How To Repair a KitchenAid Mixer Yourself

Do you want to hear how my KitchenAid story ended?  Sure you do. 

To catch you up if you’re new, my KitchenAid mixer broke while I was using the dough hook, and it made me very, um, mad.  Because those things are supposed to last forever.  I’m a reasonable person, but, last I checked, eight years is a few months shy of infinity. 

Well, KitchenAid got in touch with me after my post and said they were sorry but they couldn’t send me a new mixer.  I told them I didn’t expect them to send me a new mixer.  I wanted my mixer.  To work.  It’s not like I’ve been mixing small- batch cement in there for foundation repairs.  Just normal batters, frostings, and the occasional dough. 

As a courtesy, the KitchenAid people offered to send me a box and a shipping label to send the mixer back to them so they could give me an estimate for how much it would cost to fix it.  In other words, they weren’t going to fix it for free, but they would cut me a break on shipping.  And let’s not forget the complimentary cookbook they sent.  Which I placed lovingly next to my broken mixer to fully enjoy the irony.  Come on, Tammy, don’t be catty.

While I did appreciate the attempt at a gesture, this just didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.  I’d just as soon pay a local place to fix it and skip all of the ridiculous shipping of a 30-lb. appliance.  The hundreds of food miles I’d saved by eating locally would be undone in one fell swoop.  Plus, who knows how much their estimate would be?  And I’d probably be so fed up by that point that I’d pay anything just to get my precious mixer back.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands, literally.  I’m not super-handy, but I can generally figure things out with an Internet connection and enough time.  After all, the motor was working fine.  What was broken was the rotating part into which you plugged the attachments.  How hard could it be? 

Luckily, two web sites I found have pretty good instructions on how to take apart your KitchenAid: one for standard kitchen mixers with the tilty heads, and one for the commercial kind that I have.  Between the two, I was able to cobble together something resembling a game plan.  I’ll only gloss over things here in my “scorned woman” version of the process.  If you want to attempt the dissection yourself, you should head over to the other sites now. 

I started unscrewing things, banging the hell out of other things, and prying still other things apart.  Why, yes, that is a white sweater I’m wearing for the occasion.  I will regret that. 

Once I got the whole thing open, there was a ton of grease inside there.  Moving parts require lubrication for maximum pleasure performance.  After much scooping off and wiping down, I could see the problem.

A plastic gear that got shredded.  This is actually the fail-safe gear that reader Margot had mentioned in a previous comment, which is built to fail in order to prevent the motor from self-destructing.   Cost to replace it: less than $20, shipping included. 

Here we are waiting impatiently for the part.

Apparently, I could have used this time to replace the old grease with new.  I’ll let you guess whether or not that actually happened.  Once I got the new worm gear, though, I lubed everything up really well before putting it all back together again.  And did it work? 

 

YES!!!  Here it is, good as new.  Okay, maybe not as good as new, but good enough (and just in the nick of time to make Husband’s birthday cake). 

All in all, I saved myself a lot of time, money, and aggravation.  Okay, maybe not time and aggravation, but there was also a certain amount of satisfaction involved, which balanced it out.  Why do I think this isn’t the last time I’ll be taking this thing apart? 

I hope this helps somebody else, too.

Comments

[Dad]

Wow! Thoroughly impressed and happy for you! Great job!

[Erica]

Hmmmm. I've often wondered whether my mixer would really last my lifetime. And lately, it sounds a little stressed when I use the dough hook.

I'm bookmarking this post!

Are we supposed to perform maintenance on this cooking anchor? I haven't checked. I usually wait until something breaks or sounds awful.

[melch]

Congrats! It's so satisfying to fix things yourself and doubly so when it's like flipping the bird at the company who offered poor assistance.

[Kristin]

Thanks for this post! I'm filing it away for the day when I finally get fed up with my wobbling mixer ... I'll even set aside my best white sweater for the occasion.

[adele]

Hmm. Does small-batch cement have a better texture than large-batch cement? Is it like tofu?

I love taking things apart in order to get them working again. I had entirely too much fun voiding the (expired) warranty on my last laptop in order to figure out why it kept blue-screening. Nice job with the mixer!

[NurseJen]

Impressive. Will you be officially changing your name to Rosie (as in 'Riveter'?)

Seriously, though, I love a girl who's not afraid to repair machinery. Kudos!

[April in CT]

You. Are. Awesome.

