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Thread Number: 35119
Push-button Fabricmatic Maytags |
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Post# 525385 6/18/2011 at 14:01 (4,689 days old) by Kenmore71  (Minneapolis, MN) |
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I have something that I am curious about. Can anyone explain how the Maytag "Pushbutton Fabricmatic" washing machine cycles operated?
I know that these were one-speed machines and from what I have read some examples were the A407, A408, A610, A210, etc. What I am slightly mystified by is the fact that these machines have a 3-position switch for "Regular", "Permanent Press" & "Delicate" but only one washing cycle on the cycle dial (in addition to a long soak cycle). I fully understand how the "Fabricmatic" concept works on a machine with 3 cycles on the main timer dial (my mother had a LAW9400 that I was very familiar with) but how is this done with only 1 cycle on the dial? Do all cycles get a PP-syle cool-down or is there a "rapid-advance" past this portion on "Regular" (or is a regular advance where simply nothing happens)? In the delicate cycle is there a seperate set of motor cams in the timer that are engaged when this button is pushed that cycle the motor on and off during the wash? Is the final spin for delicates shortened in a similar fashion? An inquiring mind is curious. | ||
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Post# 525397 , Reply# 1 6/18/2011 at 15:10 (4,689 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
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Maytag! | ||
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Post# 525398 , Reply# 2 6/18/2011 at 15:11 (4,689 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
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Maytag! | ||
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Post# 525410 , Reply# 3 6/18/2011 at 17:08 (4,689 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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 The fabric buttons controlled the cycle sequences. This was no different than their commercial washer in laundramats with the 6 cycle/fabric knob selector. Regular and Perm press were identical up until the end of the wash cycle. Basically in the sapce on the timer for the drain and spin as well as spin spray rinse and then post spin of the spin spray rinse of the normal cycle was the space that allowed the events of the cooldown sequence. The rinse is the same for both cycles. The final spin on PP cycle is shortened. For Delicate it agitates at either the 8 or 10 minute mark, the pauses (soaks) for about 3 or 4 minutes, agitates for anoother timer increment, the pauses. Then it spins and spray rinses per the timer sequence. The rinse has a shortened agitation phase. The final spin. For using the delicate cycle, the instructions say to fill the machine no more than about 1/2 to 3/4 full of fabrics and use a full water level always to minimize the chance of fabric damage. | ||
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Post# 525413 , Reply# 4 6/18/2011 at 17:48 (4,689 days old) by Kenmore71 (Minneapolis, MN) |
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Ah... | ||
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Post# 525416 , Reply# 5 6/18/2011 at 18:54 (4,689 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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It's understandable that you would not have used the delicate cycle much for sheer garments and such. No one of good breeding would wash delicates in a public machine. I am sure you sudsed those out in the bathroom sink and only washed regular apparel in the coin-op machines. | ||
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Post# 525417 , Reply# 6 6/18/2011 at 18:56 (4,689 days old) by Kenmore71 (Minneapolis, MN) |
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Maytag collectors | ||
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Post# 525429 , Reply# 7 6/18/2011 at 20:59 (4,689 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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you would not have used the delicate cycle much for sheer ga Well, when I was in college from 1973 to 1977, remember much of the "rage" of modern fabrics were polyester knits, polyester shirts, quiana, and big woven cotton shirts. Yup my wardrobe in college. Naturally these had always been washed on gentle. When I moved into the dorm, it came with fabric-matic tag commercial machines. I was appaled at the regular agitation on the delicate cycle. I really didn't feel the two or three minutes of agitation and the rest of the time soaking was an effective enough wash. My somewhat less than satisfactory solution was to let it start its thing on delicate. After it did the 2nd agitation and went innto the pause phase again, I;'d turn the knob to Perm Press and let it agitate for another 2 or 3 minutes before it started the cooldown spin. | ||
| Post# 525516 , Reply# 9 6/19/2011 at 09:42 (4,688 days old) by cehalstead (Charleston, WV) | ||
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my aunt has a Maytag washer she bought in 1978. It has never been repaired and has done the wash for a farm family of four.....still going strong. It's the only automatic washer she has ever had. | ||
| Post# 525574 , Reply# 11 6/19/2011 at 12:01 (4,688 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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Well.... I don't what we were doing to our's or NOT doing that we didn't get more service out of them!! | ||
| Post# 525581 , Reply# 12 6/19/2011 at 12:26 (4,688 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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Maytags Can someone tell me. Didn't Maytags cost a little more than some of the leading machines back in the day? | ||
| Post# 525606 , Reply# 14 6/19/2011 at 15:15 (4,688 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
In all my life I have never had a washing machine 'die'. Only one required service I couldn't do myself (a Westy tub boot). Closest I came to failure was the avocado Maytag I gave to a coworker when I got the current FL in 1997, the motor quit a year later. Avocado tells you roughly how old it was, and I bought it used.
TTBOMK, Maytags of this era used linear-step timers. IOW, each click took the same time as the one before it. My 'Frigi' FL has variable steps. I like to think I know a great many things but I don't know how they do that. Not taking it apart to find out, least not so long as it's working. I'll say with 96% certainty that the 'Tag in question was a linear timer and the buttons switched contact sets, say from 'constant run' motor to 'intermittent' or 'pause'. | ||
| Post# 525609 , Reply# 15 6/19/2011 at 15:20 (4,688 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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Thanks!! | ||
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Post# 525611 , Reply# 16 6/19/2011 at 15:24 (4,688 days old) by Kenmore71 (Minneapolis, MN) |
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Yes
Arbilab, you are definitely on to something there. I've never heard that specific term applied to that concept until now but it makes sense. My 1967 A806 (pre-PP timer) has that style of timer with 45 second increments. This works quite well for this machine. My favorite thing about how that particular timer is arranged is that the 45 second intervals gives you a 45 second spray rinse! I know that some Maytags used timers with 30 second increments and I know for certain that the model A906 machines used a timer with 1 minute intervals towards the end of production in the very late 60s into 1970.
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Post# 525634 , Reply# 17 6/19/2011 at 17:16 (4,688 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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The linear timer with teh 45 second increments has been referred to sas the snapping timer.
As for the Frigidaire FL having variable timed steps, the timer advancement is controlled by the computer. The computer literally counts the number of tub revolutions bascially that it's programmed to perform for each function for most of the cycle. Particularly for washing/rinsing as well as spinning. | ||
| Post# 525702 , Reply# 18 6/20/2011 at 00:58 (4,687 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
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Beg to differ, app, but I'm 97.5% certain this Frigi is nowhere near that elegant. The only thing even vaguely 'computer' about it is the motor drive module. The timer is pure clockwork. For example, it's not intelligent enough to know when a spin cycle is missed due to imbalance. The timer has no idea what the machine is doing. It just spits out the same commands every time without consideration for whether they get carried out or not.
A timer position can last as long as 13min or as short as 5sec. And it's not a computer, it's a motor and gears. Much easier to explain if it WAS a computer. But I've seen it, I know what computers look like, and this isn't one. | ||
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