My small fixed retirement income forces me to shop smart and $AVE BIG for virtually every item I get. With my new diet in place, I am down 112 lbs. and holding, I wanted a powerful blender to tear up root vegetables etc. but they start around $440. This is what I did. First, I read the main reviews from the top three Consumer Guides listed above. Two of them actually tested blenders. The third aggregated reviews. Next, I read consumer reviews at Amazon and on several company’s websites. A picture began to develop. One brand stood out for quality, customer service and longevity, Vitamix. I saw that they sold reconditioned units AND they told a very convincing story of just how much care goes into the reconditioning process. I then found a blender rating blog that had free shipping codes. Price for new 5200 Vitamix: $440 plus shipping. Price for a Reconditioned 5200: $299. Lesson learned. The unit does great with root vegetables, making peanut butter and grain flours too.
