I picked one up at a yard sale. It’s an effective blender for smoothies and milkshakes and such, and has a motor as powerful as a racehorse. I haven’t tested the claims that it can whip cream, grate cheese, etc, but i’m very skeptical. I’d say you’re better off investing in a normal blender than in this gadget. (Unless you can get it for $10 at a yard sale, like I did).
Cooks Illustrated doesn’t like this blender, by the way. It only has one speed, and that speed is FAST (and loud), so it’s hard to do anything with any precision. It’s also a little clumsy and hard to clean.