Kenwood Chef Mixer - Arm lifting when in use

O0mix0O

Hi all,

I have a fairly old (15 years) Kenwood Chef Stand mixer. When in use whether whisking, beating or kneading the arm lifts within seconds and unless held down, will lift repeatedly during the process.

I'm loathed to take it to the local appliance repair shops as they charge extortionate amounts to even take a look!

Hoping it's something small that I could deal with myself

Thanks in advance!

firefox1956

Sounds to me like the lock down button is either stuck or has broken off.
It is more likely to be stuck.
Have a little look see & maybe little a squirt of WD40 in the right place should sort it.
UNPLUG the machine first & of course do not spray anything into the electrics !!
HTH

danthemoneysavingman

you could try the old fashioned "put a brick on it" approach.
Not just restricted to bricks of course!

O0mix0O

firefox1956 wrote: »

Sounds to me like the lock down button is either stuck or has broken off.
It is more likely to be stuck.
Have a little look see & maybe little a squirt of WD40 in the right place should sort it.
UNPLUG the machine first & of course do not spray anything into the electrics !!
HTH

That sounds like a good place to start, will investigate...

danthemoneysavingman wrote: »

you could try the old fashioned "put a brick on it" approach.
Not just restricted to bricks of course!

Haha, I did try this but the vibrations cause ANY object to fall off pretty easily

alfantastic

firefox1956 wrote: »

Sounds to me like the lock down button is either stuck or has broken off.
It is more likely to be stuck.
Have a little look see & maybe little a squirt of WD40 in the right place should sort it.
UNPLUG the machine first & of course do not spray anything into the electrics !!
HTH

firefox1956's tip is on the right track for freeing up a sticky mechanism. Don't use WD40 though, as the petroleum distillates it contains can damage plastic, especially 15 year old plastic like yours.
Use a silicone lubricant, as this will still free up sticky parts, whilst being much more plastic and rubber friendly.

Ben84

If yours is fairly old at 15, mine must be prehistoric.

Anyway, I'm unsure about applying grease to the catch. I don't believe they were greased in the first place, and it doesn't seem likely to help it grip anything either. If it's slipping, this will make it far worse. I'd carefully disassemble it and see what I find. It may be bent, dirty or missing something.

Kenwood spares are easily found online, even for my early 70s model, so chances are decent you could replace the part if it is broken.