An evening with the Hoovermatic Deluxe

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Hoovermatic Washdog

John from Birmingham UK here (ChesterMikes partner in crime!)

Thought I would add a few pics of my Hoover Washdog I think it’s the best deluxe twinnie Hoover ever made. I used it again today after fitting a new wash sump hose it ran like a dream. I have an AEG 1800 rpm auto but prefer to get the Washdog barking any day or maybe I am barking ! (mad)

Two more images posted below & will add more pics of machine in action soon.

All the best folks x

3-3-2007-14-01-1--Johnbirmingham.jpg
 
Many happy memories using this exact machine. My Nana and Grandad had one and I did loads of washing in it. Was replaced in late eighties with a Hotpoint twin tub but the spinner went after about 3 years (apparently it `flashed') and just stopped. They loved their Hoover and never really rated the Hotpoint as much and that wasn't just the reliability thing. I never did find out quite what went wrong with the spinner. If I recall, the spinner in Hotpoints didn't use a brush motor did they so I guess the flash was the motor burning out. The Hoover I think did use a brush motor for the spinner, at least the noise suggested it did.

Well done you guys for keeping these great machines going. Thanks for the vid at the start of the thread too - brought back some memories, I tell you.

Nick
 
This machine is the reason that washday became a thrill for me - it is such an exciting machine in every way and the fact that the operator is in control makes it even better. Wonderful pics!
 
Would I be correct in saying that this particular model was produced for several years?

The model my gran had, had orange controls, and the 'new spinner-release catch' (no handle on spinner lid).

The only thing that my gran didn't care for, was the fact you had to fill the wash tub with water, to cover the activator.

The Rolls model had the activator on the floor of the tub, so a 'half load' could be washed quite successfully.

Thanks for all the photos.
 
Orange Controls

Yeah, my dads mom had both of these machines, the 3314L and the one with orange controls/orange latch lever and orange filling spout. Only thing that was different was the inlet was on the top right of the machine, the 48c was replaced with 50c and of course, the latch lever thingy. I had the latter machine up until a few years ago, and its still going strong at my friends house. Wish i could get another HMDL of this type, my Thomson is driving me mad without having a heater!
 
Oh and.....

Anyone else noticed the pattern of the colour schemes in the whole of the Hoover range, ie orange-silver on the autos too, then the black with green lettering, then the brown and white lettering, then last of all, the grey with white lettering, i remember an aunt had the last of the HMDL then she bought a Hoover auto not long after which was the same colour scheme.Anyone know the dates of the colour schemes?
 
JohnBirmingham

Hi, John!
Are you the one who refurbishes and overhauls Twinnie to sell them at Ebay's?
If so, just a question here, as I cannot contact you via Ebay at the moment....
How far is my Twinnie (Hotpoint Supermatic de luxe T9414)?
Ralf
 
Ralf, Supermatic and Hoovermatic

Hi Ralf,
I am not the same John, i am a member of twin tub emporium. The John u are talking about is from twintub city about 10 miles north of Birmingham. It seems u are desperate to get a 9414 lol I have a mint 9414 and only paid 35 pounds for it! ( about 50 euros i think !!) Dont get paying a fortune for a 9414 as they are easy to get I feel sure one of us lads! can keep an eye in local papers etc. Keep in touch u will get it xx. John
 
John Birmingham

Hi, John!
Thanks for your reply!
The problem I have: I have already a Hotpoint Supermatic de luxe T9414 but it starts getting old...
Kevin from Edinborough sent me a used wash-motor - the old one broke down because of a leakage of the wash-water recycling pump which I replaced as well by a new one I got from the UK by the help of a friend in Brighton. Then I had to exchange the three belts - Hotpoint spare centre helped me that time. But now the spinner bellow seal is broken and is leaking and has to be exchanged and I'm not sure if I have the knowledge or better the tools to get that done myself. Also the timer-switch sometimes gets stuck, too. Not a thing that cannot be repaired but what will be next? So, when I saw John's TwinTubCity at Ebays I decided to get one of those as they are refurbished and overhault especially as all other Ebayers are not willing to send me a machine to Germany even if I get everything organized myself and are paying via PayPal. I cannot drive hundreds of hundreds of miles/kilometers over to the UK only to pick up a machine I haven't seen before and of which I do not know the technical condition in which it might be. So what shall I do?
I found already someone who is willing to transport the machine as a by-load for just 50,-€. Do you have any other idea?
Pleased to hear from you or anybody else,
Ralf
 
Hoover...Who Better!!!

