Vitamix is clear for landing
589257
There isn't a better mixer, period.  I was hesitant to buy a refurbished mixer, but I'm glad I did.  No problems at all.  The only issue with the Vitamix is that it sounds like a 747 is landing in the kitchen, but it seriously pulverizes everything.
668718
Well made product sturdy cup and baster with Tritan plastic, which is break and heat resistant.  This is BPA-free and was developed and marketed by Eastman Chemical (formerly Eastman Kodak) to great success.  However, if you google the plastic, there is a little controversy whether this is truly a "harmless" product.  Normally, I wouldn't care too much, but since this might hold hot oven temperature liquid, it is on my mind.

The fat separator itself is easy to use with clean water.  But using actual oven roasted chicken/potatoes/rosemary sauce, it was frustrating.  With clean water, there is no leakage from the bottom of the cup with the silicone plug, and pours out great.  With actual chicken broth that was not see-through, the space between the silicone stopper and hole just wasn't big enough.  I had to use a chopstick to constantly stir things around to get the goodness to drip through.  Seemed like it took forever...  I eventually got through the whole container, and was pleased with the separated juice.  I merely wiped out the excess grease from the cup (not good for plumbing) and let it sit in soapy water before putting it in the dishwasher.  It cleans very easily.

The baster is nicely made too.  The silicone bulb and tip both screw off easily for cleaning.  The bulb is very pliable and easy to squeeze.  It can easily fill up the entire baster (50 ml of liquid) with one squeeze.  This works beset with low particulate juice, like water/clear juice.  The holes on the end are small, which may not let you suction fast if you have a lot of fine particles in the juice.
2323959
Just what my trusty Vitamix needed! I had no idea my old bald had become so dull. If you think you might need a new blade, you probably do and you won't be sorry you bought this.
4423029
I have wanted a Vitamix for 15 years after seeing it demonstrated at the North Carolina State Fair, but just did not want to part with the money...so I bought a Nutribullet, a juicer, and sent back a Ninja.  Nothing compares to the Vitamix.  This is a great price.  It is reconditioned, but in perfectly new condition when recieved.  It also has a 5 year warranty and is less than half the cost of this model new.  I use it everyday.  I save money by making my own almond butter, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, smoothies, and protein shakes.  We use it to make our own salsa and hummus, and alot of soup creations.  This is great when trying to avoid processed foods and additives, along with being able to use all non GMO foods.  My husband is on a very retricted diet for MS and the blender has been a life saver.  We eat alot of raw foods and Vitamix is a perfect companion to our diet needs.
3947148
Great product. Good quality steel and glass for a reasonable price. The altitude guidelines are simple and the first I've seen for those of us who can above sea level. This eliminates the guess work for food safety. I have used this on my DUX Top single burner as well as my Whirlpool Induction Cooktop with excellent results. The relatively heavy  steel in the base ensures even temperature at much lower energy consumption.
4754921
I thought I'd try these on my Vitamix blender to stop it from resonating my countertop. They work like a charm! Just the hum of the machine with no discernable transmission to the countertop. MUCH quieter! Vitamix should just ship with these. I just ordered the 1" size because I think they'll fit a little better in the back of the machine but even if they aren't needed I'll find something to use them for. Very cool.
1994116
I've owned a Vitamix in the past - of course it was excellent.  But this under $150 unit (actually $119) is pretty close and does what we need it for.
So far, pretty good.  Just got it and it does seem to do the job.  We made gazpacho and some ice smoothies.  No problems with power and the quiet "shield" really does help cut down on the noise.  I wish it had a large pitcher too for making larger quantities, but the 32 oz. will work for most of what we want to do with it.  The downside is that the top is not easy to take off and is made of a more rigid plastic - not a deal breaker, but I miss that rubber that I had on the Vitamix (but for saving $400, I can live with that).  Also, there is no handle on the pitcher - the one you see in the photo is on the noise shield, So far it does not seem to be a big deal, but I expected one and it's not there.  All-in-all, I think this is a very powerful and versatile blender for a very good price.
2464421
Easier to clean than my Vitamix; downsides:

1) Quite noisy
2) where the base screws onto the cup portion, there is a o-ring gasket that makes up the seal; this can collect food debris, is hard to remove and clean (I haven't bothered to clean it yet, but if your really picky, this might drive you mad).
3) the base appears to be made of a softer/more pliable plastic than the cup--if your not careful you can end up damaging/cross-threading the base's threads as you screw onto the polycarbonate cup.

