TSV VITAMIX - Page 2

SusieQ_2 · ‎03-27-2012

@MKR14, I'm not sure if you remember talking to me last year regarding air fryers but you were very helpful to me in making the decision to buy one. It's been close to a year now--I purchased it on 1/31/2018--and I'm so glad I did. Thank you.

As it happens, I bought the Explorian 310 Vitamix when it was a TSV on 2/18/2018 for $329.94. The item number is K46761 if you'd like to look it up and read the reviews which are very good. The only difference between then and now is that the price is now $449.98. I'm glad I bought it when I did! The difference between yesterday's TSV and mine is that mine included the 32 dry container which sells for $144.95 on the Vitamix website. You paid $49.98 less than me, so if that dry container isn't a deal breaker (I've yet to use mine), I'd say you got a great deal. I may use the dry container in the future, but for everything I've made so far (and I've made a lot!), the wet container has been perfect.

I'm going to address three issues that I've seen brought up here, and in the reviews, and give you my take. The first is the issue of noise. I don't even know what to say here other than "Seriously???" Of course it's noisy--it's a blender! Is it excessively noisy? Definitely not, imo. If someone can show me a machine that blends whole nuts into a creamy butter in 60 seconds, or whole ice cubes and frozen fruit into a smooth consistency without being noisy, I'll name my next child after you.

The second issue I read about in the reviews was "doesn't sit steady on the base." I wish people would do some research before automatically assuming something is a defect. This was taken from a site called BlenderLady.com ~

Q ~ "The container moves or rotates on the base – is this normal?"

A ~ "Yes, it is perfectly normal for the Vitamix container to twist a bit while seated on the base unit. There are 4 rubber stoppers that will prevent the container from spinning. It is perfectly fine for the container to sit “twisted” a bit, resting against the rubber stoppers while the machine is running. When the machine is not on, the container can twist back and forth – as long as it is seated firmly on the base, this is to allow room for the gears in the container to line up with the gears in the motor base and is perfectly acceptable!"

And from the Vitamix website ~

Q ~ "Is it normal for the container to move slightly on the motor base""

A ~ "Yes, it is normal for this to happen as the coupling is aligning with the drive socket."

The last thing I noticed was a comment that the blender didn't stay put on the counter when blending at high speeds (moving around the counter?). I can tell you this has never happened to me. If someone has that problem my suggestion would be to clean the very sturdy rubber stoppers on the bottom of the base and clean your counters so that the blender can make good contact with the surface it's on. I've made everything from nut butters to frozen fruit smoothies and never experienced my blender moving on the countertop.

Here's the bottom line for me--the Explorian 310 is the least expensive Vitamix in their line but that doesn't mean it won't perform exactly like the more expensive models when it comes to the final product. What it does mean is that it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other models--like programmable presets, a timer, a digital interface that links up wirelessly with bluetooth. Personally, none of that mattered to me, I just wanted an excellent blender that I could count on to last for many years to come. I'm 100% satisfied with my E310 and I hope you will be too!

skittles2 · ‎03-22-2010

@MKR14

Hi,

Costco has the Explorian *320*, the 310 has a 2.0 hp, isn't the latest, it's been around for years. 320 has 2.2hp, nice 64 oz container, 7 yr warranty, much longer return policy

Right now the price is $349, but it will come back down to $299, it often does, and their online prices are usually higher than the store.

I always call the store because the prices are almost always lower. Your local store may have it for 299, and if they're sold out they can check other stores for you. If the price is the same as their online site, I'd keep calling, pretty soon the price will lower.

the 310 has a 5 yr warranty, the 320 is 7 years, that extra 2 yrs makes a big difference and Costco's return policy is basically forever. I bought 2 for a few of my children.

320 vs 310:

-- price on sale 299 vs 279 even not on sale the warranty and return policy seals the deal- but it will go on sale.

--2.2hp vs 2hp

--container bigger 64 oz vs 48 oz,

I like the option of bigger for those times I want more, which I always make to full capacity and sometimes it's barely enough....whereas the 48oz you can only make that max amt, if you want more of something, you have to redo everything .

--longer warranty 7yrs vs 5yrs big plus

--return policy years vs 30 days big plus

I've had a few Vitamix, latest was 7500 2.2hp and that was considered to be the quietest from previous models, still sounds like jet landed in my kitchen.

