Lasted for a few weeks of sporadic use- maybe 20 minutes total time. I never pointed it at anything that made any loud noises so I don't know for sure how the safety cut-off works, but now it routinely turns itself off after just a few seconds. Maybe the safety shut-off just got way too sensitive? The frequency dial works well. This would be lots of fun (and educational) for people who want to spend some quality time with the kids or grandkids. As for quality and reliability, I think $1 per minute of use is excessive.