I HAVE HAD THIS SLICER FOR 4.5 YEARS NOW AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY, same as the day it arrived.So why are there so many negative reviews? Because the people who purchased them don't know how to use or maintain the machine, but they are absolutely convinced that they do. It's called the Dunning-Kruger effect.Let me address some of the misguided fragments of reviews for you.1. "Blade is definitely not stainless steel"Yes, it is, and you'd know that if you knew anything about stainless steel alloys, of which there are dozens for various applications.The stainless steel used for the blade in this slicer is a high-carbon stainless steel, meaning it has a higher Carbon-to-Chromium ratio. This is necessary to more easily be put a sharp edge on the blade.High-Chromium stainless steel -- what those who don't understand the subject think of as the only kind of "stainless steel" -- is difficult to sharpen well, and so such alloys are used in other applications, such as firearms and devices that are exposed to (mostly) fresh water.So yes, the blade most definitely IS stainless steel.2. Poor slicingPoor slicing comes from not know HOW to properly slice meats, cheeses, bread, etc, on a home slicing machine like this.You cannot operate a $100 home-use slicer the same as you would that $14,000 slicer (NOT an exaggeration!) at your local deli.If you push hard on the carriage (the thing that carries the meat or bread back and forth across the blade) in any direction it will bind because it is a solid plastic sleeve bearing riding on a chrome-plated tube.The heavy-duty replacement bearings in a deli-use slicer's carriage cost more than 4 of these slicers combined, and they rarely need replacing. Manage your expectations to properly fit the context of this product.Wipe off the carriage tube HARD using a clean, dry cloth, until it is slick just from its own surface finish.Never put ANY lubricant on either the tube or the carriage bearings because many lubricants can and do "eat" various plastics over time, or they cause the plasticizers to outgas, making the plastic left behind eventually crumble.Use the carriage tray pusher to LIGHTLY press the substance to be sliced against the back plate as you SLOWLY move the carriage across the blade. If your slice cross section is somewhat triangular rather than evenly flat, then you are pressing too hard against the back plate.3. "The meat tray (Where the meat sits on [sic]) CANT [sic] be removed!"Seriously? You don't see the spring-loaded latch on the right side of the carriage tube? Push it outward, lift the carriage tube, and slide off the carriage tray (that's what it's called). You're welcome.4. Dull blade does not slice well.Now THERE'S a statement of Einsteinian proportions! You actually saw that the blade was dull, but you went ahead and tried to slice soft materials with it anyway?Folks, maybe MY expectations of the Human Race are too high, but I just do NOT see how someone would not sharpen a less-than-sharp blade before using it to thinly slice soft materials, yet still expect a quality work product. What am I missing here?5. It won't turn onYou may have seen the video of the man trying to get his brand-new slicer to turn on to no avail.Perhaps this is another Darwin Award moment, but did he check that specific socket on the power strip using a Live Wire tester to see that it was, in fact, functioning properly? Nope.Did you see him even so much as try a different socket on the power strip? Nope.Did you see him eliminate as many variables as possible by plugging the slicer directly into a wall socket -- after testing the socket for having a Live Wire? Nope.Did he use a Live Wire tester to check the slicer's power cord to see if there was actually electricity flowing to the appliance, because that would be a simple fix of replacing the plug at the end of the power cord? Nope.I fear that, as a Human Race, we are dumbing down to an almost primordial level. Thank technology. But I digress...6. "Very slow cutting speed"Yep, Sparky, it IS a very slow cutting speed! That is the optimum speed for the blade to rotate for optimum slicing results -- IF you are slicing correctly.7. "It was overheating after just ten slices"Of course it was, Wally! That's what happens when you push hard to mimic what you see them do in the deli with their $14,000 Hobart slicer.Same as trying to make a Toyota Corolla race like an F1 race car. The Corolla is a fine automobile and will last a good, long time -- IF you don't keep it floored during the entire 24 Hours of Le Mans.Folks, this is getting long so I'll leave you with a portion of a one-star review that sums up where the TRUE FAULT LIES:"While this slicer does slice meats, cheeses, vegetables, and breads it doesn't do it great. You have to push very slow if you don't want it skipping over whatever you're cutting. And if you put too much pressure on the machine not only will it open the blade further (just a little bit) but it will also cause it to slide along your counter. I had to have someone hold it in place. The blades are very easy to change and it is extremely easy to clean. So while it does what it claims, it doesn't do it good [sic!]."And there you have it: a user who doesn't know a THING about running one of these machines, doing EVERY POSSIBLE THING WRONG, and then blaming it on the machine.BOTTOM LINEThis slicer is a perfectly wonderful piece of equipment that my family has used for four and a half years now without issue, and it works EXACTLY the same as it did the day it arrived.If this slicer ever wears out and I cannot repair it, I will GLADLY buy another one from Ostba.Thanks, Ostba, for making an easy-to-use and affordable slicer for the home.Five Stars, well earned.EDIT: I just now sliced a corned beef brisket that I cooked yesterday and then wrapped and refrigerated overnight. This is on my 4.5 year old Ostba slicer, which worked perfectly yet again. See the photo.