Powermatic III+

I never knew that doing something so mondain would be therapeutic? I ordered this 2 days ago and it arrived today. I went to the store and bought some tobacco and tubes, took the machine out of the box, plugged it in and flipped on the power switch and I was in business. After I ordered it I watched the videos on YouTube and learned how to operate it as the instructions are a little vague. I was ready to go. I rolled 250 cigs in ~40 min. That included a cigarette break to test them out. They are GREAT and the flavors you can come up with just by mixing different blends from mild to bold and maybe a little menthol? You'll come up with the perfect recipe and enjoy smoking the perfect cigarette tailored to your liking. Get yourself a baking sheet to work on to keep the tobacco all in one place. Let the tobacco air dry for a few minutes by spreading it out evenly across the baking sheet while you are rolling. This helps prevent jams in the hopper. I didn't have a single jam but if you stuff the hopper with wetter tobacco the experts say it will jam. Spreading it out allows the fine pieces to fall to the bottom of the pile. This finer "shake" should be discarded as it can jam the hopper. It will make your cigs more harsh and less smooth. This machine will pay for itself in 1 month or less depending on how much you smoke. If you live in NY or IL this is a MUST! The tobacco costs ~ $16/pound and 1 pound makes > 200 cigs which is more than two cartons. Now that's if you purchase online but there's a catch you have to pay the shipping that starts out at $22 and goes up to $120. Ridiculous. Buying it at a tobacco supply store costs ~$20/lb. So you just pay a little more online than at the store. The cigarette tubes are $4/box of 250. After paying for the machine the cost per pack is ~$1. Here's an important tip. Get the 100s cigarette tubes due to these cigarettes burning a little faster. The tighter the pack the slower the burn. You can adjust the packing tightness on the machine. Another reason to get the 100s is that the tip of the cigarette doesn't get filled so you lose 1/8 in. Kings will burn too quickly. Another thing I noticed is the nicotine content in the loose tobaccos is higher. This will save me a fortune and many trips to the circle K where they are ALWAYS out of the cheaper brands. That's actually what drove me to investigate rolling my own. So glad I did! I'm wondering how long it will take for them to tax the machine, tubes and pipe tobacco? If they do I'll learn how to cultivate tobacco at home. UPDATE! If you are a smoker you MUST buy this machine and NOT be intimidated. I'm not a salesperson but let me tell you this is a game changer. I'm not here to condone smoking. If you can quit that is the BEST option but for some of us the addiction is now hard wired in our DNA and some people get away with smoking their entire lives without health issues. So far I'm one of the lucky ones. Anyway, I had to keep downgrading my brand due to the rising costs. The cheaper brands the cigarettes are loosely packed with tobacco which causes them to burn quickly. The taste wasn't that great either. After experimenting with this machine I have developed the perfect blend of tobaccos and selected the perfect tubes. What I came up with tastes like a Marlboro red but smoother. It also has a low key menthol taste. The nicotine content is perfect and adjustable by the amount of menthol you add to your blend. When selecting your tobaccos RED - is like a Marlboro red. BLUE - Marlboro Ultra Light. GREEN - Newport. GOLD - Camel Light/Turkish blend. Tubes are all flavored and filter at different degrees. You have to select the correct tubes. I use RED 100 tubes with 1/3 green and 2/3 red tobacco. I roll a full carton in about 30 minutes and it's fun to do with the music going and a few cigarette breaks in between. The best setting of compaction is the lowest setting on the machine. I save the empty tube boxes to store the packed cigarettes in and store the boxes in the freezer. The freezer will keep them fresh for a year preventing them from drying out and becoming harsh. Above I mentioned to choose 100s because these cigarettes burn quicker. I retract that as the machine started packing the tubes more as it got broken in. These cigarettes burn perfectly and the cherry never falls off like the cheap cigs at the coinvent store. You can certainly do kings and get more out of each bag of tobacco which yields ~ 2 cartons and 2 1/2 packs. Now with kings there's an added step. You have to cut each cigarette at the end to make if flush and cut off the straggling leaves. This adds to the rolling time. Things you'll need: 1: Sturdy baking pan which will hold the machine, tools, tobacco and finished cigarettes. This also makes it easy to move and store the cig factory. 