The blade on my Ninja BL454 was acting up. I was feeling heat on the blade axle after making a smoothie for quite a while, then the other day it almost wouldn't turn at all. It sounded funny and would not turn at a consistent high speed. I could hardly turn it by hand.
I bought a replacement blade on amazon for $13.50 and it came in today, but I couldn't get it connected to one of my jars because the new gasket needs to be seated deeper into the blade housing. Last night I tried adding some 3 in 1 oil to the old blade on the bottom, and it did seem to turn more freely, but I still had the feeling I needed a new blade, that this one was worn out, so after oiling it, I threw it away in the trash cart. Then today when I couldn't get the new one connected to the jar, I went out to get the old blade, to compare them to make sure they're the same item, and they are. Then I realized the blade on the old one, now turns MUCH easier, so I added soapy water to wash it, and connected it to the jar and ran it a while, and it works as good as new.
Evidently the Ninja high speed blender turns at such a high speed that it can require a drop of lubrication every once in a great while.
I guess it may spin at up to 30,000 RPMs. It will liquefy just about anything I throw at it, except for blackberry seeds.
So then I made a smoothie with frozen berries, 2 dates, water, a raw egg, avocado, flax seeds, and some almonds.
Works as good as it ever did again.
Funny how that old blade almost seized right up, but just a couple drops of 3 in 1 oil made it turn like new again.
Ninja Blender Blade
I don't eat whole flax seeds. My Ninja has no trouble liquefying them into the smoothie.Easto wrote:I have read that the best way to consume flax seeds is to buy it as meal and not seed form. The rational was that the beneficial oils are not exposed and absorbed while in seed form and they just pass through the body. In meal form you get the full benefit.
It's best to buy whole flax seeds, and grind them yourself in a coffee grinder, (as I sometimes do)
or add them to a high powered blender such as a Ninja BL454 like I have.