Thread Number: 16285
Vintage Maytag Laundromat Washers |
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Post# 270896   3/20/2008 at 08:25 (5,879 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 270934 , Reply# 1   3/20/2008 at 10:56 (5,879 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 270999 , Reply# 4   3/20/2008 at 16:23 (5,878 days old) by johnb300m (Chicago)   |   | |
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Post# 271258 , Reply# 6   3/21/2008 at 16:42 (5,877 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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My college dorm had a row of avocado coin-op Maytags from the early 70's. IIRC they were one speed and one cycle but may have had a cold water temp selection. The tubs were small but I'm sure those machines lasted longer than any other make would have, given that they were being overloaded on a regular basis by college kids who probably never had to do their own laundry up until that time. This was my first experience using a Maytag and I have to admit I wasn't very impressed based on tub size and (through no fault of their own) the machines' lack of cycle options. Add to that the price point on even a BOL model and I just couldn't see the value back then. Fast forward 10 years and my parter and I needed to replace our Kenmore pair and he really wanted Maytags. At that point, all of our appliances had been purchased used so we went to a Maytag dealer in town who took trade-ins and found a pre-owned harvest gold pair from the early/mid 70's. The dryer was electric and was problematic; we eventually replaced it with a similar gas model that was an absolute jewel, but the washer performed flawlessly for over 10 years before we unloaded it in favor of a new matched Amana pair that seemed absolutely cavernous compared to the small tub/drum Maytags. But the familiarity I developed with Maytags in college all came back when I had a pair of my own and there is no question about that harvest Maytag being the best-built washer I have ever owned. |
Post# 272417 , Reply# 7   3/27/2008 at 14:21 (5,871 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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My college (BA in Historic Preservation, 2004) had these machines. I remember them well. Yes, they were small, I think they were the "regular capacity" models. Every dorm had some of these and they took quarters & cards. The washers and dryers had coin trays and there was an electronic box on the wall and you would insert your card, dial in the number on your washer, and select your cycle. Most students overloaded the washers, often severely. They did, however, hold up to the abuse. The only broken washer I recall had a bad spin bearing and sounded like a freight train. The dryers, however, were frequently broken due to bad blowers and the complete inability of college students to clean the lint filters. I always cleaned my lint filter, but the accumulated lint in the exhaust duct and inside the dryer cabinet certainly hindered performance. Each dorm also had one Neptune washer. I hated them because they didn't clean as well as the top loaders, they were slow, and their detergent trays were always disgusting. Also, I was in college between 2000-2004 so HE detergent was unheard of. There was no sign to indicate the need for HE detergent either. At grad school, we had Speed Queens which were nearly always broken. The Maytag coin-ops were some of the most robust washers ever made and if I owned a coin-op laundry, Maytag commercials would be a significant part of my business for a long long time. click, ca-CHUNK!, Dave |
Post# 272477 , Reply# 8   3/27/2008 at 20:40 (5,871 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)   |   | |
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Post# 272740 , Reply# 10   3/29/2008 at 01:23 (5,870 days old) by johnb300m (Chicago)   |   | |
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YES, SpeedQueen is the big college washer/dryer brand here. The university has all FL SQs and they were always broken. The apartment complex i'm in now also has SQ TLs in all their laundry rooms and they too have a lot of breakdowns. In a room of 10 washers you can always find at least two that have muddy soapy water still standing in their tubs. |