Review on Zojirushi 8-BBP-P070 Replacement Paddle/Blade for BB-PAC20 Machine - Pack of 2: Effortless and Efficient by Russ Conrad

This paddle is an exact replacement for the original. I'm taking off a star because the design is so bad, not because it doesn't work well (it works) but because it's very easy to damage - these blades fit into a steel hub which has a flat surface to match small protrusion within these blades. Because these paddles are made of a very soft metal (aluminum?), it takes very little effort to fully push out the inner ridge (bead). and when that protrusion is gone, the knife spins freely on the drive shaft, so it cannot knead bread dough. I don't think the blades get damaged while kneading bread, it's because users make a simple but reasonable mistake. Not realizing how brittle the paddles are: blade damage usually occurs when the paddle is used to manually rotate the drive shaft after the pallet has been removed from the machine. This is not a problem if the shaft turns freely, but after several bread baking cycles one or both shafts may become increasingly difficult to turn. Attempting to spin a stuck shaft with a wing will put too much pressure on the small aluminum web inside the wing, wringing it out, affecting the functionality of the wing and necessitating replacement. So, make it a rule never to spin the pan rollers with the paddles, instead go under the pan and spin the roller like a bread maker. This reveals the real culprit - the shaft bearings will eventually become stiff and seized, and there is no method of cleaning and lubricating the bearings. The only fix provided for a stuck shaft is to replace the entire baking pan (expensive). But the replacement bread pan and knives are sold separately, so you don't want to break the knives only to find the bearings are sticking, because then you not only have to buy a new bread pan, you also have to buy replacement knives (also pricey). This is my only complaint about the Zojirushi Bread Maker - I bought my first in 2001. At some point one of the baking rollers got completely stuck, so I bought a newer model in 2012. I forgot what I had learned about not rotating the shaft with the paddle, so I quickly wrung out the aluminum grommet while attempting to rotate the shaft with the paddle - a lesson I've now doubly learned the hard way have. I managed to avoid buying a new bread pan - I managed to free the jammed shaft using a tool with a locking ring, a hammer and silicon grease. Note: You can't completely remove the shaft as I believe there is a hidden locking ring between the rivets, but you can move it just enough to loosen it and then lubricate it with some silicone grease. I still recommend Zojirushi to my friends. and I'll probably buy another one when this one dies. However, I really wish Zojirushi had redesigned the shaft bearings on his bread pan to make them at least somewhat usable, and redesigned the paddles so they weren't as easily damaged.