I also had a sunbeam which I got as a Christmas present. I stripped the gears the second time I used it for buttercream...ARRRHHHGGGG! I currently have a Kenmore mixer that I bought on clearance at Sears a couple of years ago. It mixes great, but it SCREAMS... and I don't mean it's fast.. it literally shrieks when I use it..my children run into the other room.

One day I'll have a KA... one day....

I'm a Mixmaster girl from way back. But they don't make 'em like they used to. I grew up watching my mother use hers, then I got one when I got married in 1977. It lasted for 18 years or so, and I abused it. The next Mixmaster lasted only a few years; the third and fourth weren't around very long. The quality was clearly declining. But I loved the way they worked, especially the older ones with the spinning bowls. (I saved the glass bowls and still use them.) Plus, TWO kids could lick the beaters!

And I found Sunbeam's customer service to be lacking. (The snotty girl on the phone kept telling me to send the mixer back in its original box. I kept telling her I didn't have the box. She just didn't get it. And they did not respond to my letters, so I was ready to jump ship.)

My parents gave me my mother's 6-qt KA because Mom has Alzheimer's and no longer bakes. So, it's bittersweet.
The KA is a workhorse, but it's a monstrosity and takes up so much space on the counter. It needs its own room. It's tall and I'm short, so I find it difficult to use. And I hate installing, removing and scraping the beater because it's so awkward.

If I could find an OLD used Mixmaster--classic white with glass bowls--I'd buy it!

And I always have a cheap hand-mixer (any brand, under $20) in the cabinet for emergencies!

I have a circa 1983 Mixmaster that a bought right after getting married. My DH gave me a KA two years ago, right as I was getting into cakes. The poor Sunbeam hasn't seen the light of day in a while. There's an older gentleman at church who has done cakes for 40 years or more (now retired). He used to go yard-saling to find old mixmasters, then would refurb them. He swore by the old ones, and probably had 4 or so at a time!

I have a Sunbeam that I've had for 10 years or more & it works great. I did buy a KA recently because it's larger & love it......I got the best deal at Sam's Club .....more power than some of the KA's I've seen & it's 5 quart. Love it.

My hubby bought me the sunbeam for my birthday a couple of years ago. It served me very well... the problems I have with that mixer is that i couldn't get a good dough hook to make fondant. and I wanted a whip attachment, but they don't make one.

This year for Christmas, hubby bought me the last 6qt KA they had at brandsmart ( ft Lauderdale) for less than $150. ( closeout of the color). I use my sunbeam to make icing and small batches, and the KA for fondant and large batches.

I have more than one heritage series mixers and have had zero problems with them.

I've done double batches of royal icing and then double batches of buttercream right after with no issue.

I'd love a KA but it's not in the budget and as long as my two mixers hold out I'm good to go.

All of you with heritage series Sunbeam mixers just collecting dust, I'd pay shipping for them! Contact me so we can talk.

It's so true that they don't make things the way they used to!
I have 2 KA mixers & 1 old Sunbeam (stand mixers) that my grandma gave me. I only use the Sunbeam for cake batter & it whips egg whites up beautifully in a small bowl!

If you are looking for a older Sunbeam a good place to look is craigslist dot com. I found one there that a man was selling for $5! BUT it only worked on speeds 1-6. Never know what you might find!

I have an Oster Regency Kitchen Center that I purchased over 20 yrs ago. It can be used as a blender, food processer and mixer. It has always worked well and I can even use it to make small batches of fondant. I don't know what I'll do when this one bites the dust. Guess I should be saving up for a Kitchenaid. I don't think Oster makes a mixer anymore. I've looked at the Sunbeams so it is good to know not to waste my money on that.

I got it! I wanted the chrome one but they only had red and white so i got the red one. I can't wait to use it later on tonight!

I wish I could find a 20 or 30 year old KitchenAid mixer. I have been looking for a while now. I know we have one of the huge stand ones in our Masonic Temple and we have been using it forever to mix up potatoes and it is a beast! I am going to see if they might consider selling it to me since they don't do dinners anymore. I really don't need something that big but it would be cool to have it! lol I would have it repainted with flames on it or maybe a dodge ram head to match my truck. hmmmm.... I have crossed a line here at some point! I will never make my way back to normalcy, I am hooked on cakes for life!

I'm just generally obsessed with collecting kitchen gadgets & small appliances...like the above-mentioned 3 stand mixers plus my Vitamix, commercial Belgian waffle maker, 2 slow-cookers, the biggest Foreman grill that will fit on my counter, & my poor list goes on! LOL!

At least I use them ALL!

Have FUN with your new KA & it won't be long until you want more bowls, the pasta attachment for fondant & gum paste rolling & even a twin for her!
wuaaahaaahaaahaaa!

Some of you (or maybe all of you) are so funny and crazy...going on about cakes and the machines that make them like it has it's own entity...oh wait...it does!

I fear, I too am on the same mysteriously exciting and obsessive path to Cake Oz! But first I must acquire a bigger kitchen for my OCCD (Obsessive Compulsive Cake Dissorder)!

This afternoon I turned out 3 batches of different cake (making 8 cakes) and yet another batch of SMBC! I'm definitely on my way to Cake OZ! Follow the Yellow Cake Road!

Hehehehehehehe!

My hubby bought that sunbeam mixer a couple of yrs ago for my birthday. The 1st one went out very quickly so i exchanged it. The second one lasted about a yr with very minimal use and now it hardly runs. I don't have money for a KA either. Maybe i'll try to find a used one

Kay - Aww, I've been there. Big wants/needs...little space. I'm greatful for the space I now have. When my oldest moved away, I took his bedroom. I removed the bed & put in 3 huge cabinets, left in his desk & dresser. I now call it my work room, though it's so full already that I could hardly work IN it! LOL!

If I ever move, I'm going to have to take my space "needs" into consideration.

Nati - OCCD!!! I LOVE IT!! Thanks for that!

Then...I also have OCKGD (Obsessive Compulsive Kitchen Gadgetry Disorder)!

Too funny! I don't have OCKGD...yet, but like a I said when I get a bigger kitchen more funny "gadgets" will definitely be in order!

Happy baking everyone!

Kay,
Thanks for your kind words about my mother. She was a fabulous baker and cook. My cousins used to call her the gingerbread lady because she always had a container of her cookies (or some sweet treat) in the pantry, and everyone was free to help themselves.
When it became obvious that she wasn't going to be baking for much longer, I preserved one of her chocolate chip cookies in polyurethane so I would always have one. I made it into refrigerator magnet, where I can always see it. Boy, I miss eating those cookies.