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[baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: deckeda
Date: February 19, 2013 12:02PM
I'm seeing Craigslist offers from about $100-$200 for anything from the mid-'60s to "bought new last year/used twice".

I'm inclined to go with the latter but don't know what if any design or manufacturing changes have occurred over the years.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: February 19, 2013 12:08PM
We have a 1960's model and a 1980's model. Both are bulletproof designs. The 1960's model does need a seal or two replaced on the motor. Don't know about the recent vintage, but the design seems to be much the same.

I would expect a certain design cheapening of the internal components over time. If you can, stick with the ones made in the US.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: deckeda
Date: February 19, 2013 12:23PM
Seems as of last year production of the K model has returned to the U.S. after a 6-year stint in China.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: clay
Date: February 19, 2013 12:27PM
as long as you can get spare parts, I wouldn't have any reservation about picking up an older model.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: MGS_forgot_password
Date: February 19, 2013 12:32PM
FWIW, if you are patient, Amazon occasionally has great sale prices for the Kitchenaid mixers. I picked up a Pro for about $190 AR during some lightning deal before Christmas 2011.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: anonymouse1
Date: February 19, 2013 12:50PM
Try the Kitchenaid refurb store.

[www.shopkitchenaid.com]

[www.overstock.com]

I've bought a blender and a food processor, and been nothing but happy....
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: deckeda
Date: February 19, 2013 01:16PM
Cool, thanks. Now I just gotta do some homework on the various models.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Fritz
Date: February 19, 2013 01:47PM
I believe only the Professional Heavy Duty series are US made and coincidentally have the biggest engine.
If you're gonna be making breads go for the wattage. Good comparison device on KAs site.

I have a countertop Bosch with a big engine. Glad I have it.


!#$@@$#!

"Do not fear mistakes. There are none."

Miles Davis



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2013 01:51PM by Fritz.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Z
Date: February 19, 2013 02:07PM
Upside is yes, the design hasn't changed much in 60 years and parts are available. Go for the bigger motor, certainly.

As noted above, it is safe to say that the motors generally haven't gotten heavier duty as the years have gone by. I'm still sad that I didn't get the commercial mixer that my grandparents had after they passed. That Hobart was a beast!
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: btfc
Date: February 19, 2013 02:20PM
"the Professional Heavy Duty series are US made and coincidentally have the biggest engine.
If you're gonna be making breads go for the wattage. Good comparison device on KAs site."

Yes, I'd go for the larger motor models as well.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Mike Johnson
Date: February 19, 2013 02:57PM
Quote
Fritz
I believe only the Professional Heavy Duty series are US made and coincidentally have the biggest engine.
If you're gonna be making breads go for the wattage.

The big one is a monster. I bake bread all the time and I've never needed nor wanted the pro model. It's heavy to lift, but too big to leave on the counter -- it wouldn't even fit under my cabinets.


That's a lot of pesto.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: N-OS X-tasy!
Date: February 19, 2013 03:28PM
Quote
btfc
"the Professional Heavy Duty series are US made and coincidentally have the biggest engine.
If you're gonna be making breads go for the wattage. Good comparison device on KAs site."

Yes, I'd go for the larger motor models as well.

We have the Professional model at home. It is fantastic, but be aware that for a few years there was a design flaw with this model.

This model is marketed as having metal gears to provide increased strength and durability. This is true; however, for an unknown period of time the gear housing was constructed from thermoplastic which tended to crack under normal loading, causing the gears inside the box to disengage. Kitchenaide eventually fixed the problem by redesigning the gear housing to be manufactured from metal instead of plastic.

Our mixer was affected by this defect. Supposedly Kitchenaide was performing repairs on affected units (using the redesigned metal gearbox) at no cost to the owners, but I read several online accounts of Kitchenaide giving customers the runaround on this. I did have ours repaired, but I didn't want to d*ck around with Kitchenaide so just paid for the repair out of pocket. It's performed like a trooper since the repair was completed.

When purchasing a used mixer (or a new model from older stock), be aware of the possibility of getting one of the affected units. We purchased ours five to six years ago, to give you an idea of the timeframe involved. As I said, new units will not suffer from this issue.


RIP, Greg the DogSitter. You are missed.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Z
Date: February 19, 2013 04:14PM
I, uh, what? I thought that one of the gears was plastic in order for it to fail before the others so that you don't, you know, trash the whole gearbox when you toss in a whole stick of frozen butter. DAMWHSK
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: N-OS X-tasy!
Date: February 19, 2013 05:14PM
Quote
Z
I, uh, what? I thought that one of the gears was plastic in order for it to fail before the others so that you don't, you know, trash the whole gearbox when you toss in a whole stick of frozen butter. DAMWHSK

KitchenAid specifically markets its Pro Line and Professional 600 mixer series as having all-metal gears:

- Direct Drive Transmission, All-Steel Gears, and All-Metal Construction

[www.kitchenaid.com]
[www.kitchenaid.com]
(click on the "Features & Specs" button and then the "Product Features" menu item)


RIP, Greg the DogSitter. You are missed.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Racer X
Date: February 19, 2013 07:06PM
Yeah, I concur. The models that don't have a tilt head should have the all metal gear train. Or the older tilt head models as well.

I have the 600 watt model with the bowl lift, and it can make a quad batch of choc chip cookies without slowing down.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: N-OS X-tasy!
Date: February 19, 2013 07:26PM
Here's some info on the design defect I referenced earlier:

[www.foodieforums.com]
[www.thefreshloaf.com]
[www.amazon.com]


RIP, Greg the DogSitter. You are missed.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Z
Date: February 19, 2013 07:39PM
Quote
Somebody else at foodieforums.com in the first link
Guess what ... every KA mixer ever made before the introduction of the post-hobart "professional" models has a plastic gear. In the early years it was phenolic, then something else, then nylon. It's a single gear, designed to be "sacrificial" ... if the beaters jam, it breaks, instead of something more expensive breaking.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: vicrock
Date: February 19, 2013 08:08PM
One word of warning - if you plan to leave it out on the counter - measure the height to your upper cabinets - the Pro models are quite a bit taller than the tilt head models - so the height could be a deciding factor if you plan for it to fit under some upper cabinets.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: N-OS X-tasy!
Date: February 19, 2013 10:24PM
Quote
Z
Quote
Somebody else at foodieforums.com in the first link
Guess what ... every KA mixer ever made before the introduction of the post-hobart "professional" models has a plastic gear. In the early years it was phenolic, then something else, then nylon. It's a single gear, designed to be "sacrificial" ... if the beaters jam, it breaks, instead of something more expensive breaking.

What's your point? I clearly stated that I was referring to the Professional models, which the KitchenAid web site clearly states use all metal gears. The post you cite above says the same thing. What are you trying to prove?


RIP, Greg the DogSitter. You are missed.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Z
Date: February 20, 2013 01:14PM
Not trying to prove much. Just being obstinate. Ultimately, yeah, the plastic gear is annoying.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: N-OS X-tasy!
Date: February 20, 2013 02:53PM
It's a good idea, as long as it is able to sustain normal loads.

Of course, from a marketing standpoint the phrase "all steel gears - except for one!" doesn't really cut it. grinning smiley


RIP, Greg the DogSitter. You are missed.
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Re: [baking etc.] used KitchenAid mixer: recent or vintage?
Posted by: Z
Date: February 21, 2013 06:49PM
My wife has shredded two of em by "accidentally" tossing in whole sticks of frozen butter. The quotes are mine.
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