Neptune TL Set

1) It's an unusual and interesting design.

2) Some types of loads don't wash very well, if the tumblers (clothes lifters) don't have enough friction on the items to roll the load. I once watched a load of 21 shirts not roll even once through the entire wash period. I restarted the cycle and helped it roll several times.

3) It does nicely when the load rolls properly -- heavier items such as towels/cottons, jeans, blankets, and mixes of heavier and lighter items.

4) It can be touchy at balancing for spin. Rinse spins will skip if it can't balance in 3 or 4 (whichever) distribution attempts. The final spin tries more times and will refill/tumble a couple times before giving up and beeping for help.

5) The top-of-line FAV9800 is the model to seek (has water heating, LCD touchpanel) but those are rare.

Technical:

6) There's no brake, takes a LONG time for the basket to stop spinning (it's heavy, much inertia).

7) The lid locks (plural, both sides of the lid) are difficult to trick for watching the machine run. Easiest workaround is remove the clips for the top so it can be easily raised at any moment.

8) The lid can't be opened during fill. Water flows through the lid via jets that spray into the rear edge of it for flushing through the dispensers (both detergent which is mounted to the lid and the bleach/softener cups at the front corners). The top can be raised a bit but too high and gravity affects the water flow through the lid.

9) The top can't be raised if the bleach or softener dispensers are used for the load, the contents would spill out.

10) Raising the top during spin (initial acceleration or at full speed) triggers an accelerometer on the control board, which makes it think the tub has impacted the cabinet and it'll go into a redistribution routine. The top can be slightly raised/lowered VERY carefully and slowly without triggering redistribution. This issue doesn't occur if the lid latches are tricked for watching instead of raising the top. The accelerometer seems to drop-out at some point during the final spin so raising the top doesn't stop it but I haven't figured out exactly when that occurs.

11) The drive pulley/torque spring clutch can be a problem. Mine (a new-in-box machine) went bad in 6 months (repaired under warranty, because why not instead of doing it myself) causing the tumblers to rotate during spin which causes distribution/balancing problems and tore a couple towels. A typical problem is deteriorated lubrication of the roller-bearings. Service docs don't reference it but the pulley can be disassembled, cleaned and relubed ... as long as the problem isn't a broken torque spring. I've disassembled and lubed the pulley bearings once since the repair. I rarely use the machine, it's still essentially new-in-box condition at 14yo (16yo per the serial). The tub seal and drum bearings are a common trash-the-machine failure, per what I've heard.


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Post# 1140765 1/31/2022 at 07:49 (1,173 days old) by HobartHero (New York)
Checkrate/Likes I found a set in beautiful condition owned by a friends grandmother who passed away and they are looking to sell the set soon. These are super cool machines but are they any good? I love the standard angled front load Neptune design but I’ve never used a TL set or known anyone with them either. I’d love to hear some thoughts. Thanks, Shannon

Post# 1140774 , Reply# 1 1/31/2022 at 09:09 (1,173 days old) by APPNUT (TX)
Checkrate/Likes Dadoes has a washer

Post# 1140776 , Reply# 2 1/31/2022 at 09:23 (1,173 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes 2 1) It's an unusual and interesting design. 2) Some types of loads don't wash very well, if the tumblers (clothes lifters) don't have enough friction on the items to roll the load. I once watched a load of 21 shirts not roll even once through the entire wash period. I restarted the cycle and helped it roll several times. 3) It does nicely when the load rolls properly -- heavier items such as towels/cottons, jeans, blankets, and mixes of heavier and lighter items. 4) It can be touchy at balancing for spin. Rinse spins will skip if it can't balance in 3 or 4 (whichever) distribution attempts. The final spin tries more times and will refill/tumble a couple times before giving up and beeping for help. 5) The top-of-line FAV9800 is the model to seek (has water heating, LCD touchpanel) but those are rare. Technical: 6) There's no brake, takes a LONG time for the basket to stop spinning (it's heavy, much inertia). 7) The lid locks (plural, both sides of the lid) are difficult to trick for watching the machine run. Easiest workaround is remove the clips for the top so it can be easily raised at any moment. 8) The lid can't be opened during fill. Water flows through the lid via jets that spray into the rear edge of it for flushing through the dispensers (both detergent which is mounted to the lid and the bleach/softener cups at the front corners). The top can be raised a bit but too high and gravity affects the water flow through the lid. 9) The top can't be raised if the bleach or softener dispensers are used for the load, the contents would spill out. 10) Raising the top during spin (initial acceleration or at full speed) triggers an accelerometer on the control board, which makes it think the tub has impacted the cabinet and it'll go into a redistribution routine. The top can be slightly raised/lowered VERY carefully and slowly without triggering redistribution. This issue doesn't occur if the lid latches are tricked for watching instead of raising the top. The accelerometer seems to drop-out at some point during the final spin so raising the top doesn't stop it but I haven't figured out exactly when that occurs. 11) The drive pulley/torque spring clutch can be a problem. Mine (a new-in-box machine) went bad in 6 months (repaired under warranty, because why not instead of doing it myself) causing the tumblers to rotate during spin which causes distribution/balancing problems and tore a couple towels. A typical problem is deteriorated lubrication of the roller-bearings. Service docs don't reference it but the pulley can be disassembled, cleaned and relubed ... as long as the problem isn't a broken torque spring. I've disassembled and lubed the pulley bearings once since the repair. I rarely use the machine, it's still essentially new-in-box condition at 14yo (16yo per the serial). The tub seal and drum bearings are a common trash-the-machine failure, per what I've heard.

