Most <$40 immersion blenders that I've tried have lasted less than a year. I moved on to Kitchenaid immersion blenders and have been very happy, though they've discontinued the model that I like. (My first last 5+ years, and my second is probably approaching its 5th birthday.) I suspect our next one will be a Vitamix immersion blender, which has gotten enthusiastic early reviews (but is nearly 4x your preferred price point).