Sorry, I've been away. To answer your question, no they are not hard to deal with. I know NOTHING and I've got 4 of them. Comes with a little card showing you how to put it together:) I love them but some people complain about "airy" draw
I got one from 'myvaporstore.com' for 18.69; ordered 4/17/13. They may be out of stock now
I don't have much to compare it to but I really like it, and I'm a Amaretto fan which I hear is a tank buster - fixed that!
iVape had some for 14.95 if you don't want the fancy smancy box; and of course there are some of the older ones on E-Bay without box that are a bit overpiced (if you're desperate )