What would be the likelihood that a 25 year old “new” and never out of the box name brand name mixmaster mixer could work consistently well today, right out of the box? This mixer has been stored in climate controlled conditions for the entire 25 years.
Yes, true, the only way to really know would be to take it out of the box and fire it up.
For reasons beyond my own comprehension, I would like a predicted likelihood prior to knowing for sure.
:smack:
Hard to say for sure but I wouldn’t worry about it. At 25 years old, I wouldn’t expect it to have any plastic components that would have aged out and become brittle with the possible exception of the power cord and plug. Take a good look at the cord. Bend it, tie it in knots, try to stretch, flex and break it in ways you would hope that a brand new cord should be expected to handle. Bang the plug on the counter. Try to pull the plug off the cord and the cord out of the machine entirely. Examine all of these for cracks or defects. If it looks good, run it.
Thank you for your very knowledgeable response.
Okay, so I broke down and took the mixer out of the box. The power cord looks pristine with no cracks of any kind. the cord is nearly infinitely pliable.
The plug is solidly attached.
So I fired it up and it works like a champion. The only thing that I noticed was a very faint burning smell, like maybe some dust burning.
This is no big deal, right???
Please advise on how to proceed.
How to proceed where? What’s the end game. If you just want to use it, use it. Most of that type of stuff works 25 years later even if it’s getting used. I’d bet the grease inside hasn’t even dried out yet.
Dust or cardboard particulates.
I’d stay nearby while running it until that stops (hopefully you, and every household, has something handy to fight (electrical) fires). If it doesn’t stop, then do not use.
I am a Sunbeam expert. My everyday mixer was made in the 50s. Works like a champ.
If yours is a Sunbeam and is only 25 years old, barring any sudden failure, it should work for another 50 years.
It wouldn’t trouble me. Depending on your level of mechanical ability and your concern over this issue, you have a couple of options.
First, unplug it and use a screwdriver to take off the covers over the motor and switchwork. Look for excess dust, insect nests, anything that doesn’t look like it belongs. If it looks clean, replace the covers and go on to step two.
Next, take the mixer outside with an extension cord to a metal or stone surface. Mix up a batch of stiff cookie or bread dough, something that can put the motor and drive train under working stress. Get ready to cut power and hose it down quickly if things start going pyrotechnic on you. Run that motor under heavy load for several minutes, TRY to over heat it. If nothing exciting happens, you’re golden.
Mind you, IMHO, this is wildly overkill. I wouldn’t let this run unattended but beyond that, mix away.
New in the box vintage small appliances are sought after on eBay. You can’t buy that level of quality anymore.
I can’t think of anything in an appliance that would deteriorate sitting in a box. 25 years isn’t all that long.
I recently got my mom’s GE electric carving knife. She bought it when I was in high school. She rarely used it. The knife still works perfectly 35 years later.
Capacitors.
Fortunately, start capacitors and run capacitors were mostly better lasting than TV/Radio/Computer/Oscilliscope capacitors, but if your unused floor polisher fails it was probably the capacitor that failed.
Usually these things have series-wound universal motors which don’t rely on capacitors.
Perhaps if your floor polisher has been unused for 25 years it has s different technology?
When I was polishing floors, floor polishers were not just simple series wound motors.
That’s not a capacitor for a universal motor. There’s no such thing. It‘s a capacitor (claimed to be) universally compatible with induction motors.
I have a Hamilton Beach blender that’s at least that old and has never been out of the box. I won it as a door prize at a company Christmas party. Figured I’d use my current blender until it failed and then switch to the “new” one. The old one never failed, actually haven’t used that one in twenty years or so. I’m not a big blender user.
One of my first jobs was repairing Kenwood Chefs, they were built like tanks and the most common failure was the armature burning out due to use.
You could often get dry solder joints on the later electronic controllers.
Know anyone who’s looking for some Mixmasters? I’ve got several that need new homes. Think they’re mostly model 11 and 12, may be a 10 or two, might even have an M4.
We’re talking about a stand mixer, not a floor polisher.
Second, the motor in this mixer has brushes, so it’s a series wound motor. The capacitor you posted is for single phase induction motors which are almost never used in equipment this small. If the equipment has a small high speed motor, it’s assuredly a series wound.
Sunbeam Mixmasters do use capacitors in their speed control. .08 uF, to be specific, plus a wire wound resistor.
