Cuisinart SPB-7CH SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, Chrome Reviews

It works great when it works.  I've owned this for a couple of years with VERY light use.  This (and other brands) use a clutch type mechanism where a couple of plastic/rubber gears mesh between the base and the blade.  However, these gears can strip and are about $8 each to replace.  Oster uses a "direct drive" system where a metal shaft enters a metal receiver at the bottom of the blade.  My next blender will be an Oster.  I'm simply disappointed in having to replace parts on a mixer.