Requesting info on this vintage Maytag set

[Marky_Mark]

Hi guys

 

This Maytag set is for sale near me.  It looks like they’re in excellent condition.  I don’t know much about them.  Are they good?  Would this washer and dryer’s performance and capacity compete with a Speed Queen or a vintage Whirlpool belt drive or direct drive set?  

I believe the dryer has a moisture sensor. Is the washer long stroke with orbital transmission?

 

All thoughts (both good and bad!) and info appreciated. 

 

[rp2813]

My first impression from the agitator in the money shot is that the washer has the short stroke orbital transmission.  A serial number would help the Maytag experts to say one way or the other.  My A712 was produced in May of 1987 and was among the last to still have the long stroke transmission.

 

IMO, that pair is way overpriced unless they're as low mileage as they look.  The price can be justified when compared to the junk machines made today, but these show up on line as private party listings for a lot less money.  If there's a decent warranty and return policy, or if money is no object, then this set may be worth pursuing if you're not concerned about which type of transmission the washer uses.

 

The dryer is gas, by the way, in case that matters.

 

[repairguy]

Washer has pitman transmission so no newer than summer of 1988.

 

[pro104]

long stroke

 

[ozzie908]

had that same model washer

At the house in Beverly Farms MA although the timer layout seems different as am almost certain the regular cycle was just past 12 O'clock and it had a built in soak as in you could fill by turning the dial one click and then it would sit with the timer ticking till it reached 12 minutes and then it would complete the cycle. It had a Kenmore dryer sat next to it a top of the line I believe the dryer had out lived 3 washers...

Austin

 

[qsd-dan]

TOL Goodness

A712/DG712

Both look factory new and the washer tub/dryer drum both indicate very low mileage. The washer has the older, longer stoke transmission. Dryer is natgas and is equipped with a moisture sensor. The asking price isn't too unreasonable for being TOL units in that condition. You should be able to talk them down to at least $450.

Is this located in the states? Do you have access to natural gas?

 

[Marky_Mark]

Thank you for all the replies!

 

This set is for sale at a dealer in Long Beach, California.  I am in Palm Springs (about 2 hours away) and I do have both gas and electric hook ups.  But I would prefer gas.

 

I wasn't especially looking for a Maytag set.  But this set really caught my eye because it seems to be in such excellent condition and TOL (or near TOL).  I prefer the idea of the long stroke agitation.  

 

I think I've read on AW that the washers are good but they don't cope well with large loads.   I have also heard that some Maytags can be rough on clothes with the Power Fin agitator (which I think this machine has).

 

Do these dryers work well?  Is the moisture sensing good?  It looks like I would have to dry loads using the PP cycle if I want to take advantage of the extended tumble phase.  So I don't know if the dryness level reached is the same on both the PP and regular cycles.  I see it has just two dryness levels: Dry and More Dry.

 

Looks like it would be a beautiful vintage set, assuming that this variety of Maytag is known for good performance...?

 

[frigidareu]

Excellent set. Bought mine in 1989 new. Real workhorses with no issues. Ended up selling them to the people that bought my house in 2001. Still wish to this day that I had kept them.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> IMO, that pair is way overpriced unless they're as low mileage as they look.
>> The price can be justified when compared to the junk machines made today, but
>> these show up on line as private party listings for a lot less money.

The question is how long you are willing to wait, how much time you are willing to spend searching, how far you are willing to drive, and whether you will hold out for a set or piece a set together.

$480 might not be a steal, but $300 and months of searches isn't necessarily a better value.

This pair looks to be in immaculate shape, and cost far less than any quality new set today. If they fit the bill, I'd say go for it (or make a reasonable offer), and spend the rest of your time on other things in life!

 

[Marky_Mark]

Thanks for all the info so far. 

Another question: is it ok for me to transport them on their sides? 

Are both the washer and the dryer generally good performers?  I am not washing particularly dirty laundry. But I would like the clothes to be gently cleaned and well rinsed. I also like to have a gentle dryer with accurate moisture sensing that produces wrinkle-free results as much as possible (drying speed is less of a concern). This set does look excellent and I would love to have it. But I have no experience of these machines at all.  So I don’t know what to expect. 

I notice that the washer’s lid has no writing/instructions on the inside.  Is this normal or could this set have been refurbished/repainted?

 

[repairguy]

The washer lid is normal. Instructions were not added to the Maytag lids until circa 1997.

 

[wayupnorth]

I have a 1984 set similar to that bought new. Both have worked flawlessly with one $28 part replacement. I paid just over $1000 for the pair 36 years ago. So if I had to replace mine, those would be my choice even at that price.

 

[qsd-dan]

The capacity of these machines are smaller than a modern Speed Queen toploader and DD Kenmore sets.

These SOH dryers work well and the moisture sensor is pretty accurate. On the D712 models, the electronic control dryness circuit is engaged at all times, even on the "Timed Dry" selection (this didn't change until the D713 models in 1989 and beyond). PP cycle provides a longer cool down phase with no change in temperature or dryness over the regular cycle. "Dryness" is strictly controlled by the "Regular Dry" "More Dry" selections.

These washers do fine with larger loads when operating properly; they're like any other washer out there....don't overload beyond its ability. Nothing but a Powerfin has cleaned my attire for 35 years and I still wear plenty of clothes going back to the early 90's although I try not to wear those older shirts in public anymore.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Oh no!  This set was listed for sale over a week ago but I only saw the listing today.  I have just managed to speak to the seller and the set sold yesterday.  How disappointing.  I had already just measured my car to make sure they would fit!  You win some, you lose some...

