Blendtec HP3a Home Blender - Red Base

This will probably sound shallow to the blender connoisseurs out there, but after reading the reviews comparing and contrasting Blendtec with Vitamix (its main rival), I chose the Blendtec in the end because I couldn't stand the idea of paying a fortune for the Vitamix that is (in my opinion) really unattractive :). The Blendtec, on the other hand, is fantastically sharp-looking on the counter. I use it daily and it performs like a dream. It is goof-proof. Decide what you want it to do and push the corresponding button. It turns itself off when it's done, and counts down the seconds digitally while it's working.

I use it almost solely for smoothies and it is every bit as good as the Vitamix that I borrowed from a friend for several weeks when I was test-driving these (expensive) machines. When you're spending so much cash on a kitchen appliance, you don't want buyer's remorse. I was thrilled to discover the Blendtec right before I was about to plunk down $500 for...Read more

This shiny red hummer will likely cost you another $50 a year to operate according to a K-Tech representative we spoke to on the phone last month.

We've had our blender for nearly 5 years, but won't be patronizing K-TEC, including their BlendTec product line, anymore. The pitcher has a gear fitting on the bottom that tends to wear out every 2 years. They blamed us the first time because we had put the pitcher in the dish washer a couple of times. Thinking they were an honest business, we coughed up the $100 to have them ship a new pitcher. Around 2 years later, the exact same problem started happening. This time they admitted that their pitchers only last about 2 years with regular use.

Here are the symptoms:
* Grey powder between the pitcher and the base. That's powder from the metal shaft in the pitcher grinding up.
* Sharp grinding noise at the beginning right before the blades really spin.

Eventually the shaft fitting wears down...Read more

I purchased one from a Costco show. I use it for smoothies and soup. The male spindle at the base of the jar is starting to grind away, leaving fine black schmutz on the bottom of the jar. I can see that the bottom of the teeth are being ground away at an angle. So here's the catch: you spend >$400 on this thing, and the warranty is only on the base. They've designed the teeth at the bottom of the blender jar to be softer than the main motor teeth, and only warranty the motor base. Genius, but wrong. I'm pissed, and I hope Costco will accept mine for a refund. Look at other brands, avoid the Blendtec.