POD 12/04/2024

[rinso]

When I was a teen, my folks had a 1962 HOH electric dryer with the electronic drying sensor, along with the matching washer. It wasn't very fast as a load of towels would take about 75 minutes and its drum capacity was quite small. However, it was ultra quiet (maybe due to the intake air filter pad on the back panel) and the dryness accuracy was excellent, even with small or mixed loads. It lasted 15 years with no repairs. The matching washer was quite a lemon with defective pushbutton switches, a motor that didn't make it to its 7th birthday, and a bleach dispenser that tended to overflow on the spin cycle and leak onto the floor.

 

[maytag85]

My Maytag DE806 franken dryer (basically a DE407 with the 806 console, the fluorescent light is connected to where the neon pilot light would be), not extremely fast, but is quiet with the older Westinghouse inside, the GE motor I had in it was a bit grumbly, despite being oiled thoroughly.

Recently did a bit of tuning-up to it, installed a L155-10 thermostat for the high limit, worked but the heat would shut off too soon. Since I installed a L160-20 thermostat, much, much faster. Was even faster with a L180-40 thermostat since the heat would stay on for a good 10 minutes with a large load of towels, but the front of the cabinet got a bit warm for my liking and certainly wasn’t good for that felt seal up front.

I usually set the dryness to less dry on the first dot with shirts, everything comes out perfectly dried, some dampness on items but that’s about what dryness there would be with the electronic dry control DE606/DE806/DE906 models. Towels and bedding for sure get more dryness.

Here’s a quick video clip of it, since these older Westinghouse motors are wired up differently internally, stops when the door is opened, starts when you close it.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The HOH was a step back from Maytag's earlier dryer design which won color check ratings from Consumer Reports, which the HOH never did. Look at all of the modifications Sean had to do to get the performance he wanted from his dryer. So much space was wasted in the cabinet with the construction of the blower behind the drum. The sad thing was that Maytag took so many years to come out with the SOH dryers.

 

[maytag85]

“Look at all the modifications Sean had to do to get the performance he wanted from his dryer”

They certainly indeed were modifications, but was more so was fine-tuning. With the L160-20 thermostat installed, the heating element will cycle about 1 or 2 times, but once the cycling thermostat cycles the heat off (the cycling thermostat is rated L120-15), it’ll only cycle on the cycling thermostat from there on. The whole reason why I went with a 120F cycling thermostat is to no only be easier on clothes, but the machine itself. Surprisingly is quite gentle with that temperature, no complaints.

I will note though, you’ll want to do fine-tuning with any older dryer and sure it may work perfectly fine in stock forum, but it will work much, much better after doing so. Did some fine-tuning to my Whirlpool Imperial dryer 2 years ago, replaced the cycling thermostats and wow! Definitely sped up the drying time, the originals were just probably weak after many years of service, true with any dryer really.

 

[maytag85]

Saw this pop up in my feed on Facebook. Turns out that clear demonstration cabinet HOH did exist.

 

[ozzie908]

reply#4 The Plexiglass Dryer

Anyone have any idea what became of the see thru dryer? Wouldn't it be cool to have that and the matching washer ...

 

[maytag85]

Reply #5

Not sure, though it would make an interesting display/conversation piece. Couldn’t dry anything with it since it’s a demonstration model, though if you had a electronic dry control Maytag Highlander, it would dry things but would take forever since it’s basically a air only machine, same with the demonstration model in the picture.

Would be cool to see that neon light glowing at night, definitely would catch attention.

 

[neptunebob]

Halo from Hell....

I do remember one of our Kansas relatives had such a dry and it was very, very hot.

 

[maytag85]

Reply #7

Since I’ve upgraded the thermostats, installed a different drum with larger perforations, use a metal lint screen (using the nylon lint filter as a way to do a comparison in drying time), runs much, much cooler. No complaints about that. While it does take awhile to dry some things, certainly does a great with shirts and sheets though I out a feel wool dryer balls in to make sure the sheets don’t ball up.

 

[combo52]

Halo up heat dryers

Could run very hot and the heating element and or gas burner were way too close to clothing. Maytag had many fires with these machines one of so many reasons they change the design they would never build a dryer with the heating element that close to clothing today without better controls.

I remember we sold one customer brand new DE606 and the dryer caught fire and was removed from the house by the fire department. It was shipped back to Maytag for analysis.

If you're going to use older clothes dryers built before they had thermal fuses in them I would definitely stay around the house while you're using it. Whirlpool started putting thermal fuses in around 1984, most other brands followed suit fairly soon thereafter.

John

 

[maytag85]

“Could run very hot and the heating element and or gas burner were way too close to clothing”

Quite true, but since I’ve replaced all the thermostats on the DE805 that’s been cobbled together, haven’t had a problem with it running hot. In fact it seems to run significantly cooler with a 120F cycling thermostat, did some more tweaking (replaced the motor pulley, installed simi-rigid duct work), runs and operates much more smoothly and quietly. Blower definitely is moving a lot more air, can hear the air rushing through the vent whenever I am outside near the patio.

It’s always a good idea to replace the thermostats, not only for safety but to keep things running at peak efficiency and performance. While thermostats may work, certainly get weak after many years of use. Once you replace the thermostats of something that ‘works perfectly fine without issues’, you’ll notice quite a difference in drying performance and speed.

 

[maytag85]

Another Maytag HOH plexiglass dryer.

 

[combo52]

Plexiglass halo of heat dryer

This one's a little newer it looks like a DE 500 electronically controlled model.

Maytag, like most manufacturers tried very hard to get people to buy clothes dryers, I remember all the Maytag sales meetings I went to and Maytags sales people complained that they couldn't get anywhere near the sales percentage that whirlpool/Kenmore and GE got People just weren't interested in Maytag dryers in large numbers. They really pushed dryers hard with all kinds of sales and reductions. All those signs hanging around makes it look like a liquor store.

That's a great picture Sean where did you find that? I love salesman number threes tie he's probably the wild one in that bunch, lol

John

 

[maytag85]

Reply #12

Found it in a group on Facebook, Cory Heisterkamp (don’t remember his handle off the top of my head) posted it. Decided to repost it here incase if I couldn’t find it again.

Whirlpool even had their own plexiglass model in 1954, interesting how manufacturers would have demonstration models on the sales floor to demonstrate their product, or differentiate themselves from the competition.

 

[appnut]

I believe Cory's name on here is Cadman.

 

[maytag85]

Here’s a never before seen commercial for a Maytag HOH dryer from 1961, courtesy of qsd-dan.