Once COVID-19 season eases up, I will be the very proud father of THESE beauties!

[mjg0619]

Thanks to striking an unbeatable deal with my new friend Chris (SpiralDasher) and his post the other day over in Shopper's Square, I will be the extremely happy father of a BEAUTIFUL set of Maytag A712s in stunning almond once this damn COVID-19 business eases up enough to safely travel across the state. Those who know me know just how much I adore the products of The Maytag Co. of Newton, Iowa.

According to Chris, these machines were owned by an older couple who used them very gently and took impeccable care of them before he acquired the set. I think these pictures he sent me today speak for themselves in saying that these machines are close to mint! Just look at the dryer drum and white porcelain inside the washer! GORGEOUS!

My goal for the next 4 years or so is to put aside a good chunk of money to put towards buying my own home. When that time comes, this beautiful top of the line Maytag set will grace my laundry room with their presence for many years to come. In the meantime, they will live safe and sound in my parents' dry, heated basement. I may even put the dryer into service for my mother, since hers is in need of some repairs and I don't know when I'll have the time to do them.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Congratulations and best of luck to you!

I had a very similar pair back in the 80's. That was before my interest in washers really began. I only remember they worked very well.

I must say your whole collection in pic #4 is so interesting it almost overshadows the Maytags ;-)

Enjoy!

Jim

 

[mjg0619]

Chris's AMAZING collection, not mine! I haven't seen these machines in person yet, thanks to the COVID related shutdowns. Chris provided me with these photos

 

[justjunque]

Congratulations, Matt!

They look great! I like the range of options on the washer.
Also, thank you for posting the pictures. You answered my question about whether or not Maytag still used the turquoise agitator in this era.
I hope you enjoy them for many years to come!

Barry

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice mo-chines!

 

[bradfordwhite]

nice set.   Both machines have numerous cycle options.

 

Someone just threw out a dryer like that but the buttons were beige and it didn't have as many options.

 

Hopefully you'll be able to take possession of these soon.

 

[rp2813]

Nice score Matt! 

 

I hope the washer isn't a late model with the orbital transmission.  My A712 dates to May of 1987 and still has the long stroke Pitman wash action, which I prefer.  It was also owned by a retired couple and received light use.  It does produce a bit of a rumble upon reaching top spin speed, which may signal a pending damper pad issue, but otherwise it purrs in classic Maytag style.

 

Enjoy!

 

[maytag85]

I actually have a A810 set from 1981 but it currently isn’t in service at the moment since the A606 is in its place at the moment. I might sell my A810 set if I end up moving to Arizona or Idaho since they only have electric available in most homes in those states

 

[hippiedoll]

CONGRATULATIONS...

on getting such a nice set of Maytags! They look to be in amazing condition!

2 questions about the washer:
First,
It has a lot of options that seem to match up with the center-dial 806 options. Would this be like a modernized 806 washer?
And what would a higher in the lineup washer have that this washer doesn't have?
Maybe a 2nd rinse option?

And second,
Is it just me, or does this agitator look slightly narrower than the center-dial agitators?
And would that mean that this is a washer with the shorter/faster stroke?

Again CONGRATULATIONS on such a nice set! I can't wait until you finally get them home and get to play with them!

Doing the HAPPY DANCE for you on this side of the computer...
WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!
)

 

[eurekastar]

I've always wondered why Maytag insisted on hinging their dryers on the left for so many years.  Then I started thinking about my own family history.  For years, we only had a washing machine, which sat in the garage.  The plumbing was in a corner, close to the outside wall.  When we got a clothes dryer while I was in high school (maybe 1976), my Dad had an electrician run a 220 outlet to the left of the washer.  Then he cut the hole for the vent himself.  Maybe that was the scenario that Maytag always had in mind by hinging on the left -- dryers for most homes came later and it had to sit to the left of the washer.  Just a guess.

 

 

 

[bradfordwhite]

What if your house had been built with a reverse floor plan?

 

No, it was just the luxury of MT , and other manufacturers like GE, to be able to not have to make a simple thing like a reversible dryer door. 

 

It was the same with refrigerators which required a specific order for the side you would prefer to have door hinge on.  This was until approx. the mid 70s.   And heaven forbid you should move to another address with your frig.  You couldn't reverse the swing.   

 

It just took the manufacturers another 15 to 20 years and increased competition to realize the same issue existed with other appliances with swinging doors before they started making easy to reverse dryer doors.

 

[mjg0619]

Barry, thank you! I hope to be able to enjoy these machines sooner rather than later. Yes, gotta love the classic turquoise PowerFin agitator!

Kenny, aren't they just stunning?! Like a time travel trip back to 1985!

Keith, I love how flexible the options are on both. Shame someone decided to pitch that dryer. Fingers crossed things ease up enough to make a trip soon.

Ralph, it does indeed have the long stroke transmission! My daily driver is an early 90s middle of the line 2 speed Maytag with the orbital. It's still a good washer, but it's just not the same!

Christine, I'm not positive on this one, but I don't think there was a higher model than this at the time. Perhaps someone could weigh in with a brochure photo? Definitely a very high end machine though, so I would definitely call it a modernized 806. As stated above, this washer has the same transmission as the center dial machines, so I'm not sure about your agitator question.

Bill, the left swinging dryer door is going to be interesting to deal with, for sure....never had a machine with a left swing that wasn't reversible before!

Keith again, thank you for the insight on how reversible appliance doors came to be! Very interesting. Always nice to learn something new.

 

[maytag85]

I have always wondered why Maytag always had their doors hinged to the left, and the newer SOH dryers can be a little awkward trying to put clothes in when you are loading the dryer if your washer is on the left. For some reason it is easier to load my DG306 HOH since the door is smaller and more square compared the the rectangular doors on the SOH dryers with the door hinged to the left

 

[peteski50]

CONGRATULATIONS

On this really nice set Best Of Luck!

 

[mjg0619]

Can anybody date these from the serial numbers? I have a hunch that they're from somewhere around 1987.

The A712 machines pictured in the 1984 brochure don't say 'Heavy Duty' on the control panel, but the sets in the 1987 brochure do.

In case the photos Chris sent me aren't clear enough, they say:

Washer: Model LA712, Series 02, Serial 022964 RG

Dryer: Model LDE712, Series 02, Serial 026979 RE

 

[gyrafoam]

Congratulations! Very nice looking set!

 

[repairguy]

Washer was manufactured April 1986

Dryer was manufactured March 1986

Congrats on your new toys!