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Thread Number: 44563
Early Maytag 806 Question |
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| Post# 654332 1/18/2013 at 20:20 (4,109 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
Well, le jour de gloire est arrivé!
I am now the proud new owner of an early Maytag 806 pair, both washer and dryer, in White. Cory (cadman) was the former owner of the washer, Mark (kenmore71) the former owner of the dryer. Both of them came tonight to bring these beauties over, with Ben (swestoyz) working like a Trojan to help get them down to my basement. I am pretty overwhelmed with the generosity and helpfulness of all three guys in helping me achieve a dream pair! These are almost certainly the closest I will ever get to a 906 pair, and I think I'd better just count my blessings, right? I do have one question, which only occurred to me after everyone left: These machines are 1968 or later, with Permanent Press markings instead of Wash 'n Wear. Did washers of that vintage originally come with the early turquoise Power-Fin agitator - the one with the lumps on the skirt? Or was the later agitator (the turquoise one used for so many years) out by then? The intention here (over time; Rome was not built in a day) is to do a completely correct resto on both machines, which are already in very, very nice shape. Mark has already done the front seal and the capacitor repair on the dryer, which is phenomenal. Cory took great care of the washer and maintained it well. I don't think there's going to be a lot of problem with getting them looking brand-new besides the fact that there are some HTF parts (a chrome-top filter, for one) involved. Anyway, I'd love to know the scoop on the agitator - it has the later one on it now. Any help would be welcome! This post was last edited 01/18/2013 at 20:38 | ||
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| Post# 654408 , Reply# 1 1/19/2013 at 05:06 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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Found the Answer!
Super Searchalator to the rescue!
I found some photos that rickr had posted a long time ago - of the second-edition "New Generation" full-line brochure (the first edition is on Automatic Ephemera, of course). That brochure clearly shows the Permanent Press cycle button on the washer console, and the later agitator. So, the agitator that's on the machine is correct - one less bell to answer. 
This post was last edited 01/19/2013 at 06:19 | ||
| Post# 654410 , Reply# 2 1/19/2013 at 05:20 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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P.S.:
The back cover of the brochure shows the color choices as Castilian Yellow, Cordoba Copper or Spanish Avocado.
I think this puts it at 1967, with the Castilian Yellow probably on the verge of being phased out. Clearly, the color names show that the dread Mediterranean-influenced years had begun. I have another, earlier edition showing Yellow (just named Yellow - no "Castilian"), Turquoise, and Shaded Coppertone (not "Cordoba Copper") as the choices. This post was last edited 01/19/2013 at 07:41 | ||
Post# 654414 , Reply# 3 1/19/2013 at 07:20 (4,108 days old) by bajaespuma  (Connecticut) |
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 It seems to me that the original turquoise Power-fin agitator (with the lumps) went with the first generation of Washpowers that had only one wash cycle on the dial. Am I wrong? And why did they change that design? That first agitator with the downflow cone underneath it was more powerful. They also had that version of the lint filter with the waffle-cone collector: 
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| Post# 654415 , Reply# 4 1/19/2013 at 07:35 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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Ken:
Based on the 3 "New Generation" brochures I have, it appears you're correct.
I'm mindful that brochures sometimes don't tell the whole story, and that there are running changes that don't necessarily get documented as soon as they happen, but the second generation of "New Generation" machines is pictured in the brochure as not having the "humpy" agitator. And as you can see from the pic above, the second turquoise chrome-top lint filter (anybody got one FS?) was used. What's not apparent is why the change was made. There must have been a very good reason for it, because the tooling charge for the revised agitator would have been expensive, and the tooling for the "humpy" agitator wasn't anywhere near fully amortized yet, I should think. P.S.: I should correct myself here - the photo I posted above is from a third edition of the "New Generation" brochure. The first one I have is from Automatic Ephemera, and it does not show color choices (though it lists them in the copy, as White, Yellow, Turquoise and "Shaded Copper"). That one shows the "humpy" agitator and the stainless lint filter like Ken pictures above. The second, from Mark (kenmore71) shows the same info, but shows the yellow, turquoise and copper color choices on the back cover, dating it to 1966. The third, rickr's scans, shows the revised Power-Fin and the plastic-bodied, chrome-top lint filter seen above, and the Spanish Avocado, Castilian Yellow and Cordoba Copper choices for color, which puts it at 1967 or so. Anyone have the "humpy" agitator? Does it wash well? Or does it have bad habits, like tangling or shredding? | ||
| Post# 654451 , Reply# 6 1/19/2013 at 09:30 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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Tom:
"My guess is that Maytag was ready to go with the flexible fins when the WP patent allowed it and made the switch as soon as possible."
