I have the Kestrel and was a bit worried after the same scare stories. After experimenting I found that thats all they are, stories!
Very easy to use and very hard to ;burn' through the paintwork, There's a vid on youtube showing how much pressure you need to use and how long you need top keep it in exactly the same place to damage the paint - and its ages.
don't worry, take it slow, and enjoy the results