I now own the latest...Ascent 3500, and it is considerably quieter than any other Vitamix I've had. It's still loud, but much better.

It also gets the least warm, it has a special fan that reduces heat on the machine so evefything, all compnents, last longer.

It has a 10 yr warranty,

a clear lid, which I love to see things better, and the lid doesn't accidently come off during the process because it goes on more securely than the black ones, and you clearly feel and hear the connections.

I'm very happy with the Ascent! QVC has a few of Ascent line, 2300 & 2500, not the 3500., I bought mine from vitamix and they offered a good dscount. I don't know how the 2300 & 2500 compare, but I've read they're quite good.

You may want to contact Vitamix and ask them what's the quietest- they'll tell you 3500, but 2300&2500 may be just as quiet- again none of them are quiet, but these are the best at being quieter.

But, I think you get used to it no matter the machine, and if you can buy a quiet box for a particular machine if available, and you can afford it, that's a good option.

FURBABIES ARE THE BREATH OF LIFE

MKR14 · ‎03-09-2010

@SusieQ_2 Thank you! Thank you! You answered the question about the noise. Yes I do remember you.

I had a Ninja Blender I returned that was louder than any demo I have seen on the Vitamix. It also didn’t have the Horsepower as the Vitamix.

My husband is a retired electrician and was very pleased with the specs on the Vitamix and said to buy it!

I bought two more of the Air Fryers that I suggested to you. My two grandchildren said it was the best Christmas present ever and are loving theirs. My new Vitamix will sit on my counter next to my Air Fryer.

I plan on putting my Vitamix on one of the scalloped silicone microwave mats that I bought recently from Lori Greiner. I also have bought two more sets for friends. I love how they work and clean up. I love them in the microwave. Pretty colors also.

I am glad I couldn’t cancel the Vitamix and I will love the Vintage Mint color.

With the Horsepower the Vitamix has I would expect it to move around some. I also like that you don’t have to twist the container top and lock it in place.

I do appreciate your post as I always watch three or four presentations on appliances before purchasing them. I went through Ebates and got $14.00 rewards also so I did good.

I actually teared up reading your post as I felt better about my decision now. Many thanks again.

MKR14 · ‎03-09-2010

@skittles2 Thank you for your post. Most of the blenders are noisy so I can deal with that as I devised a solution. If it too noisy I will plug in the Vitamix in the back bedroom and let it go the 6 minutes for the soup.

It is just me mostly that will make things to eat as my husband isn’t big on smoothies or homemade soups-that’s ok as it will be more for me.

I have a neighbor that likes the same foods I do that I will share with. She lost her husband last year and appreciates every gesture of kindness you show her. When she baked at Christmas she brought us homemade cookies. We enjoyed them so she is kind also.

I am glad you found the right Vitamix for you. I didn’t want to spend over $300.00 so the TSV was a good deal for me.

Wish there was a Costco’s near us.

@skittles2 Your quote is so right. Fur babies are the breath of life!

SusieQ_2 · ‎03-27-2012

@MKR14,

You're very welcome. I bet your grandkids are enjoying the air fryers! I'm glad my post gave you some peace of mind regarding your purchase. Don't think I'm saying the Vitamix isn't loud, and as Skittle reinforced, they are loud. I just don't think there's a blender that isn't loud, after all, it's grinding, crunching, and doing all the things a good blender does. I mean, I wouldn't want to turn it on with a sleeping baby in the next room, lol.

For me it's just not a problem. The longest blend I've done is 7 minutes when making hot soup. A loud seven minutes is a small price to pay for the final product and most blends are 3 minutes or less.

The good news is, if it turns out to be too loud for you, you can send it back. I think you got free s&h so you would only have to pay for the return shipping. That's what I figured when I bought mine...I could check it out and send it back if I needed to. Needless to say after my first post that I'm very happy with mine.

One thing Skittle mentioned in her post was the difference in the E310 and the E320 is the size of the container. The 310 has a 48 oz container while the 320 has a 64 oz container. I didn't want a bigger container, and since you mentioned most things will be made just for you, you probably don't either. Some people do though, it's just a matter of preference, so it's nice to have a choice.

Both the 310 and 320 are fairly new in the Vitamix line. The E310 came out at the end of 2017 (I want to say around Sept?) and the E320 came out in early 2018 (I think around April or so).