Post# 1140942 , Reply# 3 2/1/2022 at 20:29 (1,171 days old) by MaytagNeptune (FireAlarmTechGuy4444 on YouTube. Interlochen MI)
Checkrate/Likes Bearings and seal are still available as far as I know. Serial starting with 10 or 11 Special 1 way bearing is NLA. Serial starting with 12+ order Tub seal and 2 SKF 6207 bearings. To replace the bearings. 1. Unplug the washer 2. raise the top 3. remove the front. 4. remove the tub by disconnecting it from the rear suspension rods and tilt the tub forward 90 degrees. Lift up and remove. 5. Disconnect the motor wire harness and tub to pump hose. This might be easier to do before removing the tub. 6. Rotate the drive belt and remove it from the clutch. 7. remove the clutch wheel. 8. Remove the tub cover by gently releasing the clips. 9. Remove the big nut from the bottom of the tub. 10. Lift out the inner drum. 11. use a screwdriver to pry out the old lip seal and seal collier from the spinner assembly and discard the old seal. 12. Use a steel punch and a hammer to pound out the old bearings, Be careful to not damage the outer tub or the spacer!! 13. Seat the new bearing into place. 14. place the old bearing over the new bearing and hit the old bearing to push in the new bearing. 15. Gently place the new tub seal into the groove. 16. reassemble by following steps 1-10 in reverse. 17. You should be good to go. Make sure your seal collier is seated properly and not double stacked! your tub will not turn free if the seal is double stacked. I hope this helps!

Post# 1140943 , Reply# 4 2/1/2022 at 20:35 (1,171 days old) by electronicontrl (Grand Rapids, MI)
Checkrate/Likes *Pros and Cons* I have the Model FAV6800 that I purchased at a clearance price of $299 from Rainbow Appliance on the East Coast. Had it delivered for $89 and a 5 year warranty for $99 The clutch was replaced under warranty. From what I understand they were imported from Italy. Consumer Reports top-rated them for wash ability around 2005. They were aggressive on clothes. I've used mine often. It does a fine job but some type of clothing does not tumble well. It dispenses bleach in the 1st rinse. The cycle called Jeans/Darks actually does a nice job on Jeans. A higher water level is used on Delicate and Bulky Items cycles. It is a fun toy. I'm glad I bought it. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 1140964 , Reply# 5 2/2/2022 at 02:27 (1,171 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Courtesy of own Gansky1 www.automaticwasher.org/c... From Eddy1210 Last but never least, DADoESofTX!

Post# 1140973 , Reply# 6 2/2/2022 at 08:25 (1,171 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes The load in my video is a synthetic/quilted twin bedspread, set of cotton/blend twin sheets, and one shirt. Cycle is Bulky, per the water level being up to the hubs of the tumblers. The final rinse fills to that level for all cycles. This is not the entire wash period. Notice that the load gets stuck and doesn't roll for a few mins.

Post# 1141006 , Reply# 7 2/2/2022 at 14:25 (1,171 days old) by Tomdawg (Des moines)
Checkrate/Likes 2 I agree dadoes statement on the Neptune TL. I have one as well, they are definitely a unique Machine but prone to some problems. I plan on keeping mine just for fun and hobby washer.

Post# 1141064 , Reply# 8 2/3/2022 at 08:55 (1,170 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *I recall readung here* that they were good oerformers, and water misers, but whenthey break, they are very costly and involved to repair. A design gimmick liike the Whirlpool Calypso.

Post# 1141119 , Reply# 10 2/3/2022 at 19:34 (1,169 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I too wish Calypso technology/design had survived.

Post# 1141136 , Reply# 11 2/3/2022 at 23:00 (1,169 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas))
Checkrate/Likes *cycles* Does yours have normal or cotton/sturdy? I believe Kenmore was the first to use cotton/sturdy before maytag did.

Post# 1141179 , Reply# 12 2/4/2022 at 12:16 (1,169 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho)
Checkrate/Likes 5 IMHO, I think Whirlpool gave up too soon on the Calypso. I feel the issues with it could have been worked out. From a functioning standpoint, it was a great design.

Post# 1141270 , Reply# 14 2/5/2022 at 11:57 (1,168 days old) by pumper (SE Wisconsin)
Checkrate/Likes Obviously engineered by someone with an axe to grind against Maytag.

Post# 1141075 , Reply# 9 2/3/2022 at 11:02 (1,170 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes 7 Calypso was/is the best HE toploader yet on the market.

Post# 1141209 , Reply# 13 2/4/2022 at 16:42 (1,168 days old) by Tomdawg (Des moines)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Calypso design* I would agree calypso was one of the best HE top loaders out there. Though at the time I was a loyal Maytag fan and not of whirlpool. I keep looking for one around town to show up. I would love to get my hands on one of these! Anyone have one for sale?

Post# 1141272 , Reply# 15 2/5/2022 at 12:58 (1,168 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes There were several engineering revisions done on the Calypso through the course of production. Also several revisions on the Neptune frontloader. There was a revision on the Neptune TL clutch/pulley design which also involved a matching change on the outer tub.

Post# 1142568 , Reply# 16 2/19/2022 at 07:41 (1,154 days old) by Rodro2006 (Mexico)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *I share to Shanon a video of my TL LCD screen model* Hi Shanon, from Mexico, I also have mine and it’s quite interesting machine and I’m very sure we would never have a similar model again, so take care of it I leave you a video of mine, hope u can share with us, pics of yours. Enjoy Neptune TL !!! CLICK HERE TO GO TO Rodro2006's LINK