Hey John, welcome to the club from me, I`m sure people where beginning to think I was making you up...LOl...love the 3314, one of my favourite Hoover machines by colour and about the only one I dont have ...yet, AND, I see you took my advice about loading youre spinner, that pic looks just about right by my loading...LOl, (I`m gonna get such a slap for that) John always tells me I underload the spinner and then he laughs when I throw everything into the FL for a final rinse & spin...whereas I take pity on those spin cans when John virtually stands on top to get the load in!!!!

Here`s his machine on my last visit roadtesting some Conditioners...

Hi Jon Jetcone, the Camper Twinny is working fine, great to see the inside action through the plastic!!!

Cheers, Mike

3-9-2007-06-07-59--chestermikeuk.jpg
 
Mini -Twinnies

Hi Mike!
Nice pic! Do you use conditioner? We do very seldom only on items that might cling by static electricity (Acrylics) since the superb Lenor Downy has been taken from the market which had freed us nearly completely from ironing shirts and other items - except starched table-napkins or table-cloths and tea-towels or handkerchiefs of course.
Do you really give your washing a final rinse in the FL? Are you not content with the rinsing in the Hoovermatic? What I did to force the rinsing effect plus to save water in one go was that I sealed the bottom holes in the spinner can with aluminium-foil balls which I pressed and rubbed into the holes. That works fine and ALL the rinse-water HAS to go through the layers of cloth when centrifugation starts as there is no longer a by-pass for the water but the holes in the spin-drum walls behind the washing!!
Also the spin-can fills itself with water to the top, so that conditioner can be added to the water reservoir which occurs in the centre space of the drum.
Ralf
 
Hey Mike

Andrew laughs aswell but I always if using a twinnie put everything (Not all at once of course) in the front loader for a final rinse and spin with conditioner. I have never used conditioner in a twinnie. I just feel its not getting into all the clothes. Andrew is the same when using the hoovermatic re packing of spin can.I never put a full load in the wash tub so I wont have to shove it down in the spin can with force.I dont feel it rinses properly if too much in the spinner. Andrew like to put as much as he can in the wash side and im naughty but I have great delight in winding him up when hes standing over it having to help the clothes goes round because they are stuck as there are too many in there.Then he cant always get everything in the spinner!

Mark
 
Hi Simon.

Forgot to say thanks for the pics of your 3314L.Also saw the vids you made and they were great.Thanks for those.Its always great to watch vids of any machine!.

Mark
 
Too much washing in the tub

Yes, had the same problem with my mate. He always complained about these "bloody Twinnies, he's not going to use anytime at all"....then found him in the laundry room in the basement several times quarrelling with this or the other machine - bitching at the machine being the stupidest invention ever constructed! But he never ever listens to me BEFORE he starts doing a wash with it - and each machine is different! Worst and most hated by him is my newly refurbished and rebuilt AEG LAVALUX - as to me a very poor machine indeed. He didn't know that this machine can cope only with a maximum of 1.5 Kg dry-weight (3 lbs), so he was complaining in the cellar that it doesn't wash even three pairs of jeans in one go....! Smile!!
Well, to say so it's good German quality - weighs a ton and is built very sturdy - but the tub is definitely too small! It can hold only 30 liters of suds and the pulsator wheel isn't as effective as the Hoover one, too.
But overloading a tub washer isn't just hampering the wash-action like in an overcrowded tumbler. Overcrowded TUB-washers put a lot of strain to the fabrics washed in them and destroy the fibres as well as themselves. Heavily pressed down loads in the spinner will be badly wrinkled and not even reasonably rinsed! Our landlady at home was working in the textile research and development in a laboratorium and she always used to say to my mom: less is always more when washing with any kind of machine! Never put the maximum in that is given in the user's guide! I never forgot that! A Hoovermatic is said to take 2.75 kg in one go - but I never put in more than 2.5 kg! Same with the Hotpoint! Big wringer-washers can cope with 4-5 kg but I would never put in more than 3.5-4 kg in one go! And even tumblers which are labelled to take in 6 or 8 or 10 kg I would not load with more than 4.5, 6 or 8 kg in each go!
If I use conditioner, I use it in the spinner (1 little cup diluted in a liter of cold water which I add in a thin stream from the pitcher while the final rinse is filling, so that it can soak into the fabrics during the water level is rising) or after all washing and all spin-rinsing has taken place I mix a tub full of fresh water with conditioner and do the final rinsing in the tub - load after load.
To all of you a nice and calm WE!
Ralf
 
