Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I make frozen fruit smoothies every day and I needed a blender that could handle that sort of heavy duty use. I bought one of these at Costco after seriously considering both the Blendtec and The VitaMix machines. I am so glad I bought this one. It has proven to be a great blender. Every morning I toss in frozen strawberries, bananas, pineapple, blueberries, oranges, and other types of fruit. To that I add protein powder and milk, secure the top and use the automatic (this lovely machine shuts itself off) setting to make a pitcher of really great, icey cold, somewhat frozen smoothies. Some days the mixture is so thick that we have to eat the it with spoons! Once in awhile I have to stop the blender and stir the contents because a piece of frozen fruit gets stuck. But that is a rare occurrence (the reversing blades are great at keeping things moving and blending). So why do I give this blender 4 stars instead of five? It is noisy. In my opinion it is very noisy. I can and do live with the noise because it performs so well. Well enough in fact that, I purchased a second one in case Oster decides to stop making this model. May 2014. My blender is still going strong. I purchased an extra jar (Wal-Mart carries them) because I find myself using this blender for more than just the morning smoothies. I have also replaced the gasket that sits between the blade assembly and the jar edge. Gaskets need to be in really good, flexible condition to maintain a proper seal. I feel it is important to note that the collar, blade assembly, and gasket should be removed and rinsed every time the jar is used. The jar and lid can go into the dishwasher but the rest is better washed or rinsed by hand. The gasket in particular should not be exposed to alkaline dishwasher detergents. February 2016. My blender is still producing lovely smoothies just about every morning. I love having the extra jar and lid. The gasket and blade assembly are still in great shape as I carefully clean them ever time I use them. I have seriously considered buying a Vitamix but I just can't justify it while this blender is working so well.