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comments on BlendTec warranty, from me and BlendTec . . . part 1 of 2


Robyn Openshaw - Aug 28, 2008 - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


I read some comments about BlendTec and VitaMix warranties on my blog when I returned from my long vacation. You can easily read the 7 reasons why I chose to promote the BlendTec Total Blender, instead of VitaMix (though I own both), here: https://greensmoothiegirl.com/favorite-things/tools/blenders/. Okay, it’s really 6 reasons, because the last one is pretty stupid. But I’m adding another one (as soon as my newly hired webmaster comes on), and that is how much easier it is to get stuff out of the bottom of the BlendTec canister! (I always wasted stuff using the VM, which is terribly narrow at the bottom where the blades are.)

If I wanted to, I could promote both companies on this site. I’m going to focus on the positives of the one I chose rather than the negatives of any other. I have a strong conviction about the integrity of BlendTec, a company headquartered here near my home. I know the employees all the way up to David Beck, the president, and worked with one of the authors of the “Will It Blend” campaign when we were both fresh out of college. These folks are phenomenal, on a perpetual quest to provide the best products in the world in the home appliance industry. When I send David an email with a question, I get a phone call from him within five minutes.

About the warranty, David Beck told me about a commercial shop he works with who says they burned out 20 VitaMix machines and only 2 BlendTec machines in the same time period. I believe it. Although I like my VitaMix (I have two of them, and owned them long before I found BlendTec), I have had to send mine in for repair a number of times. Not so my BlendTec machine. I like that the BlendTec automatic shutoff prevents the machine from burning up (I have burned up my VitaMix motor before, twice).

Dave says their experience is that if you are going to have a problem with your machine, it is right away, not three years after purchase. Comparing the length of the warranty on two different companies’ machines is somewhat pointless, since the machines are not equal. You need a long warranty if you’re not confident your purchase will last.

To address John’s confusion about limitations on the cycles within the warranty, which he recently posted, tomorrow I will post a memo BlendTec wrote me.

Posted in: Tools & Products

15 thoughts on “comments on BlendTec warranty, from me and BlendTec . . . part 1 of 2”

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Robyn, thanks for your comments re BlendTec. I am waiting till I get all my pennies together in order to get one. Cant wait!! I guess my green smoothies will be smoothier than in my regular blender? Im tired of picking out bits from in between my teeth. Apologies for the visuals!!!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    “You need a long warranty if you’re not confident your purchase will last.”

    I’m going to have to think about that logic. To me it’s just the opposite – a long warranty means the company is confident their product is going to last at least that long.

  3. I just bought mine a couple days ago and I’m so excited to start playing with it! We’ve already gone through a couple of blenders, so those thinking that it’s too much money and that you’ll just stick with a regular blender, you’re making a HUGE mistake. I think the Blendtec is the only way to go.

  4. http:// says:

    Hal, no more picking greens out of your teeth when you get the turbo jet of blenders, no.

    Katie, it definitely wasn’t my strongest argument, haha.

    Robyn

  5. http:// says:

    by Jeane:

    I got a blendtec at Costco demo and with in 1 1/2 weeks the pulse button quit working, I called them and then said they were so sorry, they wanted me to love it (I already did) and then sent me a brand new one that day and a label to return the first one.

    I had a Vita Mix and it is a good machine, I just like the Blendtec better.

    However, both containers cloud up on me all the time and I have a terrible time getting them unclouded if at all??

  6. Anonymous says:

    I’ve had my blendtec for 6 months and LOVE it! I bought it after burning out my cuisinart after 3-4 yrs. Now I can’t imagine using anything else — no more sticking a spoon in to keep the food moving, etc., and WAY smoother concoctions now. It’s the best kitchen tool I’ve ever invested in.

    re Cloudiness – I found that problem when I used coconut oil in my smoothies. It washes off with soap alright, but when I don’t use it, I usually just rinse with water, which is simpler! I don’t get the same cloudiness with flax oil.

    Robyn, you’ve mentioned in many blogs how you own a vitamix also — if blendtec is so good, why do you have a vitamix? just curious :o)

  7. http:// says:

    Good question. I owned a Vitamix for years before I ever even knew about the lesser-known BlendTec (a division of KTec). I bought the second VitaMix because I had problems with it often enough that I would have to send it into the shop for repairs, and I couldn’t live without a turbo blender even for a few days because I use it so much.

    Then one day, my raw foodist friend Shelley Abegg told me, “There’s a better machine than VitaMix!” So I had to have it and the rest is history.

    😉

  8. I’ve had my Blendtec for 14 years when it was formerly called the Kitchen Champ by Ktec. It is an all in one mixer/blender/food processor and it has endured daily use for all of those years, kneading lots of whole grain bread years ago (before my family went gluten free) and making large quantities of everything you can imagine from scratch. i have had it serviced twice under warranty and have replaced the blender twice and a mixer attachment once in all of those years. There is no question that I will buy a new Blendtec when and if this thing ever dies. I’m not sure if the company remains under the same ownership as that of my old machine but my previous experience was nothing but integral.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I have had my Blendtec for about 6 mos now and love it. I had a regular blender before and I thought it did a good job until I used the Blendtec! There was a huge difference.

