KitchenAid K-45 Mixer -- How Old Is It?

[rp2813]

Oh, there's no shortage of interest in small appliances here!

 

Members Kevin (kevin313) and Hans (norgeway) come to mind as two who have huge collections.  I checked if either of them have a photo album for viewing but they don't.  Kevin has a lot of his collection, most of which is cooking/baking-oriented, displayed in an old small town dime store space somewhere in Michigan.  Last I heard he was planning to open to the place to the public but I don't know where things stand at the moment.

 

[ea56]

Ralph, Kevin’s Store is in Michigan and has been open for over two years now. See thread 1031278 for the 411.

Also, check out his many video’s on You Tube on “Cavalcade of Food”. He’s done several videos hightlighting his extensive collection of small appilances and housewares. They are really interesting and I like the way both he and Ralph, his partner do these videos very much.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 6/13/2021-21:07]

Cavalcade of Food updates

Hi everyone. We haven't posted any new Cavalcade of Food episodes for a few months, which I usually share here, as I've been spending most of my free time working on a commercial building I purchased a year ago with the intent on housing my collection of large and small appliances, cookbooks...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[qsd-dan]

Hans has an impressive collection. His entire mixer collection isn't even included in the thread below.

 

Hans' s vintage appliance building!

Vacuums,to irons to pots and pans!

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[louvac]

Damn!

It never pays to get too aggressive! Help! Does anyone have a spare Kitchenaid Mixer model K45 metal band for sale?

When I was cleaning it, the "aid" started to fade off-Shit! I should have left well enough alone!

 

[rp2813]

At least your mixer's band has the current logo on it so if you have to buy a new replacement, it will look correct for the mixer's age. 

 

I found two part numbers for the band and confirmed it will fit 4 and 5 quart models (both tilt head and bowl lift types):  W11230105 and 9702637.  Prices range from $13 & change up to a whopping $28, neither of which includes shipping. 

 

Reviews on Amazon for this part are mixed, some of them indicating that the notched areas for speed control and lock/unlock levers were a poor fit and needed to be filed down.  PartSelect and eReplacementParts sites indicate this part is on back order.  It might require some searching before you find a source that has one readily available.

 

Otherwise, be on the lookout for a parts donor.  They are few and far between, but I once saw a discarded and presumably dead bowl-lift model out behind a restaurant near me.  I had no use for it and didn't need to add to the clutter in my shop, but it sat out there for a while.

 

[louvac]

I was able to locate one on fleebay

Found one on Fleebay for $18-not too bad but it's the same logo as yours in the original post. I don't think it matters much. At least it's in better shape than the one I have now.

Anyway, I discovered something else here today. When I took the rear cover off to clean and inspect it, I noticed inside the back cover in the center is a number 76 which corresponds to the number on the white label underneath and inside the neck of the machine. I am willing to bet donuts to dollars my assumption is correct. When your number is 4-5 digits- the first three will be the Julian date and the last two are the year.

To prove this all we need to do is collect data from other collectors to see what their first three digits are. There should be no number higher than 365!

 

[rp2813]

Interesting.  I guess I'll soon be taking the rear cover off of my mixer and checking for a date.

 

Nice score on the old trim band.  You got a great deal on it!  Post pictures if you can, once you have the mixer all cleaned up and the new band on it.

 

[louvac]

K45

I will post pics once I get it complete, RP! Thanks!

 

[louvac]

Here it is guys!

Hey guys! The band arrived over the weekend along with the rubber feet from KitchenAid which were free. Then I found a set of attachments all three for $32. I did have to make one small adjustment to the head screw just enough to lift the Beaters a tad bit up from the bottom of the bowl. Here's the pics! Oh by the way there's only one small gash up above from the speed control. I will get to Hobby Lobby sometime this week and get some testors paint and do a little touch up. Meguiars Carnauba wax does a fantastic job shining these up. However, I don't think these machines were as highly polished or glossy as the new ones that are made today are. I agree with many of you guys that these older ones are just as good as probably the newer ones but the older ones have a little bit more of a refined sound and mechanical action if you ask me.

 

[eronie]

The motors on the new ones are totally different!

