I've had this running almost non stop for nearly two months. I've drained it twice when I went out of town but other than that it runs like a top 24-7. It is a little noisy at times but I'd imagine the same from other units. Keep your expectations realistic - these aren't refrigerated so cubes will melt, stick together, form a block if you place them in your freezer, etc. I either take ice directly from the ice maker or dump the bin in to a silicone box I found for storing compostables. With the silicone box I can just smack it against the counter a few times after the wet ice cubes have stuck together and it's good to go until empty.The drain is a little fiddly to use so I'd recommend letting it make ice until the water level is extremely low, dumping that ice, and then draining the minimal amount of water that remains. I pull the unit off the edge of the counter top and pull the plug with a quart mason jar beneath. Then leave the lid open to dry everything out while I'm away.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]