2: Large plastic mixing bowl used to mix the different tobaccos prior to laying out to dry. 3: Heavy duty, sharp scissors for cutting kings at the ends. The better the pair the easier this is. 4: Optional toaster dust cover to cover the machine in-between uses. To start you mix the different kinds of tobacco (tailor your own recipe) in the mixing bowl. Be sure to separate and blend well. Next you lay it out about 1 inch deep in the free space of the baking sheet. You'll probably use half of your mixture. Leave the other half in the bowl. Now let the tobacco dry for about 30 minutes before rolling. Tip from the pros. After the drying period is up load the hopper to the top with dried tobacco and close the lid. You should have about 20 empty tubes on your right and the supply box and empty tube box on your right off of the baking sheet. Grab a tube and place on the packer and push the button. It will pack the cig and start cutting for the next one. During this time you should have another tube ready to put back on the packer. Once the machine is done cutting you hit the start button again and keep repeating until you rolled the whole bunch. Now pick up the cigs and place them in the empty box. As you clear the tobacco off the tray you replace it with more from the mixing bowl and it will dry as you roll. I did 250 top quality cigs in 35 min. including breaks. The tobacco left on the tray that is like fine sand should be discarded as fine tobacco ruins a good cigarette and will eventually jam the machine. When you're done rolling push down the C button and hold until it enters the clean mode. Once in clean mode hit the start button once and then again and it will keep emptying out the cutters until no tobacco remains. Use the included brush to help clean it completely. This must be done after each use. Takes just a few minutes. Another good thing to have is a hand vac to clean up. Remember tobacco has a shelf life of years so you can stock up when the sales come along. It's sold in resealable bags. They also have humidity packs you can put in the bag to keep it perfectly at 68%RH. This machine will pay for itself in a few months depending on how much you smoke and where you live.

I've had one of these for 3 years now and am very happy with it. After three years and about 30k rolled it still works as it did when new. The current model has been updated is quieter and seems like it will work even better than the older model I have. So far 3 other family members have bought one of these and they are all very happy with the machine. It is a bit more costly than many of the other rolling machines available but is worth every penny. It is faster and easier to roll cigarettes with this machine than any of the others I have tried. One of the big advantages of this machine is that you do not have to guess at how much tobacco you place in for each cigarette. You just load the hopper close the lid then you place a tube on the machine and press the button. It has 3 settings for rolling density. I roll 100s so I use the highest setting for kings I use the middle setting. I did have a cheaper machine at first but with those even the ones with a hopper you still have to put the tobacco into the slot with your fingers and basically guess and the amount which goes in for each cigarette resulting in some being to tight and others being to loose especially when you first start. This machine removes the guess work so you can start rolling good smokes with little to no trial and error.

Initial Review - I made a decision back in August 2022 to stop buying packs or cartons of cigarettes. On a carton basis, (10 packs) cigarettes can cost $82-$100+ depending on where you live. I started making my own or as it's called RYO (roll your own) by using a Top-O-Matic hand crank roller. Worked pretty well mostly but was time-consuming and messy. Many times I'd crank out a dud that didn't fill correctly and have to either throw it away or try to finesse the tobacco out of the tube and start again. I'd watched many YouTube videos of people using this Powermatic III+ and saying how much they liked it. So, about a week ago I decided to get my own and here I am writing my initial review. As you can see from the photos there's not much to it. The machine has a few accessories to clean it or clear a jam. There were also 3 tiny clear rubber-like replacement pieces for the tube gripper thing. I only glanced over the instructions as I had already watched so many videos that I knew how to operate it. So far I've been making both Kings and 100s. I make the Kings on the lower setting and 100s on the highest setting and they both turn out perfectly. I haven't tried the middle setting. I understand the 3 settings, low, medium, high determine the density of the tobacco that fills each tube. At this time I'll use the low setting for Kings and the high setting for 100s. Those seem about right for me and the tube sizes I'm using. I had read that you don't want to use overly moist tobacco and many people had recommended moisture content of the tobacco be perhaps 14-16%. I checked the moisture of my tobacco before using it and fresh out of the bag, it measured around 22-24%. So, I spread out a pile to dry for a while. After about 35 minutes the moisture content had come down to 16% so I proceeded to make some cigs. I will add that I live in a dry climate so reducing the moisture was a rather quick process. The particular brand of tobacco I'm using today