Hi,
I have a KA Pro 600 which is about 4 mos. old, maybe you all can tell me if you have similar operating noises and problems. When I use speed 2 it has a skipping sound like a gear is not catching quite right.....this is even when I ONLY have shortening in it to soften and smooth out. (no other speeds) I also have the screw adjustment turned completely to the setting where the bowl is closest to the beater mechanism and I still am having problems with unmixed material on the bottom of the bowl and on the sides although I scrape it down quite regularly, When making a cake mix for instance, when I pour the batter into the pan I always have dry mix at the base of the bowl...ugh!!!!! I like the power, but am not fond of the idea of pushing the beater into a FULL bowl of frosting in order to remove the bowl/beaters.....especially when I have a bowl full of steaming hot mashed potatoes. I called KA and the rep said that the mixer sounded "normal" to her!!!! and said to call back if I continued to have problems or if it quit! Disaster, I can't be without it! I "think" they will replace it, or will they refund? Perhaps I should have bought a Viking or a Ciusinart? Thanks for your help!

I had a pro 600 and it was junk. (sorry) I had it replaced twice in four months. when the third one broke, they gave me my money back. Their customer service is usually good.

Thanks for your note.I thought it was just"me" I wasn't happy with their response to my call at all. It took that long! Did they offer you the refund alternative aearlier in the negotiations? What did yours do? or rather didn't do?

KA has really gone downhill. I think they used to be the best but are not anymore. I am making due with a Bosch till I can afford a Hobart. I am interested in the Viking mixer. I have heard they are good.

I have a KA Pro600 and I know what you mean! I'll never buy another mixer that doesn't have a rocker head on it. I've been checking into the new Ciusinart mixer and love everything I see about it. Lots of nice benefits. Timer, flat mixing shield lid, bowl is shaped so everything gets incorporated, and it had a rocker head. Their 7 Qt. mixer costs about the same, if not less than the Pro600 6Qt cost me. I had to have the KA 600 replaced right after I got it because the bowl adjustment screw didn't work and the beater was tearing up the mixing bowl! KA never again!

I just bought a Cuisinart 5.5 Qt for my mother for her birthday (next sunday). I picked it over the KitchenAid because it's got a stronger motor.....but mostly because you can get a blender attachment for it! The one it's replacing is an Oster two-beater stand mixer that's like 20 years old and is just beginning to break down.

We don't do cakes much, but this family adores ze cookies, so I'm sure it'll get a good workout!

About the Viking--I don't have experience with their stand mixers, but it's the same company that makes sewing machines that are incredible, so if the quality is the same on the mixer as it is the sweing machines, it's probably worth the money!

I have to defend Kitchenaid because I just love their products. I have two (tilt head artisan and the pro 600) and I haven't had any problems with either one. We had both the cuisinart and the kitchenaid mixers at school and I definitely prefer the kitchenaid over the cuisinart.

I saw a movie clip on Hobart and that they miniatureized the Hobart for home use back in the 1940's or early 1950's. It got its name because a woman commented that a small scale Hobart would be a wonderful kitchen aid to homemakers. Hence the small version named Kitchen Aid.

Just a little trivia!

Thanks all for your input.....I am calling KA AGAIN in the morning! I can't believe you mentioned the Oster! I have an Oster that I've used and used and used for over 20 yrs. and it has all the attachments and I actually use them too. I love it, but it's getting tired and can't handle frosting anymore. I also want a larger bowl and the Oster doesn't have a handle on it which makes it difficult. The KA was to be my heavy duty workhorse so I could baby along the Oster, but I find that I still use it quite a bit as the KA is a pain.
Thanks again,
Joanie

Yeah, the most-used attachment on our Oster is the blender, so that's part of why I had to go with the Cuisinart, since KitchenAid doesn't have one for their machines.

If Mom's amenable, though, we're probably going to pass the Oster on to a friend of mine for her use, since she only bakes once in a while. It will live on!

Thanks. I guess I'll have to see about getting it replaced since it's practically brand new.

Wow, I've had my KA pro for about 5 years and never had any issues with it. No dead zones and I dont need to scrape the bowl.
I guess it just depends on when it was made. I know that KA will replace your mixer if needed as it has a yr long warrenty.
Good luck

They will replace it with no issues if it's less than a year old. I got one for Christmas 2006 and had to replace it after 4-5 months. They asked for the serial number (not even the receipt), then they sent a new one UPS and asked to simply switch the old with the new and send it back with the UPS guy. So easy and the new one is great so far.

I have the 4.5 next to it that I got for my bridal shower 13 yrs. ago....never had an issue. I love having 2....saves so much time!

I just printed my receipt and gathered together all the booklets and stuff. The purchase date on my receipt is April 6, 2008 and according to their warranty they will ship me a replacement and once it arrives I reuse the box to pack up my old one and ship it back on their dime. And the new one will have a one year warranty on it.

