It works with some experimentation - see below
If you are thinking of buying the fresh roast to see if you like roasting your own coffee, why not try an old popcorn popper first? If it passes the test, you are more than half way to purchasing a Caffe Rosto CR-100 as your first roaster.

cheaply built, my chaff collector lid broke from a 2 foot fall out of the lower cupboard

This roaster is simple to use and it works, but it is cheaply built for the price. I like the chaff collector, but for a modified popcorn popper it should be half the price.

I had absolutely no luck getting a decent roast with the instructions provided - I have to pre-heat the roaster and add 3 scoops of green beans instead of 2 in order to get a full city roast in 8 minutes.

I found that there are 2 ways to fix the under-roasting for my machine (http://www.cistron.ca/fresh_roast.shtml)
a) pre-heat and add more beans
b) tweak the fan speed

I wish I had tried to use a popcorn maker for my first roasts, and saved up some money for a better roaster.

CoffeeGeek has its own tips and tricks page for popcorn popper roasting
http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/popperroasting

And you should think about spending the extra money on this roaster - http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/accessories/cafferosto - I've used both and the Rosto is worth the extra money.

I am very happy with the Green Beanery. The sent my Espresso machine, grinder, roaster and beans in the mail quickly and for a descent price.