I like the mini 8 coz it's so compact. using single ropes, I can abseil down pretty quickly and it doesn't weigh me down much. However, because of its size, the size of the ropes used can be a problem. Also, it's hard to do double rope abseil if the ropes are above 10.2mm. It's best use is for teaching abseiling or doing indoor/gym abseil or climbing.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.