Fresh-squeezed OJ in the morning! It's a good way to wake up. A bad way is to hear the grinding of a motor and gears carelessly ripping that orange beyond edibility! Because juicers and juice extractors are simply motor-driven blade appliances, fixing them can be relatively easy. Hey, it's worth a try.

How Does It Work?

A juicer is similar to a blender except it has additional power and specialized blades.

Juicers are small appliances designed to process citrus fruits into juice. Juice extractors are small appliances that shred various fruits and vegetables and separate the juice from the pulp. Typically, juice extractors are more powerful--and more expensive--than juicers.

Juicers use a motor and gear assembly to drive a spring-loaded shaft and reamer. The reamer activates an internal switch that starts the motor. The rotating reamer rubs against the fruit, releasing juice into a container.

Juice extractors typically use centrifugal force to extract juice through a filter, though some models compress the fruit to force out the juice.

What Can Go Wrong?

Things that can go wrong with juicers and juice extractors are those common to other motorized small appliances. Electric cords, internal wiring, switches, brushes, and motors can fail. The spindle or reamer may be damaged and drive gears may be stripped. Fortunately, many of these things can be fixed.

Fix-It Tip

Make sure your juicer or juice extractor is clean before use. Not only is it more sanitary, it also will operate more easily, reducing the need to fix it.