Solsburian, that's right... that's exactly what I meant: those are the things you, I, and most on this forum would notice on a washing machine, although, a different control panel between a Vision and a GrandO may be enough to make them look different to the eye of an uninterested onlooker.
Optima, my first Nextra 1200rpm (which was soon replaced for some cosmetic damage) had the exactly same paddles as those shown in your picture; my current 1400rpm model has very similar shape paddles but the back doesn't go as far as the back of the drum and it's identical to the front of the paddle. You're right about the excellent turnover of the laundry... even with the smallest load.
I observed that on the newest 10kg models the drum paddles seem inadequate, but they still see to do the job (tumbling wise) on low water level. They seem less effective on rinse when the water level is higher (with a mini load), however, due to their configuration, they cause such a small load (almost submerged in water) to move horizontally rather than just slide without moving... a bit like in a V-axis machine. Still, I much prefer tumble action any day!