    I was making a salad dressing a couple of months ago and forgot that I had left a spoon in the jar so the honey could drip off. I started blending and immediately knew that I had ruined it. The machine still worked but the blade was bent which caused it to blend off balance and “walk” across the counter. Luckily I live in the same city as the manufacturing plant so I took it in and no questions asked, they gave me a new jar. I guess that spoon didn’t blend! haha

    I use my Blendtec every day usually more than once. I was wondering if Robyn could arrange a group buy on the larger jars? The demo at Costco said they are about $80, a little stiff for my budget. What do you think, Robyn?

  10. http:// says:

    Not a problem, I can go to them with an order of multiple units and ask for a break–but I don’t know if it’s an in-demand enough item that others will want one.

    Please speak up if you want a large container for your BlendTec at a discount.

    Robyn

  11. Hey Robyn, I would LOVE to have the larger blender jar. Please count me in if you can get them at a discount!

  12. http:// says:

    Okay. I’ll keep a list–Karen, could you write me at robyn@greensmoothiegirl.com to give me your email address, because sometimes I can see it and sometimes I can’t. And with you, I can’t.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Thanks Robyn for the clarification on the warranty. As I mentioned, the customer service representives that I spoke to at Blentec were probably reading the warranty information from the same manual that I was which still included the 10,000 cycle limitation, so I was going with the best information that was given to me. Thanks again for taking the time to get the real scoop from the people who you know at Blendtec.

    I have tried both machines and like them both. I have come to the conclusion that each machine has certain strengths and weaknesses. A few months ago, the thought of spending $400 for a blender would have been a joke. Now I am thinking about keeping both blenders which would put the total cost closer to $1000 by the time I buy additional jars. My diet is 1000% better now (and I thought I was eating pretty healthy before), so $1000 is not much to invest in one’s health, is it?

    As for Lori’s question to Robyn regarding why have both machines, my experience has been that hummus, nut butter, frozen fruit desserts, or any thick mixtures are much easier to process in the Vitamix due to the tamper. The Blentec is great when the mixture is thinner and flows, and it does grains in the same container, too. If anyone can give me a hint to improve my experience with thicker or frozen mixtures with the Blendtec, I am all ears. I would love to only need one blender and save some money. I am thinking about making a Blentec tamper to fit through the little hole at the top.

    BTW, it looks like Robyn’s comment regarding the design flaw in the VM container is right on. My VM container developed a crack at the base around the blade within just a few uses. The crack has grown, so I will need to replace the VM container soon. Frankly, given the power and torque of these machines, I am not suprised that the containers can crack. But obviously, having to replace them frequently would be a bother. I suspect that the VM problem in this area is related to the “manual” operation of the machine and maybe the narrowness of the container at the bottom. One has to be more careful to not turn the machine on in high mode but rather begin in a slower variable speed and work up to high speed. And when pushing thicker mixtures into the blade with the tamper, the torque and power can be too much if the machine is running at full speed (although no mention of this is made in the user’s guide). Being an engineer, I would always try to start slow and work up to a higher speed, but when I first bought the VM blender (and was a complete novice), I noticed that turning the machine on in high even to clean it with water created a tremendous amount of torque. When I get my next container, I’ll see if my theory holds.

    I would be interested, too, in getting a second larger Blendtec container at a reduced price if I do actually end up keeping both machines. I already bought a second container at Costco for 80 some bucks, but I can take that one back. I will email you, Robyn, regarding adding me to your list, and thanks again for all the valuable information that you provide.

  14. Anonymous says:

    VM has more design flaws than that. Just this week, when I had both my machines in use, something in my VM burned up and this metal ring burned up and fallen off, and the smoky smell, are the evidences of it (this happened a year or so ago, too, right before the motor burned up–I think it came out of the bottom of the metal part in the container). Another thing is that the VM when I burn it up doesn’t turn off. The BT turns off automatically when you reach a certain heat before you damage the motor.

    I have overheated my BT only once, and that’s when BT the company was here doing rapid-fire demos (8 in one day)–which will be released one at a time on YouTube soon, BTW, if you haven’t subscribed to my free vids. They’re really great professional quality, too, thanks to BT’s amazing videographer–I am excited. Butter pecan ice cream (health of course, Ch. 11), involving kids in high nutrition, and lots more.

  15. Anonymous says:

    I wish I thought of asking you about buying the bigger container from you because i just bought one from Costco. I was having alot of company and everyone wanted to drink GS for breakfast along with your amazing Onion flax sunflower crackers so I needed the bigger container. No matter what size container I have i seem to always fill it some much that it overflows from the whole on top and sometimes the sides of the top. But GS still come out great! I love my blendtec and wouldn’t even consider anything else! Everyone that tastes my GS and loves them and wants to get a blendtec, I always tell them to get it from your site Robyn, so that they can get the 12 step program with it. I think it’s so important for people to start understanding how they can simply get themselves better nutrition & to make themselves healthier. Thanks again Robyn, for educating me so that i’m able to help others.

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