Photo of Early A806 *NON-PP* Timer Dial?

[Chetlaham]

Does anyone know what the cycle sequence and timing was like? Dan mentioned that these have a 45 second advance timer. Did these washers drain and spin after pre-wash or the soak period? Did they advance automatically into soak from prewash or from soak to the normal cycle? How long was the soak period?

 

 

I really like the concept of having a prewash and presoak before the main wash, it basically allows you pre-treat stains and hard soils automatically. 

 

One of my favorite soak cycles is the Maytag A407, 21 minutes of soaking with 6 minutes of agitation dispersed through out.      

 

[DADoES]

 
The full automatic sequence is Pre-Wash for the selected time, spin, refill, Soak period, proceed through the Regular cycle with full wash time.  Usage instructions direct the user to add powder or liquid detergent to the basket for the pre-wash and liquid detergent to the softener dispenser for the soak/main wash.  Automatic dispensing of softener without additional attention isn't possible.  Semi-automatic can be had if the user returns to add softener* after the pre-wash spin - before the main wash spin.

Starting at the Soak, of course, eliminates the Pre-Wash and associated spin ... and allows normal hands-off dispensing of softener.

I don't know the duration of the Soak period, perhaps someone else will answer on that point ... or it can be determined/inferred by comparing the arc-span of the Soak period to the wash time.

*The softener dispenser ideally should be rinsed to any clear liquid detergent residue.

 

[Chetlaham]

Thanks, not half bad.

 

 

I like that you can soak and go directly into the main wash without draining and spinning the water out. Personally I would like to see a pre soak cycle such as fill, wash 4 minutes, soak 8 minutes, wash 2 minutes, soak 8 minutes, wash 2 minutes, soak 8 minutes, main wash. That way you don't loose your detergents and soak additives. Extra rinse as needed to handle all the detergent and soil.

 

 

I remember Whirlpool would do a half tub drain instead of a full drain between pre-wash and wash.  

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>I remember Whirlpool would do a half tub drain instead of a full drain between pre-wash and wash.</blockquote> That's only on the true Super Wash option available on some belt-drive (on both Normal and Perm Press) and direct-drive models (including KitchenAid, called it Extra Wash).

There were several variations of a stand-alone Soak or Soak/Pre-Wash cycle.

This is the timer on the KitchenAid 670B (1994) that my mother had.  It has both a separate Soak/Prewash (which ends in drain & spin) and Extra Wash (Super Wash with partial drain).  There were a lot of increments crammed into that timer.  My 1991 KitchenAid also has a stand-alone Pre-Wash/drain/spin and Extra Wash (Super Wash).

Pic 2, I have a 1999 Kenmore with separate stand-alone Prewash/drain/spin and Soak that agitates 4 (or 2) mins then stops leaving the tub filled for a soak for however long the user wishes (reset to a spin position when ready, then run a full cycle of choice).  I believe a few lower-end belt-drives in the 1960s and maybe into the early 70s had a Super Soak which did that in lieu of a Super Wash.

 

[Chetlaham]

I wish this forum could give out awards like reddit could in its free speech days. Reply #22 is worth one.

 

I've always been fascinated by all the offerings and variants Whirlpool had. IIRC, that Kenmore you pictured has the 16 min mark built into the wash which I prefer actually. Some versions of the Kenmores had an options knob which let the timer advance from soak into pre-wash and into wash if the user desired. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do agree with you though. As beautiful as that Kitchen-Aid is, that is just to many cycles and increments rolled into one drum. Hence why I like the Maytag A407 and the washer pictured in this thread so much. An ideal timer for me is a relatively fast one that either continuously advances 360* in 65 minutes or with 48 incremental advancements. Roughly 30 minutes allocated to soak and 30 minutes to the main wash/rinse sequence. The rest like temps, speeds, Permanent Press, ect via separate knobs. Cleaner looking and less that can go wrong.  

 

 

[DADoES]

 
The Kenmore 90 I have has One Rinse and 2nd Rinse on the options knob, no Prewash Only and Soak Only choices.