 

[rp2813]

What in the pictures above indicates the washer has the long stroke transmission?  I recall when I was going after my A712, one picture provided a slightly from the side view of the agitator and fins, but nobody was sure which kind of transmission it had and I was warned that it would likely be outfitted with an orbital, which pleasantly turned out not to be the case, so to speak.

 

For future reference, I'd like to know how to so easily identify a long stroke 12 series machine.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Yes I was wondering how it can be determined from the photos that this set has the long stroke.

 

[good-shepherd]

These show on line as private party listings for a lot less

Personally, I've never seen a used TOL A712 set in such impeccable show room condition at any price.

I like bargains as much as the next guy but the chances of finding another set like that for less money is slim to none.

And I doubt the seller put much time into cleaning them up either.

Most used appliance dealers I've seen just do a quicky wipe down at best, slap on a price on it and put out for sale.

 

[wayupnorth]

That blue Power fin agitator would kill all the clothes with a short stroke. Short strokes had a different white agitator that was easier on the clothes.

 

[DADoES]

 
Old-style agitator.

Orbital transmission is factory-fitted with a different style agitator as such, yes?

 

[good-shepherd]

How it can be determined from the photos

12 Series short stroke orbital agitators have fins on the barrel of the agitator.

Like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MAYTAG-WAS...276081?hash=item5dbcc96e31:g:5scAAOSwKcxf0jVh

 

[Marky_Mark]

Thank you!  At least we have learned how to tell them apart. 

I really wish I had seen the ad earlier and got set this. Opportunities like this don’t come along often. 

 

[repairguy]

The agitators are different for the orbital vs. the pitman transmission. You can't go by color alone because the first orbital transmission machines came with the aqua "shark fin" agitator as some call it. Most of the orbital transmission machines had white "shark fin" agitators. The power fin agitators for the pitman transmission machines were either aqua or black and had 4 vanes at the base and nothing on the barrel of the agitator. Counting the holes vertically will tell you whether it's standard capacity(3) or large(4) If you can't see the water level switch in a listing.

Reply#18 shows an aqua orbital agitator standard capacity

In the original listing pictures there are no "shark fins" on the barrel of the agitator and if you look closely you can see 4 vertical holes in the agitator barrel making it large capacity. Of course in this listing you can also see that the water level goes to extra large.

Hope this helps and is not overly complicated.

 

[lowefficiency]

The caution of course is that someone could have replaced just the transmission OR the agitator individually as part of a prior repair, and ended up with a mismatch.
So seeing a particular agitator on a 35+ year old machine doesn't "guarantee" a particular transmission...

 

[yogitunes]

that is a beautiful, full featured set...

unfortunately, when you find/see a set like this, you dont have time to ask questions, you need to jump on them, as we seen with this set, their gone in no time...

dont mean to sound rude, but while one person is procrastinating about something, another person is snatching them up....not just with machines, but a lot of things in general...

simply put, Money Talks!...

if your not sure of the transmission, remove two screws and pop off the front....would not be the first time I done that before purchasing a machine...I even done that in Sears, jumped over to the tool section, grabbed a screwdriver and popped the top....

BTW...you will be surprised a set like this will fit in the back of a Grand Cherokee with ease...after all, it was designed around a washing machine dimensions!

 

[rp2813]

Thanks for the shark fin tutorial.  I dug up the thread I launched when I was looking at the 712 back in 2017 and it didn't seem as cut-and-dried in that discussion.  Those upper fins are a dead giveaway for sure.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Yes, absolutely.....no time to procrastinate!  You are not being rude — you are quite right!  In this case, the set had been sold by the time I saw the ad (it was listed a week before I saw it).  But yes that’s good advice for the future. 

I have seen a couple of other interesting sets on MarketPlace and I’ve sent the sellers messages but they haven’t read the messages yet. 

I have a Ford Explorer and I was hoping to place the machines on their sides. Is that ok for TL washers and dryers to be transported like that, or does it depend on the specific brand/model? 

 

[lowefficiency]

On Maytags like this, you have to be sure to tape the lids closed, or they will swing open and get dented when you put them on their back/side. Might also pop the washer lid off, and send the hinge balls flying. Bring a few cleaning wipes and plenty of tape, as the detergent residues can prevent the tape from sticking.

On the washers I've moved, I've also popped the front cover and stuffed towels back in and around between the tub and the cabinet - so that the tub doesn't smash around when it's on its side and dent the cabinet outward. (I read this tip on the forum here). Only takes one screwdriver and a couple minutes to do.

 

[lowefficiency]

Reading my last post, I used wording that could be interpreted two ways (whoops). So to be more clear:
You should tape the lids down to prevent the washer lid from popping off.
I don't think it is advised to intentionally pop the washer lid off unless you really have a good reason.

 

[circlew]

While they can be transported on their sides, it's certainly not best practice to do so. If it is close by, you can rent a pickup by the hour at Home Depot or Menards, and if further, renting a pickup or cargo van from Enterprise, Hertz, etc. isn't overly costly.

Taping lids and doors is recommended regardless.

 

[wayupnorth]

My 1984 Maytag came with a tub securer that snapped in under the lid and stopped the tub from moving during transport.