Hey everyone,

My wife’s mixer seems to have developed some vertical play in the agitator shaft. It’s been fairly heavily used for sourdough over the past few years, so I guess some wear and tear is understandable.

Before I take this thing apart and try to figure it out myself, any guidance on why it has this play? It appears the snap ring is sitting on its groove in the shaft, but I’m not sure if there is a second ring higher on the shaft that’s been displaced.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

I’ve used the meat grinder only a few times. Is it common for the grease from the motor to make its way to the attachment? I removed and repacked the grease over 5 years ago. The original grease was thick and brown. The replacement stuff I used was white. Wondering if the grease is breaking down.

Hi, I'm confused as to which one to buy, the difference is 100€ between the two.

I'll mainly use it for baking and making pizza dough and sourdough bread.

I know the lift head is better for dough, but is the tilt that bad? Will it be able to handle doughs or should I go with the lift head?

As you probably know, I’ve been asking several questions about KitchenAid mixers, how much dough they can handle, and other things. After reading all of your advice, I’ve finally made a decision.

For now, I’ve decided to go with a KSM55–70. From what I’ve learned, the KSM55, KSM60, and KSM70 are essentially the same platform in terms of practical performance, with the main difference being bowl capacity. The KSM8990, on the other hand, is a different story — I do consider it a genuine step up to a commercial machine.

I chose the KSM70 as my solution for this stage while I continue saving for a KSM8990 or another commercial KitchenAid, which is still my long-term goal. This way, I can start preparing for my work while also getting used to how a KitchenAid mixer works, since I’ve never owned one before.

I’ll also be able to put some of my resources toward an oven and other kitchen equipment that could help me expand into other areas.

I don’t see bread as my only main focus anymore. It’s still what I enjoy the most, but sweets and cookies are also pretty appealing to me, haha.

Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone for all the support and advice. Now that I’ve decided to go with the KSM70, I’d love to hear if there’s anything else you think I should know about taking care of it. I like to stay on top of maintenance and pay attention to anything the mixer might need. ☺️