 

[Chetlaham]

This is how I envision my perfect version of the Kenmore 90. Don't kink shame now  

 

Single cycle timer with no extra frills, pre-soak, prewash and main wash. Everything else is determined by the knobs. 

 

 

 

 

 

[combo52]

Control panel design post 25

That doesn’t give the user a bit of useful information. I guess this is why you’re not designing appliances, lol.

Consumers years ago voted with their pocketbook and they want to know what the machine is doing and make their own choices. This type of useless labeling went out with the Maytag 906 and other pre-program machines that gave you no information on the machine as to what it would actually do.

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

As I said, don't kink shame

 

People can have their own preference.

[this post was last edited: 4/5/2025-14:42]

 

[maytag85]

As a Maytag fanatic, I wouldn’t want to use a Maytag 906 on a daily basis since it’s difficult to tell what’s going on, despite knowing the ins and outs of the cycles and functions. The only pre-programmed machine I used for a brief time was my ‘63 Whirlpool Mark XII, thankfully it had the cycles printed out behind the timer dial, instructions on the lid to show what portion of the cycle it was in or what it was doing. The only gripe I had was you couldn’t select the wash or rinse temperatures, but at least Whirlpool programmed everything correctly, including stepping down the agitation speed on the Wash N Wear/Permanent Press cycle.

If I were to make a one cycle, BOL machine, would have a partial pre-wash cycle similar to the Super Wash cycle, would be followed by the main wash, in the last 6 minutes it would step down to gentle agitation, would then shift into a fast or normal spin, rinse cycle would be gentle speed, final spin Luke be fast/normal. I almost never use the slow spin on my Maytag 806 hence why I’d program a machine like that.

If I wanted to make it even simpler, would just make the agitation slower, but the spin wouldn’t be affected. That’s what I did to my Whirlpool 4 years ago (when I was putting it back together, working out bugs) since I just put a larger pulley on. Difficult to tell what the OPM’s are, but seems to look similar, if not be the same as a ‘65 and up Maytag.

 

[Marky_Mark]

What do you guys think of this:

I've noticed that my A806 always does a fast spin on the PP cycle regardless of whether you select fast or slow spin. But on the regular cycle you can choose the spin speed.

I don't know if this is because someone has changed something or if there is a fault or if it was designed this way.

 

[bpetersxx]

yes the spin on PP is fast

It does this on my harvest gold 806 and on my 606s

cannot change the speed it is programmed into the timer that way

Is it because knits have to be spun fast to get the water out

and a cache of dials to choose from

 

[maytag85]

Reply #29

Hi Mark, I have a Maytag A806 which does the same thing. Believe that’s how they came from the factory, since it’s a shorter spin, is about equivalent to a slower spin speed.

 

[Chetlaham]

The spin speed is directly controlled by the timer in the permanent press cycle. Contact two upper (3S) sends power to the speed selector switch in the normal cycle, however during the permanent press cool down, post wash permanent press spin and post rinse permanent press spin lower contact (32) sends power directly to the motor's high speed winding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The times are very short, two and three minutes respectively. My guess is that Maytag didn't/couldn't add extra increments to the timer to account for the lowered speed, and technically they would need to add an over-ride contact anyway to prevent a user from inadvertently washing their wrinkle frees on a long high speed spin, so why not settle on what technically works? 

 

 

Maytag washers were so gentle in general that IMO a 2 speed motor was just over-kill. Only thing I would have done differently was add a 20 minute+ wash like GE did to account for heavy soils. 

 

[Marky_Mark]

Thanks for the explanations and wiring diagram. Good to know that my machine is working as intended.

I can't imagine that Maytag would remove the ability to choose a slow spin on PP based on any fabric care considerations. Quite the opposite in fact.

