First-world problems. 
While the choice of mixer is partly personal preference, the bowl-lift version has more power which (unless you get a defective one) is able to mix the most dense batches with ease IME.
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I’ve painted mine five times now. Each is the same as the original, never a blemish no matter how much use and cleaning. Of course, you need to use a paint made for metal so it won’t peel or chip, but the right paint will give you a permanent finish.
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I know that’s true, ski, but I’ve never run up against the threshold of my tilt-head; there’s nothing she hasn’t handled beautifully. I guess I just wanted the bigger machine. I don’t really need it, so I’m happy to go back to the original. But, I’ll continue to admire yours and the one our son gifted his GF last Christmas (that started this envy).
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Or you can enlist a pro… 
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They make some really pretty stickers for the KA mixer which is a great alternative to painting.
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I’m happy for all of you who are having fun painting, or having painted, your KA mixers. I only use mine maybe once a month or so and the rest of the time it hides under the counter. So I’m happy with my white mixer.
If it sat on the counter, I might feel differently.
I just ordered the mini 3.5 qt from Meijer. Says it’s in stock at my local store. Had a coupon $179.99. Hope it’s not too small, I guess it can be returned if I hate it. My husband is going to pick it up in the morning
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I am still using my hand me down harvest gold one, going strong!
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We bought a Kitchen Aid Mixer for S (by request). He is a foodie and likes to cook and bake.
H bought me one years ago. I have used it - once. I prefer to use the hand mixer and just pop off the beaters, put them in the dishwasher and it’s way easier for cleaning. H loves to use it. Who knew?
Mine that I finally bought gently second hand in the last year has been used non-stop this week! Chocolate babka dough being whipped up in it right now!
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I put the beater to my Kitchenaid in the dishwasher…
I’ve never found a hand mixer with the power to mix dense things. I even have a kitchenaid hand mixer…but really, that gets used to make whipped cream. Not much else.
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As do I.
My hand mixer is in the cabinet. I can’t even remember the last time I used it. The stand mixer, though, gets constant use.
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Sure I can do that but for some reason when anyone in my house uses the Kitchen Aid I end up having to clean the entire thing. Not to mention I already have too much clutter on my countertops.
I baked for decades without it, still don’t need it. If it were not for H using it, I would get rid of it. Clearly I am in the minority here
Add me to your minority. I only use my KitchenAid mixer for making the dumping dough because it creates significantly less mess than mixing the dough by hand. I use the handheld if I need to whip up a batch of cake frosting or something like that. Or - the horrors! - I use a whisk and some elbow grease. 
ETA: I also use the KitchenAid’s meat grinder attachment.
A friend kindly gave me her KitchenAid when she moved, as there was another at the new house across the country. My kitchen has limited counter space, and it is in the basement where other kitchen goods are stored. Despite thinking I’d love it for the holiday baking season, it is too much to haul up from the basement. My hand mixer is sufficiently quick and efficient with occasional use of the food processor and blender.
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Put me in the camp of messy cooks who could never use their Kitchenaid on the little platform of an appliance lift. I want everything for the recipe visible and at hand beside the mixer, and there’s often a cloud of flour on the island when I’m done.
My almond colored tilt-head is at least 35 years old. Still going strong, but now that I’m not making bread twice a week it’s pulled out less often. I realize that at my age I’m fortunate that lifting it from a bottom shelf isn’t a problem, but so far, so good.
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To keep the powder from floating everywhere, I dampen a larger clean dish towel and drape it over the mixer.
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Over the past decades I have spent too much time scraping powdered sugar and flour out of the crevices in my wood floor after use. Thanks for posting this beautifully simple solution!
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The cloud of flour on my counter is not from the mixer. 
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I am used to pulling my Kitchen Aid mixer down from the pantry cupboard when I need it. It was a wedding present (we will celebrate our 39th anniversary in May). I could not do without a stand mixer. (I also pull my bread maker down from the cupboard several times a week … I don’t have counter space to keep large appliances on the counter, unfortunately - so I just got used to dragging stuff out of cupboards over the years).
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