Product review (4 stars): Washes well, but won't replace a real washing machine
The facts:
Unit arrives in a well packaged box, the outer-box does indicate 'washing machine' on exterior. I know that previous reviews state that the box was generic and only displayed the brand name; there must have been a change as mine arrived with the brand name and 'washing machine' written on the outer-box.

Upon opening, the Panda sits sandwiched between two styrofoam pieces to insulate during shipment. Inside are some pamphlets concerning warranty and instruction literature.

Quoted to wash 6-7 lbs, and dry 3-4 lbs.

My experience:
Yes, the unit smells like plastic upon first using. The smell dissipates quickly after a couple uses, this has no affect on clothing smell.

The washer is a lot bigger than expected, the agitator is VERY powerful--clothing easy tangles with other items during wash. Using net-bags will just tangle the bags together, and in my experience it ruins the bags to the point where it breaks the threading. In most cases, when the net-bags are used, the zippers open and turn inside out. The washer works very well for small-regular items, things like jeans, shirts and sweaters. Larger items like towels, bedding and small-blankets are a different story.

Since the bigger items have less space to move about, towels and larger cloths tend to bundle up--only cleaning the outside. I usually stop mid cycle and turn the towels inside out to get an even wash.

The dryer extracts water very well. Although the specs say that it fits only 3-4 lbs worth of clothing, I've found that I can put all of the items from the washer into the dryer. On a normal cycle, this is what I wash: (size small)

-2 button ups
-1 t-shirt
-2 pairs of socks
-2 pairs of underwear

All of the items get a thorough washing and drying and usually takes around 20 minutes for a 'full cycle'.

Note worthy experiences:
-The lint trap works, but not as good as I would like. Lots of lint is left behind while being drained. Lint will show up when articles fully dry. I noticed that if I fill the drum 3/4 of water, the lint trap is able to capture more lint (but not all).

-I can wash queen size sheets, but duvets push the limit. Difficult to wash, even more difficult to fit into spin dryer.

-An iron or steamer is necessary, as most clothing will dry with wrinkles throughout.

-If too much soap was used, and suds did not fully drain, place a little fabric softener with water diffuses all of soap.

-Unit is not too loud, but I have it sitting in the foam board is shipped in on top of two towels. (Just so my neighbors don't complain.)

-In order for faster turn around times from each wash, I use a pre-filled bucket. (The hose that came with the unit, takes too much time and bottle necks each cycle.)

-My normal regime follows:
1. Wash
2. Drain
3. Spin
4. Wash @ 6 mins with fabric softener
5. Drain
6. Spin

I've had this unit for 3 months now and works very well with no problems. My only gripe is the lint issue, seems to get my nose itchy with the lint all over the apartment. Nothing too crazy though, I'm happy with this purchase.

Room for improvement that would earn 5 stars:
- Ability to change the agitate levels. Currently it only has one speed, and some articles need a more gentle cycle--so it would be nice to have a choice to have different levels of speed
- The timers aren't 'real'. What I mean by that, is that if I turn the dials to 10 minutes, but then decide it should rather be 5--the cycle will continue for the full 10 minutes.
- The water hose that hooks up to the faucet could use a better design or a reinforcement band to help it stay on--especially when hot water is used.
- Sometimes I find screws that fell off of the machine, but don't know where they came from. Everything still seems to work.