I once considered buying this machine brand new, but three things stopped me;
1. It costs over $2,000.00. Astronomically expensive!
2. Capacity.
3. I already have the K-5A, which has the same work bowl capacity - 5 qts. I realise that the Hobart N-50 is a commercial-quality machine, but at the price that it costs, I think that its bowk should at least be slightly larger.
But at the same time, I've seen the K-5A being used in food service kitchens as well.
But I needed a stand mixer that has a slightly larger work bowl capacity, since I've been making and doing cake recipes that require a machine with a larger bowl. My two K'Aid Stand Mixers might be able to do it, but that can lead to confusion trying to divide up extremely large recipes.
The only other cheaper and better alternative was to get the Electrolux Assistant because of its larger work bowl, 8 qts. It can handle large cake recipes, as well as several box cake mixes at once.
Not trying to brag, but the amount of baking that I now do, it had neccesitated the need for a machine that has a larger work bowl.
I also once had considered a Viking or a Delonghi or even a Cuisinart, but after seeing Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse having trouble with the Viking machines when the work bowls became stuck to the bases of the mixers, I then struck those off the list as well. On his show Throwdown, Bobby had to literally pick up the whole mixer and turn it upside down just to dump the donut dough out of the bowl!