I like these gas shears. They have plenty of power to fly through the work, and big tooth spacing so that you can cut some pretty big stuff (is you're persistent.) In six years of using this model, I have had few real problems with it that weren't my fault. I broke a handle from throwing it in the truck willy-nilly, although it really should have been more difficult, and I accidentally tried to shear some rebar, which necessitated a new blade. *Mea culpa* - now lets get to the things that weren't my responsibility. The base handle has a slight tendency to work loose, but it's just a matter of tightening a few bolts to rectify that. In using at least 25 different units of this model (from working with different crews and such) I have encountered one unit that gave me trouble starting hot, and it had already been around the block a few times. If you need gas shears, the Shindaiwa DH230 is the way to go. There is a 24" and a 30" blade decision to be made, and I like the 30". More cutting per pass, easier to keeps things smooth and level, and I've never been in a situation where I needed a shorter blade.

Russ

Marietta, GA