I just purchased one of these tools on the basis of this thread. The pump itself seems to work really well. The bags are a different story. They just don't seem to hold the vacuum very well at all. I have tried the gallon and the quart size bags that came with the pump, all with the same result. The pump initially sucks all the air out of the bag and whatever is inside, making a really compact package. An hour or two later, however, the package is just like a regular baggie that has had some of the air forced out by hand. Hopefully, Reynolds will improve the bags.