Fixed our "broken" Vitamix 5200!
So happy with this kit because we thought our Vitamix 5200 was broken and had started to look for an entire new blender (not cheap!) before taking a chance on this kit. Our Vitamix was making a sort of high pitched bearing squeal when blending at high speeds. After installing this kit the noise is gone and it sounds and functions like it should again! I can't recommend this highly enough, it is a great value compared to purchasing a new blender!A few observations. This fit perfectly into our 32 oz pitcher. The blades and bearings seem to be high quality and are marked made in Japan. Although, I did see a few nicks in the sharp edge of the 4 blade...maybe from shipping or packaging. Very minor and I took them out with a few quick passes with a ceramic blade honing tool. The blades are ground slightly different than the original...the Vitamix blades are a bit more refined at the blade base, but it is a very slight difference. The new blades were much sharper than our used blades.A few notes and tips for installation. The provided plastic wrench worked great and it didn't take too much force to loosen the base of the pitcher that holds the blade in. Once the pitcher base is removed, a light tap to the blade threads popped it out past the seal. Then put the new blade on and be careful to line up the threads so everything is going on straight and not cross threaded.To change the drive sprocket on the blender side (Vitamix 5200): Remove the rubber base cover (pulls straight up). There is a small slot to access the Allen bolt that holds the drive sprocket to the motor shaft. It is hard to see, but there is a small arrow on the edge of the drive sprocket indicating where the Allen bolt is...line that up with the access hole (back edge of the hole). You don't need to remove the Allen bolt, you just loosen it (if you loosen too much it will fall into the bottom of your blender). The top of the plastic wrench has a half circle notch that you will use to gently pry the drive sprocket up and off (the wrench handle will be pointing straight up). Install the new drive sprocket and be careful to adjust how far down you press it. If you leave it up too high your blender pitcher will not sit all the way flat and will rock around. If you go too low you will not be able to access the Allen bolt to tighten it up (just use the top of the plastic wrench again to bring it up just enough). Recommend you check the pitcher will sit flush (with the rubber cover installed) prior to final tightening.
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Easy to install and perfect function for my ice blended drinks!
In my order I didn't receive everything shown, only the two replacement blades and the wrench. However, replacing my original chipped and bent blade assembly with the heavy duty double blade has been equal to getting a whole new unit! I'm not sure if it will hold up over time, but it's such a fantastic value I highly recommend this kit. The replacement process was not difficult, but there aren't any directions included on how to do it. The wrench fits exactly where it needs to be, and embossed letters tell you which way to turn. You'll have to initially be forceful to loosen it, but then it's easy to take the bottom of the container off. Then use the wrench to give a good firm TAP and the blade portion should pop out. It's sharp, maybe use a towel to protect your hands or table. You can look at the rubber seal washer gasket and see how tight you'll make the new blade piece when you tighten it down, again a nice snug turn at the end.I use my vitamin essentially for soup and ice blended drinks. This new double bead is meant to be better for ice so I'm happy to have it! My first drink was perfect so I'm off to a good start. Excellent product, I'd say 5 stars, but I didn't receive the entire kit with the black donut base piece and allen wrench.
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Tips on installing the blade assembly.
If you read the description and some of the other reviews, you have a good idea of this product. Not wanting to repeat the same information about the description, I wanted to give you a few tips on removing and re installation.The two different blades was an added bonus to this package. The first thing is not to be afraid to attempt replacement of the blades. The wrench fits nicely to the bottom side of the base. You do have to give it a quick jerk to break the nut loose. It does take a bit of muscle, but not a lot. The next little trick is that when you remove that nut assembly you have to tap the blade to release it from the blender. They probably have a preset torque that a machine tightens the nut at the factory causing the washer to fully engage the container. Breaking it loose isn't a big deal, but don't hesitate to give it a smack. I'm not going to get into the difference between the two blades, description by the manufacturer answers those questions. Six blades for harder items and the four blades for softer items. I really couldn't tell much difference using the six blade versus the original four blades other than it was a bit quicker to complete the job. Vitamix does a great job in it's ability to turn rocks into dust, so I'll leave that to your judgement. The last tip is reinstalling the blade assembly. It's a bit hard to see in the attached picture but there is a flat side on the blade assembly and a flat spot on the container where they are to meet. If not, the blade assembly will not drop into the container hole. Once in you have to hold the blade assembly to start screwing in the nut. You have to use the wrench to tighten it up. I tightened it up the best I could and then let it rest for a few minutes. I then was able to tweak it just a bit more. After putting it back together I gave it a trial rum. Started it off at the slowest speed and then gradually increased the speed.
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