I've used inspectors on both of my home purchases, and both times it was a major lifesaver. The first one caught that the house had a leveling issue (and had us bring in a foundation repair company to measure) and the second one caught a dead heater and a hole in the roof.

That being said, I always hire my own certified home inspectors. Both my spouse and I have enough understanding to know when an inspector is blowing smoke and when they are looking at a real issue, and we monitor them while they do the inspection. A home inspector can't go into details on an issue - that isn't their job - they are only there to tell you what experts you need to call in during your option period.