I tried to set it to 5 minutes to see if it would work. It didn't ring so I thought it was broken. But it turns out you need to dial it past 30 minutes and then back to a shorter time if you are doing a time of less than 30 minutes. Once I did that, it worked fine.It feels cheap. My family had one of these as a kid, so I got this because I thought it would be nice to have around. But when I opened the package, I thought wow this plastic feels so thin and cheap, and the timer mechanism in the back of it looks like a toy.But it does work, and I'm glad I purchased it.My mom uses this because she’s 84 & doesn’t know electronics. I love it for her but she’s hard of hearing so she cannot hear it. I suggested her to set it next to her or on her walker. Wish it was louder but it works well for her.This timer so far seems to work just fine and probably will for a while, but time will tell. I bought it because it's what we grew up with. This has a slightly cheaper feel to it... but it does work well so far.I bought this to replace my 46 year old Lux timer, because the plastic casing on my old one is coming apart in pieces. The new one is more expensive than other timers available now, but I thought I would stick with the Lux brand, which has served me so well for so long. I am sure the new one will not last that long; the plastic housing is much thinner. Timers can take beatings and get knocked about. If this one were to fall to the ground or get banged up in a drawer, I am sure the plastic would crack. My old one has nicely rounded corners that don't poke your hand when you hold it to set the time; the new one jabs you. The new bell casing is smaller, which I suspect means it is less sturdy and rings at a lower volume. It does ring for longer--which is nice-- than the old one, which gave one loud ding, but weirdly the timer of the new one keeps ticking after the bell goes off. Not sure I will keep it.Easy to use.. very accurate.. price is okay..should be better quality.This timer is exactly as I remember it and is a wonderful addition to my kitchenEasy to use, accurateWasher and dryer in back room. Great to use this timer so I can hear the timer to know when the machines are done.