LOL! I became obsessed with stick blenders! I hate the ones that I bought as they sound like a drill, which is a bit embarrassing, especially in work! The best one I got was a Moulinex mixer with three attachments - it's a stick blender and I use the whisk attachment usually - think it has an attachment for lattes too. Anyway, it's rechargeable so has no lead on it. I'm not sure if you can get it nationally, but my mum bought it for me from B&N store in Southport for about £7!!
The cheaper ones definitely sound like a jumbo jet they are that loud, and they also smell of burning when you use them in my experience. Definitely worth buying a more expensive one, as they are used a lot!