The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Kitchen Aid Mixer problem

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

Kitchen Aid Mixer problem

My lock is not working on my mixer. Basically, when I am mixing or kneading even a small batch of dough the head of the mixer starts lifting up and down. Has anyone had this problem? How big of a problem is this and how do you go about getting Kitchen Aid's serviced/repaired? My mixer is 2 years old, exactly and before about 3 months ago when I started baking bread I had only made my wedding cake (along with all the test runs!!) and really not much else.

Hoping someone else has experienced this and that it's not a huge problem. I don't want to have to ship my mixer off or live without it for too long, much less have a giant repair bill. Also hoping my engineer, gearhead husband will take it upon himself to get interested in fixing it.

LindyD's picture
LindyD

I've read that the beater adjustment screw can sometimes interfere with the locking mechanism.  Check your manual for the location of the screw.

Also, KitchenAid has great customer service so you might try contacting them.

Finally, there are a lot of great Internet sites with step-by-step instructions and photos for DYI repair.  Google will find them for you.

 

milwaukeecooking's picture
milwaukeecooking

What is the model of your mixer?  Is it the artisan series? 

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

Read this thread:(linked below). Specifically starting about 20 posts from the top. Sounds like a similar situation described by poster BjornErik. Solution offered by  jdunivan a few posts afterward, which was reported to work.

DH should be able to figure it out.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/14800/mixer-beginner

 

flournwater's picture
flournwater

The thread mentioned above refers, I believe, to the pin upon which the head rotates as it is lifted.  Not sure what model you have but if you look into crevice on the side of the hinged portion, between the mixer body and the power head, and move the head locking lever back and forth, you should see the locking pin move up and down between the power head and the body.  If you don't see that movement you have a linkage failure.  If you do see the movement, you may have a broken locking pin or damaged locking stop.  It isn't difficult to repair and I'm sure KA's service center can make it right for you.  Get hold of the company and let their great customer service folks walk you through getting it back in proper working order.

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

I have a 4 quart mixer, 300W. Not the artisan model. Flournwater, I'm going to send this to my husband and see if he can take a look. I'm sure this will make plenty of sense to him. If I put it in lock position and pull the head of the mixer I can pull it up and the locking mechanism becomes unlocked. My manual is packed or lost since we are in an RV with the house being partially demolished due to a house fire.

Eli's picture
Eli

Way off subject! Is that a doberman in your pix? Beautiful !!!  I have a black and tan and a blue and tan. Big bread eaters.

Eli

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

Yes, Eli, she's a 2 year old doberman girl. I'm doing agility with her. Her sisters/brothers are show dogs and I probably should have shown her conformation but just wanted to do the fun stuff instead.

 

Eli's picture
Eli

She is a cutie! My female is pretty too but she can be obsessive. They are such velcro dogs! I don't have enough hands to pet and bake! She isn't a Cambria kennel pup is she?

Good luck with her and you bread! 

Eli

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

There was a screw that adjusts underneath when you lift up the head of the mixer. It adjusts to prevent the lock from going too far forward or something. Hard to describe but it's the only screw in there when you look in the head hinge area from the front. My husband tightened it because it was preventing the locking mechanism from locking down all the way.

He called it something but I can't remember the name of the thingy majigy. Now, it's making a clacking noise while kneading dough, even the small half recipe of raisin dough I just mixed. I'm betting I'll need to buy a bigger, better mixer before too long.

He says to just burn it up first but I wonder what they sell for on Craig's list or Ebay if intact?

LindyD's picture
LindyD

That's the beater adjustment screw I mentioned above.

The clacking noise is your beater bashing against the bottom of your bowl.

You need to raise the beater mechanism so the clacking noise stops and the beater properly mixes.   

I'm not sure if the adjustment is the same for all KA mixers, so it's best to read your manual's directions.

Doc Tracy's picture
Doc Tracy

It sounded like something in the head, not something in the bowl. It's as high up as it can be, 1/4 of a turn from unlocking itself. Not down in the bowl, sure of that.

Unfortunately, manual won't be around for some months as the house is packed and in a warehouse somewhere.

I'm concerned that something is fixin'to break in there.

utahcpalady's picture
utahcpalady

I burn through my KA gear every year or so, and my husband is a manufacturing engineer, he tears right into it with no problem.  I would let him take a crack at it before taking it to service.  It is simple for him to fix.  No, you aren't having the same problem, but they are not complicated machines for husbands like ours.