I could be talking about healthy foods this time. But what our business is really about is healthy equipment so you can blend up your healthy foods. You have already a great blender, either that being a Blendtec, Vita Mix, Waring, or an Omni blender.
Blenders don’t easily break, but the blades and jars wear out. Sometimes blades wear quicker. So let’s go over a few things to help you extend the life of your blender blades and jars, regardless of what brand of a blender you have.
Problems and solutions (most common) that could arise during blending:
- Blade bearings (and bushings) can seize up - Rinse and dry by hand only
- Jars can crack - Keep bottom plate tightened
- If you blend heavy low-water-content ingredients (puree) you can get temporarily stuck or have a little delay getting the vortex / swirling of the smoothie miracle going - Use a tamper or when blending smoothies, make sure the solids to water ratio is right for the vortex
Problem 1: When you over-expose a blade bearing of your blender jar to water too much, water gets
into the blade assembly housing and will wash out grease. You will see rust powder coming out on the bottom end of the blade assembly at the gear seal. This leads to damage to the bearings which then will not turn smoothly anymore. Bearings are getting hot already when they are in good condition. They become much louder and hotter when there is more friction due to bad bearings. This will lead to oil exit on the bottom outside of the where the gear sticks out of the blender container. When the blade seizes it can also transfer energy to the drive socket and snap it or strip it (Drive socket is on the blender motor).
With the Blendtec blender jars (Wildside, Fourside, Twister), as the picture above left indicates, the 
blades are permanent fix installed. If that breaks, you cannot just change the blade assembly, but you have to change the entire jar. There is a big advantage if you have a jar with a removable blade assembly because you just change the blade – see to the right – if you run into a problem. That said, there are in both cases preventative solutions that can help you preserve the blade assembly bearing and help you get more usage out of it
Solution 1: Always wash or rinse the blender jar by hand and then dry by hand to limit water exposure. For additional sanitizing, use a non-caustic water-diluted spray on sanitizing solution to briefly apply to the inside of the jar. Don’t leave jar in sink with water puddle or wash in dishwasher. If your blade has seized up, or shows signs of seizing (roughness of turning, noisier blending, smoke / smell), replace the blade right away to prevent further damage to the driver socket.
Problem 2: Jars, if they do crack, they mostly crack on the very bottom around the hole where the 
blade assem
bly inserted into the jar. This occurs mostly when the blade assembly is starting to seize up or has already seized and you keep blending with it and in addition the bottom plate may not be completely tight, or tight enough.
Solution 2: Make sure the blade assembly works well and there is no rust around the gear. If there is and/or you experience leakage on the bottom, immediately remove the blade assembly and inspect the jar and the blade. Replace the blade if the jar is still good. Or else replace the whole jar with blade. We do have new better working blending jars with sharp efficient advanced blending knives. Frequently check the bottom plate to see if you can manage turning it clockwise to tighten it, to make sure it stays tightened.
Problem / Solution 3: Simple, if you get stuck or your blender has a hard time getting the ingredients blended or started up, either add more liquid, or if liquid is not part of your recipe, use a tamper stick specifically designed for the use with your blender jar. In our case, we have a Univers
al Tamper that can be adjusted to work with any blender jar, from Blendtec to Waring or Hamilton Beach. Make sure you use the tamper to push down on ingredients with the flanges positioned correctly to avoid touching the blades and only inserting the tamper through the lid hole with the cap removed, the lid on the jar, of course.
If your Universal tamper accidentally touches the blade knives during blending, this is not a serious problem for the tamper. The material is a food grade FDA approved material, but it is not edible. You will lose your smoothie. But you can save the tamper with sand paper and/or a saw. The Universal Tamper is solid.
If the flang
es come apart, use tape to secure the flanges. If you use a wooden tamper it will splinter into oblivion unfortunately and if you use a tamper made with injection molding plastic, it will break and not be usable anymore. If you do not have a tamper, I suggest you get one, even if think you never need one or needed one before. It takes only one time of difficult blending when you lose your hand or your fork. Never insert a fork, knife, or spoon into your blender jar during blending to push down on ingredients.
Even blenders made to work well without the use of a tamper need a push every now and then. And if you have a blender from a factory that recommends regular usage of a tamper to eliminate their air pocket, you will find,
with the right solid – to – liquid ratio, you do not need to use the tamper.
Please check out our new Alterna Jars, sharp blades, advanced finer better smoother blending, interchangeable between Blendtec – Vita Mix – Waring – Omni, etc… blending volume of 80 ounces. Now available with a $10 OFF discount. Use Coupon code $10AlternaOFF (use with purchase $80 and up – good till supply lasts and/or subject to be discontinued without notice)
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by phone 801-623-3225 or by email customerservice@alternajar.com.