I was thinking of your KA post when I mixed up some pizza dough last night and was scared to flip the switch on. Now I will go forth with confidence that even if it breaks...I can bring it to your house to fix! lol

[Katy]

My name is Katy and I work for how2heroes.com. If you are talented in the kitchen then you will love how2heroes.com! The site has tons of great recipes and videos that walk through each step of the process. It’s not just chefs though; there are mommy bloggers and cooking enthusiasts on the site as well. I wanted to share our Inn-dulge in New England contest to win a night at the charming Harding House in Cambridge, MA! The package also includes a copy of “The New England Cookbook” by Brooke Dojny and free museum passes to Cambridge and Boston museums. Just go to http://how2heroes.com/contest to sign-up.

[Karen @ Mignardise]

Not only can you cook and write, you're handy with machinery! What a great set of skills.

[Mary]

Thank You! After your last post about your mixer I began to have not-so-irrational fears that my KA would implode. It really struggles with dough sometimes. But now I know that I can follow your lead and fix it myself. You are my hero today.

[Susanna]

Yay, Tammy! What fun to read. Now I will make double batches of bread dough with abandon. It is so fun to read your useful, clever, and very, very funny blog.

[cookiecrumb]

Wow! I hope my seldom-used KitchenAid breaks some time, so I can have the pleasure of repairing it. That would be more fun than actually using it to make... what was it, dough?

[katie]

Hey good for you! And thanks for the info, I probably would have just thrown mine out, cried, and replaced it with another one. Imagine how mad you would have been had you bothered shipping the thing just to have a little plastic piece replaced.

[Fish Sauce Hater]

How many times in college did I implore you to take Small Engine Repair?

[Tammy]

Hater: It's hard to reason with the unreasonable.

katie: Yeah, I would've been pretty mad. Huzzah for the Internet!

CC: I can see you're not a fan of the KitchenAid. Ah, but it's one of the only toys I have. (Besides the pasta roller and ice cream machine.)

Susanna: Thank you! Just be aware that the KitchenAid people consider whole wheat flour to be a "specialty flour", which burns out the gears faster.

Mary: Much as I'm happy it's now working, I'm still not keen on using it for dough. In fact, I almost threw my dough hook in the trash. Then I thought...maybe for brioche...

Karen@Mignardise: Handy is probably giving me too much credit. I never told you how long it took!

Katy: How soon we forget that I just made a video for you guys. It's okay. That one's better off forgotten.

April in CT: At the very least, I can talk you through it. Maybe I should open some kind of side business (barter accepted).

NurseJen: I never said I wasn't afraid. I was very afraid.

adele: I like to think that my local, artisanal, small-batch cement is more delicious (and sturdier) than anything you can buy at Home Depot. One out of one KitchenAid agrees.

Kristin: White sweaters bring good luck!

melch: Yup. Failure would have been a huge disappointment.

Erica: I didn't see anything mentioned in the User's Manual. However, one of the Web sites I linked over to recommends changing the grease every year. Not sure I would get around to doing that every year, but maybe every 5 to 10.

Dad: Thanks, Dad!

[Sandicita]

I'm amazed you were able to do it yourself! My KA mixer broke a couple of months ago and I took it to a local shop (in CA) and they told me it would be $60 just for labor plus more for any parts needed. It ended up being twice that in total and I'm still not totally sure what was wrong with it (my problem was different though: when I turned it on to low, it would start going at crazy speed and then shut off... maybe it was possessed and I paid for an exorcism?!?). At $60 up front for labor, you could have a pretty nice side business!!!

[Melissa]

I would have been highly pleased with myself. You're my hero, Tammy. Way to go!

"Moving parts require lubrication for maximum pleasure performance"

Are you being obscene again? *Eye roll*

:)

[Stephanie]

I am sooo glad to have found this! Mine just died a squealing death because I was making bread dough like a silly person. Luckily mom is willing do donate hers (un-used... still in the box... after 3 years!)

Now I know I can replace a small part if need be till I save up enough for the super duper heavy duty one.

[Linda Negro]

The problem you had and thousands before you is the plastic housing --since you replaced it with plastic it could and liekly will happen again. That plastic gets hot and shreds. If you have the right model --this metal part will be a longer fix in the future and will allow you to do the heavier duty work the mixer was designed for.
http://www.goodmans.net/get_item_ka-8211779_kitchenaid-mixer-8211779-9703671-8212396-gear-hous.htm

[Nancy]

So happy to find this! My 22 year old "tilty head" model just--sob, sniff--died doing a simple batch of bread dough. I fixed a sewing machine recently (I found it helped to use my digital camera to take photos of every step as I disassembled it) and now you've encouraged me to think I can fix my beloved KA, too.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[Amanda]

Thank you, Thank you! Mine quit yesterday (while using the dough hook). I'm opening this bad boy up!

[Elie Honore]

You surely amazed and amused quite a few people inclyding myself, a kitchen-aid owner's husband, looking for help tyo do some self-help. Mine does not work at all. One day, my wife was preparing aan annibersary cake order. She had everything set, all her needed ingredients measured and in place, but the mixer would not start. we tried everything, switched to another outlet, used an extension cord, nothing!Zip. What would you do in my place?

