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Vitamix 5200 Blender
by Vitamix
25 endorsements on r/BuyItForLife first recommended in Nov 2023
High-performance blender with an aircraft-grade stainless blade and a 2-horsepower motor, assembled in Cleveland, Ohio.
Added Jun 30, 2026, Updated Jul 5, 2026
Why it's buy-it-for-life
Carries a 7-year full warranty and a motor overbuilt enough that refurbished units from the 1990s are still in daily service. Redditors highlight that Vitamix sells every replacement part — blades, containers, drive sockets — so a 15-year-old machine can be brought back to life for a fraction of a new one. Owners report units bought new in 1972, the 1950s, and 1988 still running daily decades later, and older commercial-grade models are considered just as durable as current ones, if lower-powered. A recurring complaint: the rubber gasket/seal can be hard to clean and can develop mold over time.
What redditors say
Recommended on reddit as recently as July 2025
Show 24 more mentions
- 7r/BuyItForLife comment
my vitamix is one of my best purchases I've made
- 3r/BuyItForLife comment
I purchased one in 2007, it still runs but i need to clean/replace the potentiometer as it is pulsing now. still like it!
- 3r/BuyItForLife comment
I personally prefer Vitamix.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
i was a chef and probably owned 7-8 modern vitamix, but i used that one at home. still works great.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
It will blend anything you put in there. Anything.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I worked at a boutique wine country kitchen store as a teenager. So many people blew up blenders. I loved selling the Vitamix to rich people.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
Still using my 2005 refurbished model, near daily use too
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
dont forget you can service vitamix's MIGHT EXTEND THE LIFE FOR THOSE WHO STILL HAVE ONE, MINES 11 YEARS OLD
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
i got a Vitamix about 8 years ago and it sucks. overload pops under moderate load, my cheapo ninja works better. defect or the brand has gone downhill.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I have one like that of a similar age. Nice machine.
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I still use mine !
- 2r/BuyItForLife comment
I replaced mine with a vitamix since the gaskets always leaked
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
Now if you really want that blender to last buy the stainless steel Vitamix brand blender pitcher. Then you can blend ice for 20 years and you won’t have a scratched up plastic pitcher.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
are lower power than the new ones but are probably just fine and are built like tanks. For that price go for it.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
Vitamix
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
he bought it in 1972 and we use it everyday. It's a beast. Get it.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
mine from the 1950's is still working!
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
With no way of knowing what it's prior use was, I think I'd pass. Could been used for drugs
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
I already have a vitamix (14 years old, no signs of slowing down) and I would still buy this.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
a Vitamix that is complete and working great jump on it if its still available it's a steal.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
My parents have had that model since they bought it new in 1988. It's a work horse
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
the rubber(?) seal is impossible to clean and now it's turning pink. Likely mold. We just bought a ninja.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
I’ve had my vitamix for 10 plus years now. Still humming use it weekly too.
- 1r/BuyItForLife comment
I’ve got a similar set up. Kitchenaid stand mixer, cast iron pan, an oval Le Creuset Dutch oven (thrifted that one from an estate sale!), a vitamix.
My newest in the collection is the vitamix and I got such a deal on it I haven’t even put it away in the cabinet yet!
Bought a certified refurb with a full warranty for half price. Blends daily for four years now, zero issues.
Vitamix From 1990 My Grandma Still Uses. At the time she spent a good amount on it so good thing it still works well 35 years later!
They haven't changed the formula much have they. Simple, effective, quality.
the Vitamix that replaced it would be what I consider bifl
I have the same one, bought it used for $50. Still going strong for me 5 years in!