understand that it will require lots of work out of the crate, and that parts may come damaged, and you wont be disappointed. that being said, value for money is great. once cleaned up, deburred, and oiled, this lathe is great for garage shop type work. it cleans up fairly well.Pros:- powerful motor- metal change gears are a huge plus- included turning tools are usable until you can buy better onesCons:- compound slide is especially low quality- tailstock is mostly aluminumSeller responds to messages consistently and is clear and helpful, they are great at resolving issues. my lathe arrived with some minor damage and they were able to help me fix it, just be patient with them and understand that they will only reply at 2am CDT.overall, if you're looking to get into machining, this is a great way to do it.(rated 4 stars because the aluminum tailstock is not mentioned in the description. )