[Sherrill Libby]

I also fixed my kitchen aid mixer after it fell to an early death.I do think it's about to go again though.I love my mixer and its made many batches of bread dough,guess I thought thats what it was supposed to do.A gentleman helped me take it apart then he made me put it together again. It was very easy to get the parts and wonderful diagram I got at the same place.

[Tiki Wilson]

Hi, Really nice to see someone sharing their experience!! I am also the same type, will do it myself if I can. I recently took off the back cover of my mixer to clean off the grease. I put it back on. The my husband was look at the brushes that are in it (through that little hole). Anyway , plugged it in and NOTHING HAPPENS! Yikes, is there a secret to something? I have checked the diagram and cannot find anything different. Have any ideas?? Outlets are working. Thank you and have a great day. Sincerely, Tiki

[Brian]

Thank you for the link! It looks like I can actually do this myself now.

[Barry Harmon]

Hi,

I'm the guy at http://www.artisanbreadbaking.com, the one with the process for fixing a KA mixer.

Good work! You should know, however, that there is no functional difference between the tilt and fixed head KA mixers, the guts of the machine are the same.

One of your readers asked if they should maintain them every so often. Of course you should; you wouldn't drive a car 50,000 miles without changing the oil, would you?

If you use the mixer a lot, as my wife and I do, then you should change the grease about every 12-18 months. While the machine is apart, check the condition of the fail-safe gear and the gasket around the head.

Given a bit of care the KA will last a long time.

Cheers,

Barry Harmon

[Michael]

Prior to fixing the mixer, did it completely stop working, or did it just lack the power to mix any non-liquid items? My mixer no longer has the power to do anything stiffer than whipped cream. I suspect it is a gear of some sort. I wonder if I need the same fix?

[Kevin]

My repair shop told me 2-3 yr if you use it a lot and less time if you are an occasional user because the grease seperates/dries out if not in use then it causes that gear failure. 85 to repair and 35 for the lube and oil if you do it before(I am rcving someones broken ksm 90)and he recommends 2 yr svc in the future (35 Price)that is new grease and seal.

[Kelly]

Awesome. Thank you so much. I have my mother's kitchen aid (20+ years old) and I swear its better than anything out there now. But the same thing happen to me when I was mixing fondant and I was worried that it was the end of the road for the mixer. Now, with the help of my engineering saavy roommate, I will be taking it apart and attempting to fix it. I really appreciate this post!

[Melissa in Washington]

Hey, thanks for the help. I just had the same thing happen to my KitchenAid making Fondant this evening. Between your directions and the directions of those that you linked, I now have it taken apart and ready for repair. I have ordered the part and am anxiously awaiting the part's arrival. THANK!

[Jim Gillon]

The part mentioned (metal housing)is just that , a housing, it doesn't contain the gear in question, which is a plastic gear molded around an aluminum cog. this gear is designed to wear before the motor is damaged. It could break tomorrow with a batch of bread dough and won't be saved by replacing grease every year. The grease is a special food grade material and should be replaced every few years if used heavily. also note that you need to have punches and hammers available. BTW don't buy just one gear, buy 2 with grease and gasket.
Jim

[Amy]

So if you buy the plastic gear and the metal gear housing will it fake your KA into thinking that it's fine, when in fact your bread dough is about to kill it?

[Donna]

my expensive pro 5 qt. kitchenaid has a broken thingy that keeps the head on the horizontal, so that now the head tilts forward and down, making using it an exercise in "bump and grind". I tried taking it apart, as much as I could figure out how to do in the area where the broken part lies - the neck - but I couldn't get to the part. It appears to be a large bolt like an untapered screw. Is there any resolution beyond sending it to the factory for repair?

[Jackie]

I want to fix mine so any of you out there have any suggestions feel free to pass it along.
On Oct. 15th 2008 my sister bought me a Kitchenaid, I’m not sure why ( maybe because I love to cook) but I never bake, anyway, I was overwhelmed by her generosity and was so excited to receive it. She paid over $200.00 for it on Amazon.
Well to our surprise when I opened it, it appeared it had been used and she did not purchase a refurbished one. She was very upset so I told her I would send it back.
I called Amazon and they refused to take it back because it had been over 30 days. Well DUH, it was a gift for X-Mas, It will be opened on Dec. 25th
So I proceeded to tell her of my findings, however, she insisted it was new. After about 20 minutes I realized I was not going to get anywhere with this woman so I hung up, told my sister, and then I packed the machine away and never took at out again until 2 weeks ago. I will give you one guess as to what I found. THE MOTOR WON'T WORK!
Can you believe it, as I said; I never bake so I never even tried to use the machine until recently? Now because it's been over a year, I can't do anything about it.
I'm so upset with Amazon and Kitchenaid….. An appliance like this should never go bad right out of the box. I will never buy anything from Amazon again. You can't trust anyone to give you good quality any more.
So I will fix it myself but any comments on how to's would be helpful.

