My wife gave me a Juiceman Jr. initially for Christmas. I used it twice, following the explicit directions and juicing only a few carrots and apples. I made sure that I cut the tops off the carrots, removing the seeds and quartering the apples. The second time I used it, the opaque plastic top developed a crack about an inch near where it secures to the base with a set of latches on either side.I promptly packed it up and exchanged it for another one. Today I used the new one (again for the second time.) This time it developed two scrape marks on the tube where you place the fruit/vegetables. This presumably happened from the carrots being pushed through the feeder tube by a plunger that comes with the unit. My point is this- this machine has to be babied, and is definitely not built to last. The plastic top is just not sturdy enough. The price is right, but unfortunately you get what you pay for. Also, the base is white plastic that stains very easily.