My KitchenAid mixer is now 45 years young and still works well. But the power cord is a problem -- the outer white plastic coating has deteriorated, is sticky and has orange discolorations on it -- so it clearly needs to be replaced.
Replacing it seems to be a fairly straightforward DIY job, but I'm afraid of opening something up that should remain sealed. I do see what looks like a separate small cover on the back of the mixer. It's apparently secured by a single Philips screw, and I'm guessing that removing it might give me access to whatever terminals the power cord is attached to.
But I also figured that someone else probably has already had this same problem and has successfully dealt with it. So I'd appreciate any advice before I start doing any surgical procedures on my KitchenAid! Seth
You might find the exact replacement here. It could include grommets and fittings that the original had:
https://www.kitchenaidparts.com/Shop-For-Parts/b121i648/Kitchenaid-Power-Cord-Parts
Here are some illustrated instructions and there are various videos on YouTube.
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/repair/how-to-replace-the-power-cord-on-a-kitchenaid-stand-mixer/
TomP
Thanks VERY much, this is exactly what I was looking for! Seth
Just a wire is an easy fix. You can do it. Enjoy!
After I've used the mixer tomorrow, my plan is to pull the back service cover off, make a little diagram of what wire goes where, and then remove the power cord connections. Hopefully there's a part number somewhere on the cord, and I can match that up with the bazillion power cords on the KitchenAid website. Failing that, I should be able to eyeball and match the right replacement cord, or at least use my own model/serial number to narrow down the possibilities. Since a new cord is only around $15, I can't go too far wrong. Since my circa-1979 mixer is likely a Hobart and not a Whirlpool, I'd like to try to keep it in circulation as long as possible!
Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction, it was quite helpful! I usually like to knead by hand, but I just wanted to give the dough hook a try for a change. I'll probably still finish kneading it by hand anyway! Seth
Eerily, I just replaced mine last weekend after putting it off for a decade or more. The part is readily available on Amazon for $10-$15. It's, literally, a single phillips screw on the cap. Wires clip on - no twisting, no soldering, and no crimping. Slide the strain relief in its slot and reinstall the cap. 5 minutes total if you only take one bathroom break.
Everything looked easy, until I tried to slide the strain relief out of its slot -- for some reason, it doesn't want to budge. I can understand that the strain relief should provide plenty of resistance to horizontal movement (such as pulling on the cord), but not to vertical movement (like sliding the relief upwards and out of its slot). So my next move would be to try a few very gentle taps on the bottom of strain relief with a small hammer, to try an move the thing upward and out of the slot. I'd be using a piece of thin wooden dowel between the hammer and the strain relief, so I'm not banging directly on the mixer itself. But that's unless anyone here has had the same problem and has a better idea. Seth
I did get the power cord replaced, but a few things didn't work out the way I expected. I did try to push the strain relief plug upwards and out of its slot but it wouldn't budge, even with a few hammer taps. So, relying on the old maxim, "Desperation is the mother of invention," I tried instead to pry the thing out with a thin slotted screwdriver. I figured even if I destroyed the plug in the process, it wouldn't matter since I was replacing it in any event. To my surprise the plug did in fact come out after a few gentle pries, and as you can see in the attached pic, apparently it was a "press fit" gizmo and wasn't intended to slide out anyway.
Then I discovered that the strain relief plug on the replacement cord wouldn't slide down into the intended slot -- it was too big! So once again relying on "desperation," I simply shoved the entire relief plug into the mixer, letting the back end of the plug stick out of the hole (see attached pic). It doesn't fit snugly but it will certainly prevent the power cord from being pulled out of the mixer! Now I can hopefully get a few more loaves from my 46 year-old mixer. As you can see, the old power cord was a sticky orange mess and was well on the way to becoming a EPA environmental disaster site.
BTW, when I was putting the rear service cover back on, I noticed what appears to be a serial number stamped into the inside --- 290-253. I wonder how that compares with other KitchenAid serial #'s out there! Seth P.S. Thanks again to all for their help with this.
That strain relief will be fine.
Gary