Jackie

[John Minn]

So much for buying american quality I guess - I am starting to wonder whether there are recalls for mixers?

Same thing happened to me today, bread dough, funny noise, the full experience.

Glad I found this site, I will attempt my own repair.

[Raul Pousseau]

I've re-greased several KA mixers and highly recommend removing as much of the old grese as possible and using Triflow synthetic food grade grease with PTFE (teflon). It doesn't oil-separate like the original grease and the mixer runs like new.
You can purchase the grease at drillspot.com for around $22 delivered.

[Gene McKinney]

This is the best, most useful Blog I have ever been on.

Great work. I just broke mind today and with your story I am going to try take it apart.

Thanks

[Gale Mosgofian]

This was so helpful because my KA Pro 600 sounds like it has the same problem! $20 sounds great. Did you find the part online too? I would love to know.

[SteveKane]

How do you get the chrome retainer ring to stay on once you've removed it?

[Susan O]

Thank you so much for the inspiration to fix my Kitchenaid. Back in '95 I had to take it in to repair a stripped gear and it cost me 75 dollars. Well, now that place no longer exists, so I called all the small appliance repair shops in town and they wouldn't touch my Kitchenaid. I was informed to take it to Sears, so I called the Sears Repair number and they assured me they could fix it. Well, when I took it to Sears they said they couldn't help me. I just placed an order at Goodmans online. I figured that I will probably need to do this again, since I like to make bread so I ordered an extra worm gear. I even ordered an extra flat beater and dough hook and it didn't cost me as much as the first repair.
Thanks again for sharing your story.

[Jennifer @ Milk & Honey Mommy]

I am here now w/my mixer and I'm dying. Kneading bread by hand isn't my idea of how to spend an afternoon. I'm going to bookmark your post and see if I can muster up enough confidence to fix the problem. On the other hand, I may just show my husband and smile a lot so he'll help me.

[Hilary]

Did anyone hear a loud pop when their mixer went out? That's what happened to mine. A loud pop while I was making whipped cream and then it just stopped working! I took it apart and the gears look fine. Any ideas out there?

[Jim Smith]

My Kitchenaid mixer is dropping oil (into the food?). Can I repair myself? I assume a gasket is bad? I use it a lot and would like to speed up repair. Helpful hints appreciated

JIM SMITH
6001 Guess Road
Durham, nc 27712
919-471-1198

[Pete]

One of the motor brushes burned off inside of the mixer. I am unable to pull out the lead brush, and I am looking for assistance on how to remove it. The brush is behind the white screw cap and attached to a spring. One came out easily. The other broke off inside of the mixer.

[Deb]

I wish I read this before I sent my mixer in.... the pin that holds the mixer to the base came out. Sounds like an easy fix except, the pin didn't fit through the holes! I don't know how a pin that holds the two together could "NOT" fit in the holes! Was it not in the holes when I purchased it???? So far it is costing me $35 to send it in because there isn't anyone in the area to help and $52, yes, $52 to fix it! - I only paid $189 for the mixer... now... will it tryly last more than more uses??? Frustrated... I thought kitchenaid was a great brand. This was the first kitchenaid and the last kitchenaid I will purchase....

[Perry]

your husband....LUCKY!!

[Pam]

I have the heavy duty one with no plastic parts. Used it 4 times before it broke. That's FOUR times!KitchenAid doesn't do anything right anymore.

[Gayle]

I just got my mom's tilty head model 95 and it's leaving small oil puddles under it. (one smaller than a dime after sitting 3 weeks. Any ideas as to what's wrong????

I don't seem to be able to connect to any links posted earlier...but it has been a while since they were posted.

[Monica]

I am so excited to find this blog, because my trusty KA just died last night! exactly as you said, motor works, but the attachment head, not so much.. I'm so happy to see this will become our next homeschool homerepair 101 class. LOL Thank you for the links where to get the info. I'll be checking them out!

[Glenn]

Good info here, but my issue is even more annoying.. mixer started running slowly and got that hot smell. I never had one apart so was thinking maybe this thing has a belt? Nope. What I found was the front accessory shaft bushing was dry as a popcorn fart and had seized on the shaft. I could not turn the gear by hand. Tapped out the gear from the front and the bushing is all scratched up and dry! I think this seized bushing may have cooked the motor or the electronics. Wondering now if it is worth trying to fix this thing or buy a new one?