I purchased this about a year ago. a plastic piece broke that prevented the door from closing completely and creating a seal. I orders a replacement under warranty about 4 months ago. About a month after receiving the replacement the heat strip starting developing defects in the surface protective layer. This caused the bags to melt completely through in those spots. the heat strips can wear over time. It would therefore make sense to make this a replicable, consumable. Unfortunately, Foodsaver does not offer any products with a replicable heat strip. I love what the product does but its simply not worth it if i have to replace the whole unit every year.
I would not purchase a Foodsaver product again considering this. I will instead look for a product with a replicable heating strip or a lifetime warranty.