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I have had one for about a year now. It's especially great for towels and heavier garments. It holds about 4 bath sized towels, but it's amazing to see the water that it extracts. It is an extra step in the laundering process, but worth it.
 
I've Had My Panda....

.....spinner for over 2 years and it really does reduce drying time both in the dryer and outside on the line. I use it for towels, cotton underwear and socks, and other fabrics that hold a lot of water.

My washer is a 1987 Kenmore DD so it does not spin very fast (600 something rpm, I think).
If you have a newer washer with "high speed" spin, the Panda won't make much if any difference in drying times.

So far, the Panda has proven to be very durable. The only fault I find with it is that it is very hard to open the lid if your hands are even remotely damp as there is no "grip" on the little tab used to pull the lid up.

I always let it run for the full 5 minute "cycle" (beeper sounds at the end) then open the safety latch to engage the brake. If you let it "coast down" after it shuts off, the unit can "walk" if it's not balanced well.

BTW - your link doesn't work for me but I assume this is the stainless steel Panda (in and out).

philcobendixduo-2020022710021002729_1.jpg
 
Thank you for posting working link...

I don't know why the copy and paste didn't work, but I did this from my phone. I ordered one from Wal-Mart. The price has dropped to $139 now.

Thanks for the feedback. If anyone else wants to chime in, feel free. This is a major purchase for me that I hope I am spending wisely. I line and machine dry, so this sounds/looks like it will be helpful either way.
 
Spin Dryer

I actually purchased one of the laundry alternative ninja spin dryer last fall. I have been considering doing a review. After spinning a full load of towels out of the Duet running a 1400 rpm spin, a load of 10 bath towels, it will still remove approx. 4 cups of water. Drying times have improved by about 10% for items spun at 1400 rpm, about 20% if spun at 1200 rpm. I throughly enjoy it. It balances loads very well, and is quiet at speed. It does hold about 4 or 5 towels per run. I do find that clothes are ever so slightly softer, more than likely due to the lower amount of hard water minerals left in the clothes.
 
Panda Spin Dryer Initial Impressions

Thomas, I did not know about the discount. The new LA models look and sound really nice. The only negative I saw was that it may not include a timed shutoff.

Thanks to all for your feedback!

I know this is a long post, but I hope the extra information helps someone else determine if this works well for their setup.

I got the Panda PANSP21W 3200 RPM Portable Spin Dryer 110V/22lbs White Stainless Steel. I bought the painted version because it fits in better. I have noticed discolorations (looks like rust spots but they are just discolorations) on other stainless steel products I have owned over time, so I prefer painted now. Seems sturdy built except for the thin plastic lid. I don't think my child lock works when the unit is not actually "on" so the blue plastic lid just lifts up without having to press the button in front. I am a little concerned about the lever so I move it on and off very slowly and will let it come to a stop on its own. Initial impressions is this product works great, and I got it for a reasonable price ($139) from Walmart.

It came double boxed. Both boxes indicate what the product is. I ordered site-to-store shipping. Product arrived earlier than expected and undamaged.

Setup is pretty easy. Some instructions are affixed to the top of the unit for removing packing parts and loading instructions. One has to remove a hard plastic shipping plug (called a motor locking part) from the bottom of the unit and a foam piece from the inner tub.

I have a Maytag mvwp575gw top load washer that spins at 700 rpm and a Magic Chef 1.6 portable that spins at 800 rpm. A MT Normal "Eco" load or MC large load fits into the spin dryer. 1.5 to 2 cups of water are extracted depending on the contents of the load. A full-size load would equals two spin dryer loads. 3.5 to 4 cups of water (from the whole load) are extracted depending on the contents. I expected to see a little more water from the MT full-size load because a larger load may not be able to spread out as much or spin as fast in the washer, but there wasn't (so it seems to spinning it out as well as smaller loads). The spin dryer takes about 8 to 9 minutes total from the time I turn on the spinner until it stops spinning on its own. The unit is set to spin the clothes for 5 minutes.

A full-size load for me is loosely placing items around the agitator until the tub is about 3/4 full (where the holes are in my tub). There is a second set of holes near the top of the tub.

