In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Anybody here got one? How do you like it? One of the ladies giving out
> samples at Sam's Club had one and I was impressed with how well it
> worked. Seems like just the ticket for baking in the summer.
>
> I'm looking at used ones on eBay. Are any particular models better than
> the others? The latest ones use a direct-drive fan instead of a belt,
> but that's not necessarily a good thing if the motor runs hot.
>
> Also posted in rec.food.cooking, but realized it might get lost in all
> the noise over there :-)
>
> Thanks,
> Bob

I have a belt driven model 3000. It broke on me. What happened was
the belt frayed, the sinews got wound around the motor and tightened it
up to burn out. The guy at the repair said the only thing that can
happen with these models is this problem. The repair was cheaper than a
new machine, and he said the direct drives break down quite readily.

Anyway, beyond that bad belt, mine has been great, and I'm glad I did
the repair. From other reports I have read on the net, I have a feeling
the repair shop was right about the belt drive models being more
reliable. Also, I have a mechanical timer, and I keep wondering if the
digital is nicer, but I have no reason to switch to it.

In the final tally, if you do get a belt drive, either open it up if you
are mechanically inclined or have it check for a frayed belt, and if the
belt shows wear, replace it now. The replacement belts are made of a
different material that shouldn't go bad.

jt