We are used to working with "ice machines" and this is the same brand as the ones we have been given by our ortho surgeon to aid recovery of knee replacement surgery. Those models are cheaper, with fewer features and last only 8-9 weeks of frequent use. This model has many more features but some new problems with use. There is a master power switch which helps, a display board which has useful info on water temp, and treatment times. The screen is lit all the time it is in use, and the bright blue light is not a welcome addition to the bedroom environment. A major concern of ours is that the lid is very cumbersome. We use frozen 12 oz water bottles with plastic labels to chill the tank water. The lid has two long uptake pipes going down into water which makes fiddling to get frozen water bottles in the right place to close the lid and lock it down. The back flange on the lid, which acts as a hinge point is awkwardly fat and short and hard to see. The main problem is that the hoses come out of the lid and have snap in attachments , which work well, but the hoses slip off the fittings way too easily and that spills water on the floor (at 2:30 AM last night. Plus the weight and awkwardness of the hoses are not easily manipulated. The cheaper kind from the ortho have permanently attached hoses that fit into the case. The machine does its job of providing cold temp for her knee though, and that's the Point. If I buy another one, it will probably be a different brand.