Hoover Twinnie loading & rinsing

Hi folks,
Great to hear all your comments & thoughts on twinnie washing.
Its funny to hear how we all use them so differently. A Hoovermatic wash tub needs to be loaded fully otherwise the wash action is too vigorous hence the instuction to halve wash times on part loads. The touble you see, Mike, you are use to using a Servis and a fully loaded Servis results in that good old Wishy-Washy action !!! (now my turn for a slap)I always load the Hoover so that clothes revolve steadily. Yes i always transfer the full load into the spinner putting the heaviest bulkiest item at the bottom to block the holes!then the rest placed evenly around the edges followed by pressing the entire load down.This can cause creasing but i dont find it a problem as i always tumble dry & never spin minimun iron fabrics in a hot state. A lightly loaded spin can & not pressed down causes out of balance spins and puts pressure on the bearings & resilent mount. Personally i would prefer a few extra creases to a worn out machine!! All you folks who rinse n spin in the auto are CHEATS !! Jon Jetcone didn`t think a twinnie rinsed properly without a so called `deep submerged rinse` but after watching myself using the Hoovermatic at Mikes, he agreed that it did rinse very well.
I like to do my entire wash in the twinnie without `cheating` just as we did in the 70s & 80s. Plus doing your final spin in the twinnie saves dying time, anyway enough for now (this is great fun!).
All the best xx John
 
Nice to see this thread

has generated so much interest!

Mike - I can't believe you don't yet have a 3314L!

John - your machine sparkles! It looks in much better condition than mine... It must be one of the last built too - I thought the regulations on spin dryer interlocks came in in either late '74 or early '75. Kevin Cox reckoned production of the 3314L stopped in October '74, so yours kind of alters history a bit!

I'm loving mine, although I've still got to experiment more with the rinsing. I've already got four different high-suds powders lined up to use in it!

Bit disappointed with the wash capacity though. Even three pairs of jeans makes it struggle! Is that normal, or does anyone rckon the washer belt is going? I'm used to cramming everything into a Hotpoint Supermatic or a Servis ST...

Si
 
My mum had a 1980's model of those twinnies, it was our washer when i was born and for about two years into my life.

I think it was the last Hoovermatic made, there is a pic i took from a yahoo group below *this is not my machine and i do not take credit for the photography*. It was an awesome machine and i can still remember the very distinctive roar of the spinner.

However mum never really took notice of the auto rinse function and just tipped two washing up bowls full of water over the load, a spin in between each one with the second one having Lenor in it. Then we got the Hoover EcoLogic 1100 and she loved it but still missed her twinnie.

3-9-2007-17-26-5--mattywashboy.jpg
 
I think it is safe to say that the Hoovermatic twin tub was a unique machine and as soon as I can, I am getting another one!! All these threads and videos made me realise what I am missing since selling my 3314L
 
I can SMELL that Ariel!!! Why oh WHY don't they bring back that fragrance????? and that Persil was gorgeous and seemed to make the water almost creamy with soap. Ahh, memories!!!
 
T5024 Brand New

This machine manufactured February 1981 This machine is brand new and never been used, complete with instructions, guarantee card, spin mat and two free samples of washing powder

3-10-2007-12-09-40--Johnbirmingham.jpg
 
T5024 Gleaming pulsator

Well used machines and machines that have been used for boiling the pulsator looses its shine after time and turns very matt as you can see this one is in mint condition mmmmm

3-10-2007-12-19-47--Johnbirmingham.jpg
 
Wow!

Wow - this IS a really nice machine - how did you get it? Unused!! Can't imagine!!
Yes the action in a Hoovermatic is very vigorous and I usually fill it up to its maximum - 2.5 kg! But jeans are a problem with ALL pulsator-machines! The fabric is very sturdy and therefor quite stiff - that means that a pair of jeans counts for 1 kg dry-load - no matter of its real weight, I found out! Two pairs of them plus one or two other more smooth articles wash fine - three pairs means 3kg and that is too much as the filling is ristricted to not more than 2.5-2.75 kg. Hotpoints spiral agitator can cope very well with 3 pairs of jeans! The wishy-washy-action is better for stiff fabrics such as jeans and linens.
But remember: other "stiff fabrics" should not be washed in any of these machines....lolololol!!!
BTW - the AEG Lavalux can only cope with ONE pair of jeans plus 1 or 2 other articles in one go at high water level, at low water-level it isn't able to wash even one pair of jeans at all, the washing then gets stuck...imagine!

And yes! washing in a twinnie is soooooooooooo much fun! In any kind of twin-tub machine!
Ralf
 

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