Definitely a majority of people like the KA. Personally, I have a Wolfgang Puck mixer...700 watts for $250. I got it from HSN on Flexpay so it was totally do-able. I don't think I could force myself to spend the kind of money KA's go for.
I prefer Kitchenaids with the tilt up head. They are workhorses.
If I were in the market for another mixer now, this 7qt. Viking would be in my shortlist: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006I038K/?tag=cakecentral-20
I have a KA as well, but it is the only one I have ever used, so I can't attest to which is better. I lucked out though, it was my uncle's and he never used it , so I borrowed it when I first took the cake classes and "forgot" to return it, so he just gave it to me as a wedding gift a year or so later. He is fairly well off so he had gotten the good expensive one with all the attachments with the bowl that lifts, not the tilt head. I love it!! I can use it not only for my frostings and cakes and such, I can grate cheese, puree baby food (or fruit for fillings). It is nice that you can get replacement parts fairly easily. And the extras too
I have two KA's, and both are Artisans (tilt-head). I can't imagine life without them! I will say, though, that I have a new mixer on my wish list. It's the new Cuisinart 7-Quart, 1000W tilt-head mixer. It looks amazing!!! Here's the website: http://www.cuisinartstandmixer.com/
I still use my old Sunbeam standmixer, I feel so old school ut my husand gave me this mixer about 3 years ago, before I even thought of cake decorating and I have used it sooooo many times I am almost attached to it I think since I am planning on renting a kitchen to get a license on buying a KA but keeping my baby Sunbeam at home for my family's baking.
My husband just got me a KA Artisan(tilit head) for Mother's Day and I love it. I was using a GE hand/stand mixer we got for our wedding and I DO NOT MISS IT!
Well, in my opinion the best kind of stand mixer is the one my hubby lets me get away with having!!! LOL
In my case, that would be the 5qt KA Artisan that he got me for mothers day. At least we had a linens n things 20% off coupon, so it was only (yea right, ONLY 
) $240. I really love it, but I feel sad on the inside because I REALLY wanted the 600qt one. 
Hi, well i am from Holland so I don't know if all the brands are the same. And yes indeed lots of people here use the KitchenAid but it's quite pricy here. A good alternative is a Kenwood Patissier, not so expensive as KA, but as i said before I don't know if that one is available in the US 
I had had a KA artisan....broke it on cookie dough
A KA pro 600 broke it on MMF
A Eltectrolux Magic Mill it did not work for cake mixes or icing for me, although another CC member lvoes hers
Now I just purchased last week the 7 qt Viking. It is a bit different than the KA and I REALLY with it had a bowl lift...I just HATE the tilt head. But it is making everything well and seems to have a lot of umpf! However, I am going to make MMF by hand from now on....it did gumpaste very well though.
HTH
Julia
I have a KA classic and it's doing fine for me, but I'm fixing to upgrade to a Bosch Universal. Here's a link:
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/bosch_universal.aspx#cookiepaddles
I love my KA. I have never used anything else, so I don't know if there's something better out there, but I've had both for many years, through many cakes and they are definite workhorses! Wouldn't trade either--I have a tilt head that I got from my grandmother--who knows how old that one is, and the larger bowl-lift one that I've had for at least 10 years--I wonder if they need to be serviced........
After burning up two sunbeams and a GE in one year I bought myself the bright red KA artisan and it was the best Christmas present I ever got myself! I've had it for five years and it's still going.
I prefer the bowl lift as well. The tilt head just seems inconvenient to me.
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