Man, that's exactly why we're pushing to retrofit all our old stuff before it gets that bad.

Three of my neighbors shared that video on Facebook last week and one of them actually said they were switching to powdered milk because of it. It's getting harder to tell the difference between someone who's genuinely clueless and someone who's just farming for outrage clicks. Makes you wonder how many other "exposés" we've all fallen for just because they confirmed something we already wanted to believe.

Man I learned that lesson the hard way too with a similar looking machine from a restaurant supply store. Those Hobart clones look the part but the internal gearing is just cheap pot metal instead of cast iron. If you can find a used Hobart A200 on Facebook Marketplace for around $500 that's the sweet spot, those things will outlive you. Or check if any local bakery schools are upgrading their equipment and selling off old stock. The repair shop quote is brutal but honestly they're right that fixing it doesn't make sense when parts cost double what you paid.

Wonder if that stripped plug was from someone using the wrong oil grade and gunking things up.

Hold on I gotta push back here. That cheap plastic flange is actually doing its JOB by catching hair and gunk before it goes further down your pipes and creates a hard clog you need a snake for. I just cleaned mine last week after two months and the buildup was nasty but it pulled right out. If you switch to something smooth, all that crud is just gonna slide right into the trap and then you're renting a drain cleaner every six months.