Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics..

[chestermikeuk]

Now we have all the Hoover Keymatics styles together (a world first) I made a video of them on "Selection Spin" showing off their unique Clicks . Whirrs, Clunks and Spins as the keyplates engage with the timer modules and sequence through to the right programme !!

The models range from the first model 3224 from 1961 following with the widebody 3203 from 1966, the matchbox series 3243 from 1970, the smooth sleek 3008 from 1975, the New Magic 3062 from 1978 and up to the last of the production the Smoother 3112 in 1980.

 

[stainfighter]

A symphony

Sounds wonderful

 

[whirlpolf]

Wie geil ist das denn!

This is just bril, I listened to it 3 times in a row.
Makes my day!
And I did not know how many styles the Keymatics have. (I love the one with the blue light best)
What a fantastic setup.
Thank you 1000 x

Joe

 

[jetcone]

GASP !!

Do it again ! Do it again !! Do it again !!!

 

 

[alanlondon]

Sounds wonderful!

Brings back a lot of memories Mike. Thanks very much for the video. Cheers Alan

 

[mikeymatic]

Fab !

Really fantastic Mike. What a brilliant collection.

Would love to see them for real one day.

Mike.

 

[vacbear58]

Keymatics

Mike
They are just on the other side of the Pennines from you, all set up and ready to go so give ChesterMike or myself a shout if you would like to visit some weekend. Bring laundry and have it washed the Keymatic way
Al

 

[mikeymatic]

Keymatics

I'd love to !

Thanks for the invitation - I'll take you up on that in March or April.

Will be in touch.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[a440]

Great video Mike! 

Awesome Sounds!

Thanks for posting.

 

[electron1100]

Hoover Magic

There has always been some thing magical about these machines to me, and to see and hear them all together is just icing on the cake Mike.

I am so glad this project got off the ground

All the best

Gary

 

[keymatic3203]

Gary

you've said it all, wonderful.

 

[triumphdolomite]

Gary and Mathew

I'll second your comments. Fantastic.

I'd never noticed before the 3112 has the Programmer and Store the opposite way round to all the others!
Ian

 

[maytagbear]

Thank you for sharing! A few questions.....

I remember someone showing the open back of a slant-front, and how the mechanism looked all Heath Robinson. Was it ever simplified? Were the later ones generally reliable?

Were they always the most expensive Hoover full automatics?

I may have asked this before, but do not remember.....were the wash plates interchangeable between series, or not?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

Hi Robert , they certainly have a sound of their own, like a rapid advance timer on steroids, the engaging cams in the timer give the start / stop fill, wash, pump, spin sounds!!

Morning Joe, Yes "How cool are they" glad you enjoyed them, more to come, the model with the Cool Blue light is Mathews (Keymatic3203) Hoover 3243 keymatic, the lights look great in the dark, and this style was the first lighted series.

Hi Jon Jetcone, Nowthen are we nearer identifying the model you used in the Isle of Wight all those years ago, was it the widebodied model, the 3203 RHS with soap dispenser on top??

Morning Alan, glad you enjoyed them, now to get yours up and running and hear those sounds yourself.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

Hello Mike, as Al says you are just over the hills, will drop you a line and work out some dates out with you, nothing like a Keymatic wash action for a nostalgic washday.

Morning Brent, glad you enjoyed, do you remember any US washers with rapid advance timers making the same type of energising sounds?

Hi Gary, thought you would enjoy and it was thanks to you that inspired us to get the project started, many hours of searching and tinkering from you paid off in the end. ( ps. Mathew changed the heater to short version in A3112) no more rattling!!

Morning Mathew, and thanks to you for all your hard work with the tweaks n fixes to get them all "Smoother Hoovers" ha ha priceless, but great to see the line up working!!

Hi Ian , yes the Programmer slot is underneath the store slot on this last 3112 incarnation, it was to do with the timeline, which was introduced again after the 3203, the next 3 series all had lights for the programme status. The arm comes off the timer and aligns with the timeline for movement hence it needing to be lower down and in line.

 

[sesteve]

Clickerty click

Great video Mike. Hoover seemed to maintain their unique sound all the way through the decades. My favourite has to be the A3112 - just love that styling. They really do speed through to the program start too. The brown fascia Bendix 7 series where you hold the start button in take ages to get to the right part - if you only want to spin something, the machine is half full of water by the time it gets there. They could of learnt a thing or two from the Hoover lads!

Who better indeed

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

Morning Lawrence, the first Sloping Front Keymatics where a marvel of over engineering and complicatedness, BUT when working did a great job, the amount of mechanicals, hoses and wiring is testamony to a purely "Engineered" washing machine rather than "Electronics" used in todays machines.

Here is the Keymatic 3224 from 1961 open back showing the drum, pulsator drive and big induction motor and gearbox..

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"Was it ever simplified?"

