This is the sealer that my brother and I have and I see there are several reviews with the same issues as we have.
http://www.amazon.com/Foodsaver-Smartseal-V3485-Brushed-Stainless/product-reviews/B002SAZ02I
It wastes so much of the bags as you need a long tail on each end in order to get a seal. Mine does too, but I thought they all did. Mine uses less extra bag than I needed to get to the sealer on my Son's old Gamesaver. If you don't have at least 1.5 inches of tail left forget about trying to get it to seal. Many times it will only remove half the air out of the bag and then it will start to seal it closed. Mine only has that problem after about 15 to 20 sealings, without a rest. I think it heats up, and has a saftety quit on it. Once I let it sit for awhile, it's good for another 15 or 20. I am unable to get wet things to seal. I don't like the automatic sensor that detects the bag going in and then lowers the arm down to latch onto the bag and do its vacuum/seal. I never noticed that.
All in all I wouldn't recommend this unit to anyone. I am in no way trying to detour you from getting a vacuum sealer or bashing the food saver brand. We both had cheap food savers that worked twice as good as these and we loved them but we upgraded because we use our old ones so much for packaging sausage that we wanted a second unit. And just to clarify the new one acts up weather you are sealing 1 bag or 100 bags. Some times it seals the bags very good but its hit or miss. Things have gotten better when I started leaving about 3 inches of tail on each end off the bag but still if anything has moisture in it forget about it even when I do use the moisture setting on the unit. Just wanted to give you our experience with this particular unit. It's good to get other people's take on these things, not just from one of us. I'm glad you made these comments. If I had those problems I'd be peed off too, and I'd be on the phone with the company!!!