5 stars

This washing machine is both unusual and very fantastic. It gives you much more control over your washing process, as well as your water usage. This is important if you are trying to cut down your water bill, or if you are merely trying to be ecologically responsible like I am.

The "twin-tub" washing machine model was popular in the U.S. in the 1940's and 50's; they are still very popular in the UK, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia. It's really cool Danby makes a model for the U.S. market.

You control how much water you fill the tub with - the input hose connects straight to the tap, and you adjust the heat and pressure of the water, etc, directly from your faucet. This is a good feature as it means the hose does not need to be pressurized, which means you are less likely to have leaks. Since the washing tub and most of the rest of the washer is plastic you can not use water over 120 degrees. But not washing clothes with piping hot water will also conserve energy, and the washer only weighs about 65 to 70 lbs due to its mostly plastic composition. (The washer is on casters which roll back and forth - it'd be nice if they rolled side to side too, but since the washer is so light-weight, it's not hard to slide sideways.)

There is a low, medium, and high water setting - the highest setting holds about 15 gallons. The tub holds a surprising amount of clothing (about 6 to 7 lbs, although it says 10 lbs): I can do a week's worth of my laundry in here easily in one load (e.g. several shirts, a few dresses, several pairs of tights, a few pairs long underwear, several pairs of socks all at once). I can also wash a queen size flannel sheet set (fitted sheet, regular sheet, and 2 pillow cases) in one wash, with room for more.

The washer has an intermittent agitation method, and 2 wash settings (gentle and normal) - I've found it gets my clothes very clean. It is somewhat inconvenient that the spinner only holds about half of what the washing tub holds, but I can deal with that. The good thing is that the spinner spins at 1400 to 1600 rpms and gets one's clothes half dry just from the spin. Clothes dry within several hours, or overnight, on a drying rack after a wash.

You control the number of washes and rinses manually just by repeating either or both yourself. You can set a wash/rinse cycle from 1 to 15 minutes. A spin cycle can be set from 1 to 5 minutes. If you need an extra wash or soak, just fill the tub with water and detergent and let your clothes soak before setting and starting the wash cycle.

This washer is not very loud, but it's not entirely silent either. If you are worried about it being heard by neighbors I think it very likely any sounds can be effectively masked by playing music. I cannot hear it running inside when I go outside my apartment and listen.

You save on energy and water use with this washer; the compromise is you put more manual energy into the process - switching your clothing from the wash tub to the spinner, and back again, etc (you will want to invest in a pair of rubber dish-washing gloves, otherwise you'll have to get your hands very wet). So, it's not for everyone. But there's lots of room for ingenuity, e.g. re-using the wash and rinse water for multiple loads if you'd like and conserving water this way.

Overall, I love this washer. It is very liberating to not have to go to the laundromat anymore, and I like the control I have over the wash process and my resource consumption with this. I would give it 10 stars if I could!

1 stars

I just received the machine today 02/20/2008. It was all dented up on the front and on the sides. The drain hose is too short to reach my sink. The water inlet hose comes off to easily. It doesn't even snap in place securely. I will write another review once I use it, if I can use it.

1 stars

I purchased the Danby Twin Tub online through Target for my daughter who is in college. She lives in an apartment with no laundry facilities and I thought this little washer with its super high speed spinner would be just the thing she needed. The first one I purchased never came. After waiting about a week after the expected arrival date I called Target and they said that it would be faster to just re-order it than to track the original one down. I agreed and then the second one arrived. My daughter opened it and threw away the large box it came in. I came to visit her a month later only to discover that she had not tried the washer yet. I tried it. The washer was easy to use and great until I tried to use the spinner/extractor. It just did not work at all. I now had wet clothes on my hands. I called about service and was doing fine until I mentioned that the washer was a portable--and they did not service portables. I then called Target. They said that I should return the washer and order another. Well, without a box to put it in, I had to order the new one BEFORE returning the old one to have a box to send it back in! I really hope this third AND LAST one works!!! My fingers are crossed. It's on its way now...