is not what I'd call long-cut or stringy. You can see in my photos that there are some longer strands but it's mostly a medium cut I'd say and works great in the PMIII+. I've seen YouTubers cut with scissors longer cuts of tobacco. When filling the tobacco chamber on the machine I filled it almost to the top but didn't pack it. It's said by some that a full hopper of tobacco will make 30-35 cigarettes. Conclusion: If you're a smoker and not inclined to quit I'd recommend getting yourself a PMIII+. If nothing else you'll save a ton of money. I kind of think it's fun to make my cigarettes. For me, I can make a pack of cigarettes for about $0.90 - $0.95/pack as opposed to $8.00+ a pack. Once you are all set up with the machine, filter tubes, and tobacco you should be able to make a carton in about 30 minutes or less. If you have any questions about the machine, process, or where to buy the tobacco and tubes I know of a couple of good websites offering good prices. For example - a 1lb. bag of tobacco runs about $13-$16 and the filter tubes $1.79 - $3.29 for boxes of 200 tubes. Rolling Your Own is a no-brainer! And one final note - after purchasing your PMIII+ and an initial supply of tobacco and tubes, you'll probably recoup the cost of the machine in about a month. You might expect to make about 4 cartons with a 1lb. bag of tobacco. Don't worry, be happy! - you will get the "Hopper" notice on the PMIII+ screen occasionally. Don't sweat it or let this deter you. It happens to everyone and every machine and is easily resolved by either adding more tobacco to the hopper or simply stirring the tobacco a little bit. No biggie. I hope my experience has been helpful to your decision-making process. UPDATE: 03-04-2023 I've now been using the PMIII+ for about a month. THIS THING IS GREAT! The following are a few tips and my experience to date. The first thing and perhaps the most important is making sure your tobacco isn't too moist which it will be right out of a freshly opened bag. I do have a small moisture meter I use to gauge the moisture content. I have found that by spreading out an amount you intend to roll and let it air dry for a while. For me, that usually takes about 30-40 minutes. That will lower the moisture from about 24-25% down to 14-16% which I find is ideal. I do live in a dry climate so it might take you a little longer in a more humid climate. Keep your tobacco stored either in the zip bag it came in or another airtight container. You don't want to use overly "stringy" tobacco. If your is, I suggest cutting it some. You don't want to use a very fine cut either. You will just have to experiment a little and gain some experience. Too moist and too dry or fine is a non-starter. HOPPER ERROR - don't let this concern you as it WILL happen during the course of making your cigarettes. When I get the error I go ahead and push the start button again and the machine will still produce the cigarette. Then, open the lid and stir and or add more tobacco. Usually while making your cigarettes the machine will "cycle" 2-3 times and then produce the cigarette. Sometimes you'll notice it cycling many more times but still producing your cigarette. When I hear that I usually open the hopper, stir the tobacco and add some. This only takes a second or two then you're back to business. NOT AN AD: I have found that I like Good Stuff - Silver tobacco and Gambler - Silver tubes. This produces a light or perhaps ultra-light smoke. The suppliers of tobacco have many selections to choose from in both tobacco brands and types. Same with the filter tubes. I have tried several brands and types over the past months. I'd say they were all good. I just happen to like Good Stuff brand for taste and cut. Others I've tried are OHM, Cherokee, and Criss Cross. All good. Remember, all cigarette tobacco is sold and labeled as Pipe tobacco. Most of the time I make King size cigarettes. However, the machine does make 100s just as well. When I make Kings I use the lowest setting and 100s on the highest setting. These both work perfectly for me. I have also experimented a little by mixing 1/3 mint or menthol tobacco with my regular tobacco. I actually like it. Most of the time I'll sit and watch golf or football and roll about 10-12 packs and this will take about 1 hour not counting any prep (drying) time. I store my rolled packs of cigarettes in either TOP or Tube Cut brand plastic flip-top boxes. You'll want to get a supply of these and they are not expensive. These comfortably hold 18 cigarettes. If I were you and thinking about starting to roll your own, I'd recommend skipping the hand-crank models and diving right into the Powermatic III+. Don't waste your time thinking you might not like RYO cigarettes. You will and probably more than the expensive store-bought brands. If nothing else you'll certainly enjoy making great quality and great tasting cigarettes for only $0.90 - $0.95 a pack!! Let me know if you have any questions. UPDATE: 5-8-23 Nothing major here. Just a tip I'd like to share. Since I purchased my PMIII I've mostly been making King-size cigarettes. Regarding moisture content, I'm now solidly