I'm a hobbyist when it comes to using both hot wire cutters and other benchtop tools. But even the simple things you can do with Proxxon are amazing. I can mass produce bricks of the same size, cut styrofoam sheets to the right width, cut round circles fairly convincingly and much more. The biggest downside I will name is the fence/rail that comes with it. It works, but it's very short and needs some sort of fastening on the opposite side or it will wobble from uneven cuts. I made my own It's not pretty, but I made it. All in all, this is a great tool. Even a layman like me gets a lot out of it. Highly recommended!