really loud in contrast to your 4.5 quart? I can't get over how much louder mine is. Is it because it is a larger motor or do I need to grease this thing? It just seems excessive to me.

Thanks guys!

Yep. I said the same thing when I got my larger one a couple years back. It's noisy with a capital N. I've gotten in the habit of plugging in my earbuds, hook up the iPod, and tuning out

mine does it too.

Mine does the same thing - My hubby called to me from the other room, wanting to know why the lawn mower was in the kitchen! LOL!

Okay... at least I know there isn't anything "wrong" with it.

I just got my 6qt brand new and while it is a different noise than my older 3.5 I don't find it is any louder really. Do you all have older models? My mom has a 6qt and her's seems really loud as well. I wonder if the newer models have been updated to account for this? Maybe my old 3.5 was just really loud too so I am used to it?

I got my 6 qt about a year ago. It isn't any louder than my ancient 4.5 qt. I know there was a problem with plastic gears breaking when they first came out. At some point the company responded to complaints and started using metal gears again. So there are two versions of the machine out there. Maybe that has something to do with it.

You can google for more information on this, including a way to tell if you have the plastic or metal gears...and how to replace them.

I use earplugs if I have to have mine on a high speed for any length of time!

My 6 qt. was so much louder than my previous 5 qt. that I took it back and got another one because I thought something was wrong with it. Needless to say...there was nothing wrong with the original one ...the 6 qt. is just LOUD! I also don't like the new way the bowl is attached either. It can easily pop off when mixing heavy cookie dough or mint dough. But it's bigger and more powerful...you just can't hear anything when it's running!