I can't say that I've actually used one (I have stuck to XT stuff pretty much for years). I do have one sitting on my desk here soon to go on my GF's commuter. I think I got it from Nashbar or Jenson for like $15. I LOOKS like a good mech, can't see much difference, I think the jockey cage plates and part of the parallelogram are steel, the rest is cast alloy. This is certainly no cheezy Tourney or such. I think someone here mentioned that the springs were weak compared to higher level stuff. But for $15, how could you go wrong?