Thanks guys ... never really left; been here all the time. Just nothing new to share!!
Mickey ... no; I do most of my laundry in the automatic. I do use the wringer more in the summer time, especially for blue jeans and outside clothes. Love doing white sheets and pillowcases in hot water in them and use the rinse tubs and then out on the line; super nice.
Gary ... the black band gets hardened from time/use. You could put some Armor-All on it and that might help for a while. Phil from Ovid, NY sells those; you have to fully remove the tub first, however. Also love your Easy dial; those are great machines!!
Lyle ... love your E with the lint filter agitator; so cool!
Still not too sure why the J, or Commander, was discontinued. I'll have to ask some friends who sold them ... my guess is they weren't the price leaders like the N and E. The N was appealing because of its size/convenience, price; the E had other features like the hinged lid, double-wall to keep water hotter. The J was in the middle and priced below the E. My guess is that women would pay the $40-$50 more for the E and get the extra features ... I really don't know.
The funny thing is the J had the same water gallon content (18 gallons), same wringer head/frame as the E ... I like it because the lid comes completely off and you have all this work space. Washing rugs or blankets is easier in the J; you have room to move around. I think it was discontinued at the end of 1969 ... November or December. It had about a year with the safety pedal. Sure do love Maytag's; they have been great machines for me and I learned the wringers pretty well. Not so hot with the actual gear in the wringer head; that is a tough one. Pounding out the stem for the worm gear in the transmission or adjusting the thrust is no picnic, either. I still learn a lot when I work on them.