Thomas Fox
www.alternajar.com
801-623-3225
Aftermarket components and products are produced and sold to consumers in various different markets. It is very common in the consumer technology industry as well as in the automotive industry. Aftermarket products and components / replacement parts usually are an indicator that a certain product is very popular. It is also associated to money savings to the consumer. In the pharmaceutics industry, the term ‘generic’ is often used. Perhaps the latter is not really an aftermarket component in the sense this article is referring to.
Blendtec®, Waring™ MX series of blenders, as well as Vita Mix® blenders are just three blenders from among a few other high performance smoothie blenders, of which a whole ton of are presently in use globally. It is estimated some 100 million of these particular powerful blenders roam the Earth in peoples’ kitchens and restaurants. About 60% of them, according to a study, are not in use. Why they are not in use is not really known. It could be in part a reluctance of user-interest and/or that and being broken down and just never having gotten to it to make a ‘replacement’ attempt of a broken blender blade or jar.
Most people are not very technically inclined. When their jar breaks, or the blade bearing of blade assembly in the jar seizes up, they interpret it as a broken down blender. The blender gets put aside until time and effort is made to make the warranty call, or if the warranty is expired, a new jar is purchased. If the blender is misdiagnosed as dead and broken, not being sure what is bad, time may tell that these high percentage consumers have their ‘broken down’ blender collect dust in storage.
In the case of these blenders, aftermarket components, such as replacement blade assembly cutting
units (the knife, or in other words the blades) will be a money saver and a convenient solution, if only the consumer in possession of the broken down Blendtec or Vitamix blender (or Waring and others – non one brand in particular) would dig into finding out more about alternative replacement parts.
It is however not just about replacing a broken part, in the aftermarket industry. Additional jars offer opportunities to have spare parts for just in case, and an additional container for the purpose of alternating blender jars. The Kosher blending enthusiasts of course always use 2 jars. There are certain advantages to the number 2, two jars in possession rather than just one, especially when they are different. Blending is often better in one jar than in another depending on what one blends up.
The Alterna™ Jar, the aftermarket jar reported on in this article, brings several advantages to the table. Current users have reported an increase in finer blending, smoother concoctions, more thorough emulsification. The actual blending capacity is 80 ounces of ingredients. The jar is also, like the OEM factory containers, a BPA-Free copolyester material, with stainless steel removable blade assembly, and tamper stick accelerator tool available.
The advantages are certainly not always enticing to everyone, for example money savings. Some people may find a Blendtec Fourside replacement container for $60 plus shipping. Why would one purchase an aftermarket non-factory container for $80 including shipping? Those that do, are not buying it for immediate savings, or not for money savings reasons at all. The reason for that is that the old type Blendtec jar is always the same, no improvement with a blade that is just going to break again eventually and a new complete whole jar has to bought again, even if the price is only $60 instead of $80. If that same scenario happens with the Alterna Jar, one would have to simply just purchase a replacement jar for $35, instead of $60 for a new jar by Blendtec. Of course, Alterna has a package deal available for real blender enthusiasts, which is the jar with a blade already installed, plus an extra replacement blade for $99, including shipping.
Let’s assume the Alterna blade goes out at the same time the Blendtec blade would seize up, in the Blendtec jar. At that point the OEM factory enthusiast would have spent $120 while the aftermarket consumer fan spent only $99. But, again, not everybody may be interested in the cost factor issue. The Alterna jar blends better, blends bigger volumes, and is a heavier duty jar overall.
Waring MX series blenders, those that are truly 3.5 horsepower monsters, come with rather inferior blade and jar design. The OEM Waring container has a poor warranty, to one hand. On the other hand, the vertical jar wall goes into the bottom of the jar without curvature straight in a straight 90 degrees. There are numerous reports of poor performance and warranty issues and poor customer service. Plus a 2 Liter replacement jar from Waring costs anywhere from $120 to $160. The Alterna aftermarket container configured for the Waring MX series blenders performs better, hold up better and costs less as well.
Vitamix… ditto to Waring.
In conclusion, aftermarket is not for everyone. OEM has its advantages especially when the blender is still under warranty. In Europe or in Asia, Australia and South America, Blendtec and Vitamix warranties are general between 2 to 4 years maximum. Waring already has a 2 in 1 year warranty in the USA which means 2 year parts and 1 year labor. Costs of replacement jars in non-USA markets are mostly prohibitively expensive. In Brazil a Blendtec Fourside jar is $150 USD and $200 has to be coughed up for a Wildside jar. The same in Europe, the UK, in Australia and all over the Asian Rim.
