TL neptunes

[cfz2882]

watched some of these on YT last week-cool and interesting washers from ~early 2000s era of American HE machines with twin angled spiral pulsators at the bottom of the stainless steel washbasket.Gear noise could be heard as the pulsators rotate-at least one YT comment described the wash action as "creepy" LOL one of these,along with a calypso is on my "deluxe era'get list.

 

[lorainfurniture]

I have a couple of them at my shop. Very cool machines. Actually just got a nice matching set last week.

 

[combo52]

Top-Load Neptunes, and Calypsos

These are both really cool unique washers and both actually very effective cleaning washers. Both of these machines were top rated by Consumer Reports.

 

I have several of both machines, both are really fun to watch. Overall I like the Calypso better as a daily driver, it does not tangle clothing like the MT and always spins properly where as the MT often has problems balancing.

 

The one and only time CRs tested the Neptune TL it had the best cleaning score of any washer in there tests.

 

Any serious washer collector should try to have these machines in their collection, there were probably about ten times as many Calypsos built as there were  TL Neptunes and parts for the TLNs are going to go away fast.

 

[washer111]

Those Neptune top loaders are very fascinating. With the two paddles on the side tumbling the load, it almost appears as a contradiction that the machine should be capable of spinning.

I presume the mechanism is actually very simple in reality - not like anything stupidly complex I would dream up... 

 

[DADoES]

 
A "transmission" (a little gear-box, filled with mineral oil IIRC) drives the tumblers via their edges at the bottom.  Belt-drive motor reverses for spin, by which a spring-clutch/pulley mechanism grabs the shaft and everything rotates.  While the clutch engages, the tumblers make a partial turn in reverse to center the load (which otherwise has climbed somewhat up the basket wall) for balance.  The clutch/pulley can fail such that the tumblers keep rotating during spin, which fouls-up the balance/distribution.

 

[cfz2882]

While looking at the TL neptunes online,discovered Haier copied or licensed the maytag design;looked like a typical modern Asian top load outside,but under the lid looked really close to the maytag .Haven't seen too many calypsos in my area-found a very early calypso disassembled at the dump in 2004,salvaged some parts including the pump then discovered the pump had some stringy material wound up in it and wouldn't turn...The 2nd calypso was a late model with the "torx bit"looking center cap instead of the earlier swirl style.IIRC this 2nd machine was a 2003 vintage.

 

[roto204]

Neptune TL

We had one of these, and we ended up being so grateful for a traditional top-loader after owning it, that we never looked back.

It's a neat design, when it works properly. But--

- Sometimes, the dispensers failed to empty. They're supposed to fill with water and siphon out, but sometimes, we came back to a fabric-softener cup that was now full of water. Argh. It was sporadic enough that you never could quite tell whether it was going to be an issue or not. The three-way distribution system under the lid was novel--Maytag's Dispensall.

- Balancing was always a hoot. Sometimes you got lucky, and it did a nice, fast, quiet and even spin; usually not, though. This was one of the noisier washers we had when it didn't balance well. The neighbors loved it.

- Occasionally, the load would fail to be moved by the paddles (particularly an issue with smaller loads), and you'd come back to the load at the end, and find undissolved detergent scattered through it, because--guess what--the load never rolled over. Because you can't observe what's going on, you never know that, until the end of the cycle.

I love the creativity of this design, but it goes in the same folder as the Samsung Waterwall dishwasher for me--novel, but fraught with issues that shouldn't be present in a modern machine.

 

[appnut]

My bathroom rugs being washed in Dadoes' TL Neppie on September 6, 2015.

 

 

[DADoES]

 
Did they come out clean?  And rinsed OK? 

 

[appnut]

You ought to be able to answer that yourself.  You were there!!!