I've used MM 38L panniers and frames for over 5 years. I purchased them when Metalmule only made ONE version of the panniers which included handles and tie downs. The pros of the panniers are, they will not leak (unlike Touratech), they are very robust (good welds and rivets), constructed with 2mm thick aluminum and include handles which are convenient for carrying panniers on and off bike. Also, the panniers interior is hard annodized so it will not mark up your contents. The Emka keyed locks MM use are high quality. For comparison, SW Motech locks feel cheap and fragile. The cons are the panniers are overpriced. Since the panniers are made from 2mm aluminum, they are heavy empty. The mounting mechanism is clever but if you drop the bike, they bend easily and in some instances render the panniers unmountable unless you replace the mounting arms (It appears MM have improved their current mounting arms making them a bit larger). Replacement arms are expensive and can only be sourced through MM. If you plan on selling your panniers at a later date, MM re-sale value is not as high as the other more well known brands.

I was new to the Adv scene when I purchased my kit. Having some miles under my feet now, I would pick a much lighter pannier setup. Softbags would be my preference but if I needed metal panniers, I would purchase boxes that use 1.5mm thick aluminum. I would also use a more conventional mounting system (i.e. pucks from TT or Happy Trails). Replacement parts of this kind are more readily available. I like the convenience of handles on my panniers so instead of metal ones, I would find a system that uses nylon webbing to save weight.

If riding to Starbucks and doing short road trips on a pristine bike is your thing then the extra weight of MM panniers are a non issue (they do look very good). The likelihood of dropping the bike is slim so some cons I mentioned above are insignificant.

Note: I selected Metal Mule because they were the only outfit to supply 18mm tubed pannier racks and rear rack for my bike.