[SOLVED] Kitchenaid mixer runs backwards (2024 Update)

Mixers are powered with universal-wound motors. The wires to the brushes or to the field coil got reversed. Re-reverse one of them, but not both.

Joe Gwinn

Of course reversing the cord won't make a difference. The cord is a two-pin plug isn't it? Is it even new enough to have the wider pin to polarize it? Anyway -- it is AC coming from the wall, so it is revering the power sixty times a second (in the US -- fifty times in the UK) anyway.

It is probably series connected -- one side of the line to one of the brushes, through the rotor, and out the other brush, then though the stator winding.

Reversing either the brush connections or the stator wiring (but not both at the same time) will change the direction of operation.

Probably one end of the stator is connected to one of the brush holders, and the brush holders got interchanged in the excitement. Open it again up and try to swap positions on the brush holders.

Good Luck, DoN.

Place it on the counter right side up?

Turn the plug the other way, dummy. ;-)

Steve

I repurposed an old Kitchenaid mixer which indeed used a universal motor such as that. I ended up having to reverse it for the application I needed (driving a solenoid winder), which, while straightforward, was still a rather tedious job.

I wonder how OPs ended up reversing itself due to mechanical shock.

Jon

Could be a damaged Phase Control Board.

--Winston

My same wonder..... Winston seems to have provided a clue... goddamm, nuthin is simple anymore!

Thanks guys. That should get my brother started. Karl

I picked a model number out of.. the air.

You will want to get the real model number from your brother and plug it in here:

:)

--Winston

(...)

A more *modern* design would have a microprocessor controlling the motor speed.

To paraphrase a great philosopher: Complication without benefit is malpractice.

OH! Here we go!

(I wonder how many fingers will be munched in the pinch point near the hinge.) Run the video demo and see if it doesn't creep you out.

Check out the finger crusher featured at 1:20 on this Viking unit:

--Winston

Heh, and then, "benefit" has to be defined....

imo, they coulda well stopped at anaesthesia, Ford, and Edison.... well, Tesla.... Edison was actually a prelude to what's wrong with this country... him and a cupla others....

If the brush holder moves, it could have gotten knocked into a position where the motor is reversed. Have a couple of universal motors where the reversing is done that way instead of electrically switching brushes or field windings. Actually is a better method since it cuts down on brush arcing when running in reverse. One these motors, the brush holders are mounted in a ring around the commutator and the ring rotates about 90 degrees for reversing. Something to check, anyway.

Stan

Looks like the power cord runs directly to the control plate assembly.

Years ago I tried several times to repair my wife's old Kitchen Aid mixer. I don't remember the particulars, but the governor was a mechanical weighted device and it could have been moving one of the brushes to regulate the speed. Are they still made that way? If so, the movable brush might have slipped so far as to cause a reversal of the motor. Does the speed control still change the speed?

Paul

Thanks, Bill. That it did!

Paul

On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:54:14 -0500, Don Foreman wrote the following:

Forget the fix. Sell it to an Aussie or Gnu Zealish gal.

I'm not sure which one my brother has but mine has the brushes mounted to the casing. There's no way to rotate them. Thanks Karl

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:11:20 -0700, Winston wrote the following:

Oh, puhleeeeeze. You get 2 NannyState points for that post, Winnie.