I'll call them first thing tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Joanie4464 - Since yours isn't much older than mine, it's definitely still under warranty so you should be able to do the same as long as you can provide proof of purchase. Good luck.

I've had mine for 3 years and I haven't had any problems so far.

I got my KA Pro 600 in May of 2007 and it's been performing quite well for me. I've always stopped my mixers to scrape down the sides and bottoms so I still doe that even with my 600, so it's no biggie to me. I've also had my KA Classic 4-5 qt. for about seven years or longer and have never had a problem with it either.

I got mine for xmas and your all making me nervous about it. Although its great, I love it, no noises other than normal

I had an Artisan for years and LOVED it - in fact, I still do! In May, I got a PRo 600. Not because anythign was wrong with my Artisan, but because I got it for less than 1./2 price on sale, and I love that it can hold a double batch of dough or batter tha the ARtisan can't.

I haven't had any problems with either of them. I do wish they'd make the larger model with a tilt head, though, and make the white coated beaters for the Pro model, too....

[quote="bonniebakes I do wish they'd make the larger model with a tilt head, though, and make the white coated beaters for the Pro model, too....[/quote]

Well, I wish they made them with a tilt head, too, but as for the coated paddle, they do have that. I bought one from Amazon.com in Feb., I believe. I just checked there so I could post a ling, but it seems they only have the replacements for the smaller models right now. Maybe some other supplier has them in stock, but they do exist. That's the one I use almost exclusively.

I have had my Pro 600 for a year and a half. I am going to have to call them tomorrow. My KA is skipping gears. After I use it for a couple of batches of frosting it goes straight to the hightest speed instead of the lower spead and then it stops completely. If I let it sit for awhile, then it is o.k.

I am so frustrated. This was a Christmas gift from my brother. I had my other KA for 15 years. I am so sad to hear that so many of you are havign problems.

I have had my Pro 600 for a year and a half. I am going to have to call them tomorrow. My KA is skipping gears. After I use it for a couple of batches of frosting it goes straight to the hightest speed instead of the lower spead and then it stops completely. If I let it sit for awhile, then it is o.k.

I am so frustrated. This was a Christmas gift from my brother. I had my other KA for 15 years. I am so sad to hear that so many of you are havign problems.

Thanks again for all the input! Yes, KA did tell me that if I continued to have issues with mine that they would send a new one and I would send my old one back in the box they used for the new. I think I will take them up on their offer. I too like the tilt head, but if I didn't have any problems with unmixed material even after numerous scrapings I wouldn't mind. My daughter has had a KA 600 for a couple years and hardly has to scrape hers down. I find that even with mashed potatoes I have about 1/4 inch of potato sticking all around the bowl and even after I scrape it down after the first revolution of the beaters it is back. I have the adjustment screw tightened to the closest tolerance. I also had a speed issue whereby after I turned it off to scrape the bowl it wouldn't come back on until after I tried it a few times. Hasn't done it lately though. I will call in the morning and let you know how I made out.
Thanks again,
Joanie

I spoke with KA and their going to replace it. No problem. They had me email them a copy of my Amazon.com receipt to prove that I purchased it on April 6. They are shipping me a brand new one and once it arrives I will ship mine back to them.

I believe that there are always going to be bad apples and I just happened to get one. I have a preference for KitchenAid, which is why we just purchased a stainless steel dishwasher and are looking to purchase a matching gas range in the near future. This is the first KA countertop appliance I have owned and I am very happy with their service after the sale, so far.

Just so you know, the later models of the pro 600 are made of plastic, but you can't tell unless you open it.

Cascades: I have the same problem, and my husband has to clean it up on the inside with a vaccum, and then it starts running like new.

Some online vendors, even Amazon, sell refurbished mixers,not all of them are, but some might be, you can tell just by the price, because some of them don't give such information straight ahead.

Just wanted everyone to know that I received the replacement. I'm still waiting for them to pick up the old one.

I used my new one over the weekend and was much more pleased with the results. The motor ran quieter (didn't seem to have such a high-pitched whine) and there was no knocking. Also, it may be my imagination, but it seems to have a different gear ratio because speed #4 doesn't seem as fast as the older one, which is an improvement. I've had small appliances go bad before and one of the symptoms was a motor running out of control!

So, I give KitchenAid an A+ for customer service.

And, I love my new mixer so much, I took a portrait of it!

I was wondering what mixer was the favorite. I always hear about ka. I didn't know about this site before I got my mixer, but did some online research and ended up buying a hamilton beach mixer, it has a stronger motor for a lot less money. I love it.

This thread is very timely for me. I just posted the question in the general forum "what is your favorite KA model?" since I found a place nearby that sells new and refurbished appliances. I have a KA Classic and love it, but at the prices I found I can get a bigger/stronger machine. I want something that can handle bigger loads but don't know if a 6qt would be too big...I don't know if there is such a thing as too big