"Dick Adams" > wrote:

>My K45 is old, but that advice should be good for
>new ones. If not, why not? Would KitchenAid go to some
>trouble to redesign their classic design to make it less reliable?


Many folks thing the answer is a resounding YES. Making it cheaper is the
object; less reliable is just a bonus.

My own story; a sample of one; disregard if you wish:

I bought by mail order a KitchenAid 525 watt humongo mixer. When it
arrived, I unboxed and ran it.... made horrible screaming noises. Now, I
know what a dry bearing sounds like! Called customer support and the nice
lady said, "Well, how many cups of flour are you trying to mix; the machine
is pretty noisy you know."
Replied: "Five or six; well below the advertised capacity. And here;
listen! Held the phone next to mixer and turned on."

"Oooh, that's not right. We'll send you another."

Which they did. But it never had the power I expected of a $400 machine,
though I never broke it kneading sourdough. It was less than a year old
when it fell victim to my remodeling non-plan, the kitchen fire method. It
was not replaced, and I bought an Oster kitchen center (replacing one also
destroyed) on E-bay. It is not nearly as powerful as the KA, but doesn't
overheat, make nasty noises, or generally bitch and moan when I make dough.
So, I'm still looking, a bit hampered by the fact that the Oster is capable
enough for now.

I'm keeping an eye out for the older Hobart mixers at garage sales, etc in
the meantime. Like so many fine old products, KA is just a name that has
long outlived its reputation.

But that's just my opinion.

I may be wrong.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G