Thread Number: 11114
The A208 is in its new home! |
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Post# 200563   3/31/2007 at 20:33 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Today we removed the wretched Amanatag and replaced it with my Maytag A208. The front cover is off for observation but it will be put back on shortly. I may replace the belts, but for now it is washing away in relative silence compared to the Amanatag. Unlike the Amanatag, the A208 doesn't shake the entire house during spin either. The lint filter was clogged beyond belief (photos coming soon), but the agitator pulled right out without any struggle. Thus far, it has washed 4 loads. It's new job will be laundry for 5 people. I hope these pics load, Dave |
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Post# 200564 , Reply# 1   3/31/2007 at 20:35 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 200565 , Reply# 2   3/31/2007 at 20:36 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 200566 , Reply# 3   3/31/2007 at 20:38 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 200567 , Reply# 4   3/31/2007 at 20:43 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 200568 , Reply# 5   3/31/2007 at 20:47 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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This is the Amanatag awaiting its fate at the end of the hall near the stairs. Go sit with your head in the corner. Do not move! Do not come out of the corner until you think about what you did and have been remanufactured into something worthy of wearing the Maytag badge young man! Yes, that is my Electrolux Super J in the hall too, but it is not being banished. Bad washer! |
Post# 200569 , Reply# 6   3/31/2007 at 20:51 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Anyone have any ideas on how to disable the safety switch? The yardstick trick is rather cumbersome. As long as I have the machine open, how can I disable the switch or install a shim to keep the button depressed? Also, the A208 is smaller than the Amanatag, but it is a fair bit heavier. Moving it up a flight of stairs was NOT fun! It is built like a tank, though. The A208 is much more solidly built than the flimzy Amanatag. I gotta go and do some laundry now, Dave :) |
Post# 200577 , Reply# 7   3/31/2007 at 21:47 (6,206 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)   |   | |
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You can permantely defeat the lid switch, but this will also defeat the off balance switch. Remove the two screws on top of the control panel and take off the top of the control panel. Under the timer you'll see the actual lid switch mechanism. Really it's just a simple little switch that cuts power to everything when opened. There should be 2 wires running to it. Pull the 2 wires off of the tabs on the switch. Take some electrical tape and tape the two metal clips on the wires together. Make sure ALL exposed metal on the wires is covered with a thick layer of black electrical tape!!! Then replace the panel and re-insert the two screws, and your ready to wash with the lid open! The lid switch will not function at all at this point, nor will the unbalance switch.
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Post# 200584 , Reply# 8   3/31/2007 at 22:06 (6,206 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Is there any way to wedge a shim in place to keep the button depressed so I do not loose the out of balence switch? This machine isn't just for show, it's also the only washer in the house and with such heavy use, I would rather have a functioning OOB switch. Thanks a bunch though. I'll poke around and see what I can find, Dave |
Post# 200593 , Reply# 9   3/31/2007 at 22:35 (6,206 days old) by brettsomers ()   |   | |
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get a wooden clothespin with a metal spring. twist the two wooden halves free of the spring. the wooden halves make ideal shims. i think i learned that trick when i was five years old. |
Post# 200705 , Reply# 10   4/1/2007 at 20:14 (6,205 days old) by gadgetgary (Bristol,CT)   |   | |
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Post# 200861 , Reply# 11   4/2/2007 at 18:03 (6,204 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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I bypassed the lid safety switch today. I used the wire-connecting method because I did not see a way to defeat the lid switch and retain use of the OOB function. We shall just keep an eye and an ear on the machine as it runs through the cycles. I also replaced both belts just on general principle. It took me quite a while to replace the belts because I'm a newbie. With some more practice I'm sure I can shave 30 seconds off of the job and be able to change Maytag belts in under 2 minutes. This machine is just like my Volvo 240, built like a tank and easy to work on. (Changing the Volvo's oil filter aside). What else could my machine need? Should I change the transmission oil every 3,000 washes or so? This MAytag A208 is the most fun I have ever purchased for $10.00. A very happy, Dave |
Post# 200862 , Reply# 12   4/2/2007 at 18:04 (6,204 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 200954 , Reply# 13   4/3/2007 at 10:47 (6,203 days old) by llmaytag (Southern California)   |   | |
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Gosh, that's a great machine. What year is that model? I really like the simple design of the Maytag. I'm curious, however, when it spins, do the transmission spin as well? I know the orbital transmissions spin when the tub spins, but the oribital also looks like it's better balanced than the non-oribital one that this one appears to be, (from the pics). Just curious. |
Post# 200963 , Reply# 15   4/3/2007 at 12:52 (6,203 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)   |   | |
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Dave: Between your A208 and your Lux Super J, I'd say you're well on your way to enjoying the pleasures of vintage stuff. The more vintage I have, the more I want to own, because it's so nice to use things that do not feel flimsy. When I look at new appliances, I am flabbergasted by the feel of their cabinets and controls. Everything feels shaky and thin and wobbly. In our house, we have two vintage Luxes and a new Hoover (it's three storeys, so we have vacs on each floor). I love the solid feel of the Luxes, but I don't enjoy using the Hoover at all. My Maytags feel rock-solid, too. It's a pleasure using stuff like this. I'm currently looking for more vintage stuff- my next house will have a vintage range and reefer, plus a vintage KA DW if I can find a good one. I also want an Amana Radarange RR-4. In addition to the nice feel, it's great to be free of control boards in my stuff. Simplicity and reliability, not nervous-Nellie "features". |
Post# 200980 , Reply# 16   4/3/2007 at 15:43 (6,203 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Hey Dave, it's really no contest regarding that mountain of laundry. The Maytag will simply skate through every load quietly and efficiently, many, many, many times over without a single complaint. Liked your comments on changing the belt. I'll forever be shaking my head over why Whirlpool didn't preserve and showcase Maytag's masterpiece of engineering simplicity and idestructibility. I sure loved my center dial pair while I had them and it's clear that you're already in love with your machine too. I'd advise you to enjoy, but I know you already are. Ralph |
Post# 200990 , Reply# 17   4/3/2007 at 17:14 (6,203 days old) by llmaytag (Southern California)   |   | |
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Yes, it is quite sad that they are not keeping that engineering. It's so simple and strong and actually quite beauteous. This last weekend I went to a Maytag dealer in Orange County California who several weeks ago said they could still get a Dependable Care model, but when I showed up in person on Saturday they said they are all gone. Darn. Now I have live with my growling Whirlpool direct drive. Ugh.
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Post# 200995 , Reply# 18   4/3/2007 at 18:10 (6,203 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Leonard, I feel your pain. I was pleasantly surprised to see a decent number of Maytags of the generation right after the center dials (with the brown color schemed slanted control panel) on Craig's List recently. I was looking to unload my '97 Amana pair with a Craig's List ad and was checking out my competition. I saw a few Maytags in good condition that, if I were shopping for a used washer, I would choose over my Amana any day, and they were cheaper than what I was asking for my machine. I hope people who appreciate the mechanics of this vintage of Maytags will snap these up and preserve them. Even if they're not as charming in appearance as the beloved center-dials, they are still the same hard working machines underneath and can be had fairly cheaply. Find a low mileage one of these Leonard, and your search will have a happy ending. |
Post# 201178 , Reply# 20   4/4/2007 at 12:16 (6,202 days old) by llmaytag (Southern California)   |   | |
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