I've had my blendtec for like 12 years. It's got a counter on it for some unknown reason. I just made my morning protein shake. I'm at 5473 uses. My previous blender was an oster that lasted a few years and didn't work well. I'd previously broken cheap blenders after a few uses. If you use it for more than just mixing up simple things, the vitamix and blentec are worth it. Literally the only reason I picked blendtec is because it fit under my counter. The vitamix was too tall.