August 8, 2021 - 1:58pm
Bosch Universal Plus
Looks like my 17 yo Bosch Concept 7010 has kneaded it’s last dough.
In looking into the newer 500wt Universal Plus, the dimensions seem to vary from site to site.If someone has one they would measure and post, I’d appreciate it. I’d like to know the base height and width, with and without the bowl attached .As well as the blender attachment on it’s own. Also, if you have the cookie dough paddles, do you find any issue using them with the plastic “drive”? GratzieShare
Give Pleasant Hill Grain a call. It has been a number of years since I talked, or purchased items from them but the where one of the most helpful folks I have ever dealt with.
I gave my Bosch Universal away to our son a number of years ago because I moved to all mixing by hand and I was now making bread for just my wife and myself. I am also no longer doing large church turkey dinners were I would use the Bosch to mix a ton of mashed potatoes. Too much work cooking 4 large turkeys for a 76 year old guy.
I actually bought the Concept from PHG back then.
I've been in contact with Bosch Kitchen Store in Sandy Utah about repair. Also very helpful.
I may end up dealing with them coz I can send them the Concept and they can either repair (for me if not too $$) or refurb and sell if I decide to go new.
Yea, that's a lot of work at 76.
If the concept has a bad transmission, imo, your money would be better off with a BUP or even a used Bosch Universal. The Universal, the Universal Plus, and the Compact are all well designed. The transmission design on the Concept is a weak point. It uses hundreds of ball bearings in separate grooves and many gears so that it could achieve different outputs on the main drive, and if it gets overloaded, it is too easy to break . I have one in the attic that does still work, but I am not a fan of the design.
if BKC in Sandy says it can be repaired inexpensively, I'd stay with the BC7 as it has served well. If it's the tranny, it won't be cheap so I'd prolly move on to a BUP.
Though it looks like the specs have changed the the engine has gone from 800 to 500 and perhaps now 400 wts.
As far as I can tell, they didn't actually change the motor. The 800 watt rating was always bullshit and UL has since changed how motors power ratings are calculated resulting in a lower but still bullshit number of 500 watts. The actual real world performance of the mixer should be as good as it always has been.
The only mixer that has clear somewhat meaningful power measurements are the KitchenAid 1.3 HP DC motor Pro Line and Commercial mixers (also the 1 HP models but they are uncommon) which deliver 0.44 HP or 328 watts to the mixing attachment, with that number being measured by a dynamometer as opposed to being a theoretical calculation. The output power of the motor itself is somewhere between those numbers with mechanical losses in the transmission accounting for the final measured umber. This isn't to try to sell you on KA vs Bosch but to highlight the massive discrepancy between the rated power and the power delivered to the mixing attachment. If we assume the efficiency of the Bosch drivetrain is similar (~33% of rated power) the actual power delivered is something like 170 watts. This is no problem as the Hobart N50 is an absolute beast and only has a motor they claim to output 1/6 HP or 124 watts (it's not clear is this is output of the motor or delivery to the bowl. I suspect it's motor output so the delivery is even less). All of this to say wattage ratings on consumer stand mixers are meaningless and you shouldn't read anything into them when comparing models between or within brands.
thanks for the explanation. Hadn't even given that a thought. I guess that's one reason why they no longer put the wattage on the base.
I'm sure since the Bosch UMP is so popular, it doesn't suck. Like I said, my horizontal motor C7 kicked but for 17 years of bread every week and frequent ccc dough and the occasional cement batch.
As long as the cat still runs when I turn it on .....
I am retired mechanical engineer but have done a lot of system work with motors of all sizes including some rolling mill drives with 10,000 horsepower motors.
This all start with Sears claiming their shop vacuums developed 5 horsepower. That was pure BS. This was based on stall torque as smoke poured out the the vacuum, the breaker blew (we hope, if not the shop might burn down.) At this point the shop vac was ready to take to the landfill. 40 years later good suppliers of shop vacuum systems rate them in levels of suction which is what counts in vacuums systems.
In a mixer it is all about how does it mix, not the "watts" or horsepower.
Plastic drive for the Bosch is only meant for light duty, like whipping egg whites. You will need the metal drive for cookie paddles. And for very large batches, the manual that came with my 20+ year old Bosch Universal recommends using the dough hook.
Dave
thanks Dave. Figured. Dunno why they bother with the plastic drive.
Confirming what north_by_midwest stated about UL.
Out of curiosity, I contacted Bosch Kitchen Machines https://www.boschmixers.com/ who I believe are the US distributors For Bosch about the drop in wattage. Here's what they said.
Dave
The image link you included doesn't work. I'm dying to find out if I'm full of crap or not 😅
north_by_midwest, I'm very sorry. I thought the text image posted. Please excuse my poor typing, here's the text. It says exactly what you said. I just wanted to see what they had to say.
"We have received notice from Bosch Germany that UL has changed the way they rate motors in the US market. As a result the motor used in the Bosch Universal Plus mixer has been evaluated and re-rated from 800 watts to 500 watts. Please note, there has not been any actual change to the motor itself, it's the same powerful Bosch motor that has been used for years and years inside the Bosch Universal Plus. The only change that has occurred is the rating by UL.
It is still the World's Greatest Mixer!"
Dave