[john]

I currently own a 6Qt KitchenAid mixer for my home use and have found that I have outgrown it. I've searched various websites (including EBAY) in search of a Hobart (8-10 Qt). All I am finding are the much larger restaurant-type models (30-60 Qt). Does anyone know where I can buy one of these smaller models? I noticed they are using these models on the foodtv channel. Thanks.

[thebighat]

Univex makes, or made, a 12 qt model. I bought one at a used equipment place and am quite happy with it. Years ago my parents bought me a 20 qt Hobart for 25 bucks off a recent widow. I sold it for 600 when I needed some cash. The Univex low speed is a little fast, it seems, but a repair guy told me there's a fix for it.

[kokopuffs]

Checkout EBAY where I have seen an occasional used Hobart mixer for sale. Its capacity fell in the range of 5 - 10 qts. They're not nearly as cheap as the KA counterpart, however.

On EBAY I recently saw a 5 qt Hobart (that's 5 qt) that looked really "industrial" and about 30 years old. The bids had reached $300 yet I don't know the final selling price.

[KyleW]

I'm curious. Have you out grown the motor or the bowl capacity?

[brreynolds]

I found this place a couple of months ago, when I was looking into replacing my KitchenAid K5 with a comparably sized Hobart: www.pierceequipment.com. (If this works like it did the last time I referenced a website, the url will convert into a link.) They sell both new and used stuff, and seem to be reasonably big.

Like Kyle, I'm curious about what you outgrew. (In my case, I got tired of replacing stripped transmissions. However, I could never get any satisfactory comparative information about the KitchenAid and Hobart models, so went back to the old K5.)

[kokopuffs]

BIGTRAY.COM has them for sale...at the low low introductory price of $1700+. BUT WAIT!!! There's more...

http://www.bigtray.com/productdetail...r&rn=1:bounce:

[kokopuffs]

I did a search at GOOGOL.COM for Hobart Mixer. Here's another site that even offers photos of the Hobarts:

http://www.tcbl.com/Hobart%20Mixers.html

[brreynolds]

Kokopuffs:

I think that low, low, introductory price of $1700 is just for the 5-quart model (N50) that corresponds to the old KitchenAid K5. ($1700 is obviously too lavish for human beings; it sells for a much more reasonable $850 used.) The 12 quart model is much more. Hobart stuff is Seriously Expensive.

BR

[kokopuffs]

Br:

You complained about the transmission in your K5 mixer. Why not get the KA 6 qt mixer which has a metal transmission. Mine works great. The only complaints you'll hear about the PRO model pertain to those early models that came off of the assembly line well over a year or two ago. I got mine brand new last April, have had it for almost a year and am happy with it.

-T

[brreynolds]

Kokopuffs:

I haven't given up on finding a replacement for my old K5. (It dates back to the years when KitchenAid was a Hobart brand, so I could probably justify replacing it just because of its age). I'm just on hold. But I stepped back from simply buying another KitchenAid model when, after a several rounds of e-mail correspondence with KitchenAid's customer service group, they said that all KitchenAid mixers, from the small 4-qt, tilt-head model to the 6-qt model, use the same transmission as in mine. Since transmissions were my complaint, it didn't seem that buying a mixer with a bigger bowl and motor was the solution.

BR

[john]

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the info on Hobart. I will check out the websites mentioned in this thread.

Kyle and others: I do a lot of home baking and I really enjoy creating my own recipes for various breads, cookies, etc. My neighbors here in Chicago are my "testers". When I have a winning recipe, I will usually make several batches and share with family members and friends. My KA has been very reliable and I've never had a problem with the motor--just the bowl size. Several times I've had to make the recipe twice, because the bowl would not hold all the mixture.

I know that Hobart is more expensive than KA, but I feel it's well worth the price, as I don't expect to have to replace this for quite awhile.

P.S. I've just ordered the pasta attachment for the KA, and I'll be curious as to how this works out. I currently own a manual pasta machine (Atlas 150), but that machine is very limited in what in can produce in terms of shapes. I will let you know how the KA attachment works out, but any opinions based on experience would be appreciated.

Thanks again for all your thoughts. John

[kokopuffs]

BR:

KA advertises their PRO MIXER as having a metal transmission. If this is correct then I think that the other models have plastic transmissions.

[KyleW]

John - I guess it depends on how imortant that 8th quart is I have a 7QT Kenwood that I love. It has a 650 Watt motor that is more quiet and more stable than my old KA 5QT. At $399 is seems that 8th QT is a very expensive one

[LotusCakeStudio]

I have a commercial K5 and I wish that thing was bigger. I heard so many bad things about the KA 6 quarts that they keep breaking down and have to be exchanged. I guess a bad batch was made? My friend bought a 7 quart Kenwood and sang its glories. She said it's just a better machine than her K5. And the paddle actually reached to the bottom of the bowl unlike the K5. The only downside was that the bowl doesn't have a handle, but she was going to get her husband to solder one on. I am just going to wait until I have the money to get a 12-quart hobart. If I outgrow that, someone please shoot me. It means I'm doing high volume and working too much.

[KyleW]

Put me in the Kenwood fan club too. I was at my Most Awesome Girlfriend's this weekend. I was making bread and kneaded to double the batch. I nearly killed her 5QT KA. Had to do it by hand.