Ahh, the old debate...
which mixer is better - it really has to do with what sort of cook you are - how you use your mixer. I'm told that the triple whips are good for aerating because of the third beater. So if you're baking a lot or make merangues (sp), the triple whip is a godsend. As for Sunbeam vs HB, I personally think most of the two-beater style mixers aerate well enough for my needs (but of course I need a triple whip because they look soooo cooool!) Mostly the debate becomes more of a "Coke VS Pepsi" thing than anything else - some people swear by their Sunbeams, others think the HB's beater design is the way to go. It's largely a question of personal choice.
Triple-whips pop up on eBay frequently, but buying a mixer off of eBay is a hit-and-miss proposition. Most people that sell a mixer on eBay don't specialize in mixers - they sell a variety of things. So, they assume they "know what they are doing" and pack the mixer as they think is best. Unfortunately, most peole think they are cast iron (because they are so heavy), and can withstand just about anything (after all, they've lasted this long - right?) The problem is, most mixers are actually just cast pot metal, with is actually fairly soft and fragile. The weak point is where the mixer head attaches to the base - if the seller doesn't detach the head from the base prior to shipping, the metal can snap there - making the mixer utterly useless. I'll include a link to a fellow mixer collecor's website where he includes packing directions for sellers. Some sellers are receptive of the query (especially if you tell them you will happily pay extra for shipping costs to make sure your baby makes it to your home safe), but some sellers get indignant - it'a always best to ask before you bid.
If you do buy one off eBay they usually go for around $30 plus shipping. I don't trust a shipping charge less than $20 on a mixer that has its bowls. $25 - $30 is more likely. It is not unusual to pay more in shipping than for the actual mixer itself.
What do I use? I have my turquoise 12 that I use as my "daily driver". If I need to whip something up, its plugged in and ready to go on my counter. If I'm doing something more substantial, I pull out one of my Kitchenaids. I have a 4b (1944) that I pull out at Thanksgiving for the heavy loads. Sunbeams are underpowered for any "heavy" jobs like kneading bread or mixing a heavy cookie dough. I don't want to overtax the motor, so I use the heavier mixer for the bigger loads. I think the most mixers I have used at Thanksgiving was three - and that's just because I have a very tiny kitchen and no counter space.
Now mind you, again my using Kitchenaid for heavier loads is just my personal taste. I know of a collector who uses Sunbeams with dough hooks regularly to make large batches of home made bread. Some later models of Sunbeams, known affectionately as "Plastcmasters" because they are the first to have plastic in their construction, have dough hooks. Never use dough hooks on a model they weren't intended for i.e model 12 and earlier and some Vistas.
As for creaming butter and sugar together? For me it's a two-beater machine all the way (for me Sunbeam, but you might prefer your HB). If I had a triple whip, I might prefer it - but either one is going to do a better job at aerating than a Kitchenaid IMHO. It's that "planetary" action on the beater. I don't think they're optimal for increasing the volume in egg whites either.
Now, keep in mind when I speak of Sunbeams I am talking about model 10 and later. They have the best beater technology, I think. If you have acess to one, you will notice that one beater is square, and one beater is rounded. The rounded beater is meant to be next to the side of the bowl, and the square one in the middle of the bowl. The round beater should alos have a small nyln "button" at its tip. This button is meant to just contact the bottom of the bowl to cause the bowl to turn as the beater rotates. Sunbeam called this "bowl fit technology". And it works! If you have the beaters properly installed, and the mixer head height properly adjusted, the mixer will happily - and thoroughly - combine ingredients AND turn the bowl for you. According to Sunbeam literature of the day it "saves arm-work!".
Generally I don't use my pre-war models. I fix 'em up so they run optinally, then let them enjoy an easy retirement on display in my home. Sometimes I'll fire one up from time-to-time just to watch it go.
Some of the HB's have the nylon button on the bottom of their beater, and it works too - however they don't have the "bowl fit shape" of the Sunbeams.
Here's a copy of an advertisement for the design.
