TR4000 Breadman Ultimate DreaMachine Breadmaker 2.5lbs loafs

Comment: I have been making all my bread for over 20 years and the Breadman Ultimate was our 3rd breadmaker and by far the poorest quality. The first was a Hitachi that lasted for over 10 years with only replacing the belt and breadpan once and that may have been due to putting the breadpan in a sink full of water. The second breadpan lasted until the machine bearings went out. We made about 5 loaves per week then.
Our second breadmaker was a Panasonic. It also made great bread but the control panel quit after about 5 years. The yeast dispenser and extras dispenser were good features.
Our last breadmaker was a Breadman Ultimate Breadmaker. The pan cracked at the rivets before the warranty was up and Salton sent us a new pan at no charge. The machine made good bread but the second pan broke at the rivets in just over a year so I bought another pan. Now that 3rd pan has broken at the rivets in just a year and a half. We are only making 2 loaves of bread per week now versus the 5 loaves we used to make with the other machines so it seems like it should have lasted longer.
I believe the pans keep breaking because the brackets that hold it in are flimsy and allow the pan to bang around when it kneads. All the banging is also very annoying. I was able to bend the brackets to hold the pan a little tighter but it still is pretty sloppy. The machine is about 4 years old now and still makes good bread however, the belt is squeaking and it isn't worth it to me to buy another pan and belt knowing it won't last. Customer service (after I finally got through) says they haven't improved the pan and will not warranty it. I feel like there is a problem with the corporate culture at this company and will no longer do business with them.
After a lot of research I am going to try a Zojirushi and hope it is built better.

Comment: easy to use instructions, recipes included in on-screen menu. Almost impossible to make a mistake.

Comment: I got this machine for Christmas 05'. I spent hours researching machines and found this one should of been the strongest. My family loves french bread and in the winter months, I would make at least a loaf a week. I started the machine up this fall and made one loaf. At the end of the cycle the gear broke. It was still in waranty and was returned. I have been waiting for months for my replacement, it is backordered. Salton's customer service is great and would email me back if I had questions or if I needed an update on the replacement.

Comment: I haven't have store bought bread in over a year since purchasing the breadman. there's nothing like waking up to fresh bread. the technology is simply amazing.