Product review (5 stars): Brilliant Little Powerhouse of a Machine
I'd first like to thank all the generous reviewers who provided helpful, descriptive reviews and/or videos. I wouldn't have purchased this little washer without being able to consult those reviews and instructional videos. As mentioned by others, be aware that the vigorous washing action can make a copious amount of suds out of very little detergent, so until you've had more experience with the Panda, start off using even less soap than the small amount recommended -- you can always add more if needed. Also, the machine agitates briefly in one direction, then pauses and agitates in the opposite direction, which results in more vibration than if it agitated continuously and smoothly throughout the cycle. I mention this because apartment dwellers might want to be aware that the vibration caused by the start-stop agitation can be disruptive to neighbors. I just make sure I use it during daytime hours only, and all is well. I love that I can use the Panda to soak some items for an effective period of time before starting the wash cycle. With its surprisingly strong agitation, the Panda actually gets clothes much cleaner than using our building's commercial washers.

The only downside to this machine is rinsing and wringing out your cleaned clothing, but I've now managed a workable routine. When using the machine, I place it on a small, sturdy square plastic bench next to the bathtub at tub-edge height, and let it do its work there. Then, after unhooking the hose and letting it down to drain into the bathtub, I use my Showerpik shower head to run clean water into the machine while it's still draining. Once the draining water is fairly clear of suds, I fill the machine once more with clean water and a bit of white vinegar and let it agitate briefly to rinse thoroughly. After draining a final time, I let the clothes sit in the machine for a bit while the drain tube is still down in the bath. About half an hour later, there's not even a trickle coming from the hose, and I find that my clothes have surprisingly little water left to wring out manually. One handy hint: Using about a quarter of a cup of white vinegar in the rinse water helps remove soap residue from clothes, and vinegar's anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties means that your clothes won't get funky and mildewed if you forget and leave them in the machine for a few hours. Vinegar is also a natural fabric softener, and rinses out thoroughly, so your clothes are soap-free and softer, all without any residual vinegar smell. It also keeps your machine and its tubes soap-residue free, and again, its anti-fungal properties keep the machine smelling clean.

Thanks again, fellow reviewers, for all the helpful info that allowed me to make the decision to invest in this amazingly effective little washer.

P.S. Delivery was prompt, and all parts were packed well and in working order. However, I couldn't use the washer immediately because the chemical smell from the plastic was so overwhelming and toxic-smelling that I had to put it out on my deck to air for a few days before bringing it back inside. Even so, the smell was still unpleasantly overwhelming for months. Makes me concerned about the health of the employees who work in the plants where these machines are manufactured...

5/16/13 Update: The instructions that come with the Panda mention unscrewing the agitator plate at the inside bottom of the washer from time to time, to remove any lint/strings that might slow down agitation. I can get the screw out, but the plate won't come off, so I can't clean it.