Vitamix Wet Blade Assembly, Silver

Just like new and it was easy to replace at home even though Vitamix customer service advised that I should send it in

What a win-win. I love my vita-mix but choke on their prices. Amazon's price is a real bargain. Genuine OEM product at a reasonable price, shipped in a timely manner. What's not to love?

The seal on the old wet blade assembly was failing, causing the bearings to rust and grind. With this product, the blender works like new. As my wife pointed out, the cost of this assembly is almost the same as a whole new pitcher, so that might have been the better way to go. I just hate throwing out stuff that still works.

I originally bought a much cheaper knock-off to replace my damaged assembly, which didn't work out. It leaked, didn't fit well, and was really noisy. I decided to cut my losses and go for an original replacement and am very pleased with the result. It fits perfectly, runs smoothly, and does not leak. Well worth it.

The media could not be loaded. I bought from Amazon. At $80 + tax, Amazon is not the cheapest supplier, but I trust they are selling the genuine Vitamix blade, and if something goes wrong, I can always return without much trouble. The blade is beautifully made, with high precision. However when I turn it by hand, it is very tight, and making squeaky noise. That’s an indication of excessive friction I believe. After seeing the other reviewer reporting burned bearing, I thought I should try a different one. Amazon’s replacement arrived in 2 days, quickly. The newer one is also tight, but at least not making the squeaky sound. I will keep this one and will update on durability after use it for a while.So if you are spending the top dollars for a genuine OEM blade, make sure you buy from reputable suppliers with good return and replacement policies, because even the genuine OEM blade can have issues.

Perfect

The media could not be loaded. If there was a way to give something no stars, this would be one of those times. I'm usually pretty forgiving, but this time I feel utterly ripped off.I've had this blade assembly a little over a year now and it barely moves freely anymore. I can barely move it using my hand. I thought my motor was burning up because I could smell a burning smell, but after inspection of the motor, turns out it's the blade assembly.So I call up Vitamix about replacing this part since I paid $64, I figured there's got to be some kind of customer service protocol to take care of these kinds of problems. You know, like, "oh I'm sorry this stopped working for you. We'll send you out a new one in a week." Nope. The CS agent told me they don't even recommend that you buy this part. Their recommendation is to buy a complete jar and not this individual part. WHY DO YOU EVEN LIST IT ON AMAZON?! Please don't confuse us loyal Vitamix customers into repairing our machines when you don't intend to provide support. I'm tempted to try my luck with BlendTec.

It installs easily with the proper tool (not included). I ordered the tool just in case it would be difficult without…well, I believe I could have done it without the tool fine, but then…why risk messing up a working product and spend even more.What is great is the instruction sheet! Not that I needed it, but it does tell you to push the blade assembly out carefully. It’s a tight fit. I just reached in and pulled out (securing container). Super easy with a little force,It also gives cleaning instructions. So kudo’s for the extra effort with instructions. Just wish the removal tool would come with it though - recommend using one unless you are mechanically inclined.