Buying a used Hobart planetary mixer usually comes down to three sizes: the 5-quart N50, the 20-quart HL200, and the 30-quart D300. Bigger is not simply better, because the size changes what you are exposed to when something wears. Here is the comparison, with Hobart's own documents quoted where they say something and a plain note where they do not.
Match the size to the job first
Hobart's N50 spec sheet is titled "N50 - 5-QUART MIXER" (Hobart N50 spec sheet F7533). The HL200 spec sheet is titled "HL200 LEGACY+ 20-QUART MAXIMUM HEAVY-DUTY MIXER" (Hobart HL200 Legacy+ spec sheet F40089). For the D300 we could not find a current Hobart spec sheet. Hobart's bowl scraper sheet lists a D/30 scraper "for D300 & D330 mixers" (Hobart mixer bowl scraper sheet F8445), which fits the 30-quart size we use here. Treat 30 quarts as the usual designation, and confirm it on the data plate of the machine you are buying.
- Hobart N50 (5 qt): light prep, small cafes and bars. The smallest of the three.
- Hobart HL200 (20 qt): the mid-size bakery and restaurant workhorse. Hobart's current spec sheet is for the Legacy+ version, so an older Legacy HL200 is a previous generation.
- Hobart D300 (30 qt): the largest of the three, with the most capacity.
What fails, and what Hobart says about it
N50. In Hobart's small-capacity mixer maintenance manual, which bundles the N50 and HL200 sheets, the troubleshooting table lists "Grease leaking from planetary. 1. Spacer o-ring on planetary shaft." and "Grease leaking from attachment hub. 1. Quad ring in attachment hub." (Hobart small capacity mixers maintenance manual) Both are seal parts. We previously quoted small part prices for the N50. We have removed them, because we could not tie them to a current listing we can cite. Look up the part number in the manual and price it at a dealer. A used N50 looks low-risk to us, but that is our judgment. Full N50 record.
HL200. The same Hobart manual lists drive-train causes for a noisy mixer, including "Worn bearings (agitator shaft, planetary shaft or worm wheel shaft)." and for a motor that runs while the planetary does not turn it lists a sheared key "at: A. Worm on motor shaft." We previously cited a bakery owner's review of worm-gear trouble near the end of the first year. A review is not an official source, so we have dropped it, along with the worm gear, whip and bearing prices we printed. The manual does not give a failure rate for the HL200 or any other model. Our advice stands as a question, not a documented fact: ask about the gearbox history on a used HL200. Full HL200 record.
D300. We could not find Hobart's own troubleshooting document for the D300. The closest source is Parts Town, a Hobart parts distributor, whose general Hobart mixer guide says "In some cases, the center bolt loosens up and causes the planetary to drop down." and "Sometimes, the planetary seal dries out and begins to squeak." (Parts Town Hobart mixer troubleshooting guide) That guide is about Hobart mixers in general, not the D300 in particular, and we previously overstated it as a D300 finding. We have also removed the worm gear and top cover prices we printed, and the used price range, because we could not source them. Full D300 record.
The decision
- Small volume? The N50. The documented issues in Hobart's manual are seals, and a seal problem is something you can inspect for. Look for grease at the planetary and the attachment hub.
- Mid-volume? The HL200, but buy the gearbox history. Hobart lists worn bearings and sheared keys among the drive-train causes, so ask whether any of that work has been done.
- High volume? The D300, with eyes open. Check that the planetary is seated and listen for noise. Get a dealer quote for the specific part before you buy, because we could not source any D300 part price and will not guess one.
The failure points above link to their sources on the individual records. Methodology: /methodology/.