I wouldnt say they're crap but obv you get what you pay for. I still use one for my boas tank and dont have any issues with it. I was using 3-4 at one time and never had any issues. For a newb looking to get started off I'd say get one bc they work and theyre cheap... If your planning on having multiple snakes down the road its a better decision to go with one of the better more expensive ones. For 1 or two snakes the zoo med will be fine.