old maytag dishwashers

[bpetersxx]

Does anybody have pictures and advice on vintage maytag dw

My junk sears TOL is going out and would like to
replace it with a vintage maytag

Rows of pushbuttons are preferred

 

[gregm]

I know some people have mixed reviews on these machines and maybe your looking for an "older" one but I have a '75 portable, I think its a great machine, noisy, but a great machine, I just replaced the whole "sump/impeller" assembly and the belt. Your suppose to "lightly" grease the belt so that it slips just a bit when the reversible motor kicks in.

 

[gansky1]

I found a 1971 model a couple of weeks ago at a sale. This is a little different from the Maytag belt-driven design of later years (began in 1975) as it has a separate pump & motor (direct-drive) in the back of the machine with a deep sump & filter assembly. This model is a pressure fill, not timed as all later models were. There is no fan-forced drying here, convection only using the heating element. It washes beautifully and is MUCH quieter, much to my surprise, than the later, belt-drive models.

I would also love to find one of the rapid-advance timer models (all push button control) machines.

 

[gansky1]

Here is the lower tank and sump area. The Micro-Fine filter (stainless steel!) is on the left side, the pressure switch on the right.

 

[gansky1]

Ready to wash!!

Here is the famous Maytag "upside down" racking. It makes a lot of sense in some ways and seems to utilize the capacity very well. Never a glass missed in this machine!!

 

[appnut]

Ahh a Maytag family, right in front of the 906's. Greg, your timer dial is more what I was familiar with on these units than GregM's.

 

[bpetersxx]

adding to the fray this is the one I was considering

 

[lightedcontrols]

WU901

By far the best dishwasher of this vintage is the WU901. It was the top of the line Maytag! I have one on loan to a friend in Florida. I was belt drive so if the pump leaked, it wouldn't short out the motor. The belts are still available too. Was a great washing system. Plates on the top and glassware, pots, pans, and anything else on the bottom. Only drawbacks to the machine was that they were a little noisy and that wash tower. Mark Lightedcontrols

 

[JerseyMike]

Mark (Lightedcontrols) mentioned "Plates on the top and glassware, pots, pans, and anything else on the bottom." That was one of my favorite things about those old Maytags! As far as I know, Maytag was the only company that offered that design.

(They made a top loading portable model too. You don't see very many of those. So they must be VERY rare!)

Mike

 

[appnut]

Pete, why didn't you do more than just consider that all-button rare model?

 

[maytagbear]

Oh, Memories!

Our first dishwasher was a WC400 from 1973. Lasted 20 years with only minor repairs.

I listened to the service man, and we got a new one in '94. (Not a huge mistake, but a mistake. By then, Maytag had gone to a plastic tank, and fake woodgrain top).

I loved that machine, and the racking.

If I could find a WC400 nearby, in running condition, I would love it. When it shows up, it will show up.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[bpetersxx]

The all pushbutton model is one of the models I can choose from as the Maytag app dealer has about 6 models to choose from

Bad news is some of the models are newer models and have been parted out to fix other DW

 

[re563]

I had one of those 3 button Maytags years ago when I lived in PA. I LOVED IT. It held everything and cleaned exceptionaly well. Sure wish Maytag would bring back that reverse racking on their new tall tub machines

 

[partscounterman]

Loved my Maytag DW too!

I had a belt drive WC401 just like the one pictured. It was super simple to repair and maintain. It was a little noisy, but it did a job! My only gripes were that it did not heat its own water (you had to go to the all-pushbutton built in for that) and I thought that silverware would have fared out better in the bottom rack. Also, a little longer main wash cycle would have made the old Maytag belt drive on equal footing with any machine made today. I was very happy with mine. Never a dirty glass thats for sure!

 

[gansky1]

The 401 or "x01" series was the first of the belt driven design. I'm not sure about that model you had, but the WC-400 I have does energize the heater during the main wash and final rinses. The all-button models did have a sani-rinse option which would be nice...

 

[kenmore1978]

Speaking of Silverware...

Having had a chance to live with the flatware-in-door idea of Whirlpool, I can say now that I really prefer the traditional place somewherein the lower rack. I find that bits of food get stuck between the basket and the door, and I have to be careful not to put bowls and other large items at the front of the lower rack in order not to block the spray to the flatware. Other things I miss that the '78 Sears machine had:

cycle progression lights
time countdown
ability to modify wash times
Pots & Pans cycle had more water changes

In comparing cycles Ifound that equivalency was:

Sears Whirlpool
Water Miser Normal rinse,wash,rinse,rinse
Normal Heavy pre-wash,rinse,main wash,rinse,rinse

What the WP DOES have that's better is that Rinse & Hold has 2 rinses to the Sears 1

I wonder why Maytag did such a radical engineering change so soon after introducing their line of dishwashers.

The center tower thing is almost inescapeble. And even on my Sears machine, sometimes the arm that was bolted to the back of the tub to support the upper wash arm got in the way. The best system I've seen so far for supplying the upper spray arm is the later KA machines solution.

