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Thread Number: 87672
/ Tag: Twin-Tub Washers
1971 Maytag Porta-Washer M0D. A50 |
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Post# 1122362 7/5/2021 at 01:08 (1,018 days old) by Ultramatic  (New York City) |
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Thanks to Martin (yogitunes), I got the heads up on this washer. Just a hours drive from Brooklyn (now there's a switch, I usually drive a lot further for an appliance). It has been sitting in a kitchen, unused for decades. Thankfully it wasn't located in a damp basement. Supposedly it worked the last time it was used. I gave it a quick wipe down since it was quite grimy. The tubs are still dirty with, looks like old spices that have fallen in through the years. As a nice bonus I got the operating manual that's virtually mint. Serial number 393807 MQ (1971, July) making it 50 years young. | ||
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Post# 1122363 , Reply# 1 7/5/2021 at 01:18 (1,018 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1122364 , Reply# 2 7/5/2021 at 01:25 (1,018 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1122375 , Reply# 3 7/5/2021 at 02:30 (1,018 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) |
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That looks lovely. don't forget to take photos of the inside for us. | ||
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Post# 1122377 , Reply# 4 7/5/2021 at 03:55 (1,018 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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| Post# 1122385 , Reply# 5 7/5/2021 at 06:36 (1,018 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
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| Post# 1122409 , Reply# 6 7/5/2021 at 11:43 (1,017 days old) by bradross (New Westminster, BC., Canada) | ||
Great find!
I remember as a child of about 10 years old, seeing these in a department store, and REALLY wanting one! It would have been an expensive "toy", and my parents wouldn't buy it for me, of course. Years later, I bought a second-hand Hoover AND a Simplicity/Speed Queen Super-Twin. I guess that made up for it!
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Post# 1122416 , Reply# 7 7/5/2021 at 13:04 (1,017 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Post# 1122419 , Reply# 8 7/5/2021 at 13:24 (1,017 days old) by electronicontrl (Grand Rapids, MI) |
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And the instruction manual! | ||
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Post# 1122465 , Reply# 9 7/5/2021 at 23:55 (1,017 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Thanks guys! | ||
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Post# 1122551 , Reply# 10 7/6/2021 at 20:03 (1,016 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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save time/money and make your own belts....
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Post# 1122555 , Reply# 11 7/6/2021 at 20:38 (1,016 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1122560 , Reply# 12 7/6/2021 at 21:23 (1,016 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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O-Thane cord and a slug.....
1/4" works best.... I think it runs about $2.95 per foot, and the slug is .75..... I get it from a local Vacuum/Sewing shop.....across from one of the Habitat/Restores you and I visit... CLICK HERE TO GO TO Yogitunes's LINK | ||
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Post# 1123233 , Reply# 13 7/14/2021 at 05:24 (1,009 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Thanks Martin... | ||
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Post# 1123249 , Reply# 14 7/14/2021 at 09:07 (1,008 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Congrats! | ||
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Post# 1123290 , Reply# 15 7/14/2021 at 14:19 (1,008 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Thanks Ben! | ||
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Post# 1123294 , Reply# 16 7/14/2021 at 14:50 (1,008 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123299 , Reply# 17 7/14/2021 at 17:26 (1,008 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123394 , Reply# 19 7/16/2021 at 07:07 (1,007 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123441 , Reply# 20 7/16/2021 at 16:17 (1,006 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Finally arrived... | ||
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Post# 1123510 , Reply# 21 7/17/2021 at 09:40 (1,005 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123512 , Reply# 22 7/17/2021 at 10:03 (1,005 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123515 , Reply# 23 7/17/2021 at 10:25 (1,005 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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Post# 1123518 , Reply# 24 7/17/2021 at 11:21 (1,005 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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LOL! Martin... | ||
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Post# 1123521 , Reply# 25 7/17/2021 at 13:32 (1,005 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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I believe the spinner is rated at 2000RPM's.....I thought it was written in the manual, but I can't find it at the moment....still their very quiet compared to a Hoover....
