My name is Maureen Mende. This wheel is great for ceramics artists that want to have their own potters wheel but do not buy one due to the cost. This wheel was inexpensive and works just fine for wheel throwing at home. When I set it up it did not work at first but my husband was able to determine the cause which was the belt was not in place. He was able to put it back on and it worked fine after that. The plastic bowl and legs are much thinner than other potters wheels that I have used in my Ceramics classes at the Junior College. The legs on the wheel were also too short for me to position my legs and my body correctly in front of the wheel so my husband built a wood platform to put under it to raise it up a few inches. He also put small wood around each leg to brace it and ensure it would not move when in use. These were easy solutions to the problems I encountered out of the box. I am using it daily and love it so I highly recommend it for ceramic artists who want a wheel but don't want to spend $1000.00 or more to buy one.