OK Hoover Experts...

[hoover1060]

Robert,

the F-A-M is excellent for wood floors as well as vinyl and ceramic.
I would NOT recommend Murphy's Oil Soap in the tank, but you can buy the wood floor stuff Hoover makes for the Floormate and use that as well.
I would say any mild detergent would be safe to use, such as Mr. Clean or Armstrong floor cleaner.
The key is to use it very sparingly. For one tank full of water on the F-A-M, use not more than 2 tablespoons of detergent. You'll know when you've used too much detergent, the floor will dry streak-y.
You can use the regular scrubbing brushes for either type floor.
Throw the mop and bucket away too!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Time to break out the Krylon

I love my FAM, but it's that really loud lime green Hoover was so fond of.

I'm thinking turquoise.

veg

 

[oldhouseman]

How

does the FloorMate compare to this machine? I have two Boxers that track in dirt from the backyard. I have a daily routine of mopping the floors in the evening. I thought about a floormate and would definately get a FAM if I can find one. Would I be wasting time and money on a floormate?

 

[petek]

Wonderful. I have the current new version Hoover Floor Mate and it works well but they are definitely not as sturdy built as those original Floor a Matics were. Like most new small stuff the quality's gone down as the name wears on.

 

[ironrite]

Floormate - Dogs

Years ago I had one of those floor-o-matics and it did a great job, wish I would have kept it. The house here is all tile and I wore out the first Floormate and am on to the second one. The larger Spinscrub with tools. The tools leave a bit to be desired. A poor design can cause the hose to leak where it attaches to the machine and I rarely use it. However with the wide path brushes it does a good job of cleaning, but I don't think as vigorous as the one Robert just got. Koblenz makes a model that works on both carpet and hardfloors, however it doesn't pick up the dirty water like the Hoovers.

Oh, and yes the Spinscrub is Boxer approved. Mine supervises me when I'm cleaning the floors. The Doberman runs for cover!

 

[tlee618]

Robert that is so neat!! I love the "pank" accent color. That is something that I am going to be on the lookout for. Now get a can of Trewax, clear paste wax, put those polishing brushes and pads on the you will have the best looking floors in MN..

 

[hoover1060]

Never used

a Floormate here, so I can't speak from experience.

The F-A-M is wonderful though!

 

[buffster]

Roberto...

I'm pea-green with envy. That looks like so much fun. I'm still a Hoover newbie. Where the heck have I been?

I found the perfect phone for your kitchen last night while browsing through some of my favorite NOS vintage phone vendor sites. If Glenda (Greg) hasn't sent a photo to you already, here it is... you can email me privately if you want the info on where to get it. (And, pardon me for hijacking this thread...)

Mike

 

[Unimatic1140]

LOL, fabulous phone Mike, thank you that was very sweet of you to think of me, but..........

 

[chestermikeuk]

Ohhh...

That boy`s got PANK covered believe you me!!!

 

[chestermikeuk]

What he does need..

is one of these so you can style dry your bonce and file your nails after all that floor polishing!!!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hoover - The Product of Experience...!!!

 

[hooverwheelaway]

HaHaHaHa!

Way to trick 'em, Robert!

No, the Floor A Matic never actually came in pink.
This one started its life as the Lime Green one in the back of this picture...

I found out that Robert didn't have a Floor A Matic, much less even know what one was. I felt that it was my responsibility to change that. After all, it's touted in one of Hoover's ads "The Automatic Floor Laundry."

So, after seeing all of the fabulous pictures of Robert's house that he's posted on this site, here and there... I came to the realization that, in Robert's house, Lime Green (rather as Hoover would call it, Bali Green) just wouldn't do. It's gotta be either Turquoise, Yellow, or Pink.

So, I had a spare colored cover (it started its life orange), and went out and got some spray paint primer for plastic, then followed that up with pink.
((Veg- you'll have to give the turquoise a try, I bet it would look just dreamy. I have an extra panel, if you'd like...))

The Floor A Matic was really one of Hoover's best innovations, and one of its best kept secrets.

It was made from 1967 until 2000 - and underwent 9 or 10 different color combinations. Ugh, I love that! 33 years... Try buying anything that's on the market NOW in 33 years. Well, except for the Kirby. They don't seem to want to give that any radical changes...

Sadly, the Floor A Matic was discontinued when the Floor Mate was launched.

What makes the Floor A Matic so much better than the Floor Mate, is the fact that you can dispense your cleaning solution, and let the machine sit there and scrub. THEN shut the machine off, flip the switch (reversing the motor) and suck the water up.

The Floor Mate's detergent gets dispensed and the brushes scrub, but when you're in scrub mode, you're also in suck-up mode. You can shut off the brushes, but you can't shut off the suction. Really the only 'pro' to the Floor Mate is the fact that you can use it on [sealed] hard-wood floors without doing damage to them. If you used the FAM on hard-wood (for wet scrubbing), the water would seep underneath the planks of wood.

Then, as an added bonus, the Floor A Matic can be used to polish floors and shampoo rugs!

Robert--I know you'll love that cleaner for years to come, and I'm happy that it's now responsible for keeping the floors in your fabulous home clean!! Yay Hoover!

Say, I bet that Pink FAM looks just dreamy parked next to your Constellation.

~Fred

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Some more pictures...

Here's the first (model 3600) and the last (model F5300).
((I JUST finished restoring the 3600! It took three so-so machines to make that fabulous one!))

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Glam Shot!

The Hoods

 

[hooverwheelaway]

From Above.

Looking down.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Ads!

This is probably one of the first ads for the FAM...

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Another one...

.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Last Ad!

Here's the ad I mentioned above.

It features the DeLuxe model with the Headlight. I've got one of 'em.

 

[buffster]

Veda and Roberto...

Roberto... I ADORE your pank rotary phone. I should have known and have probably even seen it in one of your photos. Perhaps one day I'll even get a chance to see it in person if I'm lucky. Your kitchen makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Veda dear... When I have the space, we have to talk about the floor o-matic. I want one! (So keep your eyes open for me. Of course, I'd prefer one in MINT condition.) I actually liked the lime green. But I'm more in an Eames-esque mode right now, more mid-century modern. I think lime green fits that frame of reference.

Mike