The next style change came in 1966 and produced the flat front Wide Bodied (27 inches) Keymatic, now using a stainless Steel drum and no pulsator, the drum hung on four large springs from the top chassis and used a large plate clutch to move the drum from wash / distribution to Spin. The top was hinged for quick access to dispenser , timer and timeline controls. Far less working parts than previous slope fronts so was more reliable. The clutch tendered to be the most problematic.

 

[jetcone]

Mike!

good morning! 
Yes it was the one on the end with the "Made in Great Britain" sticker! The Isle of Wight machine had no chrome door!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"Was it ever simplified?"

Style Change Series 3 came in 1970 when the Hoover laundry range was re-vamped and produced in what was advertised as the "Matchbox" style, more compact style and shape and could be fitted into the space of a standard kitchen unit. These benefited from a range of electronic components, timers & power boards which controlled a number of fixed speeds.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"Was it ever simplified?"

Style change 4 came in 1975 when a stripped down Keymatic A3008 with simpler fascia was produced, called the Aluminium or Electronic series, the spin speed was upped from 740rpm to 800, cabinet style the same, and from then on it looks like what we are used to seeing in todays machines a drum, motor underneath in a compact cabinet with updated timers and powerboard controls.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"Was it ever simplified?"

Style change 5 was produced in 1978 when the "New Magic" Electronic series A3062 entered the field boasting 3 spin speeds, 500 for delicates, 800 for woollens and 1100 superfast for cottons. fascia changed to the metallic green and black, cabinet style same, updated electronics for the faster speeds.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"Was it ever simplified?"

The last incarnation of the Hoover Keymatic was in 1980 when the A3112 was produced, now with flush fronted door and larger round push buttons to match the "Smoother Hoover" range, 1100rpm spin speeds along with 500 & 800, cabinet styling similar to the last 3 series.

Lawrence the Keymatic range where always the "Premium" range although from Hoover marketing you would not think so, they never produced a line of completely matching dryers and never sold in the same volume as the timer controller washing machine.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

"were the wash plates interchangeable between series, or not?"

The Keyplates where marketed as "Any fabric yet to be made - We can make a keyplate for it" allowing your machine to be updated...Never quite worked like that, as newer models had different keyplates, readers and timers, the early models had a thick bakelite card, the widebodied 3203 had the larger slimmer grey and red / white cards giving choices of 16 programmes, the 3243 series and onwards where the same size but different programmes according to the readers, we have actually tried selecting a programme from a different machine card and they dont work as the readers / timers have been updated. Simply in theory, not logical in practice.!!

Still, a Great Iconic series of Washing machines, and as the slogan stated, "From Hoover - Who Better"..

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

Morning Steve, I do like the fascia and timeline graphics & neons of the A3112 but love the chrome doors of previous models.
Oh yes had forgotten about those advance timers of the Bendix, not rapid at all ha ha..

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sounds of the Hoover Keymatics

Jon what year where you in the Isle of Wight then? I always thought it would have been an earlier model? but then that is implying youre older than you are ha ha...
Oh, I feel a Slaaapppp coming over!!

 

[foraloysius]

Hey Mike,

That's a really wonderful video! Although I don't belong to the Keymatic club anymore, I still have a soft spot for these machines.

One question though, the last model seems a bit lower than the other models. Is that correct, or does it stand a bit lower?

 

[triumphdolomite]

A3112

Thanks Mike, I'd not thought about the programmer slot being lower to take the timeline mechanism into account. Hmmmm that's got me thinking, surely that doesn't mean that the timer mechanism is lower down in the casing than the A3110, and if so is the control knob on the Selectamatic lower on the fascia? Questions questions, I guess I should have taken more notice last time
Ian.

 

[keymatic3203]

Mike today you've taken

this thread to the next level. All these wonderful photos, they've really lifted my spirits on this rainy day of work and running about, each picture has brought back memories of great times spent with wonderful friends, the 3203 was at my first big weekend, the hoover 60th washing machine anniversary. To the matchbox looking just a bit too much at home in Johns laundry. And bringing us up to date at Als with already, after only 2 wash ins, more friendships forged and plans made.

Louis, I think the height difference is primarily due to the chrome door models having the extra worktop on them, that came as a standard feature on the keymatics, optional extra on the standard automatics.

Ian, bet this isn't how you thought the time line worked, timer on the both the 1100 key and selectamatics hangs down behind the keyplate reader or selecta drum which in effect is the keyplate reader against a rotating keyplate. so the dials are at the same height, it's just that the indicator arm swings across where the keyplate reader is so that's why it's swapped over on the 3112, but I'm sure the photo says it all, get the top off next time your're at Als.

thanks Mike,

Mathew

 

[maytagbear]

Chestermike....

Thank you very much for the photographs and information about these fascinating machines. I learned a great deal, and if I were "across the pond," I would definitely want a Keymatic!

Lawrence/Maytagbear