Revisit a Question....Mixers???

[system]

Ok… I know this is an item that is talked about a lot over the years but would everyone please give me some updates as to what brand and model of mixers your are all using and your opinion of what you like and dislike. I have looked into quite a few and kind of figured out a few of the pros and cons on the different ones out there but I would like to hear from more end users first before buying. Just my current opinion on a couple is… the old rebuilt Hobart’s seem to be quite a bit better than the current offerings…and half the price or better. One that I am kind of leaning towards and would love to talk to a current owner of one is the Globe SP62P. Thanks again to everyone for your help and advice.

 

[pizzapirate]

Precision appears to be a good option. We put one in one of our stores and it has performed flawlessly for about 4 or 5 years now. From what I understand, they use a lot of non-proprietary parts making it easier and cheaper to be fixed.

Hobart has had a decline in quality for years now and so we have discontinued buying new equipment from them. Previously we had purchased their ovens, refrigeration, mixers, processors, etc.

 

[thepizza]

I have used Hobart H-600 mixers for pretty much the last 13 years and have had almost no trouble with them. But one of them recently died, busted shaft and the repair was as much as a new rebuilt unit. This time around I managed to get a hold of a Hobart P660, and wow - this thing is a tank, it is actually rated to handle 50lbs of flour at a time.

 

[paul7979]

I used Hobart planetary mixers for most all of my career. 12 years of mixing 2000 lbs of flour a week with very few problems. When my Hobart V1401 started acting up last year and wasn’t fixed properly after three visits from Hobart I felt it was time to try something new. I have been using an Empire spiral mixer since and have been nothing but impressed. It is quiet, needs very little maintenance and mixing 100Lbs of flour doesn’t even begin to tax it. As I consider starting a new pizza business, a used spiral mixer is what I’m searching for.

 

[pjcampbell]

Also curious about Globes. I see a lot of them but don’t hear of people using them.

 

[George_Mills]

the Hobart H 600 is an excellent Mixer. We have sold a couple of thousand or more reconditioned ones and have had very few, problems

George Mills

 

[paul7979]

The Hobart H 600 is an excellent Mixer. We have sold a couple of thousand or more reconditioned ones and have had very few, problems

George

Why do you recondition the H 600 as opposed to the M-802’s or the L-800’s? It seems to me that the used price is the same on these but yet the 80qt mixers are designed to mix 50 Lbs of flour but the 60’s are meant to mix smaller batches. I have mixed 50 Lbs in a 60qt hobart but the bowls are filled to the verge of overflowing. I also think the 80’s have larger motors. I have just never understood the popularity of the 60qt mixers when the 80’s seem to fit our business better.

 

[George_Mills]

Hi Paul:

You are correct: The alternatives you list are better and we offer them to our clients.

As a dealer we make suggestions and recommendations to our clients but the H 600 is predominantly the unit they order.

George Mills

 

[system]

I have to agree with the 60qt vs 80qt observation. With 50lbs being the norm for flour it only makes sense that a finish dough batch would end up 70-90 pounds. That being said… most 60qt mixers are at their max in this range and more than a handful cannot even handle it too start with. Why doesn’t Hobart or Globe or the others market the 80qt specifically for the pizza market. Why all the hooplah about 60qt units with pizza gearing or motors torque especially for pizza dough with only 2 speeds…etc… Is it that the 80qts can handle the pizza dough already without any problem? Probably so. Would the money be well spent on an 80qt to have a machine that is running at 75% capacity everyday instead of a 60qt that is at 100-110%? Logic tells me the answer but is there something missing to the obvious? George? Others? What do you all think?

 

[George_Mills]

qcfmike:

I have to agree with the 60qt vs 80qt observation. With 50lbs being the norm for flour it only makes sense that a finish dough batch would end up 70-90 pounds. That being said… most 60qt mixers are at their max in this range and more than a handful cannot even handle it too start with. Why doesn’t Hobart or Globe or the others market the 80qt specifically for the pizza market. Why all the hooplah about 60qt units with pizza gearing or motors torque especially for pizza dough with only 2 speeds…etc… Is it that the 80qts can handle the pizza dough already without any problem? Probably so. Would the money be well spent on an 80qt to have a machine that is running at 75% capacity everyday instead of a 60qt that is at 100-110%? Logic tells me the answer but is there something missing to the obvious? George? Others? What do you all think?

I agree Mike. And I believe any dealer would be happy to sell the better unit.

It is like many items on the market, buyers often do not select what is the best.

There is the factor of familiarity, the H 600 is a basic staple in the pizza industry.

The better units cost more, so that is also a factor.

Another factor is availability of used units. If a large portion of the industry wanted to buy the larger units used there probably would not be an ample supply of the larger units available.

George Mills

I

 

[system]

Like I said…my gut and decades of my family making soups and sauces in 1000 gallon steam kettles 36 deep across the production floor…tells me figure out what you need… then if you want it too last… figure out what you can afford to spend and within reason… buy what you need plus 25-50% more in capacity. We started out our business in an old flower shop with a couple of walk-in coolers because they were there and a handful of 60g to 300g kettles. My uncle is a machinist and fabricated alot of what we needed for our first plant to save money. 25 years into it… with a dozen of expansions… we produce over a million of pounds of product daily, have millions of cubic feet of freezer storage and over 250 employees. The one thing that always held true was as we grew you always looked back and wished you bought that next size kettle or forklift or compressor unit…etc… Yeah it’s a little more upfront…but it always would have saved money in the long run in equipment service and repairs and expansion needs. I hate having equipment fail because of normal use at it’s max load when a little more could have ment the difference of years of dependable use out of something. I am rambling on I think… Just more of my thoughts…for what they are worth. Thanks again George.