recommending that you try to achieve a 14% moisture target when drying the tobacco before rolling. I rolled some recently that was ~12% (I forgot to check on it as I was letting it dry) and although it rolled fine and with no Hopper error messages, the tobacco burned too quickly and tended to fall out of the top 1/8" to 1/4" of the finished tube/cigarette. I am also recommending using the middle selection when rolling. After months of using the lowest selection, I've determined that the middle selection (for Kings anyway) produces a slightly firmer cigarette which also burns slower and is more uniform IMO. It still draws nicely and the "cherry" stays firmly in place. For me this is ideal. To date I've made a little over 1,800 cigarettes and the machine is working perfectly. Lastly, the next time I order I'm going to try a bag of house-brand tobacco from Smokers Outlet and see how I like it. It's a few dollars cheaper. I'll let you know. I'm currently rolling Cherokee brand and it's a good quality tobacco. No need to cut or chop it - not stringy. Very few "sticks". UPDATE: 6-21-23 Previously I said I'd give Smokers Outlet house brand tobacco a try. Well, I have and can't recommend it with the PMIII machine. This brand - Silver, is too "stringy" and the machine doesn't like it. I'll get 4-5 Hopper errors per pack. Normally, with other brands such as Cherokee, Good Stuff, OHM I rarely encounter a Hopper error. I never have to chop or cut these other brands I like. Only drying a bit before rolling. The slightly lower price for the SO house brand isn't worth it IMO. TIP: Before rolling I dry my tobacco to reduce the moisture content. (see above) I now also sift the tobacco slightly prior to drying. I use a cheap metal kitchen-type strainer to sift out the power. I think it might help to keep the fines out of the machine too. Always look for and pluck out any small sticks or stem cuttings you find.

This is my second Powermatic 3 my last one literally died at just over 36000 cigarettes. The replacement my new one I just bought seems much quieter and it has some improvements over my last one. The biggest change I notice is once you prime it and make a cigarette and go to grab the next tube and slide it onto the machine it is literally ready to inject the tobacco, you push the button it injects then completes the cycle and ready's itself for the next cigarette. where the old unit would get ready for the next cigarette after you pushed the button. also it seems to do better with moving around the tobacco around in the hopper. I am glad i did not opt for the machine that also loads the tube since some tobacco will end up sticking out the metal loading tube causing the cigarette tube get crushed into the hanging out tobacco this flaw still exist yet can be managed with the proper cut and correct humidity ( more dry around 50% RH ) tobacco. I do quick grind in my Vitmix food grinder - processor and if needed I let it sit out to dry some before use if humidity is an issue. All in all a great machine

Long story short, I dove head first into RYO cigarettes. The cost of buying packs is just out of control. SO, Im lazy, and I don't want to hand crank anything. This checks that box! I literally do not know anything about this side of smoking, so I after a few recommendations, I got a bag of silver OHM and gambler gold kings, this combination is close to Marlboro lights but not quite but Im happy with it so far. Anyways, to the injector, its easy Just load, tube, press the button, and packed cigarette. The only learning curve, for me as a newbie, was to dry the tobacco a little. The powermatic 3 has a couple of sheets with it, one says to put some tobacco in the fridge for 20 min. I could probably put it in there for a bit longer, also, when taking tobacco out of the bag, I noticed I should slightly pull it apart etc as I noticed if I go directly from bag to machine its too... stuck together? maybe so I try to separate and "fluff"? it. That seems to help quite a bit. I use the max setting for injecting. I tried setting 2 as some have suggested but I find it packs really nicely on setting 3. 2 just wasn't quite right to me at least. Its rather quick as well! I am at times impatient as well but this is surprisingly fast to get a couple of "packs" worth in like no time at all. Probably not much longer than going to the store and getting back home and the gas station is like a half mile from me. The machine is pretty quick. And did I mention no manual cranking? That alone was what I was looking for and this does it rather nicely! Over all so far, as someone who knows next to nothing about RYO cigarettes this has been a super easy, and gotta say fun process. This machine makes it super super easy. I would recommend this. Some have said its expensive, maybe to those already rolling their own I don't know, but coming from buying a carton at over $100 a week, this is just 2 cartons worth that I would have spent already, so it was an easy expense to justify. Im looking forward to having my cigarette cost go down dramatically. Im super satisfied thus far! If I run into anything I will update as necessary.

