They're great when they work well from my friend's account. I've heard a lot of good things about them too. Like anything, the more complicated something is, the more chance something will go wrong, whether it be a car, washing machine or whatever. My 870 was my first and what I love about it beside durability and performance is the simplicity of cleaning and maintenance. With no experience, I was able to bust the thing apart, clean every piece of it after my first hunting season and reassemble it no problem.