Bamix makes lots of stick blenders. I have one of the smaller ones and love it. I don't use it for heavier tasks like pureeing whole stock pots full of soup. I use it more as a super whisk, for whipping, blending, and emulsifying quantities that would be too small for a vita mix or a stand mixer.
The motor spins very fast, and is heavier duty than the consumer stick blenders I've used (and broken) in the past. It barely gets warm even with continued use. It does not have a removable shaft, which can make blade changes a bit slow, but it completely removes a failure point. And there's no way for liquid to get to the motor or electronics.
The whipping blade (flat disk) and emulsion blade (disk with little divots) are probably the best things made for these purposes. The standard all-purpose blade is not as efficient as the ones you get with other blenders. We use the meat-chopping blade (looks like a wee food processor blade) for most things.
Overall it's bulletproof and effective. If you're looking for a bigger, heavier model, I can't speak from experience about the bigger Bamixes.