We couldn't be any happier. Our last powermatic three final died. A curse and a blessing at the same time. The curse cost us 200 dollars the blessing is the machine is amazing a vast mechanical improvement over the one. The old machine was fairly hinkey load and didn't fill tubes to completion or would jam. Still a good machine but this one is amazing quiet,fast,consistent and smooth. I am absolutely impressed. Seldom do i ever leave reviews but this machine is worth the effort. Fyi i have owned 4 different powermatics starting with powermatic one and this one by far is their best.

When it makes a cigarette it makes a GREAT CIGARETTE ... the problem is IT JAMS WAY TOO OFTEN !!! AND AT 1262 CIGARETTES IT JAMMED SO BAD I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO SEND IT BACK BROKEN !!! There is absolutely NO WAY TO GET IN AND UNJAM IT !!! short of unsealing it and breaking it open to get inside!!! I DID NOT DO THAT Instead I gently took the provided pick tool and gingerly pushed the piston back into the machine ... then gently tapped the spoon back into the machine ...with a watch makers rubber hammer which is very small ... I did not try to force anything since I was thinking I would have to send it back for replacement and just wanted it to fit in the original box , for that purpose. After achieving that I plugged it back in to an outlet and with the hopper door open I cycled the machine a few times then closed the hopper door and it made a good cigarette. Well it worked again ... so at this point I am not very impressed with the machine even though it makes GREAT CIGARETTES when it doen't jam. For the money I do believe it needs a better design to allow you to unclog the feed when it does jam !!! This is a NICE MACHINE ... BUT IT COULD BE A LITTLE BETTER FOR THE PRICE !!! IT COULD REALLY USE A BETTER SYSTEM TO UNJAM CLOGS !!! IT DOES NOT LIKE MOIST TOBACCO OR LONG CUT TOBACCO EITHER !!! IF you are good with all of that ... go ahead and buy it !!! The version two works much longer and better for the money paid !!! UPDATE .... After using this machine for almost a year and figuring out how to unjam the fairly frequent jams ... I love the cigarettes it makes ... well after making 14,967 cigarettes with it the machine finally jammed so bad I could not fix it. I then contacted ZICO the manufacturer and had to send it in for repair. In less than a week I had the REPAIRED machine back with NEW UPDATED PARTS & PRGRAMING ... I immediately made 60 cigarettes without a single jam or problem !!! THE SERVICE WAS GREAT and it is a better machine than the original ever was when it was NEW !!! I can HONESTLY SAY THIS IS A GREAT MACHINE !!!! UPDATE ... I NOW HAVE MADE OVER 50,000 cigarettes with this machine ... as long as you never cycle it more than 2 times with the lid closed it hardly ever jams although since the warranty has long ago run out it did finally JAM .... I took all of the screws out of the bottom and gently pried it open ...I then proceeded to clean all of the tobacco out of it ... probably almost half a pound of tobacco had found its way inside the machine ... I very carefully cleaned it all out of the internal parts and checked all of the insides to be sure I had cleared the jamming parts ....45 minutes later I had it all back together and it was working as good as it ever has ... the money this machine has saved me is now in the THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS !!! IF YOU ARE GOING TO SMOKE THIS THING MORE THAN PAYS FOR ITSELF and if it ever does break I WILL BE SURE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER >>> AWESOME MACHINE !!!

