Total newbie here, and not a collector. Happened on this site by accident - or luck.
We bought our Maytag A712 in 1986. We've gotten 25 years of solid use out of it, with practically no problems. (Replaced the timer a few years back). But now it's leaking brown oily gunk and making lots of noise during the spin cycle. It's clearly at End Of Life without major repairs.
We've ordered a new washer. Is our A712, as is, worth anything to anyone? Or is it too far gone to be useful, even to you people who collect all kinds of strange stuff? (Kidding, kidding!)
Oh - we're getting a Speed Queen, based in part on the useful info in this forum. We figure even if we re-sell it after a few years, that will give Maytag/Whirlpool/etc. some time to re-learn how to make washers that wash.
Thanks for the help!
Post# 530092 , Reply# 1   7/11/2011 at 20:19 (4,664 days old) by mrb627(Buford, GA)  
It sounds like the center tub seal has started leaking and the bearings have gone out. A simple repair for a washing machine. And yes, your machine, if clean, is of value to a local club member.
BTW, you'll love your Speed Queen machine as much as you loved your Maytag.
Yeah Malcolm is right, it sounds like a tub seal leak, that's met up with the bearings. I frequent a Buy and Sell a lot, and it seems to be a common problem amongst Maytags that are older for the tub seals and bearings to cause issues. If I were you, id fix it, and keep the machine as this simple and moderately cheap fix will let the machine have a new lease on life.