This is the first turquoise Power-Fin agitator I'm talking about. The pic is from the first edition of the "New Generation" brochure, 1965. It appears to be very similar to the later, more familiar version, with the exception of the "humps" on the skirt. The fins appear to be as flexible as the ones on the later version. Am I missing a nuance here? 
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| Post# 654452 , Reply# 7 1/19/2013 at 09:32 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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For Comparison: | ||
| Post# 654485 , Reply# 9 1/19/2013 at 12:13 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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Aha! | ||
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Post# 654495 , Reply# 10 1/19/2013 at 13:03 (4,108 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Unless I'm mistaken, the inside barrel of every Power-fin agitator can be used as a detergent dispenser/chute. Not that a detergent dispenser is or was ever necessary (the "Fish Knife" of the vintage appliance world); just another fun thing to fool around with.
Growing up with a Filter-Flo I always thought the user was supposed to put the detergent powder in the lint filter for dilution and dispensing or it would damage the load like chlorine bleach. The first Maytag with the "pop-up float" inside the agitator I ever saw in use was owned by my Aunt Dusty in a big beautiful old house in Lexington Mass. who explained to me, very nicely and patiently when I asked where the lint filter was and how she'd be able to add the detergent, that the powder could just be added with the clothes before turning the machine on. She used to open the lid and press the float button/safety switch on the underside of that uniquely thick and wired lid in to add stuff while the machine was on.
Aunt Dusty was one of those incredibly professional housewives; whenever you came for dinner you thought you had the wrong night because there wasn't a speck of food or preparation anywhere to be seen in her kitchen. Then, 5 minutes before dinner, the meal would appear out of nowhere and find its way to the table. For an Armenian, that's a feat. Nowadays she'd be lableled OCD. | ||
| Post# 654539 , Reply# 12 1/19/2013 at 17:22 (4,108 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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I Wonder.....
....Why none of the "New Generation" brochures I have mention the dispenser feature, for either agitator. God knows they mention everything else - Maytag's copywriters could make a BOL machine sound like a piece of technology so wonderful and new and advanced that Jane Jetson would sleep with Mr. Spacely to get her hands on it.
I also see no mention of the feature in any instruction manuals I have, though I admit I've got only two. But it makes me wonder if this is maybe a Maytag legend. Does anyone have ad copy or instructional material actually touting the feature? | ||
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Post# 654546 , Reply# 13 1/19/2013 at 17:48 (4,108 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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 I don't think any of the "New Generation" manuals instructed the user to place the detergent inside the agitator--removing the filter to do so. But, I ALWAYS did it that way because of the earlier generation with lint filter, that as what you were supposed to do and if it was good enough for "back then" (being not that many years earlier), then it was good enough to do with the "New Generatoin" models. SO THERE!!!! Even with the commercial Fabric-Matic machines located in the laundry room of my 1973 college dorm, I always put the dtergent in the middle of the agitator, even though there was no lint filter. to me, that's how you did that with a Maytag.
I think I already raised this issue in a post quite a while back and I think Tom addressed the issue then. | ||
| Post# 654603 , Reply# 15 1/20/2013 at 05:25 (4,107 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
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I Like,,,,
,,,,To live dangerously, so I completely, totally disregard Maytag's instructions about pulling the laundry away from the agitator. What I do is to - are you sitting down? - actually put the detergent in first. Heresy, I know!
I've been doing this for years, even before getting Maytags, and putting OxyClean in at that time, as well. I feel that the little bit of extra dissolving time as the washer fills helps a bit, though everyone has their own opinion about such things. I will say that I get dazzling whites. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread - there will soon be a "shopping list" thread about the things I need to make my new babies like new again. | ||
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