I had a cheese slicer before this one, and it was mostly plastic, but it worked really well until the wire broke or some other thing malfunctioned. This one is really heavy duty, heavy metal steel, and with the same adjustments of thin to thick. It has been nearly 3 months since I bought this, and it has worked for me tens of times perfectly. The little wire has come out a few times, but it is easy to insert back into the slot. Very heavy duty machine. Also comes with an extra wire, which I have yet to have to use. Maybe in a couple of years. I like to cut my cheese into very thin pieces. This tool does it perfectly. You can't beat it for the price.