Those consumers that consider the advantage of aftermarket recognize that aftermarket means that the OEM brands are going to stick around more likely longer, aftermarket components will bring the prices down everywhere, and aftermarket blender containers offer a convenience, a choice, a versatility, especially when this one blender jar actually fits on all, Vitamix, Waring, JTC Omni, Klarstein, Optimum, Omega blenders, and the Blendtec blenders.
Note, how the Alterna Jar sits on the various blenders, straight on Blendtec, and diagonally by 45 degrees on Vita Mix, Waring, and JTC Omni blenders. This is a little different than with any other blender jars, but it works, and is actually mostly designed that way so the same container can be used namely on different blender bases, such as the Blendtec and the Waring kinds.
Pros and Cons, if a blender were still under warranty, and consumer wanted to use the aftermarket Alterna jar, it is most likely assumed that the given factory might tell the consumer that such application is not authorized and will likely void the warranty. If the Blender motor might break, such use opens up the question of whether the jar and the aftermarket blade bearing may have contributed to, or perhaps was the cause of premature motor failure. However, there are several issues to that.
If the blade seizes up on any blender jar, it is the consumer's responsibility to stop using it, replacing the whole jar or the blade assembly from the Alterna jar with removable replaceable blade assembly unit. Plus, who is to say that a given consumer has not already over exerted their blender motor when running the blender motor with a seized up blade unit in their jar for far too long of a time and have not noticed it. Sure, if it can be proven that there is a relationship between the Alterna jar aftermarket container and a broken motor, it would only be fair that warranty is assumed, if there is a warranty. However, in every possible scenario, it should be taken into account, that it just cannot be proven. There are too many variables from abuse to a defect from the blender factory to begin with or simply just heavy normal use and therefore wear and tear having lead to an early natural death of said blender motor. It is simple, anyway, it should be considered to always pay close attention to the condition of the blade assembly and bearing, no matter if the user operates an OEM factory brand blender container or an aftermarket blender jar.
In any case, OEM brand factories should be exited about aftermarket blender jar availability. It is a sign that the market has reached a certain saturation and the brand is here to stay. The consumer views more choices and availability as convenient and as a great advantage, actually and eventually bringing down prices and helping to improve quality.
Copyright 2015 (C) Alternajar.com LLC
The Alterna Jar is basically made to fit 2 different type of blenders. One is the Blendtec blender series. The other is the 'other' blender group, which is basically all the same, when it comes to blender jar compatibility.
They all fit on each others' blender platform, in other words. These are the Waring 3.5 hp blenders (not anything else from Waring), the Vita Mix type blenders, the Omni by JTC, and all their associated private label brands - all the same, basically, when it comes to their jars fitting onto one and the other blender.
The Blendtec blenders' motor turns clockwise and the Blendtec blender base comes with a drive socket attached to the motor axle permanently, metal on metal, no clutch. A clutch would be a way out to absorb energy (bad energy that could break the motor). And the Blendtec blender jars have permanently installed blades that cannot be removed, taken out without breaking the jar and/or the blade bearing assembly, and the blades are not sharp either.
As a matter of fact, Blendtec apparently insists that their blades perform better dull than any other sharpened blades / knives. The only beef with that is however that a dull sword does not cut off heads as easy or as clean as a sword that has a very sharp edge. Also a dull shear machine, if you get your hand in it, instead of cutting off your fingers clean, it will likely pull in your whole hand and arm etc.... you get the point. Bottom line, sharpened is better, no matter who you talk too. That said, and the point is, the blades in the Alterna Jar are sharp, very sharp. For Blendtec applications, the blade in the jar has been sharpened on the right side, ... because the knives are rotating right ways - clockwise.
The drive socket gear is smaller in the Blendtec blenders, so of course the blade assembly in the Alterna jar for the Vita Mix blenders does fit into the Blendtec drive socket. Three things then; The Alterna blade assembly for the use in the Alterna jar on top of the Blendtec blender has a removable blade assembly that is sharpened, turns clockwise, and has the appropriate gear to fit on all Blendtec blenders, except with use in a sound enclosure. For that, there is a new jar on its way in the early 2016.
The blades therefore being different for the use in the Alterna Jar on top of the Waring 3.5 hp blenders and it's alike-kind-type blender bases. The knives are sharpened on the left side of the blade because it turns counter-clockwise. The gear is larger thicker because the drive socket part of that area of the blender motor axle is larger.
