This is a great mixer. It is very well made, and it is very durable. As soon as it arrived, I put it to work to test it out. It kneads pizza and bread dough with no problem and with no drag on the motor at all. Wisk up egg whites very well. Like the beater attachment and how the silicone tipped blades grab all product from sides of bowl without having to stop and push it down every so often. The splash guard can be used or not, it does not have to be on for machine to run. It has a nice wide opening where you can add other ingredients while running. Nice deep bowl that locks in place. I wish this item was around years ago. I highly recommend this mixer.