This stand is a very good value, 4.5 stars from me as I needed the swivel base and overall wanted a sturdier stand than the one that came with my set. A Pearl branded stand of similar value and features would cost almost twice as much. The issue I had as others have mentioned is the clutch does eat into its 7mm rod and chew it up really fast. Although it holds well, I didn't want this to get worse so I ended up having to order the Gibraltar super clutch that grips the rod all the way around which seems to be a better solution. The super clutch also locks down with a set screw so it won't loosen where the cymbal is held, which is good since this original clutch came loose once when I was playing and dropped the top cymbal where it couldn't be lifted even though the clutch was still attached to the post. The weirdest part is that here on Amazon it is cheaper to buy a super clutch individually over the one that came with this hi hat stand. If Gibraltar would just include the super clutch to begin with this setup would be phenomenal and 5 stars, but a it's a little annoying I had to invest more since the hi hat rod is a softer metal than my older one which never got chewed up by a standard clutch. I like how the pedal is smooth with no rough edges to catch on your foot, and has a nice base for accommodating heel down playing too. The spring tension can also be adjusted though I feel like I didn't need to add any extra tension for a good feel.