I already had 2 shave ice machines which required making special sized ice for best results. They were much less expensive and one was very cute (we have a Disney DFR-613 Olaf Snow Cone Maker, White!), but they were very limited in how much shave ice they could make. I finally decided I would try a heavy duty shave ice maker, and after comparing prices and reading many many reviews, this is the one I decided on.It came very well packaged. There was thick and rigid cardboard reinforcing the edges of the box and large staples holding it all together. Despite the sturdy packaging, it did arrive with a disappointing little ding. After unboxing, I did the minor assembly of attaching the handle and was ready to churn out ice in a few minutes. It is a very heavy sturdy machine.I have to admit, I think my Olaf makes finer ice if you use a premade big block of ice. (I'm not ready to go in and adjust the blades on the Yescom machine as I read some other reviewers have done). But we end up using the Yescom shave ice maker because it is so much faster and easier to use.It's not nearly as nice as Matsumoto shave ice but still a refreshing dessert on a hot day. Yes it's noisy, and yes it takes up a larger area of counter space and is not easy to store away, but it was a good buy for our family. We use it almost every day.