i'm not qualified to discuss durability as I just got this and used it only once. In the past I've used a small fold-up type slicer which performed poorly. People here have objected to the cleaning task. Frankly it was almost as difficult to disassemble my cheap and ineffective rival for cleaning as this thing. Moreover, I have never cleaned a Hobart or any other commercial slicer so I can't properly compare. it does take a little time to remove parts and clean, but my guess is that that is the case for most of the 10" models. I love the ease of slicing, the quality of the slice and the thinness. I won't be buying a dinky piece of meat and then slicing it - the cleanup is too much. But a 6 lb roast? Now you're taking. I just have to find a small forklift to haul this thing around. Perhaps my mother-in-law will do it!