When it comes to wood burners you have a few choices: basic/cheap or fancy/expensive, not mid range burners. I had the cheapest of the cheap burners and wasn't happy. I did a lot of research when deciding to upgrade and couldn't justify spending $100 at this point in my pyrography career. Among the "budget" burners, this was the highest power/temp I could find and that drew me in (along with all the good reviews). I was very happy with her. He's definitely hotter than my age and the various tips he gives give me every effect I could wish for. My only complaint is that it does NOT have an on/off button or any type of light or indicator. You just have to see if it is connected or not. Otherwise I love everything about it. It even comes in a cute little case!