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Found a weird fact about old Maytag washers in a library book
I was looking at a repair manual from 1987 at the downtown library and saw that some Maytag models used a part called the 'agitator dogs' that could last over 25 years. I always thought those plastic gears wore out way faster. Has anyone else found a part that lasted way longer than it should have?
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jamies452d ago
Yeah, those old agitator dogs were basically indestructible. It's because they were made from a specific type of nylon that was oil-impregnated from the factory, so it self-lubricated for its whole life. Modern ones use cheaper plastic that just grinds itself to dust. The real kicker is that the part was so simple, just a couple of lugs, that there was nothing to really fail. They built things to last back then because they expected you to fix them, not throw the whole machine out. Makes you wonder what other simple designs we've lost in the name of cost cutting.
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sagesingh2d ago
Miss my grandma's old washer.
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mia_lee2d ago
That bit about them expecting you to fix things really hits home. My grandpa had the same kind of washer, sagesingh, and he could take the whole thing apart with a basic wrench. Now if my machine makes a weird noise I have to call a specialist who tells me it's cheaper to just replace it. They don't even make the parts for most models past five years anymore. It feels like we traded real ownership for just renting stuff until it breaks.
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