To help people with an upcoming radio purchasing decision, I am copying over my posting/review from PG Forum >  Baofeng 2m radio…

I have had a positive experience with the Baofeng/Pofung radios I purchased for my school, using a set 5 including these models: UV-B5, UV-5R and one BF-F8HP for transmitting at higher output to students.
Their weakest point is the base of the antennas, which can break when the antenna is snagged by a riser or arm and over-bent. But the same happened on a much more expensive Yaesu VX-6R I was using before. I purchased a set of 10 antennas for $12, so replacing them is a non-issue (only did a few times over 7 years).
Other than the antennas, I have been impressed by their tolerance to the physical abuse dispensed by the students.
Also their user manual isn’t great, but otherwise easy to set up, and have a somewhat intuitive menu.
Batteries have faired well, and I have had more issues with my Yaesu VX-6R needing a replacement.
With the BF-F8HP I use to transmit to students, I sometimes feel the battery get hot if transmitting for extended periods, but it has not caused a malfunction.
One downside I see for using the Baofeng VS a Yaesu, is that for charging the battery I need to separate the radio (or at least the pack) to place it on a charging base, while for my personal Yaesu VX-6R I can leave the radio velcro-ed on the flight deck and charge it from a side connector plug. Not an issue for the student radios, which I easily charge on their bases. I will eventually replace my Yaesu with a Baofeng, and just have an easier (not relying on Velcro) way to release the radio for charging.
The Baofeng/Pofung have been offering a loud/clear volume for my students to follow instruction in flight.
A downside common to many other brands, is that it may be easy for the volume knob to turn down the volume (UV-5R better than the older UV-B5), which sometimes happen during setup, which is why I do a volume check prior to each launch attempt.

Sometimes you only get what you pay for, other times value is disconnected from brand name.