Grease & Oil Weeping After Repair
This is the most common post-repair experience and the one that causes the most concern. It is normal.
To properly service a KitchenAid gearbox we need to fully disassemble it, clean all old grease out using chemical solvents, inspect the components, and repack with fresh grease. The cleaning process is thorough — but a mixer has a surprisingly large number of small cavities, channels, and recesses that hold traces of solvent and oil. These work their way out over the days following the repair, often appearing as oily spots or a slight film under the base of the stand.
In addition, if we have re-oiled the armature bush wicking pad — a felt pad designed to hold and slowly release oil onto the armature shaft — some of that oil will migrate through the casing over time. This is the pad doing exactly what it is supposed to do. The oil path from the wicking pad to the outside of the machine can be surprisingly long.
The Mixer Smells After the Repair
Fresh grease and machine oil have a noticeable smell — not unpleasant exactly, but definitely noticeable compared to what you’re used to. Your mixer will smell of these when you collect it.
The smell is not harmful. It comes from the combination of fresh H1 food-safe grease, the machine oil on the armature bush, and any residual solvent from the cleaning process. It fades with normal use over time as the mixer heats up through use and the fresh grease settles in.
Speed Not Adjusted or Verified
KitchenAid mixers have a speed adjustment screw that sets how the speed control relates to the motor output. Over time, or following certain repairs, the speed calibration can drift — meaning speed 1 runs faster than it should, or speed 10 doesn’t reach full power.
Unless you specifically tell us there is a speed-related problem, or we identify one during our assessment, we do not routinely adjust or verify speed calibration as part of a standard repair. A grease change or worm gear replacement does not require a speed check, and we won’t perform one by default.
If you want speed verified or adjusted, please tell us when you drop the mixer off. Include it in your written fault description. It is a straightforward task but requires the mixer to be run through its range, and that takes time we won’t allocate unless it’s been requested.
Motor Brushes Not Checked
KitchenAid mixers use carbon motor brushes that wear down over time. Worn brushes cause the motor to run poorly, spark excessively, or fail to start. Eventually they wear out completely and the motor stops running altogether.
Checking brush wear requires accessing the motor, which is a separate task from most gearbox work. We do not routinely inspect brush condition unless we are already accessing the motor as part of the repair, or unless you tell us you want it checked.
If your mixer is more than a few years old and has had significant use, it’s worth asking us to check the brushes while it’s with us. Replacing brushes while the mixer is already disassembled costs considerably less than a separate service visit for the same job.
Rear Armature Bush Not Oiled
The armature shaft runs on bushings at the front and rear of the motor. The rear bush is lubricated via a wicking pad — a small felt pad that holds oil and releases it gradually onto the shaft during operation. Over time, the pad dries out and the bush runs dry, which increases wear on both the shaft and the bush itself.
Accessing the rear bush requires more significant disassembly than most standard repairs. We do not routinely oil the rear bush unless we are already in that area of the machine, or unless you specifically request it.
If your mixer is older, runs noisily from the rear of the motor, or has been used heavily for many years, the rear bush is worth attention. A dry rear bush left untreated will eventually cause shaft wear that is more expensive to rectify.
A New Fault Appears After the Repair
We repair the fault that was described and identified. We do not — and cannot — warrant the entire machine against all future faults simply because we have replaced one component in it.
It is genuinely common for a mixer to develop a new fault shortly after a repair that has absolutely nothing to do with the work we carried out. The mixer is an older appliance with multiple components that all age together. Repairing one fault doesn’t reset the clock on everything else.
A useful test to apply: if another repairer were to carry out exactly the same repair and the new fault still appeared, it is a new fault — not a consequence of our work. If the new symptom is the same as the original one, contact us immediately as it may be covered under our warranty.
Minor Cosmetic Marks During Disassembly
KitchenAid mixer casings are powder-coated metal. To access the gearbox and motor, the casing must be removed. We use appropriate tools and take care, but on older mixers with paint that has already begun to flake, chip, or harden, disassembly can occasionally cause minor marks around screw locations or panel edges.
We do not accept liability for minor cosmetic damage that occurs during the normal course of disassembly, particularly on older machines or those with pre-existing paint condition issues. We will always point out any cosmetic issue we notice before we begin work if it is visible at assessment time.
A Replaced Part Fails Again
Replacement parts can fail. Even genuine, correctly fitted parts occasionally turn out to be defective from the manufacturer. This is an unfortunate reality of the repair industry that no repairer can fully eliminate.
Within our 3-month warranty period we will replace a defective part in good faith at no charge. After the warranty period, a failed part is treated as a new repair.
Parts that fail due to the same external cause that triggered the original repair — for example, a new worm gear that strips because a spatula is dropped in the bowl again — are not covered under warranty. The part did not fail; it performed exactly as designed.