BLACK+DECKER Small Portable Washer, Washing Machine for Household Use, Portable Washer 1.7 cu.Ft with 8 Cycles, Transparent Lid & LED Display

For some context: My roommates and I live in a third-floor walkup apartment in an old historic home and our coin-operated laundry is in the basement - being able to do laundry IN our apartment has been an absolute game changer.I was hesitant at first to buy this after seeing some mixed reviews, but I'm so glad I took a chance. There are SEVERAL options for wash cycles, anywhere from 30min to upwards of 60+min depending on what you're washing/what cycle you want to run.The instructions indicate you should only use cold water with this machine - which works for us since we typically only use cold water for laundry anyway.I bought the smallest size machine with the idea that if we needed to do something bulkier, we can always do that in the laundry room in the basement (or bring it to our parent's homes and do it there - sorry mom lol). Based on our usage so far, go with whatever size works for you, your budget, and your space. If we had more space and money, I would've absolutely gotten the largest size they offer. HOWEVER, I do not regret the size we got (0.9 cubic ft) because I truly don't mind doing more loads at a smaller capacity. This actually works out in my favor considering I transfer all my clothes to a drying rack outside on our back porch and then just wait for the summer heat to do its thing. If we had gotten a bigger machine, we likely would've had to buy a small portable drying machine as well because air-drying would not have been able to keep up with multiple loads back to back (we are girls with lots of clothes, and therefore lots of laundry, what can I say).Even with it being the smallest size, we don't mind spending the day doing laundry since it's a million times more convenient now. The 0.9 cubic ft size is is great for delicate and small items, but if you want to wash bulkier items, you can also do that! I was able to fit 1 body towel, 5 hand towels, 2 wash cloths, and 2 dish towels in the washer, if that gives you any idea of how much can fit in there. I haven't used it for my bedsheets yet (I have a queen bed), but I doubt that'll be a problem considering how much I've been able to fit in there so far. If you're worried about bulky items coming out wet, don't be - one of the many things that's great about this machine is that you can add on extra spin time. I did this for my towels and it came out drier than if I had used a regular washing machine, and it therefore dried much faster (outside, mind you)!Reasons the machine might make a lot of noise, beep, or not work properly (from my experience):1. You overloaded it and it's working overtime (you'll hear this during the spin cycle - it sounds like a train chugging along). This is why it's important to read the instructions and don't add too many items!2. It's on uneven ground (the machine quite literally will stop if it's not on even ground - but there is a leveling leg built in that can help you with that).3. There's not enough water in the basin (this only applies if you're manually filling it with water instead of using the water input hose***) - just add more water until there's about 2-3in of room from the top of the metal basin. When in doubt, add more water - it'll just drain the excess if you put too much.4. The items inside of the basin are not distributed evenly - the machine will stop. You just have to move things around so the weight is even inside.5. The drain hose is not at the correct height - if the drain hose is too low, the machine won't work properly and the water will just drain as the basin is being filled. The drain hose needs to be ABOVE the water level inside of the basin, so keep that in mind when you're deciding where to place the machine and therefore the drain hose. When in use, the machine is in front of our kitchen sink and the drain hose goes directly into the sink - it's high up enough that the water will drain properly. We have yet to experience water staying inside the basin after a cycle is complete, the machine does a great job at removing ALL of the water.***KEEP IN MIND: If you're not using the water input hose and you're manually filling it with water - you should not leave the machine unattended. It will beep aggressively if you wait too long to add more water for the next wash cycle (ask me how I know, lol). The manual tells you how many wash cycles are in each pre-set cycle, so pay attention to that. I believe the "Normal" setting has two wash cycles, so I typically will fill the basin, start the machine, wait until the first round is done and the water drains, PAUSE THE MACHINE (if you just open the lid and don't pause, it will beep angrily at you), then add more water (again, until it's about 2-3in from the top of the metal basin), and START THE MACHINE. Remember, this bad boy is NOT automatic, but we love it regardless! I am in the process of trying to figure out how we can jerry-rig our kitchen sink to use the water input hose, but if I can't figure it out, it won't be the end of the world.The last thing that I'll say is that although there are two small wheels on the bottom of the machine towards the back, they aren't super efficient and could potentially scratch your hardwood floors. We have very old hardwood floors in our apartment that are uneven, so this was something we wanted to avoid. We ended up getting a small dolly that the machine will sit on top of permanently, and that makes it 100x easier to move it from place to place (e.g. where we store it vs. where we use it).

The washing machine seems to be sturdily built.Unlike many "portable" washing machines, it has a hot-water inlet and offers cold, warm, and hot cycles.After two months, my evaluation of how good a job it does is "great" -- the clothes get clean.The only PROBLEM I've had with it was entirely my fault -- I didn't fasten the drain hose well and it came loose, so I had some mopping to do. That was an easy fix.The only COMPLAINT I have about it is that the timer telling you how long until a wash is done bears no relation whatsoever to reality. For example, a large load with the "extra rinse" function claims that it will take 63 minutes. If you come back 63 minutes later to remove the clean clothes, it won't be done. It may have 22 minutes remaining, or 8, or whatever. There seems to be no rhyme or reason and the timer is "off" regardless of load size, water temperature, extra rinse or no extra rinse, or wash type.That's a very minor complaint in my view. The washer does audibly beep when it's done; the only reason I notice it is that I'm usually in parts of the house where I can't hear that beep, so I often set an alarm to remind me when the laundry SHOULD be done. Which does me no good because no matter how I try to account for the washer's timer being incorrect, that accounting is never correct.Yeah, I know, First World problems. It's a good washer. It's the second "portable" washer I've had. The other was a cheap import that mysteriously died after about a year. This is a major American brand of visibly better build quality, so I'm expecting it to last. It's more compact than the full-size washer, but it still holds plenty of clothing and cleans it well.