It was easy to put together, and it spins freely.  I like that I can adjust the height by removing a section (or more) from the supporting post.  I put it together and put it outside on a day when we were having really gusty winds (which continued for at least another day afterward) -- these were winds that made me step back when I rounded the corner of the house and hit the wind head on.  It has held up well, and is still holding tightly to where I put it in the ground.  I will move it to another location once we finish our landscaping, but I needed to put it together before the return period was over, since I wanted to be sure it would work.  It looks really cool, and I've already had one compliment on it.  The finial at the top is slightly crooked, as others have mentioned, but not so noticeable, as long as you have it rotated the right way.  I like that you can omit that piece, if you choose.