Warning: That $180 KitchenAid Mixer I Bought at a Garage Sale in Phoenix Nearly Cost Me My Sanity
Two months ago I grabbed a used KitchenAid mixer for $180 at a garage sale in Phoenix, thinking I scored big. Turned out the motor was shot and it started smoking on my third batch of cookie dough. I ended up paying a repair guy $95 to fix it, which brought my total to $275. My neighbor said I should have just bought a new one for $250, and now I'm wondering if I should have listened. Has anyone else ever sunk more money into a used tool than it was worth?
Man, I used to be all about grabbing used tools at garage sales and flea markets, figured I was being smart and saving cash. Then I did the same dumb thing with a used table saw that needed a new belt and blade, and by the time I was done I was in it for more than a new one at the store. That repair bill is what gets you, because you already told yourself you got a deal so you keep throwing money at it to prove you were right. You put 275 into a mixer that a new one costs 250 for, and yours still has an old motor that could go again. Next time just do the math before you buy, add up what it might need and compare it to new with a warranty.