After years of wrestling with my laundry for weeks at a time whenever my modern washer breaks down, I'm thrilled to finally have Lehman's Own Hand Washer and a 13" wringer by Calliger (the one that Calliger advertises as 14" wide, but that's the entire metal core, not the rubber). The semi-tumbling agitation in this machine is very effective and effortless, and is, of course, variable speed! The wringer attaches solidly and easily squeegies almost everything, including sheets. Its dimensions are as follows: The tub is 22" long by 15" wide (at the top) by 14" high. The top of the tub is 25" off the floor. The wooden legs angle outward to a span of 23" apart at ground level (outside edges). This holds a large amount of laundry - a full sheet set, for example. I will say, however, that the instructions for assembly could be better. There is no parts list, no clear visual aid, and no mention of how to use the hardware. So, FYI, in a bag, along with the drainage assembly, there are three sizes of bolts: two 2", two 1.25", and two 3/4". There are also 10 washers and 8 locknuts. You begin by attaching the legs to the tub, and when attaching to the side that accepts the wringer, you must use the 2" bolts. With the threads facing outward, you have to line up the pre-drilled white nylon wringer stabilizer with two layers of steel. The legs on the other side take the 1.25" bolts. The 3/4" bolts are used to attach the agitator handle to its base. Two locknuts go on the ends of the rods that run the length of the tub on each side (locknuts always go on with the plastic end facing away from the bolt head). I have no idea where they want you to use the washers, and I saw no obvious need for them, so I used none. The first time I tried to fill the tub, water drained out the tube despite my having closed the shutoff valve. I'd noticed when assembling the drain mechanism that the part with the valve freely twirled. Not supposed to happen. Turns out, even though the inside threads do contain one washer, it's not thick enough to allow the inserted threads to reach it and squeeze it to seal. So, I added another washer, and it solved the problem. I use this indoors by perpendicularly straddling my bathtub with it. I put the drain end (agitator arm end) in the tub, and the wringer end outside the tub. We use a shower head on a hose, so I just stick it in the wash tub to fill it. I step partially or completely into the bathtub to agitate the load. This is light enough to easily haul around after detaching the heavy wringer, so I keep washer and wringer in my bedroom's walk-in closet when not in use. I love this washer so much that even though my modern washer has yet again been fixed, I still use this ensemble several times a month just because it's so fun and efficient. Oh, and of course, it's fabulous for all my animal beds and blankets, which blow the mind of my modern machine!

3 stars for an amazing job at washing/getting clothes clean. The handle is the perfect height (I'm 5' tall), and it was super easy to put together. BUT, I had to take off two stars for a couple of reasons: a metal piece inside of the wringer broke off and fell to the floor the first time using it while putting a shirt through it - I still don't know what the piece goes to? And more importantly because I was horrified when unpacking the washer, the wood legs had green/black fuzzy mold on them, and though I cleaned it off with bleach water, the wood is now stained black and I am sure the mold will be back as it appears to be coming through the wood, so it's something I'll have to keep an eye on continually....not okay for something I spent over $800 on. I would make a couple of suggestions: the handle on the washer is rough and splintery - really bad on the hands, you might want to sand smooth the handle. Also the tub doesn't drain well at all, you either have to stick blocks under one end (which makes it wobbly and unsteady for washing) to get the water to drain to one end, or lift the tub yourself at one end to get the water the rest of the way out which is not easy on the back! A simple solution would be to have two of the legs slightly shorter on the drain end. Oh, and one last suggestion....don't send wood legs that are covered in mold!

I live in the city, but wanted to use less water, I purchased over a year ago and have used for 6 months it does it's job, but I feel as though my electric washing machine cleans better than this does ??

I purchased two of these from Lehman's 30 years ago when I lived off the grid in Hawaii. I thought the design was excellent but the construction was kind of whimpy. I encountered the same kind of problems that the other 2 star ratings did. I contacted Lehman's about replacement parts for the agitator mechanism that were wearing out or broken and was told that they had never heard of these parts ever wearing out. It is very slow draining too. After 30 years it doesn't sound like they are making them any better.

I have had this washer for almost a year. It works great indoors or out. We have found it to be faster than a machine washer and more reliable. It is simple enough even a child of 10 can operate it. It is sturdy enough for a child of 10 to operate it. We were new to hand washing and had to adjust to how we should use it. It took a bit of time to get the process down. Generally it is wash once, moving the agitator so that it creates a froth of suds. Then rinse twice to remove soap. We use cold water out of the garden hose. We wash outdoors in the summer and wash indoors in the winter. The clear lid helps to keep it from being messy and allows me to see if the water is sudsing correctly. It is easy to fix by yourself if you ever do need to fix it. All the parts can be gotten at a local hardware store or from Lehman's. We are thankful for this washer because it doesn't break on us. The wringer that goes with it is easy to operate also. I think after having used it for over 6 months that I am satisfied with my purchase. It was a big adjustment learning how to hand wash, but it is well worth it knowing that our washer is easily serviced by my husband.

We bought the combo. I realize it's a bit pricey, but this is a lifetime machine. If you've made up your mind to go off grid, or don't have plumbing, this is it. We have 3 children who love using it while counting. Our clothes tend to come cleaner if we wash, drain, and wash again. Works on everything except heavy sleeping bags. It takes us about 300 total motions to do one load of laundry, but I enjoy my upper body workout! And this is the best ringer on the market.

We've been off-grid five years, and have used this washer with the wringer most of that time. Overall the construction of this machine is cheesy, and my husband made many modifications: went from 1/2 drain (which took forever)to 3/4, added 2x4 to legs to make taller, added two 2x4 for stability (from front to back at the base), the main bolt hole on agitator end of tub wore out and cracked early on - this caused agitator to drop to bottom of tub and scrape - if the plate holding this on the end of the tub were of heavy gauge this wouldn't occur. Other modifications done also that are hard to explain (I should send a picture to Lehmans). The gauge of the tub is fine. Wouldn't recommend (not at this high a price) unless you are an engineer that can make modifications. May be OK for very light use.

Washer and wringer work well. Large knit afgans get stuck in wringer but other smaller items work well. The washer is well made but requires lots of muscles to use--an exhausting way to wash. However it does an excellent job.

I have now used this machine for just under a year and IT HAS PROBLEMS. The hand agitator became very loose after about 6 months of use and needed a bolt to be replaced. This also caused dark streaks to be left of some of the clothing I was washing until I figured it out. The plastic handle on the tension regulator of the wringer broke during normal use. Overall, the machine is meant for light use if it is to last a long time and not built for daily use. Would not have purchased if I had known this especially since I paid slightly over $700 for the washer, wringer and shipping.

If I had bought only the washer, without the wringer, this review would have 4 lanterns. After damaging a couple of items with the wringer and then loosening the rollers to the point where they no longer wrung the water out, I have officially declared the wringer a waste of money. The washer, itself, works as well as I had hoped. I will probably lengthen the legs at some point, but that's a minor concern. I did notice that, after only one use, the welding around the drain already had rust on it - surprising since the humidity here is only 20% and water evaporates quickly. I now keep a rag nearby to dry the drain after each use. I also suggest that someone rewrite the assembly instructions for the washer and explain just where and how all the bolts, nuts and washers are used.

It's perfect to wash large items like dog bed covers, blankets, etc. I live about 35 miles from the nearest laundromat that I don't use for the obvious reasons (gas, electricity, time, cost, etc.). I can wash big items in a tub with the hand washer and a few soap nuts. The water is then used to water outdoor plants. ~ transcribed from an email sent by customer GB to Galen Lehman