I would tend to think along the lines of what Chet said. Perhaps Maytag was concerned that if the user chose a slow spin, it could result in the tub not being fully drained (and fabric softener not being spun out prior to the rinse) in some circumstances or not being sufficiently drained during the cooldown. With no capacity for additional increments or a neutral drain system (with the motor always running at high speed during neutral drain), perhaps they hardwired it for a fast spin to achieve the required drain during the allotted time period. Just my guess anyway.

 

[combo52]

Maytag dependable care washers fast spin on permanent press

Not sure what the thinking was, but it was stupid when every other manufacturer used a slow spin for permanent press, permanent press items were often lined dried as well, so you didn’t need wrinkles pressed into them. I guess I’m surprised they didn’t use a warm rinse on permanent press, lol.

I don’t think Maytag had much in the way of laundry, testing and engineering to make a decision like this. It was like their fabric Matic washers. You take the one washing machine on the market with the most damaging agitation, and then you make a delicate cycle where you go at full speed intermittently. It really doesn’t give the same effect as having a proper low speed motor. They were just saving a few cents by not putting a decent two speed motor in the washer.

But in the end, the high-speed spin didn’t make much difference because most Americans put their stuff in the dryer and it doesn’t make that much difference at the end, and they finally saw the light and changed the agitation because of complaints of clothing damage they knew all along they had problems when I worked for Maytag. They used to talk about it, but never would put it in. Let’s talk service, as they didn’t want any written proof out there that the competitors could use. Because of the agitation damage they went to 10 minute maximum wash periods, we used to get complaints all the time for people that we sold them to that wish they had a 14 or 15 minute wash because the machines didn’t work as well as they’re old Kenmore whirlpool Norge, whatever They had before.

John L

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

Not sure what the thinking is

Yet confidently make statements like this "but it was stupid when"

 

 

Adding increments to timers requires significant re-engineering of every aspect of the timer. Each new degree requires adding either shorter "dummy" advancements to preserve more complex ones or shortening all the increments in general which greatly increases the probability of miscoordination, not catching, ect while effecting high current break and making. Stall out, contact burn ups, motor burn outs, ect all drastically increase in probably of occurring the further you go from a simple 7.5 degree 48 increment timer. Think of Speed Queens AWN542 as one example.

 

Less is more.

 

 

Maytag agitators and wash action was not the roughest, far from it. They made the best delicate fabric and casuals washer ever conceived. Key was in not overloading. The 1 speed motor concept worked very well, as did the shortened PP spin cycle. 

 

Stop ripping on these beautiful, beautiful washers that gave the best fabric care in the world decade after decade. Sorry that you can't come to terms with Whirlpool losing in those categories.

 

   

 

[DADoES]

 
I posted at least once in the past, maybe a couple times, about a long-time family friend who told me about having bought a Maytag ("I needed a new washer and decided I'm gonna get a Maytag") and returned it because it twisted and mangled her knit tops and sweaters.  Previous washers that I recall were a mid 60s GE FilterFlo and a 1970s Whirlpool.  She had a Frigidaire frontloader pair the last time I saw her before she moved to Bowie/Nocona area.

 

[maytag85]

Anyone who has anything damaged in a Maytag either didn’t load the machine properly or use the correct cycles, or simply were too cheap to buy a Maytag 806 with every cycle imaginable. I almost always use the gentle wash with a fast spin combination for lightly soiled items and smaller loads on my Maytag 806, never had anything damaged or show signs of excessive wear. Been using Maytags for 9 years and never had anything damaged, many others have been using Maytags for decades as well and never had anything damaged.

 

[Chetlaham]

Sean, weren't Maytags of the 70s and 80s the gentlest washers ever made?

 

 

I think the issues people had is overloading. Maytags if loaded forcibly enough would bog down the motor or stall out completely. Some would call this a design flaw, I call this aggressive mis-use.  

 

 

My honest opinion is that if Maytag included a longer wash time customer satisfaction would have increased.

 

In fact I'd go on a limb and say a gentler, yet longer wash time is better in a top load washer. It lets detergent dissolve, it lets enzymes work and it loosens heavy soil. I have for a while now envisioned heavy/normal/delicate being built into the dial with washes and soaks.