 

[kenmore1978]

Failing KM DW

So is the failing KM machine a D & M, GE, or WP built one?

 

[bpetersxx]

I am not sure but we got it in 1995

model # 665.15921691

electronic model

 

[partscounterman]

whirlpool built kenmore

665 in the model number means its built by whirlpool

 

[alr2903]

question? about D&M

What happened to D&M, bankrupt or swallowed up by WCI? We had 2 D&M designed kenmores when I was growing up. The one thing i remember is the soft food disposer tended to chew food into bits that would plug up the small holes in the upper wash arm. other than that, they did a great job. both of ours had the square top rack, we never had the rotorack. Thanks alr2903

 

[kenmore1978]

D & M

Swallowed up by WCI

 

[kenmore1978]

1995 KM(WP) DW

1995 and it's failing already? What's going wrong? Especially since WP makes good stuff. Or at least somewhat better stuff than other companies (take THAT, WCI!)

 

[bpetersxx]

The drain impeller shaft is cracked

I am going to insult sears whirlpool but they tightened the nut that holds the impellers WAY too tight as I as has to hold the wash impeller with water pump pliers and unscrew the nut with my fathers tru-test rachet wrench.

They also put the top cover of the ultra wash module on backwards and it distorted as I fastened it down.

 

[re563]

I Too currently have a whirlpool with the silverware basket in the door. It's about 6 yrs old and came with the house when I bought it last december. I'M OVER IT. You have to start off by thinking to yourself as you open the door to remember to take the basket out first before pulling out the racks. I has always thought I wanted one of these as I thought it was a very clever design, NOT ANY MORE.

 

[gansky1]

I used to think the same way about the In-The-Door silverware basket, but since finding a >2 year old WP tall-tub a couple of weeks ago, I've softened my judgements. I've had no trouble with cleaning but will admit that a little more pre-planning or thought is required for loading as the bottom rack will cover the basket when pulled out. Many of the later models have small hooks on the back of the basket so it can be hung anywhere for loading and/or washing. I've known many with WP dishwashers and the In-The-Door basket that have loved it, it does add space to the lower rack that would otherwise be lost to the silverware. The other nice thing is that it keeps the knives and fork tines from stabbing and jabbing while loading and unloading the dishes...

 

[coldspot66]

I have always thought the W/P silverware in the door was a clever idea. You do have to be careful how you load, but Greg, you're right. With the "anyware" basket I used to hang it on the front of the rack and it's convenient when loading. Next best thing is the Elite splitable basket. It has 2 small baskets and one larger, and I can use as many as needed and put them in different places in the rack. Also between loads i put the upper rack in the lower postion and place the bigger single basket in the upper rack, and voila; almost as convenient as in the door. You just open the door and the basket is right in the top rack.

 

[kenmore1978]

door basket dis-advantages

The one thing I DO like about the door basket is the ability to just crack the door and drop in stray silverware that I find lying around the kitchen without having to pull out a rack and that loading is even. Silverware basket in Sears machine was lengthwise along right side of bottom rack and household members would tend to drop silverware in the front part of basket, not wanting to pull out the rack to place items further back in basket. I'd have to even out the silverware along the length of the basket before I ran it, and other people wouldn't do that if they ran it, leading to not clean flatware. Based on all the designs I've seen, the one I like best is lengthwise along the front of the bottom rack. Gives the aforementioned "drop-in" convenience, not sensitive to loading of items in lower rack, doesn't catch debris, let's the water jets come up THROUGH the basket intead of AGAINST it (if the concave side of a spoon is facing the door it doesn't get washed well in door rack), and more even random loading by unknowledeable household members

 

[kenmore1978]

Stabbing & jabbing

"The other nice thing is that it keeps the knives and fork tines from stabbing and jabbing while loading and unloading the dishes..."

I have yet to read any DW instructions that don't warn you to load sharp things like knives and forks downward

 

[chachp]

My sister had an older Whirlpool model with the In Door Silverware basket. She didn't mind it so much because she was used to it. I didn't like it when I visited and did dishes for her. I hated the fact that the lower rack covered the silverware basket and it seemed like such a pain to continually push it in and out to load the silverware. It would have been nice if you could have hung it somewhere else or even put it on the counter while you were loading. As I recall the bottom was not flat so it had to stay in the door while loading. It sounds like the newer models allow you to be a little more flexible.

I am a Kitchen Aid lover from way back, and always loved the basket that went along the front of the lower rack. It was always easy to open the door and toss in a piece of silverware. I made a mistake in this condo when I purchased a Bosch dishwasher. It does a great job washing and it is probably the quietest dishwasher I have ever had, but I really don't like the lower rack and the fact that the silverware basket is in the middle of the lower rack and extends half way back the rack. It takes up a lot of room and really gets in the way of some of my bigger pans and bowls. My instinct was to purchase another Kitchen Aid, but I went with the Bosch because I liked the look. I won't do that again.

 

[appnut]

cachp, what's your Bosch Model #, do you have a splitable silverware basket?