Who's using Vivitar 285's?

I'm looking to experiment with some off-camera flash but don't want to invest my retirement savings to get a couple more Canon strobes. I pulled my trusty old 283's out of storage, but they've given up the ghost. I see the 285 can be purchased for less than a hundred bucks, so it may be worth investing in a few, but I want to know if anyone here is using them and can give me some pros and cons.