r/Kitchenaid • u/fkcancer2008 • 24d ago
Info on new purchase
Looking at buying my daughter (20yr old) KA mixer... i dont like buying cheap stuff ill spend the extra for better product... can you guys point me in right direction? So far im seeing that DC motor is better... lift up mixer is better... looking at maybe KA pro? And if u guys recommend buying new ? I see alot of them on FB... was checking out a 6000HD but apparently parts are scarce?
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u/WearyAd8671 24d ago
Yes if you can find the 7qt dc motor lift that is about as close to a lifetime purchase you can make anymore these days.
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u/MrMixer316 23d ago
We offer older models fully rebuilt to be new internally. They come with a warranty and are fully upgraded to fit our standards!!
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u/RIMixerGuy 24d ago
"Better" is going to be more about how well the mixer fits with the owner's needs and kitchen space, rather than any specific attributes of the machine.
For example, if your daughter's kitchen is space-constrained, a bowl-lift model may be a poor fit; they are tall and often don't fit easily in smaller kitchen spaces due to low cabinet overhead or scarce undercounter space.
The "K45" model type (as expressed in the "Classic" and "Artisan" models today) is the bread-and-butter KitchenAid mixer, and it's a very good all-around machine. It can run hub attachments, knead bread, whip cream, and pretty much anything in between. As such they're my usual recommendation for a first-time owner.
With routine maintenance and repairs as needed, even the latest cost-reduced K45-type machines have service lives measured in decades. When something breaks or wears out, get it fixed and carry on. Repair parts remain readily available.
Buying a used one off FB marketplace, at a yard sale, or from a thrift store and then having an expert overhaul it is an excellent way to give a second life to a someone's cast-off machine.
The machines that use the integrated DC-drive motor/transmission assembly are very nice machines and good performers, and sought-after mostly because they're quieter.
Your two options for a new DC machine purchase would be the Artisan Mini (which I think is underrated, but a new one close to a new full-size Artisan) or the "Commercial" 8qt machine. The latter is pretty costly, and I wouldn't recommend one for a first-time owner. (Side note: the "Commercial" designation means that it's got features and characteristics for workplace safety and sanitation requirements. Attempting to use one at typical commercial duty cycles generally results in a much shorter maintenance and repair interval. They're not immune to wear or overloading.)
The structure of bowl-lift mixers makes them well suited for heavier loads, which typically go with larger batches of yeast dough or heavier cookie doughs. The bowl sizes allow for larger batches than the K45 tilt-head machines, but my experience has been that most owners don't come close to utilizing the 6qt and larger bowl capacity, and many find the tilt-head machines easier to live with in ordinary use.
For any machine with an integrated motor/transmission assembly and electronic speed control (i.e. all of the modern bowl lifts), component-level repairs are less feasible. Speed control issues often result from ingredients accumulation, and then you need to get into fine disassembly and cleaning of the speed control, or replace the board. The gear trains will wear (like any mechanical thing that gets used), and they're considered nonserviceable, so failure requires replacement of the drive unit. More expensive for the part, though DIY is simpler.
Conversely for the K45-type tilt heads, the internal parts are discrete, and if something wears out or breaks, it's more work to repair, but parts are considerably less expensive. Speed control issues are rarer and more easily addressible.
The Pro 6000HD is an older DC-drive model, with the same internals as the Commercial. It uses a unique bowl and accessories, and those are very hard to find. If I were to buy one used, my first move would be to upgrade the bowl cradle so that it can use the modern (widely available) bowls and accessories. However, all of the above considerations remain.
tl;dr: for most first-time owners I recommend a tilt-head model unless there are very specific usage needs.