![]() ![]() Another caveat is they have a spigot at the bottom that can be a pain to keep clean (it was bad enough that you could actually request a plug from Vitamix to stop it up I’m not sure if you can still get one from Vitamix.) I’ve also heard that the seals and blades are more likely to wear out than on current models, and finding replacements these days may be a pain. They’re also not as powerful as the newer models (the 4000 is 7 amps, compared to 11.5 amps for current Vitamix machines). They have stainless steel pitchers, which has a certain appeal, but it makes it harder to see what’s going on inside the pitcher. ![]() Alternatively, you might consider an older model such as the 4000 or 3600, which are from the 1970s and 80s and can be had for under $200. The exception is the occasional story of finding a machine at a yard sale for $5-$20, sold by someone who did not know what it was, so it’s possible to get lucky, but don’t count on it. As I just showed, you can get a factory reconditioned unit for about the same price as used machines usually go for on eBay or Craigslist. Unless you get considerably lucky, I don’t think used is the way to go. See my payment plan page for more details. You can get a Vitamix for ~$18 per month. Vitamix also offers interest-free payment plans. (These machines come with brand-new, unused, containers.) Note that this price for the Vitamix is less than a lot of the used ones that sold on eBay that I mentioned earlier! $329 gets you a factory-reconditioned Vitamix 5200 with a solid 5-year warranty, and $279.95 gets you a factory-refurbished Blendtec Total Blender with a 3-year warranty. Vitamix and Blendtec are currently running sales on reconditioned units. For details on the refurbishing process and why you should consider it, see this page about refurbished Vitamix machines. This is the first place to look for the best price for Vitamix and Blendtec machines. Here are some cheaper options, in order of decreasing cost. ![]() Another way of looking at the value is if you currently buy smoothies or blended coffee drinks, and switch to making them yourself, the blender will quickly pay for itself.īut lets say $450 is just out of your price range. After that period you’ll have to resell it yourself, but the machines are so highly regarded that they maintain good resale value (for example, I just looked on eBay at completed listings of used 5200’s and it looks like the average is about $350!–more on this later). If it’s within 30 days you can get all your money back from Vitamix, and they even pay for return shipping. If you get one, and find that you hardly ever use it, it’s easy to recoup your cash. Add to that the machine will probably last at least 15 years, and you may use it more than 5 times per week, and the cost per use goes much lower. For example, if you get a new Vitamix 5200 for $449, and use it 5 times per week for the 7 year warranty, that’s 25 cents per use. If you’re excited about getting an awesome blender, but Vitamix and Blendtec prices are out of your range, there are some cheaper options that I’ll go over today.īefore I get into it, I want to point out that if you use one of these machines regularly and think about its long lifetime, the cost is less daunting. ![]()
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