`Just received the pump, assembled it in one minute by hand (no tools or lube, so probably not a perfect seal), read the warnings, and turned it on. The pump is very quiet, beyond what I expected. It pulled the 3gallon chamber to -0.95 bar in about 30-40 seconds, enough to destroy a small balloon I accidentally left in the chamber. :) The pump produces some vapor (it isn't really smoke I think) past -0.5 bar, but from what I read this is normal behavior. It holds the vacuum impressively well. Remarks: 1. The oil in the pump was at min-level, so I had to add most of the extra bottle to get it to almost max. 2. The pressure gauge wasn't entirely filled with glycerin (not sure whether that is a quality issue, but still). 3. There are no 'convenient' handles on my 3gallon chamber, it's just a pot.