I bought the Ninja years ago because I just couldn’t justify the price for the Vitamix. But I now make green smoothies every day and the Ninja just couldn’t get it smooth. You’d have to almost chew it. So I bought this and haven’t looked back since.
Pros: Speed of Service, Texture Quality, Durability, Easy to use, Power
We had a VitaMix for...15 (?) years and we used it A LOT. It was giving up, so we got a new one before it completely stopped working so we wouldn't have to be without one. I'm really happy with how well this one works. I use it a lot to puree meals for my elderly aunt and my kids make lots of smoothies.
I got the 5200 a few months ago and so far, I love it. Mine came with the classic tall thin pitcher which I chose because some of the reviews said that it was hard to get everything blended in the newer wider version. It blends so fast and so smooth that it puts my old blender to shame. I've wanted one of these for years, and I'm not disappointed.
Will get very smooth but takes quite a bit of time and liquid. I expected it to be easier for the price. I would have gotten the more powerful motor if it came with the thinner pitcher. I have successfully made almond butter so it is a strong machine. Also not obnoxiously loud for it’s power so that is good.
Bought my first all-steel Vitamix during a demo back in the early 80's. It finally died. I chose this replacement specifically because it has the older narrow container, and I noticed that some of the reviews of the newer models mentioned that the newer wider containers sometimes don't blend as well as the older, narrower containers. I'm quite happy with this model.
I purchased this item about 20 years ago, I have made all kinds of great things. I saw a demonstration years ago and learned they now had a small top, I love using it for my smoothies. I did make a mistake and grabbed the wrong tamper for the smaller container and the blades ate the bottom of my tamper. Be very careful and check before inserting that tamper. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I have loved mine.
Pros: Speed of Service, Durability, Versatility, Product features, Power