 

[rp2813]

Nice job cleaning that beauty up! 

 

I used white appliance touch-up paint on my mixer and it's barely noticeable, and it can be found at any hardware store, including ACE.  A bottle of that would likely be cheaper than paint from HL (a store I will never set foot in, btw).  Less is more.  Just a tiny bit of it on the tip of the applicator brush is all you'll need to make any nicks or scratches disappear. 

 

I agree with you that these older Hobart machines are much quieter and better built than the stuff that Whirlpool has been turning out for the past 30 or so years.  I really enjoy using mine, and if anyone else is present, there's no need to yell while it's operating.  I find it laughable that on cooking shows people have trouble narrating at an audible level while their shiny new KA mixer is running.

 

[louvac]

That is too funny, Rp!

Funny you mention that because yes the newer ones tend to scream a little bit. I generally don't like h l either but they're the only one sometimes that carry the things you can't find at other craft stores. But I will try the appliance touch up paint. Stay tuned.

 

[jannerk45]

Searching for replacement cord K45 1975

Hi, The cord on my mom's K45 is disintegrating and I'd like to replace it. Any ideas on where to find one? The ones I've found online say they're for K45SS. Would those work? Pics of identifying markings.
Thanks

 

[norgeway]

On my K45

If you take the rear cover off the date is stamped on the fiber board in the rear, mine was made in 1970.

 

[rp2813]

Janner, it looks like your K45 was produced in September of 1975, so it's closing in on 47 years old.

 

I don't see why you couldn't use a replacement cord for a current model K45SS.  The SS just means the mixer has a solid state speed control.  I haven't looked closely at newer Kitchenaids but my only concern would be that they might all use a grounded three-prong plug now.  You can try to find a KA cord with a two-prong plug, but it would probably be new old stock on eBay or something.  Or you could use a factory replacement cord with a three-prong plug and not bother connecting the ground wire to the mixer.  If your outlet is a GFI type, you could safely use an un-grounded three-prong plug in it. 

 

[novabeau]

Date sticker on my hobart k5-a

Hello all, I am trying to repair my grandma's hobart kitchenaid k5-a. It won't turn on at all according to what she said. It was working fine, she shut it off and it wouldn't start again.

What would I be needing to check to see what's up? Would the capacitor cause this? There is a orange sticker on the bottom side of the base that has 9279 on it, would this be it's build date?

If so it's a few months older than me, I know it's been around for my 44 years on this earth. She received a new one for Xmas but I'm not ready to put ol faithful out to pasture.

 

[rp2813]

It could be something as simple as a detached wire.  The link below will take you to a sister site that offers for sale different types of literature for appliances large and small, including a comprehensive K5-A service manual.  The manual should also help you determine if the speed control or motor could be the source of the trouble.  If a new speed control is needed, I'm fairly certain that a solid state control (used on all K5-SS models) will fit without the need for modifications. 

Food Preparer/Mixer Service Manual

Food Preparer/Mixer Service Manual

www.automatice.org

 

[novabeau]

Thanks Ralph, I just printed off the service manual for the ol tank. Curious to see if I can figure out what happend to it.

She was in the middle of making cookies for Christmas and shut it off to add some stuff and it wouldn't start back up. How much of the newer k5ss stuff like brushes ect will interchange with a k5-a? I genuinely appreciate anyone's help, thank you.

 

[rp2813]

Beau, I can't imagine much changing with the brushes, but I think you could find replacements even if Hobart doesn't still have them.  Those giant screws on the sides of the mixer head provide access to the brushes, but I don't know if they also function as adjusters.  The service manual will advise one way or the other.

 

I don't think anything else changed with the conversion to solid state speed control by Hobart.  It was only after Whirlpool bought KitchenAid from Hobart that certain mechanical parts changed, like from metal to plastic, but I assume the specs remained the same.  We lost our mixer expert here a few years ago, but other members may be able to provide more insight than I can.

 

If nobody else chimes in, you may want to launch a new discussion in the "Super" forum.  Really old threads like this sometimes get ignored.  This one has been resurrected a number of times over the dozen+ years since I first posted it.  It's amazing how little information is available on line about KA mixers, considering their popularity.