wonder if your set up is different than mine.....yes, it uses the spinner/motor/pump unit to pump out the wash side, but usually the diverter valve allows the wash tubs water to go directly to the pump... got to love those two heavy duty motors that operate this unit.....plus its a regular full size automatic pump used in these......compared to the tiny units used in a Hoover twintub... sort of an over flow built in.....if the wash side is overfilled, it will spill over into the spinner.....just above the black bar to the right is the opening... surprised these didn't offer a Spin/Rinse setup.....you wash and spin a few loads, drain the water and refill with fresh, then Rinse and Spin again... | ||
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Post# 1123522 , Reply# 26 7/17/2021 at 13:36 (1,005 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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Post# 1123523 , Reply# 27 7/17/2021 at 13:49 (1,005 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Louie,
I’m so glad you have this bad boy up and runnin! You are gonna love it! He spinner is the bomb. There is nothing else that I know of that will extract more water than an A50 spinner. I always kept the drain hose in the back slot when spinning out the wash loads so I could re use the wash water, but when doing the final spin after the rinse I let it drain into the sink. Have fun with this new toy.
Eddie | ||
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Post# 1123526 , Reply# 28 7/17/2021 at 14:53 (1,005 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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Post# 1123529 , Reply# 29 7/17/2021 at 15:23 (1,005 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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I can’t remember exactly what I paid for my A50 in ‘77, but I recall that it was less than a Whirlpool portable. Somehow the amount of $297 comes to mind, but thats just a guess, I no longer have the receipt. And since I was replacing a Whirlpool portable(convertible) that bit the dust after only 3 1/2 yrs of use I wasn’t keen on buying another one anyway.
I never regretted buying that A50. It was the perfect washing machine for me at the time since I moved frequently from one rental to another and most of them didn’t have plumbing for an automatic anyway. The A50 was adaptable to any situation and did a great job cleaning, was fast and fun to use. If thats all I had room for today I’d be more than happy to have another A50 as a daily driver. Eddie | ||
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Post# 1123587 , Reply# 31 7/18/2021 at 14:19 (1,004 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123588 , Reply# 32 7/18/2021 at 14:23 (1,004 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123590 , Reply# 33 7/18/2021 at 14:32 (1,004 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123601 , Reply# 34 7/18/2021 at 17:51 (1,004 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Louie, I knew you were gonna love this A50! Anyone that has an appreciation of well built and well thought out appliances has to love the sturdy simplicity of the A50. I wish that I had kept mine.
When I bought a new Maytag Fabricmatic in ‘81 I gave the A50 to my sister Mary who had a newborn and lived in a little apt. over a garage. David and I loaded the A50 into the trunk of my ‘67 Buick Skylark 2 dr HT and lashed the trunk lid down with an old belt. My sister never appreciated the A50 like I did. She sold it to a friend and since she needed the money I didn’t get mad at her, but wish she’d have told me to come pick it up instead. It was still like brand new in ‘81when I gave it to her. Coincidentally, my brother Joe lived with me for a while when I had the A50 and he loved doing the laundry in it, was simply fascinated by it. I’d come home from work and he’d have the A50 rolled up to the kitchen sink doin the laundry. It was nice the have the help. Eddie | ||
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Post# 1123602 , Reply# 35 7/18/2021 at 19:25 (1,004 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Well Eddie a least your brother appreciated it. They still pop-up every now and then. So who knows, maybe you can get one. I think you see more Hoover Twin Tubs than Maytags. If I'd had more room I'd have a Hoover and a Speed Queen. Those Speed Queens are rarer than a hens tooth. Never seen one out in the wild.
As I had mentioned earlier the top of the A50 has yellowed with age. It has a few cracks but they are small, hardly noticeable. I think I am going to go the hydrogen peroxide with UV light route. I only get 9 hours of direct sunlight in my terrace and I don't think that would be enough, so a UV light is preferable.
