ZenSojourner  Nov 10, 2010 03:45 PM

This is a common misconception. Kitchenaid used to put a high-temp breakaway gear in all their mixers. This is a "sacrificial" gear intended to break and stop the motor should something bind, so that all you have to do for repair is replace that one gear as opposed to repairing who knows what in the motor. It keeps things from getting torn up, like a shear pin in your lawn mower. It's intended to break under unusual stress to save the motor from burning out, it wears fine under normal use. What they had trouble with was a plastic gear housing which has long been replaced. This breakaway gear has been on all Kitchenaids back to the Hobart days.

Because they were getting so many complaints about what was basically NOT a design flaw but good mechanical sense, they stopped using the plastic breakaway gear (ONE gear) and switched to an electronic sensor that's supposed to stop your machine before it burns the motor out, should it bind for any reason. I much prefer the breakaway gear - mechanical solutions to mechanical problems are safer than relying on electronic sensors for this sort of thing. My KA is 20 or 25 years old, so it has the breakaway gear.

So there are no plastic gears in any of the newer Kitchenaids, and the one they used to have was a good thing, not a bad thing. There has never been more than ONE plastic gear in any KA mixer, and that was a design FEATURE, not a flaw.

Just FYI.

ZenSojourner  Nov 10, 2010 05:49 PM

As of 2007 they had replaced them in all their mixers, as I understood it. I'll check with them tomorrow. It might not have taken place until 2008.

But what you are describing sounds like the one nylon breakaway gear. It's SUPPOSED to break to keep the motor from burning out.

The one nylon breakaway gear is supposed to function the way you describe when the motor is overloading to keep it from burning out. Unfortunately people sometimes don't realize they are overloading their motor until the gear actually breaks, but it's been weakened by past excesses. Then they haul it out to whip cream, the gear breaks, and they think it broke from making the whipped cream. Which is not the case. It broke from that time they were making whole wheat bread with 10 c of flour and pushed the speed control all the way up because the motor was bogging down, then they shut it off just before the motor reached the melting point. LOL!

I read about one guy who broke his breakaway gear while grinding turkey bones. But he knew he shouldn't have been doing that!

Having that one breakaway gear is a GOOD thing. I think it's way safer than an electronic control. I'm not sure about thermal fuses. I've heard they're using thermal fuses in some KA mixers now.

The point is its not plastic GEARS. It's ONE purposefully designed sacrificial gear to protect the motor should you overload it, which has been in all KA mixers since they first started making them. This is a commonly used protective mechanism in any good motor-driven appliance. It should cost about $25 to repair if you're doing it yourself. Beats having to replace a $300 motor.

KitchenAidUSA  May 3, 2011 01:55 PM

Hi, I am a KitchenAid employee. KitchenAid has just started to monitor Chowhound.
I would like to give you a little information on the mixers KitchenAid manufactures.
KitchenAid has 2 models of mixers Tilt Head Mixers, and the Bowl lift mixers.

The Classic Tilt Head Mixer features are:
1. Powerful Motor -- 250 to 325 watts for everyday household recipes including batter, cookie dough, quick bread, pizza dough, and basic white bread dough.
2. All Metal Exterior Construction is rugged, durable and will deliver many years of reliable, quiet service.
3. 10 Speeds allow the use to select the right speed for the mixing job from very slow stir to very high whipping.
4. Multi-Purpose Attachment Hub powers a variety of attachments to provide unmatched culinary versatility and convenience.
5. Easy to Clean Design wipes clean with a damp cloth.

The Classic Bowl Lift Mixers features are:
1. Powerful Motor -- 325 to 350 watts for everyday household recipes including batter, cookie dough, quick bread, and bread dough.
2. All Metal Exterior Construction is rugged, durable and will deliver many years of reliable, quiet service.
3. 10 Speeds allow the user to select the right speed for the mixing job from very slow stir to very high whipping.
4. Multi-Purpose Attachment Hub powers a variety of attachments to provide unmatched culinary versatility and convenience.
5. Easy to Clean Design wipes clean with a damp cloth.

These mixers do have a Nylatron Gear, which is made of Nylon with Kevlar fiber fill.
KitchenAid has used this Gear for many years.

The New Generation Line of Mixers, are all Bowl Lift Mixers. They have a Powerful Motor, 450 to 575 Watts
1. All Metal Gears provide a durable and rugged motor.
2. Locked-Rotor Protection shuts down mixer automatically if mixing action becomes obstructed.
3. Electronic Speed Sensor monitors operation to maintain precise mixer speed.
4. 67 Point Planetary Mixing Action for quick, complete mixing.
5. 10-Speed Control ranges from a very fast whip to a very slow stir.
6. Soft Start Mixing Feature helps minimize ingredient splatter with gentle acceleration to selected speed.
7. Multipurpose Attachment Hub with hinged hub cover powers a variety of optional attachments providing unmatched culinary versatility.
8. Metal Transmission Cover.
9. Easy to Clean seamless design cleans easily with a soft cloth.

Hope this clears up any misconception on the materials KitchenAid uses for their Mixers.