Thread Number: 1580
Hoover Keymatics 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 60528   3/18/2005 at 22:45 (6,968 days old) by Pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)        

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Okay, I don't get it, what is so great about these machines? I don't mean to be mean or anything, but, you can't watch them! I don't see what is so amazing, did some have windows? How did they work?




Post# 60564 , Reply# 1   3/19/2005 at 07:14 (6,968 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

I just spent half an hour writing a detailed reply, went to find the link to the pics and lost the text...boohoo...


They are so odd, so quirky, such fun.

-You can disable the door safety switch, then run a complete cycle with the door OPEN and it won't spill either water or clothes. Try that with any other front loader.

They must have been the first machine available with "upgradeable" programs - different keyplates could be released over time as new programs were developed for new fabrics and detergents. As far as I know this only happened once, when cold water detergents were developed, so a new keyplate with a cold wash was offered and could be used in any Keymatic from number 1 onwards.

When the machine died from other than motor failure, the motor could be removed and used by Philistines to drive their barbecue spits. (My machine suffered such a fate before I got it, and still awaits a motor...)

I just love 'em.

Chris.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO gizmo's LINK
Post# 60582 , Reply# 2   3/19/2005 at 10:13 (6,967 days old) by westytoploader ()        

The pulsator at the back seems interesting...but why were these machines so unreliable? I don't think anyone on here owns a working model.

Post# 60621 , Reply# 3   3/19/2005 at 18:30 (6,967 days old) by agiflow ()        

I see the baffles in the tub, but what was the point of the pulsator? What kind of effect was it supposed to have?

Post# 60674 , Reply# 4   3/20/2005 at 06:15 (6,967 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

The pulsator in the tub was said to offer a more vigorous wash action, so a delicate wash was tumble only, the regular wash was tumble and pulsate at the same time. The wash is very short in Keymatics - 8 minute for delicate and only 4 minutes for vigorous washes. Theoretically with the right keyplate an 8 minute wash with tumble and pulsate was possible but no such keyplate was ever offered. The wash time was in addition to the tumble during the heating phase.
In my experience the pulsator didn't do much. It wasn't well submerged, the water barely covered it.
The machines weren't really that unreliable, but were so complicated that most washer mechanics were frightened of them unless they were specifically trained in the model. They needed to be regularly greased as the clutch mechanism was exposed inside the back of the cabinet (no grease or oil seal) so in a dusty environment could wear rapidly unless regularly greased. So they had to be regularly maintained by someone who knew what they were doing. That is different to being fundamentally unreliable.
I only know one other person who has owned one and she says it was the best machine she ever had, she only got rid of it because parts were no longer available. One Hoover specialist repairer in Melbourne still uses one for cleaning rags in the workshop, at least they did when I last was there about 5 years ago.

Chris.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO gizmo's LINK
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