I am thoroughly impressed with this little machine. Over the past 30 years I have worn out 4 expensive electric pasta extruders. I did not have high hopes for this one, but when the gears in my last electric one broke I decided to give this one a try. I am delighted to have been wrong. I am more than pleased and have pumped several pounds of dough through this little wonder in the past few weeks.I use a kitchen scale to measure flour and always use a mix of 250 grams semolina, 250 grams of white flour, and 5 eggs. The dough is perfect when it doesn't stick to your fingers. This takes a little practice.The dies are compatible with other machines that have been on the market for years. I was able to salvage a collection of a dozen or more from my older machines to use in addition to the 4 that come with the machine.Things to note:1. Dry dough will break the machine. Too wet and you get globs of pasta that stick together and won't hold shape.2. There are holes to insert the crank into. The top one is a direct drive to the screw, the lower one is geared. ALWAYS use the lower one. The top one takes a LOT of effort and could break the machine.3. Turn the crank gently. It'll last a lot longer. It does take a little more effort than watching a motorized extruder work, but not that much.4. don't over-tighten the die 'nut'. It just needs to be snug. It comes with a wrench. I don't use it, personally, but I have plenty of strength. Just snug it down tight by hand or gently with the wrench.This little guy is the perfect companion for the Marcato Atlas 150. Between the two of them you can make just about any shape pasta imaginable.