I've owned and used KitchenAid stand mixers for more than 20 years now. I've used the Artisan and Classic line of mixers, both antique and modern. They have always impressed me greatly. In fact my mother has owned hers for close to 30 years and she has never had a service issue with it.
I bought this mixer refurbished because I could get the "best" that KitchenAid has to offer for home kitchens for only a few dollars more than I could get the Artisan line, plus I want to get more into baking pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and things like that. I figured that the larger bowl would help me to accomplish all of that.
The motor is powerful! I make large batches of bread dough in it and it never slows down. One reviewer complained that the motor gets hot and has a safety switch to shut it down if it gets too hot. That's a good thing, actually. It's a safety feature that will prevent a motor from burning itself up. To date I've never had an issue with the motor getting too hot or with the cover becoming uncomfortably warm, and that includes making bread dough.
Things to watch out for: The "soft start" feature that the mixer has can sometimes cause people to switch the mixer on, then off, thinking something is wrong. It's supposed to do that, and it provides the user with the ability to get hands away from the machine before it starts working, in addition to decreasing the likelihood that flour or other powdery ingredients get flung from the bowl. Be aware, also, that during the first few uses the motor might warm up more than normal and create a "hot metal" smell. Do not be alarmed, it's the new components breaking in and should fade within the first 5-10 uses of the machine. All of that being said, the best guidance that can be given concerning this device is to read the instruction manual thoroughly before use.
The only real complaint that I have about this model is the beater and dough hook that it came with. Both are NOT dishwasher safe. That does not bother me much, since I don't mind washing delicate items by hand. But also watch out for corrosion and oxidization. This tends to be an issue on these items. It shows up as white powdery deposits that, when scraped, reveal a darker pitting underneath on the metal surface of the beater. To the best of my knowledge it's not hazardous to use these as long as you clean them before you use them, but you also have the option of upgrading your beater and dough hook with a coated set. These ARE dishwasher safe, as well as being corrosion and oxidization resistant.
Complaint aside, this is the best mixer that I have ever used. I love the power of this mixer and am so glad that I spent the extra few dollars to get something that I will probably never use to its maximum ability.
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