You may like to read thru The Accordion Permathread.

The tiniest 17 key P/A - the cheapest one that they seem to be flogging all over the place is largely a bunch of crap unfortunately. The next size up that has a few more keys (22 keys) is actually a workable instrument - my 22 key Goodlin is much better quality too.

Yes, the bellows leak - the plastic doesn't flex very well and tends to fall off the very open weave cloth supporting it. I found some "extra flexible vinyl glue" in a 'cheaparium' - designed for repairing blow up vinyl beach balls etc which does a good (but it's a bloody painstaking!) job of sealing the corners of the bellows.

The straps are just rubbish - get an accordion mechanic to fit real strap holders and put a real set of straps on (you only need smallish ones - not the 'elephant super padded' ones! - and you will find that this will lock the little beastie down so you can handle it properly - like a real one!

They are not, in spite of the advertising, a good 'first box', but once you CAN play the PA, they are a brilliant little thing - generically used to be called 'Hero's - for good reason!

They tend to have s 'strangled old Hohner' sound - like a 100 year old foot pumped reed organ, bur you can do all the bellows shake, accentuate each side over the other, tricks etc, within the musical technical capabilities of such a small box.

For what you want they would be brilliant - especially if you were going to use more than one in a group. Buy one, play with it, sort it out (especially in your head!) then, once you are prepared to commit to using them, buy a bunch, set them up, get a tuner to twiddle if needed, then just use them till they wear out - or at least till the bellows start to leak, work on that on while using the next one - they are cheap enough, and you just swap the real straps over anyway - good straps will actually cost new more than the box probably! :-)

I say yes - but not the smallest piano accordion model (17) - get the next size up (22).

A P/A is NOT a piano (a percussive instrument!), but a wind instrument - more like a pipe organ. Get your head around that, and you can get MUCH music out of those little boxes.

And yes, you get only a VERY few bass and chord keys, but you would be amazed at just what they CAN do - if you keep it simple.

As for playing it and walking it around, they are about 5 Kgs or less, and if locked down with REAL P/A straps, are VERY playable. - It's my 'party trick box'. The 22 key one fits inside an airline carry on hand case - with plenty of room for undies and a tooth brush! :-)