I own several of these now, for my own use and for hire out, given five stars for their comparative value, they are sturdy , strong and reliable, I haven't had any threads sheer or anything break, yes the paint has worn on several but that is to be expected considering the amount of use, the upright adjustment is secure and remains so during use and the boom is reliable and simple and remains stable fully extended with an overhead mic (heavier mics coud be a slight problem), the tri leg span is wide enough but not so to 'get in the way' for vocalists, i only have one that is now a bit wonky due to a large singer repeatedly standing on one of the legs !! you DO NOT need to stand on the leg to reach the mic !! they are the cheaper end of K&M range but great value for money and a very useful, very good all purpose mic stand