Customer Reviews

L'Equip Model 228 R.P.M Blender - by LEquip

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

So I got this blender after doing a bunch of research and wanting a blender that chops ice well, and makes smoothies well. (You need a really high speed blender or else the little strawberry seeds don't get chopped up, etc) This blender is great at that.

The two major downsides are: The canister breaks. A lot. We're on our third one now. Each of them has cracked and broken at the base where the blades attach. The first time it was replaced for free, and this time I'm told there is only a one year warranty on the canister (5 years on the motor) so i had to buy a new canister for $25 or so shipped. Bleh.

The other big downside is, there is very little bottom end speed control. For instance, lets say you want to have the lid off but the unit running on a low speed mixing up protein powder or something as you pour it in. It is VERY hard to get the unit to run at such a speed. Either the blades stop, or they are going too fast. It's really annoying to go through this every morning, trying to get the unit to settle at a good speed, only to have it increase/decrease as I take the lid off just because I jostled the machine a bit, and have to start over.

I LOVE how well it blends, but I wouldn't buy it again or recommend it because of the problems I've had with the canister and speed control.

Edit 10/23/2010 - Our current (3rd) canister is cracked again (but not leaking). Unfortunately, the blade assembly is worn out and needs to be replaced. Water is leaking out through the bearings inside it. Sighhhhh

Great blender, strong motor, blends everything with ease and looks great. We purchased the L'Equip RPM blender a few years ago for the novelty of having a tachometer on a kitchen blender, but it's the blender's performance that makes it such a bargain. As noted by others, it is a very powerful blender, containing a 1HP motor. I suspect it could blend iPads, rake handles and cement, but my needs are more limited - smoothies, which it makes quite well.

After years of use, the blade assembly or gasket at the bottom of the pitcher started to leak. I called L'Equip's warranty department, and without any fuss about proof of purchase, they promised to send the necessary replacement parts. This is by far the best customer service I have received all year, and perhaps the best ever from an appliance manufacturer. Well done, L'Equip!

While the L'Equip RPM blender is well made and solid, it does have a bit of a hand-crafted, laboratory instrument feel to it. The brushed steel is uncoated, the toggle switch is old-school, and the tachometer is seated with a simple rubber gasket. It looks right at home next to my Rancilio Rocky and Silvia, but the simplicity of the design and construction will not appeal to all.

In short, this blender has a great design and blending performance to match. These are exceeded only by L'Equip's customer service. Highly recommended.

Bought this blender for Christmas and love it. Well made and sturdy. The warranty service is through Kitchen Resource. I've dealt with them before and is one of the reasons why I bought this. They have been stellar in their customer service.

Recommended

Got this blender as a Christmas gift. The first time I turned it on, I smelled something: It looked as though the engine was burning up. Now, after a month, the engine has lost its top speed. Will only go up to half speed, and the burning smell is getting worse. I expect it to blow all the circuits in the house at any time. I don't crush ice; I only try to blend chopped vegetables in water. When I sent the registration and guarantee card to an address in Harrisburg, PA, I got it back after a few days with a "Not Deliverable" sticker.

I purchased this blender because I was tired of the $50 items not being able to crush ice the way I wanted. I didn't want to pay $400 for a blender. This is a work horse. I purchased it 2.5 years ago. The canister did crack and leak, as others reported, but I sent an email to their customer support. They got back to me the next day, to ask my shipping address. Even though I had purchased the item 2.5 years ago, ( and they knew it since I emailed the purchase info from Amazon ), they sent a new canister and blades, and it arrived in 3 days. I had to google the manual to find out that the item the "scoop" they sent was not actually a scoop, but a blade wrench to tighten the blades which came with the canister. I was able to use it on the cracked canister and now it doesn't leak either. I make VERY icy smoothies 2 times a day, and this is the smart blender to buy.

Works well, when it works. The blade broke, we put it back on. The blade broke again, we put it back on. The blade broke again, came apart in the smoothie we were making. Can't fix it and can't find parts to fix it. Even willing to buy a new pitcher, but no one sells them.

At first, seems like it'll work well, then quits on you. Very disappointing experience.

This is a good blender. Much more powerful than my old Cuisinart one. The first thing my husband tested in this was crushing ice (yes, i know it says not to put anything in there that you cant cut with a knife.) and it turned it to powder in about 3 seconds! I have made many frozen smoothies, nut and bean flours and pastes and other things my old blender didn't do particularly well at, but the L'Equip blender has done very well. It's not super loud, but it is a blender, and if you are trying to blend something hard, it does make noise! It doesn't bother us since everything blends so quickly anyway. If you have the money for a Vita-mix, go for it. But if you don't, this blender works quite well and I am happy with it.

Great blender - can do anything, but the blade broke and I can't find a replacement parts anywhere. Called every place that sells them but they don't sell replacement parts. Very disappointed that I need to buy another brand.

I WAS thrilled with this blender. It has amazing power and is cool and retro looking. Would be appealing to anyone who might have a Francis Francis expresso machine. BUT I put jar in DW ( a Bosch )and the inside blade coating peeled off into my food. YUCK. The literature says not to place in DW but the base blades were too hard to twist off so i washed it. Now its distasteful with the metal shavings. I cannot find a way to get a replacement jar and blades. Other than that it was amazing.

Great look, worked great, hit at the party every time. Just today started to notice chrome flaking off from the inside near blades. No replacement parts anywhere. Probably going to buy another brand.