Assembly takes far longer than the suggested 25 minutes, but I took the time to verify, separate, and organize all components and hardware. No issues with assembly, but it's much easier with a second person due to its bulky nature. It's very easy to move from garage to outdoors; even steps are negotiable. Far as operation, does exactly as advertised. Holds heat nicely when you need to get inside for transitions, and it used fewer chips than I expected. Resulting ribs were great! I took the time to properly season machine in advance. My proven 3-2-1 method for ribs is based on hours, not temp; so I'll probably only use the meatprobe when trying something unfamiliar. Machine cleans up easily, but after only 1 use, the window becomes gritty and pointless. Overall, I'm happy thus far. Will the unit endure? That remains to be seen. If the electric heating element lasts 4 good years, I'll return and give it a 5th star.