Line drying or machine drying took noticeably less time. A load of six Walmart-type towels (medium quality/medium size?) took only twenty minutes. A load of 5 (max of 6 adult/8 kids is load for me) adult jeans took 20 to 30 (I put the timer on 30 but they were probably dry before that). Half loads of permanent press-type stuff (15 max T-shirts) would need 10 to 15. I am using an 11-y/o LG dryer that came with my FL washer (no longer have).

Washing and Drying takes even less time now. It cuts dry time to less than half or maybe even a third for my setup. A Normal "Eco" cycle is washed and ready to go in less than ONE hour. A full-size Powerwash and dry takes about 1.5 hours total. Can't beat this!!! It is so convenient to be able to do this at night after a long day of work. Clothes seem softer and less stiff whether I line dry or machine dry. I don't use dryers sheets or fabric softener--use scent boosters and those wool drying balls.
 
not to hi-jack the thread....

@Thomas...why not create a combination of your spinner, with the flexibility of washing all in one unit?....

as in this vid, the guy can wash, and then insert the spinner....

I would like to see a Spinner that does double duty, or multi purpose if you will....one product that would fill many needs...

at home just a spinner, or for small loads....take on vacation, RV/camping, dorm rooms...

something to consider than just a spinner only...

 
Yogitunes

We have a project like that in the freezer.

The chances of really making it are almost zero because it is extremely complex and expensive. The final product would cost more than a fully automatic, full size washing machine because of the complexity of the motor, the transmission system and the suspension, to make possible to reach 3200 RPM and at the same time be able to reach low speed to wash.

As I always say, nothing is "impossible" for engineering, as soon as you can pay for it.

And in a world where millennials only care about tag price, not the product value, it's really hard to fight those Chinese companies. What matters more, nowadays, is the Amazon ratings and the product positioning on Amazon's screen.

And a simulation considering the sales "out of amazon", to break even (no profit, just covering our costs) the MSRP would have to be over $1500. Who would pay that for a spin dryer just because it can also wash?

Obs. Those silly Chinese washers with a spin drum can reach "impressive" 250 to 300 rpm and they don't last much because the motor (a wash motor) is always overloaded. Even if they reached 500 RPM, the drum diameter is so minimalist that the result would be worse than a WCI Skinny Mini spinning on "delicate"
 
I doubt that MSRP

I mean, more expensive than a verry BOL full size, maybe, yes.

But in the time of variable frequency drives being cheap enough to be in basicly any FL by now, not 1500$.

These controllers and motors are so versatile and easy to implement, 500$ seems more realistic.
No transmission needed...
 
I know right!....

I can get a portable Avanti for around 300.00....fully automatic....fill/wash/spin in any combination...

granted it only spins at 800rpm, but pretty decent for a portable....and will still extract quite a bit of water from a load after spinning in a regular machine...

compared to Jeff LeFever's spinner, anything else is a gumball machine...
 
Discount

How does one go about getting this discount, and can it be used for any item on the Laundry Alternative site?
 
Pumper

Yes, place your order by phone and mention you're an AWO member.

They'll ask your screen name and confirm here on the member's list.

Once confirmed, you get the discount.

The discount applies to any product, however, due to the absurd demand because of the COVID-19, discounts can not be applied to WonderWash.

New models to be released the next few weeks (Scirocco washer-dryer combo, Babysitter Washer, Babysitter dryer, WonderWash PRO, Special washer-dryer combo, and the twin tub Square-D and the dishwasher DishyWashy also don't have any discount other than the regular discount coupon available on the website.
 
Laundry Alternatives Niagara and Spin Dryer

Wish someone could figure out a way to film the wash action of the Niagara. I am really interested in this washer for my next purchase when needed. I also appreciated the video Thomas posted of the Ninja spin dryer. Looks like a winning combination, but I would also have an electric clothes dryer available too.

So far the Panda has worked well and cut down on the drying time. I loved the video comparison, so the consumer could see which model might work better for them. Either would be a good choice for me.
 
