Erik, I have a 4 qt. KitchenAid that I got in 1984, and it is still
going strong. This is the smaller model from that era, and I have
made many, many batches of bread in it with nary a complaint. The
key is to get one of the old ones, when they were still made by
Hobart. These show up on eBay regularly, and the sellers know the
difference that the Hobart name makes, so they include it in the
description (and often include a picture showing the Hobart name on
the side of the mixer head). I recommend that you find one of these
old workhorses, used. They never really die.
Alternatively, has anyone tried the Viking mixer that King Arthur is
selling?
Barbara