We should make a census on how many members have a A50 Porta Washer. | ||
| Post# 1123603 , Reply# 36 7/18/2021 at 20:26 (1,004 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
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Post# 1123608 , Reply# 37 7/18/2021 at 21:17 (1,004 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123691 , Reply# 38 7/19/2021 at 19:32 (1,003 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada) |
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I've also wanted an A50 but I've never seen any here in Ontario. When I was in my teens, an elderly woman friend of my family that lived year round across the lake from our cottage, had an A50 and ever since then I have wanted one. The neighbours next to her had a Hoover twintub and my grandmother had a Simplicity twintub. Of the 3, I liked the A50 the best.
Gary | ||
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Post# 1123695 , Reply# 39 7/19/2021 at 21:04 (1,003 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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The spinner belt has arrived. | ||
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Post# 1123696 , Reply# 40 7/19/2021 at 21:07 (1,003 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123762 , Reply# 41 7/20/2021 at 16:43 (1,002 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada) |
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Post# 1123937 , Reply# 42 7/23/2021 at 17:24 (999 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1123938 , Reply# 43 7/23/2021 at 17:26 (999 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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| Post# 1124019 , Reply# 44 7/24/2021 at 19:56 (998 days old) by Paul54 (Danbury Conecticut) | ||
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no wonder! I could not find it on that site! | ||
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Post# 1130974 , Reply# 45 10/11/2021 at 22:40 (919 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Back to the A50 | ||
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Post# 1130980 , Reply# 46 10/11/2021 at 23:19 (919 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Post# 1130994 , Reply# 47 10/12/2021 at 02:11 (919 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1131273 , Reply# 48 10/16/2021 at 23:20 (914 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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After the hydrogen peroxide. It's much lighter. I still have the backside and under the lids to do. I'm going to give it another treatment because today was only party sunny.
Shadows are from the chandelier.
You can really see the difference here before and after.
This is going to take a bit longer. A lot of rain in the forecast. I need direct sunlight for the treatment. In hindsight I should had bought a UV light. Would had been done already. | ||
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Post# 1131631 , Reply# 49 10/22/2021 at 07:20 (909 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Post# 1131635 , Reply# 50 10/22/2021 at 09:17 (908 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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Post# 1131642 , Reply# 51 10/22/2021 at 11:25 (908 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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| Post# 1131654 , Reply# 52 10/22/2021 at 14:42 (908 days old) by Hippiedoll ( arizona ) | ||
WOWZERS... | ||
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Post# 1132575 , Reply# 53 11/3/2021 at 08:10 (897 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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| Post# 1168115 , Reply# 55 1/2/2023 at 11:42 (471 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
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Post# 1168213 , Reply# 57 1/3/2023 at 13:22 (470 days old) by Brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia) |
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Hi Chris Google retrobrite or retrobriting. It essentially uses hydrogen peroxide and UV to whiten. We’ve done a fair bit with Apple IIe cases. Cheers Nathan | ||
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Post# 1168261 , Reply# 58 1/3/2023 at 21:14 (470 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) |
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thanks Nathan. | ||
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Post# 1192382 , Reply# 59 10/22/2023 at 09:38 by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Because of a remodel, the SQ has been sidelined.
So I decided to press the A50 into service, and low and behold, the diverter valve is busted. The flapper rod just corroded away.
Part numbers WP204313, WP201168 or WP200806. And of course these parts are no longer available. I'm going to have to use the laundry room machines downstairs until the SQ is reconnected.
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Post# 1192385 , Reply# 60 10/22/2023 at 10:34 by wiskybill (Canton, Ohio) |
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Louis... try this Check the link. I would call to verify. There is a branch here in Canton and I have had good service from them. CLICK HERE TO GO TO wiskybill's LINK
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Post# 1192386 , Reply# 61 10/22/2023 at 11:04 by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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Hey Bill thanks! However they do not have the part. But, as luck would have it I found it, NOS on ebay.
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Post# 1192390 , Reply# 62 10/22/2023 at 12:43 by wiskybill (Canton, Ohio) |
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Super!! I know firsthand that it's always a challenge to find obsolete parts. Happy washing! | ||
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Post# 1192416 , Reply# 63 10/22/2023 at 19:13 by Ultramatic (New York City) |
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| Post# 1192533 , Reply# 64 10/25/2023 at 11:07 by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River) | ||
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