December 4, 2010 - 5:28am
KA Tilt Head Design
WHat sort of durability does the tilt head design on the KA Artisan have? I have an issue with the lock lever not holding and need to return it. The head bobs up and down during kneading unless I secure the lever with a rubber band. It also seems to wiggle a bit from side to side. My worst nightmare is this thing loosening up over time and being a maintenance problem. Any thoughts on this or feedback from those who have been using it for a while?
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I've had my tilt-back KA for about 12 years now and the only 'problem' I've ever had was that bolt sticking out. I banged it back in with a hammer a few times, and the last time it stayed put and hasn't moved since. I love my KA and couldn't make bread without it now, though I used to claim, loudly, that I would NEVER use the dough hook; that was before I got arthritis. It does have its limitations for some breads, but I usually manage to hand-knead a little bit so between my mixer and myself, the bread does get made every week. As for the rocking back and forth, if you put your hand on top of the mixer while it's kneading and cut the speed a tad, you shouldn't have that problem.
I've had mine for 15 years and have had no problem. If I were you, I'd return it and get another.
Here's a thread on the same topic.
I had a similar problem when I was using the Artisan for 58% hydration bagel dough. The beater adjustment screw fix worked on my mixer - but because I make bagels quite often, I bought a Bosch compact since it easily handles such a stiff dough.
Hopefully the beater adjustment trick will work for you.
I am going to bring her back for a new one! I'd prefer to not have to do any tinkering when it is still brand new.
Thanks for the information.
Yep, that's definitely a beater adjustment problem. I use three different beaters, depending on the task, and am always adusting the head screw between them. It's no big deal - ten seconds at most.
Good luck.
I originally bought a 90th anniversary edition KA tilt head mixer, and I had the same problems with the head wiggling around. It also sounded like there was something loose on the inside, which is inexcusable given that I had just purchased it. I called KA, and they sent me a new one to replace it. Unfortunately, the "new" one had the same problem - probably because it was actually an old one that had been restored at their factory.
So I gave up, sent the replacement one back, and then stumbled upon a KA pro 600 (bowl lift model) at Macy's for cheaper than the original KA artisan. The lesson I took away from it is that I should have bought the model with the more powerful motor in the first place, given that I make a lot of doughs.
I am with you on this YY. I am returning it for the P60 today. How do yo ulike it?
so far it's been great. I haven't had any problems with it, and I highly recommend it. I suggest you go to a department store that carries KA mixers to see if they have any discounted models. I only paid 225 for mine because it was in a discontinued color.
My KA tilt head mixer was a wedding gift and it's still doing fine (and the marriage is too!).
However, not sure they still "make 'em like they used to."
Just returned from the store with a P600 for 280 with a 50 rebate, so 230 in total. Small bonus, the manual is much better than the one that s included with the artisan. They provide an entire section on yeast breads etc.
...While I am a fan of KAs and have been using them exclusively for about 20 years, I've never been a fan of the beater/bowl height adjustment. In general, mine has always required the bowl to be adjusted to the highest position that it allows, and that's still not high enough for the whisk... I basically never use the whisk because it leaves too much undisturbed liquid below it that doesn't get whisked up, e.g. eggs or cream. I use my KA hand beater for that...
Brian
Hi Janknitz, I think your KA might be a Hobart built. I have one and it is a treasure. Ray