One thing to keep in mind - Thomas' customer service

We bought one of the first mega-spin dryers from Thomas' company and it promptly failed. He had a replacement on the way immediately. No hassle, no need to video tape the fault. Outstanding service!

Our Panda spinner started to knock loudly about two months after we put it into continuous service. They demanded a detailed description with video and audio before they'd consider whether we had a warranty claim.

It's an important aspect of buying a product.
 
I wish they had a motor kit for the simple tumble washers. Something that's 12 volt D.C. so it could be used off-grid.

A simple motor that would slowly run in one direction for one minute, then the other direction for another minute, and repeat.

When you combine that kind of wash action with the spin drier, the likes of which I have tried, you'd have excellent cleaning action and the best extraction on an affordable compact scale.

Does the spin drier come in a 12 volt version?

bradfordwhite-2020053110262804656_1.png

bradfordwhite-2020053110262804656_2.png
 
There's nothing fancy about these motors

A 12v DC to 120 60Hz AC converter would be able to power them quite easily.

A DC motor, on the other hand would either have to be brush driven or have fairly complicated

electronics.

I'd go with a standard 120 AC unit and a converter which puts out a decent sine wave.
 
Re: Reply 18

Panthera, I usually take care of 90% of the customers emails, and by standard we don't usually require photos or videos.

UNLESS there's something intriguing that I couldn't really understand in words or that can be an user error or similar.

However, lately we had to "make it a little more difficult" because of the amazon "Karens".

"Omg i bought a spin dryer and on the first use it failed horribly, it was a terrible disaster, i almost had to call the fire department, Hazmat team, SWAT, The Navy.

Ok what happened?

It just hummed and didn't spin.

Did you remove the shipping bracket?

No

So the unit is not defective, you need to remove the shippigng bracket otherwise it will never work because the motor is locked.

Why would I bother doing that? It's easier to place an A-Z claim, destroy your reputation, amazon will force you to replace my unit AND they will refund the order so I can have a spin dryer for free and make your company lose thousands of dollars and say the unit doesnt work at all.

Because of stupid people like that, that think they're smart, we were FORCED to make warranty calls a bit more complex. Who has a real issue ends up understanding. (Our standard procedure is asking for a picture of the product) Now when somebody is trying to be "smart" (they probably purchased the product, used it for almost 3 years, sold it on Craigslist or Ebay and a couple of days before the warranty expires, they start a warranty claim), it will be a pain in their shoes.

This is also the same reason we're gradually leaving Amazon. Too many scams, average half million dollars lost per year.
 
Regarding the Niagara videos. I have that task on my "to do" list for months.

But then we were hit by the COVID-19 emergency, everything was suddenly put on a halt and I'm working like crazy to finish two models made thinking of COVID. (one of them is a tumble dryer)

Unfortunately there's not much to "see" ona Niagara washing. I mean, I have in my lab an unit that had the safety switch bypassed, so it can operate with the lid open, but what you'll see looks almost like a cheese grater.

And the internal videos made with the GoPro camera in the drum are kinda hard to understand (and actually everybody feels seasick after watching it for more than 2 minutes)

The "wash action" is exactly like a front load washer.
There is atotal of 7 baffles in the drum: 2 medium baffles on each side of the hatch (11 and 1 o'clock), 2 mini baffles (10, 8, 2, 5 o'clock) and a large baffle at 6 o'clock position. that is the "rollover" baffle.
 
Customer Service

I suppose it's inevitable, but gosh - that sucks! I really appreciated the prompt, no hassle replacement of your spinner.   Amazon has their ups and downs. We had a major problem with packages not going to our house, but one down the street (similar house number) and got put on a list for too many complaints about missing packages.   It took weeks to finally get a real person to look into it, find out that it wasn't us, after all and restore normal service. So, yeah, they did their job, but the hassle to get there. Now, of course, when they take photos of the item delivered, it's a lot easier.   Anyway, best of luck with your company. We need more engineers like you and fewer middle-managers.
 
Panthera (and also all other AWO members that are also The Laundry Alternative Customers.

