The Neptunes Are Nervous!

[dishmobile01]

Pictured here are the consoles of my first pair of vintage machines (the everyday Neptunes are not exactly sure about these funny colored intruders hiding out in the garage). I found this pair (Maytag washer KA407, #519747 - dryer KDE308, #160270) on craigslist for $50 each. Their previous owner stated that I was the only one interested in these vintage "tags", now saved from a looming trip to the crusher! This washer (with white tub and turquoise agitator) and dryer pair was recently replaced by younger and much more "glamorous" models (such as those which can be found in most any "big box" retailer - yuk). I would welcome any information that other Maytag fans can share regarding these center-dial "twins" (such as the date of manufacture, etc). Let the rejoicing begin...now!

 

[charbee]

CONGRATS!

We love our A407, named her Maude...she's our "daily driver" and does between 6 to 10 loads a week! Those Neptunes have good reason to be nervous! Enjoy yer 'TAGS...they won't let ya down!!!!

 

[gadgetgary]

Good Luck with those......

My Neptunes are not scared of my vintage machines.

Can you please post a pic of the washer and dryer consoles including the buttons and dial from the front view?

Are those machines avocado green?

Someone else has the Maytag fever(LOL)

 

[DADoES]

Wow, that is a fabulous pic! Ready for inclusion in a 'tag brochure!

 

[dishmobile01]

More "Tags"

As reguested, here is another photo showing the button arrangement on both machines. Washer (left to right): Cold/Warm/Hot - Perm.Press/Regular/Delicate - Small/Medium/Normal/Large. Dryer (left/right): Low Temperature/Regular Temperature. And yes, they are a lovely shade of avacado green...very 1972ish. Thanks!

 

[gadgetgary]

Michael

Thanks so much. You are going to love them

 

[danemodsandy]

Direct From Kitty Forman's Basement!

I'm normally not an avocado fan, but these look like the machines in the Formans' basement on That '70s Show, so they're okay by me!

Congratulations, and you will love them. Don't be surprised if you begin thinking about just doing your laundry with these, and cutting the Neppies loose. It's been known to happen.

 

[foraloysius]

Wonderful machines, I love how shiny they still are. I like that color very much too. You must be a proud owner. Enjoy them.

 

[pturo]

That 70's Show Maytags

Speaking of the Forman's basment avacado Maytags....I was delighted the other night when I got home late and switched on the TV to see "That 70-'s show" where the guy and his mother try to get the stains out of the wedding dress. The show was very accurate to Maytag when the mother was horrified that the son put the wedding dress in the dryer, but then there was a "ding", it was done, and the ding is the exact ding on my Maytag 70's halo from heaven dryer. I like when TV mirrors reality. I like when life is art, and doesn't imitate art. Kudos to the director and stylist of the show for the authentic Maytag ding at the end of the cycle.

 

[toggleswitch]

OOOOH we are all just green with envy.

Enjoy in good health. You'll love them!

 

[danemodsandy]

That '70s Show

As much as mistakes in period shows bother me, I have to say that That '70s Show was pretty well-done overall. There aren't nearly as many mistakes in that series as I've seen in some other shows and movies about the Mid-Century period.

The end-of-cycle chime on a Maytag dryer is one of the things I like best about owning one. It's loud, but not too loud. It's kind of mellow, so it doesn't irritate. And it repeats itself for a while, so if you miss the first ding, you'll probably catch one of the subsequent ones. Obviously, a lot of care and thought went into that signal, unlike today. Nowadays, you get some buzz that is unpleasant and doesn't last long; if you miss it, you miss it. Today's designers seem to feel that it's enough to put a "feature" on something; the experience of actually using that feature- and how pleasant or unpleasant that experience is- is a nuance that seems to be lost on them.

Gotta go- my Maytag's chiming. Really.

 

[coldspot66]

That dryer might be mid-70's as that's when the "big load" line appeared. That's not a HOH dryer...the bigger door gives it away.

 

[dishmobile01]

Lint Filter...what lint filter???

Thanks for all the kind words regarding my "tags". These units were originally in some sort of educational facility (inspiring young minds regarding the wonders of domestic life no doubt). Do you suppose they were all out on recess when the "Proper Cleaning of the Lint Filtration Unit" Chapter was discussed? Amazing!

 

[swestoyz]

Very nice looking set of Tags! The avocado seems to have grown on almost everyone here in the club lately (these look great); as previously mentioned, the first photo is brochure material - Maytag at its finest. These would be somewhere in the 75 through 79 era - gold control panels and the Big Load dryer.

Very reliable set.

Ben

 

[danemodsandy]

Washer Lint Filter:

"Do you suppose they were all out on recess when the "Proper Cleaning of the Lint Filtration Unit" Chapter was discussed? Amazing!"

Every collectible 'Tag I've seen has had that problem; the lint filter in my A208 had to be repeatedly soaked and scrubbed with a brush to get all the trapped lint out of it. I also had to use a toothpick to poke some especially clogged holes clean. It amazes me how often people buy a bright, shiny new appliance, and then refuse to do the simplest things to take care of it. I recently acquired an Electrolux 1205 vacuum that was one of the worst-abused appliances I've ever seen. I really shouldn't be going to all the trouble of restoring it (there are a lot of nice 1205's out there that don't need much work), but I couldn't bear what had happened to this one. It was about a $250 machine back in the early '70s, equal to more than $1200 today, and it looked like it had spent its life in the bottom of a henhouse. It'll be all better soon.

 

[rickr]

Maytag filter issues

Very nice classic Maytag set! Congratulations! They look to be in mint condition, and I am sure you will love them.

I do not recall what the washer lint filter looked like when I got my 58 Maytag set. However, I did take a pixs of the dryer lint filter, as I found it......

What does it say on that grey tag with the red lettering??? Something about cleaning the lint filter ever 45 years?? lol!!

 

[rickr]

You never know what you may find...

For instance how do people end up with pine needles in their washer tub??

 

[danemodsandy]

Don't Feel Bad, rickr:

At least you had a lint filter. The one in my DE608 had a hole in it the size of your fist, and the entire inside of the cabinet had about an inch of lint in it. There were also several dryer sheets that had been blown through the hole. There is NO reason that dryer didn't start a fire at its previous home, except dumb luck. All that risk over a $10 part!

What was weird about it was that a DE608 has the filter in the door opening, where it could not be easier to pull out and clean. I can almost understand how a lazy or old person might have issues with pulling the lint filter on a HOH dryer, but not a New Generation model.

She's clean inside now, has a new lint filter and proper venting that is clean, and she's correctly grounded. She works like a charm; her former owner said she was the slowest dryer he'd ever used. Wonder why.