I almost did not buy this slicer based on reviews, perhaps elsewhere, that said you had to have tools to remove the blade by removing all three screws. That is not true. The blade can be easily removed by turning the vertical tab at the center of the blade clockwise and then pulling off. Replace blade by doing this in reverse, then, turning vertical tab counter clockwise to lock in place. This is my first slicer, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I love it, it will save me a lot of time slicing meat.