Come on guys, you know you're "home", you know I'm SUPER accessible, I don't bite (much) and you know how to reach me. Most of you even know my personal mobile number (easiest way to find me is through Whatsapp call, don't message, just call straight because lately I don't have time to type) and I ignore most of the regular calls unless I know the number because of annoying telemarketers.

I don't want to brag about that but there's a reason the word "director" is on my job title. I always run the extra mile to all customers, but for AWO friends, running two extra miles will be always my pleasure so, skip the system, talk straight to me and I'll always manage to do some instant magic to help you. (but of course, I'll have to sync with you and "throw" you in the system to have everything documented in the logs.

The only thing I can't help at all is with the backorders and delays... Our sales skyrocketed 3100% almost overnight because of the COVID emergency. Of course we're all thilled because of that (nah, truth be said, my boss is thrilled, I'm almost fainting so hard I'm working) Our three warehouses are literally empty (you won't find even a WonderWash lid) and the logistics team don't even bother to use the forklift to unload the pallets, the boxes go straight from the container to the FedEx trucks that form a line in front of our warehouse.
5 plants working 24/7 at full capacity and miraculously we finally droped from 37 to 23-day delivery delay. That's one product sold every 13 seconds.

Literally the whole USA and Canada decided to panic about the idea of using a Laundromat or the apartment complex laundry room, most people don't have room for full size washers and we're the only company that has a "full size capacity" super compact washer that fits in a closet and doesn't need special hookups. Plus, our other model has a germicidal light.

If we need to replace any product, the only thing I can say is "I'm sorry but you'll have to wait in line just like everybody else."

Panthera, regarding your Mega... I'll be glad to replace your unit and apply a free upgrade to Ninja, however, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait in line after you contact me and I find your order in the system.
The Ninja has "only" twice the extraction power than Mega and that thing is a real workhorse on steroids.

Full load of towels (Speed queen ultra-mate gas dryer) bone-dry in 9 minutes, way before the moisture sensor has time to detect the towels are almost incinerated and start the cool down. My recommendation is to always gnore the moisture sensor, babysit the tumble dryer, open the door every 2 minutes and feel the clothes. They dry REALLY fast.

If using a whirlpool "badass" dryer, use the "touch up" cycle.

By the way: I'm just finishing a shitty washer (literally shitty, that's all I can say about it) and as soon as I'm done, I'll rest for 1 day and dive back in the tumble dryer project. Once it's done, there are other three washers waiting for me (INCLUDING ONE WITH AN OLD-SCHOOL AGITATOR INSPIRED ON A MAYTAG WRINGER, then one inspired on a Hoover and finally the countertop washer-dryer combo) and then a new spin dryer.
 
Thomas,

Don't kill yourself, overworking. Without you, a lot of people would have had no solution - you've taken a good idea and turned it into an excellent product, several times!

Take a day off. You deserve it!
 
Compact machines

Thomas probably you should consider compact front loaders with spin cycle or H axis toploader with spin cycle.

I live in NYC and I know many people they wish they could have a European top loader(18 inch wide) or a compact European front loader (1 cu ft capacity)
 
Johnbee

We considered those but we were put in a halt because of the COVID-19.

Among our projects are a full size (17kg wash/8kg dry) HATL washer-dryer combo (and a "spin-off" GAS version) and a super compact (3kg) fron load washer that is extremely lightweight There's also a 8kg HATL fully-automatic washer, 1450RPM spin but that will be much more challenging because of the shipping costs (white glove) that could make the product cost-prohibited for most consumers.

When any of those products will finally leave this computer and enter the production line, only God knows.

There's also another mini FL washer that we're developing specially to be installed in a dead space almost 100% of homes in the world have.
 
And also the company changed the strategy... We're going to focus more on "mini" washers that is the market the company always focused and that lead us to a complete "glory" during the COVID-19 emergency.

Our recent sales numbers definitely made executives at Whirlpool, Samsung, Lg and Electrolux panic. We went, almost overnight, form an insignificant tiny company (actually microscopic if compared to those huge multinational corporations) to #1 in sales.
 

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