Again, I'm glad my post helped ease a little anxiety and I really hope you end up loving your blender as much as I love mine!

skittles2 · ‎03-22-2010

@MKR14

@MKR14 wrote:
@skittles2 Thank you for your post. Most of the blenders are noisy so I can deal with that as I devised a solution. If it too noisy I will plug in the Vitamix in the back bedroom and let it go the 6 minutes for the soup.
It is just me mostly that will make things to eat as my husband isn’t big on smoothies or homemade soups-that’s ok as it will be more for me.
I have a neighbor that likes the same foods I do that I will share with. She lost her husband last year and appreciates every gesture of kindness you show her. When she baked at Christmas she brought us homemade cookies. We enjoyed them so she is kind also.
I am glad you found the right Vitamix for you. I didn’t want to spend over $300.00 so the TSV was a good deal for me.
Wish there was a Costco’s near us.
@skittles2 Your quote is so right. Fur babies are the breath of life!

You are going to love your machine, I promise you. Love soup, flours, nut butters, ice cream ( well, for me, frozen yogurt) slushies, chopping, all kinds of things, always discovering more ways to use it.

If you've never use one, they say to use it every day to get the feel of it, minor things, nothing big. The other Vitamix told me when I had a variable like yours, and my daughters I bought for them- when you start it, go to 1, then quickly after take it to full 10, unless your doing a chop like an onion, etc., but most things should go to 10. The motor works to hard at the lower numbers and longer, revving up to 10 makes the motor work easier and lasts longer.

Take advantage of Vitamix's customer support, I've bugged them numerous times! One call was about some of my fav foods but didn't see any recipes online, so they created a few for me and emailed them.

also, if you buy a Vitamix from anywhere, not just directly from them, well it has to be an autheroized place, , Vitamix usually offers a discount on accessories for a time period after your purchase.

one of my previous Vitamix had a scratch on the black lid which didn't effect the use of the lid, just aesthetics, I wanted to look at a non scratched lid...lol.

I called Vitamix to order another lid, they sent me a new one free of charge and said to keep the scratched one to use when mixing spices or strong scented items. It really came in handy.

Costco has a website and you don't have to use their card to order, they also have great Cust service like Vitamix and QVC. Usually by big ticket items at Costco, Nordstrom, BBB because of their great long return policy.

Q's is great starting in Sept for the holidays- 4 months. Any other big $$$ items, if you can, wait until then so you have a nice long try me period to decided if something will work for you.

Q's easy pay is also the main reason I buy from them, even other stores have a lower price, if I can't do that lower price and Q has it on easy pay, and I want/need it now, I'll choose Q for easy pay.

Your neighbor is fortunate to have you, you're very sweet! you've been compasionate towards her. It has to be lonely losing a spouse. My daughter did at a young age- in her late 20's. No matter how long you're with someone, love is love, loss is lonely, forever, and for someone such as you, to give your attention and friendship, check on them, let them know you like to be around them, there's no price on that kind of character.

thank you for looking at my quote.....I couldn't imagine life without those little souls around

FURBABIES ARE THE BREATH OF LIFE

Maloyo · ‎09-05-2014

I own a Vitamix although not the model that was the TSV. They are loud, although most of te time it isn't an issue but if you run it early morning or late at night, you will notice it more. I used it one morning at around 6 am and I truly thought I was going to wake up my entire apartment building.

Daysdee · ‎03-09-2010

Lots of good information posted here. Very interesting and helpful.

MKR14 · ‎03-09-2010

@Daysdee I love being able to ask questions for feedback on the forum. @SusieQ_2 and @skittles2 helped me feel comfortable with my new Vitamix purchase.

I like the honesty of the feedback as that is why a question is asked.

It is always a plus when others get helpful information that they may have been looking for.

I always help wherever I can if I am sure of the answer. If I don’t know on electronics I search the internet for the person asking.

Even though I am retired I still love to learn. Please ask on any forum if you ever have any questions. We all check many of the forums besides this one.

GiantsLover · ‎08-28-2018

MKR NY:

I know my Vitamix was not a fairly new model so I believe it may have been the 5200 model,, but not really sure.

Do not cancel, let it arrive and try it out for a while, and then decide.

You may not experience any problems because I am sure the newer Vitamix models have been more perfected after Vitamix recieved Consumer Feedback Complaints and Suggestions on some older problematic/defective Vitamix models.

Good Luck:, and please update us.