I moved the Maytag Neptune TL down to the basement tonight and ran a couple of loads. This is one very odd washer... I haven't studied it too closely, but did get a few surprises. Let's have a quick tour. Loaded and ready:
Sneaking Into the Neptune TL
- Thread starter gansky1
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Here is the selections I chose. Super Wash cycle, hot/cold, medium soil level(Stain Treat is lit but I changed it after the pic was taken) max extract and extra rinse.
Washing. This is just strange. The two discs move in the same direction, no reversing, through the entire wash cycle. The load it lifted up and tumbled back down and around. The clothes are saturated completely and there is a pool of water in the bottom of the tub about 4-5" deep. The speed and water level vary with the cycle chosen.
More washing, captivating! Like a front loader, the water pool is constantly being pulled up with the load so the clothes are bringing water up with them which is slapped against the tub side creating the wash action.
Surprise!
This cycle has a spin-drain! The washer briefly pauses after washing stops and the tub begins to turn at a fair rate of speed and the drain pump comes on to pump out the water. At the end of the first rinse, the tub starts to spin a brisk rate of speed swirling water up the sides of the basket and outer tub for a few seconds before the pump starts which helps clean it out. The spin-drains and neutral drain sequences vary by cycle.
Overall, the washer seems to do a good job. There are spray rinses, high speed spins and extra-deep rinses - drama galore! The final rinse fills all the way to the seam (a little more above the center of the disc) and the rinse water was far more drinkable than I'd imagined it would be. BTW, I used Fresh Start Jon!! Not a rouge bubble in the whole cycle!
This cycle has a spin-drain! The washer briefly pauses after washing stops and the tub begins to turn at a fair rate of speed and the drain pump comes on to pump out the water. At the end of the first rinse, the tub starts to spin a brisk rate of speed swirling water up the sides of the basket and outer tub for a few seconds before the pump starts which helps clean it out. The spin-drains and neutral drain sequences vary by cycle.
Overall, the washer seems to do a good job. There are spray rinses, high speed spins and extra-deep rinses - drama galore! The final rinse fills all the way to the seam (a little more above the center of the disc) and the rinse water was far more drinkable than I'd imagined it would be. BTW, I used Fresh Start Jon!! Not a rouge bubble in the whole cycle!
kenmore1978
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- Sep 8, 2004
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tangling
so was there any evidence of the tangling problem people mention about this machine?
so was there any evidence of the tangling problem people mention about this machine?
Oy, that last picture made me dizzy!! LOL
Anyway, thanks for the pictures. I was wondering about the water level, is it higher than in the Duet? Because of the shape of the drum I guess it should be higher in order to saturate the clothes. Further, I assume those discs turn in the same direction? IIRC they are exactly the same, so if they are turning the same direction one disc turns "with the thread of the spiral" and the other one against (I hope I was able to explain it), am I right?
Anyway, thanks for the pictures. I was wondering about the water level, is it higher than in the Duet? Because of the shape of the drum I guess it should be higher in order to saturate the clothes. Further, I assume those discs turn in the same direction? IIRC they are exactly the same, so if they are turning the same direction one disc turns "with the thread of the spiral" and the other one against (I hope I was able to explain it), am I right?
Designgeek
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Very interesting, and very clever design there! Seems to me that what we have is, the discs rotate such that their deep edge picks up the load and drops it back down in the water.
Imagine a Hoovermatic with two impellers on opposite sides of the tub. However, in this case the tub slants inward toward the bottom, so a small load that wouldn't engage with the impellers if they were perfectly parallel, will slide to the bottom of the v-shaped geometry of the impellers with angled axes as on the Maytag. Then the shape of the impellers engages the clothes, and there is no need to have the waterline above the top of the impellers.
Maytag definitely gets points for thinking of this one. With a bit of experience one can probably avoid the tangling problem that some have complained about. Too bad these are probably going to disappear; hang on to the one you've got there, in 20 years it's going to be seen as a very interesting development.
