Thor Automagic Washing Machine & Dishwasher (1955)

[chestermikeuk]

Thor Spin Drain

Hey Mike, when I edited that water spinning out the holes I knew that would get ya!!, yes 5 years since riding in the red!!

Will have to confess the "whites" where courtesy of the now working Hoover keymatic on a boil wash...ha ha

Yes meat and tata pie with carrots and onions, served with roasted potatoes peas and gravy!!

This was from last year am so behind in my editing so getting sorted, next one is the F & P Gentle Annie top loader from Aus....

Cheers for now, Mike

 

[bradross]

Restoration job well done!

Hey Mike...like Kevin said earlier, great that another vintage machine has been given a second life!

How is the "roll-over" on that machine? The vanes on the agitator look so shallow. We had a Thor wringer washer in the early '60s (it was a model from the '30s) and it had a similar agitator.

Wish I could have been there for the party as well!

 

[mickeyd]

I knew that would get ya!!

Indeed you did. No one's ever gotten that close for so long on the fabulous hole-hurl shots. Dazzling. Thanks.

I thought they looked a little too white without a boil LOL.

Your dish....Mmmm....mmmmm. Meat pie is big in our family with whole pearl onions, and then for overkill, mince pie for dessert. Totally British Isles. Couple times a year. Next time, I tell them cowpie snap is the proper term, straight from the Queen Mum's lips to Chestermikes's ear. They'll go, "Oh My My. How famous!"

Can't wait to see what you do with the F&P. Watched a few vids theother day. Really cool machines. Crazy agitation.

I think John is planning to have the museum and an international washin in soon. For us half-century plusers, that means about two years. Will you and jack be coming over then?

Nice chattin' with ya, Off on the bike now. We got Sunshine today!

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike...Nice machine and welcome to the Thor club !! Mine is stuck at my parents, and all being in "Kitchen" condition one-day i may get to the somewhere where i can use it.
Did yours come with the original lid with the glass porthole ? That blue tub is from the later 244 model with pedals, the grey speckled one was the original.
Welcome done on reviving it !!
Cheers
Keith

 

[kenmore58]

Hey Mike,

Enjoy the Thor. I have two and they're certainly fun machines. I have several service manuals. I can't remember if I've already scanned them into a digital file. I'll check. If not, I'll scan them and send them to you.

Ron
Kenmore58

 

[chestermikeuk]

Thor

Hi Bradd, thanks, yes the roll over in this load was fine in the wash a little slower in the rinse, but it was 2 king size duvet covers so we where pushing it a bit, having looked at Austins and Rons videos they have good roll over with smaller items, I bet with the vanes wider at the top it would go some! - But for its day over a wringer it must have been a housewifes dream!!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Mikey

Yes that will be good to get over at some point and to see the warehouse, I missed it last time round...

Custard with the mince pie?

 

[ozzie908]

Housewifes dream........

that is unless the housewife in question happens to see my ugly mug holding a bottle of "Cold Power" she would think its a nightmare lol

Austin

 

[chestermikeuk]

Thor Spin Drain

Hi Keith, yes it was a great joint effort to get it working, now this year will see it at the renovation spa and the galvanising (or would chroming work?) done and filmed.

Its such a simple design and very quiet in operation, belt squeaks a bit but hey, it looks to be original!!

So are you saying the tub is not original? to this model?

Catch up with you at Al`s soon we hope!!

 

[mattywashboy]

Looks great guys, always loved the idea of the Thor Automagics

Nice to see the australian detergents are still around

Ill be back in the UK in July and August. Must pop down to the bag wash to wash me smalls lol

Any requests for any australian detergent do let me know
Hope to catch up with you guys when im in the UK

Matt
x

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike,

Oooo cant wait to see that!! that will be fab, I had the skirt sprayed on mine but the enamel tub part was ok, also had the lid done and new glass made.

No the tub is from the later machine (model 244) with pedals, the tub for this model should be grey & white speckled..I was had put the blue tub in mine, think it looked nicer

Yep, hope we can catch up soon..will be fun.
Keith

 

[chestermikeuk]

Thor Automagic Washing Machine & Dishwasher (1955)

Hi Keith, this must be a changeover model as checked with the owner and he said its the same tub....it is a lovely shade of blue, it is missing the lid although it had a replacement one for the dishwasher that fitted perfectly...

Hello Ron, many thanks for the offer of the manuals on pdf, they are fascinating machines, so simple and quiet in action, yours look great in the videos, nice and shiny inside. Was very intreaged to see how the dishwasher worked with the spinning tray and the back and forth spray arms.....you can see how the water wouldnt be cross contaminated etc..

Hey Matty, yes looking forward to catching up with you again, let us know when you are arriving and we will work out dates for a few wash-ins!! Stick a box of Omo in your case, no need to ship, we`ve got plenty here for you to use!!

 

[electron1100]

Wow!

Mike yerr kept this quiet, yah buggah!, what a happy thread to see everyone enjoying themselves and also what a machine!!!! and what a repair!!! Christ that looks so well built, and its wash action everything is amazing......that is one ace piece of kit to own and now use, well done to the tek team for sorting it out great thinking from Mssrs Bogdit an Leggit Ltd.

Thanks for a great thread matey
Gary

 

[hotpoint95622]

hotpoint 95622

Excellent job chaps superb machine, can’t wait to see the dishwasher basket loaded up. Such a simple design but so very functional with dual purpose in one machine.

Great Video thanks Mike
Lee

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike,

Yeah must have been when they crossed over from the model 244 to the 260. The machine i have was bought in 1956. The model 260 was launched in about 1958. If I had the space the 260H would be one of my first choices in washers, large load, overflow rinse, sudz saving facility. Did yours come with the hose and a sudz plug ?
Will be good to catch up..K

 

[tolivac]

I can't link it-but there on YouTube was one of those videos of an abandoned house walk thru,and you see what looked like the Thor washer laying on its side with other stuff in the house.If one of us went thru that abandoned building-the washer just might follow you home.It was sad seeing it laying there rusting away.

 

[easyspindry]

That's the machine . . .

. . . I grew up with. We had it in the late 1940's/early 1950's. A fun machine. We could not afford the dish-
washer, but had a neighbor who had one. It did a great job on the dishes.

Thanks for saving this one and for posting. The Thor was very interesting.

Jerry Gay

 

[turquoisedude]

Great work Mike! I will file the yogourt tub trick for future reference - one never knows...

Congratulations on getting this classic machine back up and running again!

 

[mickeyd]

Custard and Turnover

Custard. mmmmm, but a memory struggled to get through, not custard, but something something something, and finally it came: Ahhh HARD SAUCE on plum pudding at Christmas, made by "Ed"--that's what he insisted we call him--my grandfather. It was so good and our first intro to a bit of the "drop, " in this case rum. It was so damn good.

Mikey, perception is so weird. I watched those two duvets struggle, and it seemd to me that during the overflow rinse, which you made us beg for--oh is it coming, is he
going to overflow, oh please, YES, and unless it joy was clouding my vision, I could have sworn the turnover got better as the water rose to max. An air pocket or two, sure, but there seemed to be greater movement. I'll have to watch it again with some hard sauce. ;'D

You and the docs were so creative to improvise "with a Hoover Quattro large diameter sump hose, a yogurt carton and some plastic ties!!" Fie on waiting for ebay!

Again, a major work WITH dinner, and the pie crust as pretty as the Thor. Thanks.

 

[retromania]

Thor

Looks like it's very gentle on clothes...