I bought this item a couple of years ago for my classroom. Only I, the teacher, was allowed to touch it, since it was so expensive. I was very persnickety about it, and never used it to sharpen pencils with plastic coatings. Despite my fanaticism and care, the sharpener only lasted about four months. The cheap (but loud) model I used before is still going strong. Don't waste your money on this fancy but unreliable model.