Eric Jorgensen wrote:

> Regarding this, I think Viking is stretching the limits of reasonable
> english in their description of their fine mixer.
>
>They describe it as having a "metal gear transmission" but the truth of
>the matter is that it has a 6 speed variable control on the side, and the manual certainly doesn't tell you to switch it off to shift gears.
>
>Perhaps the transmission they speak of is the three separate accessory
>attachments which turn at different speeds? Or perhaps they mean only that power is transmitted through metal gears.
>
>
I suspect that the last is the case. Power is transmitted, so there is
a transmission. Spoken, and even written, languages are imprecise.
Perhaps I should have said the Hobart commercial mixers have a three
speed gear shift transmission that allows the operator to select the
appropriate gear ratio and speed for the task at hand, while the
KitchenAid has a single speed transmission with a variable speed motor.

>Kenwood (and by extension Delonghi) make similar claims about their
>stand mixers. fwiw they also fudge the maximum capacity ratings a bit by not specifying right up front (as Viking does) that you can mix a lot more pounds of thin batter than bread dough.
>
>
That's common in the industry, and should be understood by bakers.
Hobart's are rated by quarts. In the manual is a list of how many
pounds of different types of products you can make. Lots of beaten egg
whites. Less cake batter. Less light bread. Less heavier bread. And
not much in the way of pizza dough or bagels. (If you do bagels
commercially, you are well advised to get a bagel mixer - they are
heavier duty machines.)

> There's also the problem of reporting the power of the motor in watts, which makes no sense at all, but no less sense than grading automotive engines in horsepower. foot-pounds of torque is where it's all at.
>
>
Heh, heh. In reality, build quality is more important than power. My
30 quart Hobart had a weaker motor than the 6 quart artisan mixers. My
mixer was already over 30 years old (to be conservative), and it will
still be in use 30 years from now if its new owner takes good care of it.

>I'm still kinda tempted to find an old N-50 in need of service and a
>machine shop willing to overhaul it and powder coat the casing . . . It's not that i think i need one, I just like the idea.
>
>
I'd be torn between that and a 20 quart hobart or a Electrolux
Assistent/Magic Mill.

Mike