Then how do these different Alterna Jar configurations sit on each of these blenders? The Alterna Jar sits on the Blendtec blenders just normal, line its original Wildside or Fourside jar, straight and square. Remember, the Alterna jar was made with the intention that it also fits on the other kind blenders, like Waring, Omni, Vitamix,.... That in mind we engineered the bottom base of the jar in a way that just by turning the jar 45 degrees in an angle it would also fit on the other kind blender bases, thus missing the rubber cushion stubs.
People or restaurants that have both type of blenders, have the opportunity to switch the blade assembly out accordingly and use the Alterna Jar on both blenders. It is not so much that one should switch back and forth between the two uses. Mostly it is advantageous for restaurants that have Blendtec blenders in their shop and want to switch their blender equipment to Waring or Vitamix, for example. They don't have to buy all new jars. A Blade assembly is so much more inexpensive.
By Alterna Jar
It's an Alterna Blender Jar LLC Company. We provide innovative newly developed Jars, Blades, Tampers, and after-market replacement parts and components for the most popular high performance blender brands (patent pending). These are Blendtec, Waring, Good4U, JTC Omniblend, to name a few most popular ones, among others. Our Alterna Jar, as the name already says, is the best replacement alternative for Blendtec blender containers, which features our patent pending US engineered and assembled exchangeable interchangeable and replaceable blade assembly blending cutting unit. Our Alterna Cutting Units are made from the highest grade materials and seals to provide longevity and versatile blending options from wet, dry, ice, grain, powder, drink, juice, smoothie, shake, puree, sauce, butters, hot soup, and ice cream textures; all-in-one blade assembly as well as specialty knives.
Blender operators can use the same Alterna Jar that fits on Blendtec blenders also on their Vitamix, JTC OmniBlend, 
Waring MX1050XT blenders (and all other Waring MX1000XT, MX1100XT, MX1200XT, MX1300XT, MX1500XT and Good4U Raw Power Commercial 3.5 HP blenders), by switching out the blade cutting unit (because they turn in opposite direction and the gear size is different). The same jar, although the various blenders are designed with different size blender bases for their proprietary jars, just needs to be turned by 45 degrees to sit perfectly onto the various high performance blender base (patent pending filed).
This is the best website where you will find versatility and make-sense after-market retrofit inventions for consumer and smoothie business operators. We offer low prices for our quality products and give our consumers and authorized global resellers the opportunity to add value to their equipment and their pocket book.
http://www.alternajar.com
From a consumer standpoint, a refurbished high performance blender, such as the Blendtec blender series, and other competitors in the $500 price club, appears at first to be a nice deal. There are however several points of views to look at as to why companies could have refurbished blenders in stock, why they are offering them, and who would return them - in what quantity - and why?
To the most part, these factories over-sell and under-deliver unfortunately to the dissatisfaction of the many customers who return their expensive blenders to the factory directly or through the retailer. The factory then goes over the blender and cleans it up and puts a new unused jar with a new recipe book into a new box and then offers the blender for sale as refurbished. This is one most plausible theory.
Why would a customer not be happy or satisfied with an expensive high performance blending machine? This is one possibility that has been found at Costco and at Sams Club. The consumer sees and tastes a fine magical smoothie during a demo show. The blender demonstrator, well experienced and highly trained, shows off fancy tricks and concoctions that leave the consumer at a jaw-dropping awe. Once at home with the new shiny toy, duplicating the smoothie is some other foreign story and the remorse sets in. And the cycle of return begins.
What is wrong with that picture? Yep. We like to educate our customers about gimmick purchases. No, a blender does not heat soup with an electric heating element (it heats soup with the blade unit that turns into a heating element because of friction). No you don't need a dedicated button to crush ice, make peanut butter or almond butter. A yes, you are paying at $ 400 to $500 already way too much for a 3 horsepower high performance blender when you can get the same thing in brand new for half the price. Look at the OMNI Blender for example. Half the price?
Still be aware of the many crappy not so well built and under-performing blending machines. Some totally copy the Vitamix, Blendtec blenders, and the OMNI blender straight out. Ninja, Nutri Bullet, the Health Master, all are inferior to the big and powerful blenders, the name of the game. We have sold many different blenders and have gone away from it and now are just focusing on the OMNI Blender. The JTC OMNIBLEND blender is the best blender bang for the buck because of its quality, power, warranty, and low competitive price.
