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Thanks for the article. I was looking to replace a chipped old Pyrex measuring cup about a month ago and found myself going down this same rathole of research.

Thanks for the article. I was looking to replace a chipped old Pyrex measuring cup about a month ago and found myself going down this same rathole of research. It all makes perfect sense as I just naturally assume that all old-school US consumer goods go through the same sequence of events: 1) sell the company, close US factory 2) license the name to a manufacturer in China 3) cost reduce, cost reduce, cost reduce 4) profit! You could make a good BOLTR-like youtube channel by weighing and measuring changes over time in common products. The KitchenAid mixer would be a good one.

gh02t 8y ago
AvE has one video on the KitchenAid, if I recall correctly he was actually surprised that it was still pretty well-built. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18
- eikenberry 8y ago
  Most of them are still made in a factory in Greenville, Ohio.
- pfranz 8y ago
  In the early 2000s there was a lot of talk about KitchenAid switching to plastic gear housings. They switched back after a few years either due to backlash or warranty issues. Here's a cool comparison of wahl hair clippers from 50 years ago and a modern pair: http://grathio.com/2016/08/teardown-same-product-fifty-years-apart/ http://grathio.com/2016/08/teardown-same-product-fifty-years...
  - sokoloff 8y ago
    > due to backlash or warranty issues. I see what you did there. I suspect it was unintentional, but it’s quite pleasing nonetheless.
- gibba999 8y ago
  I had one. It broke just outside of its warranty period. I opened it up. Plastic gears and complete junk inside of a tough-looking metal housing. Same with their blender; broke pretty fast, with relatively mild use.
  - gh02t 8y ago
    It depends on which model you get. I think lower-priced models are mostly plastic gears, but the video I linked is the professional model. Those use metal gearing etc.
    - PorterDuff 8y ago
      That's my guess. The model most people have is not the one that AvE took apart. To do a proper review, you'd tear apart an early mixer that was from the Hobart era in addition to one from 25 years ago.
asaph 8y ago
> ... and found myself going down this same rathole of research. Surely you meant rabbit hole, not rathole.
- PorterDuff 8y ago
  In the case of the time wasting abilities of the internet, it's a rathole.

gh02t 8y ago

AvE has one video on the KitchenAid, if I recall correctly he was actually surprised that it was still pretty well-built. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18

eikenberry 8y ago
Most of them are still made in a factory in Greenville, Ohio.
pfranz 8y ago
In the early 2000s there was a lot of talk about KitchenAid switching to plastic gear housings. They switched back after a few years either due to backlash or warranty issues. Here's a cool comparison of wahl hair clippers from 50 years ago and a modern pair: http://grathio.com/2016/08/teardown-same-product-fifty-years-apart/ http://grathio.com/2016/08/teardown-same-product-fifty-years...
- sokoloff 8y ago
  > due to backlash or warranty issues. I see what you did there. I suspect it was unintentional, but it’s quite pleasing nonetheless.
gibba999 8y ago
I had one. It broke just outside of its warranty period. I opened it up. Plastic gears and complete junk inside of a tough-looking metal housing. Same with their blender; broke pretty fast, with relatively mild use.
- gh02t 8y ago
  It depends on which model you get. I think lower-priced models are mostly plastic gears, but the video I linked is the professional model. Those use metal gearing etc.
  - PorterDuff 8y ago
    That's my guess. The model most people have is not the one that AvE took apart. To do a proper review, you'd tear apart an early mixer that was from the Hobart era in addition to one from 25 years ago.

asaph 8y ago

> ... and found myself going down this same rathole of research. Surely you meant rabbit hole, not rathole.

PorterDuff 8y ago
In the case of the time wasting abilities of the internet, it's a rathole.