.

I DO whole heatedly agree with you that these machines should get a good PM servicing before being put into regular service but that shouldn't be too serious and/or expensive if done correctly.

RCD

 

[qsd-dan]

Anybody who fails to get good roll over and clean clothes out of a properly functioning long stroke Maytag, has no business in operating a washing machine. They certainly have no business in repairing them.

 

[brisnat81]

If thats the TOL machine, how come there is no wool/Delicate cycle?

I realise that the speeds can be changed independantly, but surely thee cottons cycle has long spins and the Permenant press cycle would have a cool down.

Does selecting slow/slow change the behaviour of the Permenent press cycle?

Cheers

Nathan

 

[mayfan69]

Poor turnover???

Sorry John, I have to agree with both Andrew and Dan here. Of the Maytags and Wilkins Servis machines i have (which have the same long stroke transmission), I've had great turnover.

BUT, i do agree it all depends on how the machine is loaded and if stuffed full of clothes, of course turnover is going to suffer.

I had a WP direct drive for a time and hated it....talk about shredding clothes!

Leon

 

[mtn1584]

I prefer the slower agitation........................

when properly loaded, the wash will come out fine. I used to think that stuffing the machine such as a DD Kenmore/Whirlpool with that fast chunka chunka chunka agitation was great, until my clothes started to rip. I own a SQ now, and I much prefer traditional agitation to the fast DD agitaion of the WP line of washers.
Mike

 

[combo52]

A712 MT Washer

Yes this washer will wash clothing very well if you BABY IT and keep maximum loads of many types of clothing in the 5-6 pound range. But using over 40 gallons of water to wash just a set of king sized sheets or 6 pairs of blue jeans [ and this washer will usually not even pull this light load under water for the brief rinse even once ] is just not a great performing washer. The best performing of the traditional MT washers are the mid 90s and later Helical Drive washers with the load sensor agitator, this agitator solved the poor turnover and excessive clothing wear and occasional damage problems, and again MT did these changes on their own, they knew that the original design was inferior.

 

The matching dryer is also just a fair performer, yes they do dry clothing, but keep in mind that Maytag completely scrapped this design years before they were bought out. The later design dried clothing faster and did not have the air-flow problems and they mostly solved the problem of blower wheels stripping loose on the motor shaft.

 

[repair-man]

I liked this series of dryers. I had both the original (1977-1997) version of a DG410 and later a MDG9606. I got better results from the first. The redesign models ran noisier and had vibration problems. That being said I would still vote the Whirlpool 29" machines as the best design ever.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Baby it?

John, let me assure you that I don't 'baby' my machines. Either they cut it or they cut out. Loosely loaded to the top row of holes in the spin tub for a maximum load with everything from undies to blankets run thru them and I got good results every time. Sure, were there machines that had bigger capacity or faster spin or what have you? Yes. But, the Maytag long strokes were ( and still are) a very capable and effective washer.

By the way, changing the design of something doesn't just mean that it was ineffective, inferior or needed changing. The change to the orbital transmission just might have had something to do with cost, etc. the orbital was a cheaper transmission to make and assemble. I've seen more stripped out nylon gearing in a orbital than failed gearing in a older Pittman. Maytag erred quite a few times in the name of 'cheaper'. Take the Herrin platform washers you like to bash for example...

The SOH dryers I've used are also good performers. Granted, the later generation blower wheels were better when changed to threaded mounting BUT the stripped out blowers you speak of usually failed after quite a few years if service. I've ended up essentially rebuilding a Whirlpool dryer for crappy rollers and idler pulleys after less years (or months in some cases...) than a SOH Maytag. Oh yeah, by the way, when's the last time you had to repaint the top of a Maytag dryer because all the epoxy paint has worn off or scratched off?

RCD

[this post was last edited: 3/14/2013-15:39]

 

[DigAPony]

Glad to see the Maytag Helical/SOH so well defended here.

I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I was ignorant and wasting time with Maytags and instead should be out looking for a DD Whirlpool.