Despite these negatives, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this again, as it has turned me into a daily 'smoothie' drinker.  It has enough power to easily blend up ice, frozen fruit, etc...  when I'm done with it, I simply give it a rinse under hot water and set it to dry.  So far after ~3 months of use I have not had any problems, so I can't speak to the longevity of the motor...
1773228
Have had no problems with this after a month of daily use. I make smoothies every day and it takes anything I throw at it, including whole fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, even dry chickpeas (a probably misguided attempt to add protein). I've also used it to make tomato sauce and to grind my coffee beans for the French press. The prodder thing is a useful and safe way to nudge the odd clog (shouldn't happen if you add in your ingredients right). Smoothies have been a great way to get all my vitamins and nutrients for the day, which is normally difficult for a busy single slightly lazy guy such as myself. Very happy with this purchase with its great warranty. Secretly laughing at my friends with their more-than-twice-the-price vitamix.
3880275
This product is so powerful ... with more horsepower than the Vitamix. The Blendtec motor is so strong it does not need sharp blades like what the Vitamix has.  It is so easy to wash ... and with its short height, it easily stores in the countertop.  Most important of all, it is very durable.  Ours (an older model but with a similar motor) has about 4 years of service in the kitchen and more than 1350 cycles to its credit, blending frozen fruits all the time.

The only advantage Vitamix has over this product is that, while Blendtec has a relief hole on the lid of its container, Blendtec does not come with a plunger to push the fruits down when the blades liquefy the fruits at the bottom being blended while the rest of the fruits at the top hang on to each other in their frozen state. Big deal!  I easily solved this problem by buying a big composite spoon from Costco for less than 6 dollars a pair and cut one of them to be used as a plunger.

I think all blenders that are designed to blend frozen stuff should come with a plunger.  Frozen foods tend to cling to each other. And no matter how strong the motor of the blender, frozen stuffs that cling to each other tend to get suspended in place by the tapered dimension of the jar and don't get sucked/pulled down in the process of blending.  What happens is that the strong and very fast action of the blade only creates a "cave" under the frozen stuffs that are stuck to each other.  And the only way to produce a "cave in effect" on the frozen stuffs that are stuck to each other is to push them.  On this note, Blendtec should provide a plunger for its blenders.

P.S. See the improvised plunger in the image I posted. It hangs about an inch from the blade of the blender for safety reasons. :)
4713623
I've had my Vitamix for years and I love it. It's held up great and I've bought the dry container for it and am considering a smaller size container as well, because I use it so often. From perfectly creamy smooth hummus, to great soups, chunky salsa, perfect smoothies, and even dough for breads. It's expensive, but it's totally worth it if you spend time in the kitchen.
1738314
The Vitamix mixer is one of the best on the market, and this replacement container is no exception.  Excellent quality.
826295
Gotta have this with a vitamix, works great.
Have also used this to push potato peels down the garbage disposal.
4020886
These are very nice to use in both cleaning food out of the bottom of the vitamix and for any other use as they are not too wide and will get into the smaller spaces.  It's between a soft rubber spatula and the hard plastic one.  It has just enough movement to get into those hard to reach places.
373879
Easy to use, avoids spillage, does what it says it will do.
2778896
This is a great little machine.  It turns fruits and veggies into smoothies in about half a minute.  It's easy to clean, and the base looks attractive on the counter.  I liked this means of eating more vegetables so much I bought a second Bullet for the office.
4867606
I had been making green smoothies (typically using any combo of spinach, kale, celery, lettuce, apple, carrots, bananas, lime) for almost a year in my $18 blender. I thought they were pretty good, but no one else in my family could stand more than one sip. I finally decided to take the plunge into the Vitamix world. When the blender came, I tested the container and discovered it suffered from the dreaded "black fleck" disease. Vitamix customer service is wonderful. I returned the old container to them and received a new healthy one within a few days. My smoothies are amazingly smooth and taste completely different! I no longer have to chew the chunks of kale left intact by my old blender, and the flavor is much sweeter. The only down side to this is having to share my smoothies with the rest of the family!