<p>I have read some online reviews and see that some models are now not as reliable as the old ones. I am still using a 197X harvest gold one with no issues, but now my DD wants to get her own.</p>
<p>Has anyone done any research as to which models are best or which ones to avoid?</p>
<p>There were a few years where KitchenAid started getting some tarnish on its sterling reputation for reliability, but they are comparatively few and far between, and are related to issues on ALL models. From what I understand, the problem is really that people started overusing them, getting “base” models and using them like they were heavy-duty professional jobs. I don’t think she will have any problems so long as she keeps within its specified limits. I have had a Professional 600 for years with nary a problem, my mother has a base model and it is the one appliance she hasn’t killed…</p>
<p>I guess I have what cosmicfish is referring to as a “base model” and, given that I use it maybe once a month or so, I love it, I’ve never had a problem with it, and it beats mixing things by hand or with a hand-held mixer. Get it at Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon and you’ll save a bundle.</p>
<p>I use my mom’s Kitchenaid mixer to make cookies and other assorted baked goods throughout the year for almost 5 years now, and have had no problems with it. The only thing I’ve found I don’t like is how heavy it is (can be hard to move on counters when you’re short), but that’s not a quality issue. </p>
<p>I had heard the quality issues were related to overuse–people opening their own cupcake bakeries in house, etc.</p>
<p>I own 2 tilt head Kitchenaid mixers and use one fairly frequently. Im saving my slightly older one for my daughter when she sets up her own apt/house. Never had a problem with either of them… I get mine from QVC. They allow you to use them for 30 days, if not satisfied, you can return them. I did that once with their professional series(non-tilthead). I used it several times and did not like the noisiness from it, so i shipped it back, no questions asked. IMHO, they are still the best on the market and so versatile with their attachments, i have the ice cream maker, food grinder and want the pasta maker. Their customer service is excellent. They have sent me new paddle blades whenI called them concerned about a slight enamel chip in the blade. no questions asked.</p>
<p>I’ve heard some of the newer ones have plastic gears instead of metal gears on the inside. Over time the plastic will wear much faster than the metal, and you won’t wind up the with the forever durability the brand has been known for.</p>
<p>I have had one for several years, and although I love it, I am now concerned about the quality. It has developed some vibration, as if the motor is not running properly, and I’ve started to think that I might have to replace it. Not happy about this. I have a regular model, but I do NOT over use it. I use it at most 2-3 times a month for making cakes, mashing potatoes, normal things. I don’t even use it for bread dough, I make that in a breadmaker.</p>
<p>If you go ahead, Kohls is having a great sale on KitchenAid mixers right now…
I use mine a couple of times a month. No problems. It is about 6 years old.</p>
<p>Have used one regularly for maybe 10 years without a problem except for the enamel chipping on the blade. Will have to look into that. </p>
<p>it’s an Artisan, tilt head, and was refurbished, bought at a kitchen store in an outlet center. I recommend refurbished - have had no quality issues and the thing looked perfectly new out of the box.</p>
<p>The plastic coating has chipped off my blade, too, lefthandofdog.</p>
<p>Momof2kids, thanks for the tip about Kohl’s. I just looked at their website and they are having a 15% off everything, instore and online, promotion through tomorrow. There is also a $20 rebate from Kitchen Aid on most models, through tomorrow.</p>
<p>I’m not giving up my 1982 model. Or my older crock pot. Things were made better and last a lifetime.</p>
<p>
This is somewhat true, and somewhat false, and represents some ignorance on the part of both manufacturers and consumers.</p>
<p>Yes, there are some plastic gears in the mixer, but they have been there almost since the beginning - many systems that have electric motors use one or more “wear gears” that (like a circuit breaker) are designed to wear out or fail to protect the expensive motor. As an example, open a garage door opener and you will see a couple of big plastic gears for this exact reason - if the opener is operating under stresses that would damage the motor, the gears die instead.</p>
<p>A long time ago, this was a sound practice - repair was cheap, and replacement expensive, but those options have now exchanged places (at least in the US) without manufacturers catching on. When my garage door opener gear shredded itself, I quickly found that replacement parts (if even available) would be 20% of the cost of a new opener, 50-60% at MINIMUM if I wanted someone else to do the work! So I do think that a certain amount of this is a mistake by manufacturers in the current marketplace.</p>
<p>That having been said, there were a few years where KitchenAid experiemented with using MORE plastic gears in the belief that typical users were not really needing the more expensive and robust metal gears, and that backfired - some small percentage were using them hard enough to shred those new plastic gears, often depositing said plastic into the mixing bowl. To the best of my knowledge, this was done across MOST of the range, not just the cheap ones, and was fazed out a few years later. Supposedly, if you do have one with plastic gears and they fail, KitchenAid will send you replacement metal gears for free.</p>
<p>NYMomof2, if it’s vibrating, see if you can get into the motor and oil it. That might do the trick. It’s worth trying, before you spend $250 or so.</p>
<p>Thanks, VeryHappy, I’ll ask my husband to look at it. I am not planning to replace the thing unless it completely fails.</p>