[Zeke]

Originally Posted by gacook

My wife broke 3 KitchenAid stand mixers...I bought some German brand stand mixer (can't think of the brand name off the top of my head); we've had that one for nearly 10 years now.

Kitchen Aids are pretty but not very heavy duty.

And yes, Vash...you need one

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Apparently, not all Kitchen Aids are the same, even the ones that look the same. KA makes or made versions that are price busters for WalMart, and others with better internals for boutique kitchen suppliers like Sur de Table. (This is what I've read.)

I have a Cuisinart stand mixer, about ten years old, used on average once a week or so and it has started to make a new noise. Still works great, just some gear whine that will most likely need to be addressed in the future.

Getting a stand mixer is like having a hip replacement. You'll wonder why you took so long to pull the trigger.

Originally Posted by greglepore

Kitchen aids will chew up the internal gears, replacements are available. The Pro series are more heavy duty.

Many have plastic gears.
AI blurb:
Models with All-Metal Gears (Best for Doughs/Heavy Loads):
Pro Line & Commercial Series: Known for all-steel gear systems for serious baking.
Bowl-Lift Models (Pro 600, 5 Plus, etc.): Generally feature all-metal gears for strength, though some older ones might have had plastic housing.
Newer Models (2023+): Many recent bowl-lift and Pro Line updates feature fully integrated metal gearboxes.
Models with Mixed Gears (Metal & Plastic/Nylon):
Artisan & Classic Series (Tilt-Head): Typically use metal gears for most functions but incorporate a plastic (nylon/Kevlar) worm gear as a safety fuse, designed to break under extreme strain to save the motor.

We have one that is at least 40 years old (lift bowl, and it is a PITA). We have the old Cuisinart too. Hard to find parts for but it does yeoman's duty.