Imagine a Hoovermatic with two impellers on opposite sides of the tub. However, in this case the tub slants inward toward the bottom, so a small load that wouldn't engage with the impellers if they were perfectly parallel, will slide to the bottom of the v-shaped geometry of the impellers with angled axes as on the Maytag. Then the shape of the impellers engages the clothes, and there is no need to have the waterline above the top of the impellers.
Maytag definitely gets points for thinking of this one. With a bit of experience one can probably avoid the tangling problem that some have complained about. Too bad these are probably going to disappear; hang on to the one you've got there, in 20 years it's going to be seen as a very interesting development.
Neptune TL
Greg,
Thanks for the great pictures. Looks like it would be real exciting to watch. It should be designed with a full view window!
Peter
Greg,
Thanks for the great pictures. Looks like it would be real exciting to watch. It should be designed with a full view window!
Peter
Very interesting! I always wondered how those worked after I saw them at the Sears scratch n dent warehouse here earlier this summer. They had about 12 of these machines here. Must have been returned due to the tangling problem you all talk about. Seems to be quite a nice machine though...very unique design.
I am curious as to how the mechanicals work on such an interesting beast! Does the washtub come to a rest in the same spot after a spin? You gotta take the cover off that washer because I am totally curious as to how the washer agitates the clothes on a horizontal axis, and the spins them on a vertical axis. There has to obviously be a way to transfer the mechanical motion to the agitator discs no matter what direction they are facing!
Take some video shots of this machine in action! That will be good for the gallery!
I am curious as to how the mechanicals work on such an interesting beast! Does the washtub come to a rest in the same spot after a spin? You gotta take the cover off that washer because I am totally curious as to how the washer agitates the clothes on a horizontal axis, and the spins them on a vertical axis. There has to obviously be a way to transfer the mechanical motion to the agitator discs no matter what direction they are facing!
Take some video shots of this machine in action! That will be good for the gallery!
westytoploader
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Very neat machine...I've been itching to know what the washing and spinning action looked like under the lid! Basically a top-loader that washes like a front-loader if you ask me! And it does deep rinses too...how fun!
How many pounds can one of these hold? Maytag claims the capacity is pretty big...
How many pounds can one of these hold? Maytag claims the capacity is pretty big...
mayken4now
Well-known member
Greg,
This is my first time to see one of these in action! Thanks so much. I think it could be a collectors item one day. Really!
Steve
This is my first time to see one of these in action! Thanks so much. I think it could be a collectors item one day. Really!
Steve
Brent-Aucoin
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I can't get over you found this Neptune in such wonderfull shape?
I am sure this will be on the back burner with your new ABC set.
This is a cool washer. And to think you get to play with it for nothing!
Can't wait to hear more about it.
Thanks for the pictures, thus far.
Brent
I am sure this will be on the back burner with your new ABC set.
This is a cool washer. And to think you get to play with it for nothing!
Can't wait to hear more about it.
Thanks for the pictures, thus far.
Brent
pulsator-power
Well-known member
Funny, I was in our brand new Home Depot Fri night & someone was buying one of these. All I could think about was the corn oil. Are you sure yours wasn't a floor model or something?
Jerry
Jerry
Wow - very neat machine indeed! Can't wait for any future videos - but don't forget to have a towel handy 
.
Is this a machine for keeps?
Jon
.Is this a machine for keeps?
Jon
Unique Washing Action
Thanks Greg.
Fascinating!
Is the front panel removable a la typical Dependable Care Maytag?
Thanks Greg.
Fascinating!
Is the front panel removable a la typical Dependable Care Maytag?
Which way did he go? Which way did he go?
Said: The disks turn in the same direction.
Both clockwise? Both couter-clockwise? Or one of each such that the load is handled as if in an imaginary horizontal axis front-loader?
Said: The disks turn in the same direction.
Both clockwise? Both couter-clockwise? Or one of each such that the load is handled as if in an imaginary horizontal axis front-loader?
