Well, it's been 10 years but I finally got a replacement for my old Harvest A207 Maytag washer.

There was an estate sale within walking distance of my house with an avocado A206 for $75. The dials and graphics were all in good condition, the machine was clean and well kept, and the estate salesperson let me run the washer through its paces, so I put down the money and took it away with me. As I mentioned, I had a similar machine, but I wanted to ask a few questions about this one...

The serial number is 330176 MM. What would be the date of construction on this?

The Dial has the permanent press cycle. What year was this introduced? Is there a practical difference between this and 1950's "Wash and Wear", or is it just updating the marketing lingo?

Also, the permanent press cycle only has notations in the wash time zone of the cycle... the rest of course is blank.  Because of the complicated rinse/spin/cool down program, was this left blank to discourage operators from using these and "forcing" the use of the more conventional (and marked) rinse/spin cycles in the Whites program?

I have a pilot light above the dial but it doesn't work... Going through old posts, it seems that Maytag installed non-functional lights.  Is that true? I don't get it... the first words out of a prospective buyer is "why isn't the pilot lamp on?"... What does the salesman say "That's ok, it's just for show" ??

Many Thanks...

Bill

I've never had to post more than one photo at a time ...  I was hoping a moderator would put them in one posting, but it did not occur to do it as a reply.

That is a gorgeous score!

I've always loved the 206's of that vintage ever since I saw my first one in the appliance department of Macy's. After being impressed by the beauty of the 806 with its millions of buttons of shiny glass backsplash I went over to the 206 and thought the black and aqua agitator in the blue tub was a nifty combo. Of course I wanted both of them. I'm still looking for one just like that, with the brushed aluminum trim and the black agitator.

These filters work marginally better if you put one of the rubber filter seals from earlier Maytag washer filters fitted inside the little fingers at the bottom.   These rubber seals are as rare as hen's teeth, you might also find a rubber o-ring that will fit and help seal those fingers a little better.  A lot of trouble for very little benefit, really.  Those little fingers don't fit tightly against the inside of the agitator barrel and much of the water and lint pass right through.  If it fits tightly at the top of the agitator and won't come off while operating, you could cut off the lower, damaged filter section and just have the benefit of the softener dispenser and "the look" without the nuisance of the filter itself.  

One of the reasons they degrade over time is that those little holes are able to hold beads of water.  Over time, the water dries (slowly) leaving behind minerals and hard water deposits.  Once the build-up starts, the deposits take longer and longer to dry, exacerbated by threads and lint not cleaned out after each washday.  Eventually the holes close up and the hard water continues to degrade the plastic to the point it becomes brittle.  Age/time and water - the best solvents on earth.

I wonder if that tee fitting served as a vent for the hose if it drained directly into a standpipe.

I wonder if that tee fitting served as a vent for the hose if it drained directly into a standpipe.

If memory serves me, I think our Harvest 206 had the same decal.  Why it's there, I couldn't tell you.