Product review (1 stars): On pass/fail scale, fail.
Every once in a while you get a bad item but the one I got was flawed from the factory, flawed from amazon, and likely damaged by the previous owner (yeah, I ordered new).  The box arrived looking okay.  Some holes here or there but that isn't uncommon.  What wasn't normal was that the manufacturers seal had clearly been cut and the box re-taped with clear shipping tape.  Not a good start but hey, I don't need the tape, only what's inside.  When I opened the box the items inside seemed to be thrown in.  Another indication it had been previously "owned".  You get the point...maybe Amazon re-shipped a return?  I've had good luck with Amazon, everyone makes a mistake.  I'll ignore that...this review will be manufacturing quality since that was what I was concerned about when I was reading other's reviews.

Once out of the box, I inspected the item.  Even up close it's a great looking hood (design-wise).  The flow, the material...nice.  The workmanship and finish is where this hood really hits the dumpster.  The spot welds used to hold the thing together are minimal and have very little holding power.  The way they finish the edges removed too much material and created cracks in the edges where the material/welds were finished causing a weld to fail and then whatever filler (could just be weld) they use to fail as well (either too thin or too much stress as a result of the failed weld).  The result is a visible crack in the front left of the hood along a formed edge about an inch and a half long).  It's obvious that someone hand sands the corners.  The sand/scuff marks don't go with the grain of the stainless so it actually looks discolored as if you rubbed it too much in the wrong direction with a fine brillo pad.  Since both front corners are finished the same, you can see a noticeable difference in color form just a few feet away (so painfully obvious as you walk around in the kitchen because you always walk by it).  In more than one spot there are little subtle dents where the material had gone through the brake (how the edges are formed) or a result of handling.  These little dents don't look like customer abuse dents but more handling defects created during the manufacturing process (from experience from a past life ;) like one would expect from a piece of material that was adjusted before welding or clamped in a fixture when it was slightly out of shape.

The "filters" are nothing more than stainless sheets that have louvers cut into them in opposing directions.  Simple and effective i would guess but one of mine actually had a screw inside of it "floating around".  From the previous owner maybe...or the manufacturer?  All of the parts on the fllters are made from the same gauge material.  Because of how they fit into the hood itself, they'll likely need tweaking from time to time after washing because the tabs will likely get bent - all 3 of mine needed to be corrected just to put them in the first time.  Not a big deal I guess but I could see a tab breaking off over time.  Are replacements available?  Previous reviewers say it's tough.

Oh...even though the ad doesn't say it, it does have a squirrel cage blower assembly which is a good thing.

I get it, half the price of other hoods.  I can understand why some might say "awesome for the price" or "what a deal" but I'm guessing they got one that was more perfect than the one I got.  What I wonder, after inspecting one in person, is if there are quality issues with things I didn't even inspect like the blower assembly, electrical...I'm suspicious.  Just visually, the discoloring of the corners due to sanding/scuffing during the manufacturers finishing process isn't acceptable and the crack I can't live with.  The product looks nice and they've got the right idea.  I'd recommend spending just a little more money and improve their finishing process even if that means making it $50 more.  The price point would certainly allow it.