For what it's intended to do, this machine is a terrific value for the price. It DOES require attention on a daily basis, don't let the idea of a self-cleaning box carry you away. I was a little aggravated by having to monitor it at first, then I realized one of my cats who refuses to use a litter box (she does her business in the courtyard of my house instead) now insists on using this litterbox. LitterMaid could have found no better way to impress me than that! One improvement I could suggest would be an adjustable (or just longer) timer. This one waits ten minutes, then scoops. That's fine for solid waste but not quite long enough for urine clumps so it tends to stick to the tines and often gets dragged back into the box. However, next raking disposes of that ball nicely. It is fairly odor free except for the cats kicking up litter dust as they scratch around the box. Bottom line is, I would buy it again.