Anyone had their Kitchenaid mixer repaired?

[havaneselover]

I have one that is about 5.5 years old. I bought it at Costco and it's the heavy duty one. I use it a lot (make bagel dough 2x/week and bake often). Anyway, something broke off of it and the head wobbles a lot. It either needs to be repaired (although I wouldn't know what to do without one for a week or so) or replaced (Costco has it on sale with a rebate--net price of $270+tax). Anyone had theirs repaired? I'm leaning toward replacing since I'm guessing the motor has taken a beating on the bagel dough.

 

[tarheel618]

try looking for a you tube video to see if you can repair it yourself

 

[Gigi22]

Do you have the model where the beater head lifts up? We have the kind where the bowl lifts up, not the beater. Can't see anything on the bowl lift model that could break off.

 

[havaneselover]

Do you have the model where the beater head lifts up? We have the kind where the bowl lifts up, not the beater. Can't see anything on the bowl lift model that could break off.

Yes, bowl lift. I really don't have a clue but I have two pieces of metal that definitely came off it somewhere and when I pull up on the top piece I can lift it about a quarter of an inch.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I was wondering if it is worth repairing them. I have seen some at garage sales that may need repair. I know they do refurbishments on them.

 

[havaneselover]

I was wondering if it is worth repairing them. I have seen some at garage sales that may need repair. I know they do refurbishments on them.

I know they don't make them like they used to. I also think making bagel dough twice a week has been hard on the motor so that may ultimately go. That's why I'm debating.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Do not try and repair your mixer yourself. The YouTube videos make it look easy, but it isn't always so simple. My husband tried to fix mine and we never could get it to work again. I suggest replacing with a Breville. I did and am very happy with it, after having had two Kitchenaid mixers break.

 

[havaneselover]

Do not try and repair your mixer yourself. The YouTube videos make it look easy, but it isn't always so simple. My husband tried to fix mine and we never could get it to work again. I suggest replacing with a Breville. I did and am very happy with it, after having had two Kitchenaid mixers break.

Yeah, I wish I were handy, but I'm not. And this seems to be a somewhat complicated problem. I'll take a look at Breville. I'm honestly okay with spending $300 every five to six years for a mixer given how extensively mine gets used, but if there's a better option, I'm definitely interested.

 

[Sadie22]

Havaneselover, have you tried bread machines for your bagel dough?

 

[havaneselover]

Havaneselover, have you tried bread machines for your bagel dough?

No. I like to bake a lot (cookies, cakes, etc.) so I still need a mixer and my kitchen is pretty small so I don't have a ton of storage space. The recipe I use for bagel dough right now doesn't even use 4 cups of flour so the big Kitchenaid should have been fine although I think I used to use a recipe that used 7 cups. If I were only doing bagels and pizza dough, I'd definitely consider a bread machine though.

I'm leaning toward replacing with another KA. Costco's sale ends Thursday so I have a few days to decide.

 

[Sadie22]

I have a Kitchen Aid mixer that I bought about 10 years ago. It's not the biggest they have but works well for triple batches of cookies. I've never used the dough hooks. I have inherited a bread machine from MIL's downsizing. One of my complaints about my kitchen is that there is no good place to leave the bread machine out. I'm working on a redesign.

 

[BCV2003]

You can just return it to Costco and they'll either let you swap it out if it was the same price or give you the cash back and you can buy a new one. They are very good with returns and take anything back as long as it was purchased there. You won't need your receipt. They can look it up by your member number.

 

[havaneselover]

You can just return it to Costco and they'll either let you swap it out if it was the same price or give you the cash back and you can buy a new one. They are very good with returns and take anything back as long as it was purchased there. You won't need your receipt. They can look it up by your member number.

I know Costco has an amazing return policy but I don't think I would be comfortable retuning a mixer that I've probably used 1,000 times.

 

[wenrob]

Sounds like you have a similar model as my DD, also bought at Cosco about 5 years ago. I don't remember anything falling off but there was a gear that got stripped. They ordered the part (it wasn't much, maybe $20), DH replaced it in like 5 mins and it's been going strong ever since. I don't remember any swearing so it much have been a pretty simple fix. Do you have anyone around who's handy that can take a look?

 

[daughtersrus]

You can just return it to Costco and they'll either let you swap it out if it was the same price or give you the cash back and you can buy a new one. They are very good with returns and take anything back as long as it was purchased there. You won't need your receipt. They can look it up by your member number.

This is a perfect example of why so many stores have changed their return policies. I would never expect a store to return a product that I have used several times a week for the last 5 years.

Op. You may be able to find a repair location close to you with this link. http://www.kitchenaid.com/support_service-locator.content.html

 

[havaneselover]

Sounds like you have a similar model as my DD, also bought at Cosco about 5 years ago. I don't remember anything falling off but there was a gear that got stripped. They ordered the part (it wasn't much, maybe $20), DH replaced it in like 5 mins and it's been going strong ever since. I don't remember any swearing so it much have been a pretty simple fix. Do you have anyone around who's handy that can take a look?

No, just me. Somehow the whole top piece is very, very loose and it seems like it has to be taken apart to be fixed. I'm just not very mechanically inclined.

 

[BCV2003]

This is a perfect example of why so many stores have changed their return policies. I would never expect a store to return a product that I have used several times a week for the last 5 years.

Op. You may be able to find a repair location close to you with this link. http://www.kitchenaid.com/support_service-locator.content.html

I don't disagree with you but this is something that Costco promotes as a service to their customers. My mother works there. I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it and have only taken advantage of it twice. Once just recently, I purchased a Tommy Bahama Cooler for my husband for his birthday this summer and it leaked when when we got it home and started to use it but my husband thought once he emptied it he could fix it. When we went to put it away for winter in our shed, he noticed the interior was cracked exactly where it was leaking. I didn't have my receipt because we were keeping it so they looked it up and gave me my cash back since they no longer had the item. We really would have preferred an exchange but we'll just have to see if they get them next year.

Now I do think people get carried away with it, like buying a bunch of chairs for a party and then returning when the party is over or eating half of the apples out of package and then returning them because "they don't like them". I think that is going too far.

 

[wenrob]

I don't disagree with you but this is something that Costco promotes as a service to their customers. My mother works there. I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it and have only taken advantage of it twice. Once just recently, I purchased a Tommy Bahama Cooler for my husband for his birthday this summer and it leaked when when we got it home and started to use it but my husband thought once he emptied it he could fix it. When we went to put it away for winter in our shed, he noticed the interior was cracked exactly where it was leaking. I didn't have my receipt because we were keeping it so they looked it up and gave me my cash back since they no longer had the item. We really would have preferred an exchange but we'll just have to see if they get them next year.

Now I do think people get carried away with it, like buying a bunch of chairs for a party and then returning when the party is over or eating half of the apples out of package and then returning them because "they don't like them". I think that is going too far.

There used to be a store here, I can't remember what it called but it was set up with the merchandise displayed and you'd take a ticket for what you wanted, you paid and then stood with your receipt while it came down on a conveyer belt. Anyway, they had the same type of policy. I was looking at cameras and mentioned that after several years I needed to buy a new one. They asked it I had bought it there and I said I had and they insisted I trade it in for a new one. I was loyal to that place for years after that. I'm sure that's part of the reason they did it.

I get not wanting to do it after so many years though. How long is the warranty on KitchenAids? If it's longer than 5 years I wouldn't feel bad about doing it.

 

[manning]

If Costco will take it back, then take it back.

If Costco has a problem with their return policy they will change it. They did with the TVs. It was changed to a 90 days return.

Costco knows what they are doing.