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I've had this lens for ages, and will add some comments.
First, everyone is quite correct about the build of this lens. It's quite cheap, but about spot on for its low price--and the return on investment is the best in the business (you can do more creatively with this lens than many that cost 10x as much). I have the f/1.4 too, which is a bit heavier and quicker and crisper, yada yada, but it goes for 3x the cost. I've yet to drop 14x as much for another 1/3 (1/2?) stop.
If you only have a kit lens or something with a max aperture of f/3.5, you should seriously consider this lens. You simply don't have control over creative capacity with a lens that can't produce shallow depth of field. Even the kit lenses that come with the 5D III and 6D (the 24-105 f/4), a fantastic all around lens, does not offer the shallow depth of field of this one. Note that if you have an APS-C format camera (the Rebel, X0D, and 7D series), this will be like an 80mm lens (perfect for portraiture) with an effective max aperture of about f/2. For $90 including shipping, you should get it.
Oh, and people saying things about more expensive filters for the STM version, WHY WOULD YOU PUT A FILTER ON THIS LENS?!?! On an L series lens when you're not sure what it might come in contact with, ok, but generally speaking, putting another layer of glass (or plastic!!) on a lens (a finely crafted series of layers of glass) is not a great idea. In fact, it's a bad idea. Scratches on lenses (if you can scratch them) have little effect. It's a myth. Filters are a way of camera stores to make some money, and typically cost them about 1/10 to 1/5 of what they sell them for.
Bottom line, if you want to learn photography and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, get this lens.
Cheers.