When you spend as many summer days as you can on the water, buying ice to keep everything cold starts to add up. So instead of paying $5-10 for 'gas station' ice every time we go out on our boat, it was a no-brainer to purchase an ice maker.

I tapped into the line from my reverse osmosis tank, and the ice cubes come out smooth and crystal clear. That said, we did take the machine with us to the lake house this summer where the water is very hard (but no RO filtration), and not only did the cubes come out cloudy and pitted, when I weighed a full bucket of ice (see "Pro Tip" below), it was a couple pounds lighter than back home. So results will vary depending on your water quality... at the very least, I would strongly recommend a sediment/charcoal filter, especially if you are going to use the ice in beverages.

Pro Tip: Buy a dedicated 5-gal bucket and write "Ice, Ice, Baby" on it... your kids won't get it, but they'll at least they'll get the message that it's not for storing baseball equipment). Any way, the 5-gal bucket is perfect for hauling ice out to the boat, truck, trailer, etc. and when it's not being used, it can sit right on the top of the machine.

Finally, because these are no-name machines, I "Homer Simpson'd" it and decided to buy the 3-year service/replacement option that pops up when adding to cart. It's the first time I ever bought one of those things (figuring it would give me peace of mind for a $500 purchase), but given how well this machine has performed, it could very well also be the last time I buy a service plan.

UPDATE: Still going strong after two summers of heavy use. I keep telling my wife that this was one of the best purchases we would have never thought about making (until we started multiple bags of ice every weekend). A few additional notes/comments:

1) The water supply connector is 1/4 in. "quick-connect;" you'll find the same connectors on point-of-use filtration and RO systems, refrigerators, etc. It quite literally slides in and locks into place without any tools; you can find quick-connect tubing and hardware at any big-box home improvement store. I put a tee into the existing supply line going into the back of my refrigerator (which has an ice maker) and then the included supply hose straight to this machine. Other reviews (other listings) have said the supply connection leaks; for quick-connect tubing to form a tight seal, the end has to be cut flat and perpendicular... the end of the hose cannot have any bumps, ridges, angles, etc., otherwise it can leak. It may be difficult to get a straight cut with a common household scissors unless it's high-quality and sharp; if you're having trouble getting a straight cut, you can buy a tubing cutter on Amazon or at your big-box store for a few bucks that will give you perfect cuts every time.

2) The drain connector is a bit odd in that it is not threaded or barbed. The included drain hose has a rubber end that slides over the connector, but I also found that 1/2-in I.D. clear tubing also fits snugly and securely; I didn't even use a hose clamp... I just dipped the end of the tubing in a mug of hot water for a few seconds and it slid right on. Moreover, when I went to remove it the next day, it took a little bit of wiggling to get it off, so I'm pretty confident that it's going to stay in place. If you do use a hose clamp, I would recommend making it just finger-tight and no more, because if you crush the plastic connector, you're going to have a heck of time trying to repair it.

3) The unit is charged with R-290 refrigerant. R-290 is actually propane; however, propane refrigerant has been used for decades and is rapidly gaining popularity in the US because it doesn't deplete ozone and has a very low global warming potential. It is actually quite safe as long (as you don't puncture the refrigerant lines), and while R-290 is approved for use in the US in charges less than 150 grams, the international standard is a maximum charge of 500 grams.

4) As stated on the nameplate, the machine is ETL-listed as conforming to the UL 563 standard, which I believe would allow the machine to be used in a commercial setting; obviously, if you're going to be using this machine for a business, check with your local code/building inspector to ensure it complies.

5) The machine worked right out of the box, but I did make one adjustment to rotate the "spray tube" at the top of the ice grid such that the water comes out straight down into the flow tray before it cascades over the metal ice grid"¦ it shipped from the factory with the spray tube pointed down and slightly toward the front of the unit, which caused some water to spray over into the ice bin. Additionally, pointing the spray straight down allowed for more even flow of the water over the ice grid.

6) It takes just over 8 hours to fill the ice bin at the +0 (default) setting to the point where the machine stopped, and the ice I took from the bin weighed just over 27 pounds. Although this is less than the 33 lbs. stated in the listing, there was still another 3-4 inches of room in the bin when the auto-off was tripped"¦ as the bin fills with ice towards the top, the ice starts making a hill towards the back of the unit and will eventually lean up against the side, thus tripping the auto-off. The solution is to break up the ice and smooth out the pile so it will continue making ice longer and fill up the bin. I'm sure I could get over 33 lbs. in the bin simply by smoothing out the pile and/or by making thicker ice (at the +1 or +2 setting).

7) YMMV, but I find the 0 setting best for most occasions; however, I will kick it up to +1 or +2 on especially hot days as well as knock it down to -2 or -1 when I need ice a little bit faster. The +/- setting simply adds (or subtracts) minutes from a cycle, and since it takes around 60 cycles to fill the bin, a good rule of thumb is that 0 will fill in 8 hours, +1 in 9 hours, +2 in 10 hours, etc.

Use it everyday to cool of my drinks, as a construction worker cold drink is all we have to cool off

This ice machine worked well for the 2 weeks that it worked. I'm leaving a 5 star review because customer service took care of us very well and very quickly.