I debated a long time before buying this due to the mixed reviews. I have an Etsy shop and was looking to add buttons to my product lineup. I couldn’t afford a big professional maker, but the cost for this wasn’t exactly a drop in the bucket either.When it arrived I was surprised at how heavy it was. It has some sturdy high quality metal. Assembly was easy with the Allen wrench it came with and the basic instructions. Making the actual buttons was where the reviews diverge and I think that is because it’s hard to visualize what exactly you need to do from the instructions. There are a few good YouTube videos that helped me with that. I recommend searching them up. They show you how to line the molds up properly for each step and that makes a big difference. Some of the tips I have:• Make sure that your mylar is not stuck together. They are sticky and if you have more than one you won’t get a clean button.• Use a glue stick to glue your image onto the metal. It prevents it from wiggling when you press.• Make sure your image and your button back are turned straight so that the pin will face up correctly when finished.• Hold the press down about 5 seconds for your second press. It makes sure the mylar has time to set into its shape.• Use the right paper. You don’t want a thick paper, but still want your images to look crisp. I bought a package of matte presentation paper here on Amazon and it has worked very well. The brand I bought was epson, but there are other brands that would work.• The circle cutter is garbage. Don’t expect to be able to use it. I purchased a large hole punch (also on Amazon) to make my circles. Make sure it cuts 1/4-1/2 inch bigger than your finished buttons.With the YouTube videos and my tips you should be able to make high quality buttons with no problems. Out of the hundred or so I’ve made so far I have only mis-punched maybe 5 buttons and those were where my tips come from. My press was also very loud initially, but a bit of WD-40 fixed it right up.Good luck, and get creative!