We have been in business selling blenders since 2007. Ever since, having carried many different high quality high powered blending machines, we have wondered why we can't sell refurbished blenders? The simple answer is: Hardly ever anyone returns the blender. Why do you think that is? We leave it by that because that fact and question is already a good enough answer in itself. And why do you want a refurbished blender when you can get a brand new OMNI Blender for the same price as other used ones? Do you want the chance to have someone else' hair in your smoothie?
If we had refurbished blenders available, they would cost $225 including shipping and would be cleaned up, coming with a new jar and blade, tamper, and new recipe book, all in a new box and full 7 year standard warranty; that is if enough customers would return theirs. But they don't. Customers have the opportunity to purchase the OMNI 3 hp smoothie blender and review it for 30 days and take advantage of our return policy should they wish to return it within that time frame.
I order to reduce the likelihood of a consumer to return a blender we focus on education of our blender, what it does, how it performs, and how to make smoothies, in the front-end before they are buying their high powered blender. A refurbished blender could theoretically also be returned, it just has never happened.
(C) 2014 OmniBlender.COM LLC
Please view the 4 videos, simple instructions and demonstration of how well the Omni Blender enables the user to make almond butter. Make sure you have the OMNI Tamper Stick that is from the grip area down to the tip 6 - 3/4 inches long. If you have the shorter former 'older style' Omni Tamper Stick, it might be little too short to do the job as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at lifestyle@123vita.com, or by phone: 801-623-3225. Please go to our website www.3blenders.com to learn more about the OMNI Blender.
(c) 2013 OmniBlender.COM LLC
into the blade assembly housing and will wash out grease. You will see rust powder coming out on the bottom end of the blade assembly at the gear seal. This leads to damage to the bearings which then will not turn smoothly anymore. Bearings are getting hot already when they are in good condition. They become much louder and hotter when there is more friction due to bad bearings. This will lead to oil exit on the bottom outside of the where the gear sticks out of the blender container. When the blade seizes it can also transfer energy to the drive socket and snap it or strip it (Drive socket is on the blender motor).
blades are permanent fix installed. If that breaks, you cannot just change the blade assembly, but you have to change the entire jar. There is a big advantage if you have a jar with a removable blade assembly because you just change the blade – see to the right – if you run into a problem. That said, there are in both cases preventative solutions that can help you preserve the blade assembly bearing and help you get more usage out of it
blade assem
bly inserted into the jar. This occurs mostly when the blade assembly is starting to seize up or has already seized and you keep blending with it and in addition the bottom plate may not be completely tight, or tight enough.
Solution 2: Make sure the blade assembly works well and there is no rust around the gear. If there is and/or you experience leakage on the bottom, immediately remove the blade assembly and inspect the jar and the blade. Replace the blade if the jar is still good. Or else replace the whole jar with blade. We do have new better working blending jars with sharp efficient advanced blending knives. Frequently check the bottom plate to see if you can manage turning it clockwise to tighten it, to make sure it stays tightened.
Problem / Solution 3: Simple, if you get stuck or your blender has a hard time getting the ingredients blended or started up, either add more liquid, or if liquid is not part of your recipe, use a tamper stick specifically designed for the use with your blender jar. In our case, we have a Univers
al Tamper that can be adjusted to work with any blender jar, from Blendtec to Waring or Hamilton Beach. Make sure you use the tamper to push down on ingredients with the flanges positioned correctly to avoid touching the blades and only inserting the tamper through the lid hole with the cap removed, the lid on the jar, of course.
with the right solid – to – liquid ratio, you do not need to use the tamper.
Aftermarket components and products are produced and sold to consumers in various different markets. It is very common in the consumer technology industry as well as in the automotive industry. Aftermarket products and components / replacement parts usually are an indicator that a certain product is very popular. It is also associated to money savings to the consumer. In the pharmaceutics industry, the term ‘generic’ is often used. Perhaps the latter is not really an aftermarket component in the sense this article is referring to.
units (the knife, or in other words the blades) will be a money saver and a convenient solution, if only the consumer in possession of the broken down Blendtec or Vitamix blender (or Waring and others – non one brand in particular) would dig into finding out more about alternative replacement parts.
Waring MX1050XT blenders (and all other Waring MX1000XT, MX1100XT, MX1200XT, MX1300XT, MX1500XT and Good4U Raw Power Commercial 3.5 HP blenders), by switching out the blade cutting unit (because they turn in opposite direction and the gear size is different). The same jar, although the various blenders are designed with different size blender bases for their proprietary jars, just needs to be turned by 45 degrees to sit perfectly onto the various high performance blender base (patent pending filed).