Being new to the roll your own game I have tried all the machines there is to offer. I own the old school slide type, a crank type (top o matic), a powermatic2+, and now the powermatic3+. They all respectively have there advantages but the pm3 takes the Cake. The pm3+ makes life way more easier and less time consuming to make your cigs...I mean we're trying to save money on cigs here, not devote every free minute to making cigs. The automated process makes the task so simple a caveman can do it (lol). Just fill the Hopper with your favorite tabacco, select your cig size (King or 100s) slide a empty tube on the nozzle, press the start button and Bam! Ready to smoke cig in about 4 seconds. If you like me, I still like to hand pack them a lill more after the process so I can get close to a perfect cig. But the automatic compression and injecting makes this much more of a enjoyable task over a crank type machine and even the pm2 for that matter. The pm3 is kind of big and bulky compared to the other machines, but fits on my McDonald's tray I use for rolling with room to spare. Clean up is a easy task, and comes with the same cleaning tools as the pm2. The piece counters add a nice touch (lifetime counter and resettable counter) to keep track of how many you have made. I'm not like some of the other reviewers that like to boast about how quickly I can make cigs, but this machine definitely cut processing time in HALF, and I can make let's say 40-60 cigs in about 15 minutes, hand packing each one while watching my favorite movie/show or talking on the phone. Now with that said, some disadvantages... -the pm3+(not the pm3) doesn't have the 5 stage compression setting that I hoped for, which was standard on the non-Plus model (pm3). They now have just 3 selectable sizes King, King mid I guess?, And 100s. After testing all settings (on King tubes) I've found that King setting rolls a lill on the loose side, King mid rolls a lill tighter, and 100s rolls the tightest. This also varies on your tabacco...how dry or moist it is, the cut etc. I tend to switch back and fourth on these settings while making my cigs. -your tabacco choice, and or prep MATTERS! When I read the reviews on this machine I tended to blow off the reviews that said to prep your tabacco before using this machine...they weren't joking. The automatic Hopper is a finiky beast on this machine and if your tabacco is too moist it will throw the Hopper light on about every 4-5 cigs. Same goes for longer cuts, problem is the machine only tempers (packs the tabacco) for a set amount of times, so if it takes longer then what's programed to fill the slot for your set cig size it will turn on the Hopper light. And in my use so far I've found moist and longer cut tabaccos to cause this issue. I use Ohm and The Good stuff for now, and helps to let it dry out a lill in open air for about 10-15 minutes before making cigs. -like other machines, this thing DOES NOT pack the tabacco all the way to the filter. This is something that has bothered me since day one of rolling my own, and obviously I've tried every machine possible. I've just come to realize hand packing after injecting is a must for me...still doesn't quite get it perfectly Everytime but it still makes more consistent enjoyable cigs. I think most people in the RYO community just deals with it and looks more at the cost savings then having your tabacco touch the filter (lol) Well hope this long winded reveiw helps others with there purchase. It's really a great investment when rolling your own, it will pay for it self in no time! For the more budget minded people the pm2 is a great investment as well. But the pm3+ is a must have if your looking for less time invested over cost. **UPDATE 6/19/20** The pm3+ is still going strong! Counter reads 8407 cigs rolled (more than this have been rolled, I'll explain in a sec) and still counting! It has made life so easy with rolling my own cigs, and Ive saved so much money as well. Pm3 payed for it self within the first month. Couple things I want to bring up..... - I've noticed that at probaly month 3 or so the injector started getting louder, kinda like dry parts rubbing each other sound... Almost like it needs grease or extreme interior cleaning. But with no service access I just continue to use it and it hasn't gotten worse. - when rolling, occasionally the Hopper light will come on which is supposed to indicate you need more tabacco...but you open the door and notice you still have half full Hopper?? Even with properly prepared tabacco it still does this, I found that you can shut the door and press the start button again and it will complete the cig but it will be packed way to tight. So another solution is keep the door open and press start and the machine will push out the injector (part of it's cleaning process) and you can complete the cig that way without it being uselessly tight. This way does not show up on the counter though which leads me to believe I'm up to about 9.5-10k cigs rolled instead of the 8400 it actually reads. - as in my initial review I brought up the cig settings and stated I go back and forth on the settings while rolling...I now tend to roll most of my cigs on the "king" setting which keeps them a lill loose but enjoyable, but on occasion it tends to roll too loose in which I switch the setting to "king +" (the middle setting) for a few cigs till it tightens up some and then I switch back to "king" size to complete that Hopper load. The 100's setting rolls way to tight on king tubes...and keep in mind I still hand pack each individual cig. -last but not least, I noticed at about month 4-5 it kinda spits the tube off early depending how packed the tabacco is. I have remedied this by lightly pushing on the filter towards the machine as it injects which helps getting the tabacco further in the tube but also keeps it on the nozzle. That's it for now! I still love this machine, you just have to learn it's quirks to make your desired cig. I love it so much I think I will buy a back up machine in the next month or 2 just to have it if this one decides to fail. Hope my long-winded review helps some people as I know this is not a easy purchase for some. But look at it this way....I was spending roughly $420-500 a month on store bought cigs, I now spend $60-100 a month on tabacco and tubes. It's a no brainier if you ask me.