We have a KitchenAid Pro 600, and it is our most used and favorite appliance. DW bakes a lot so it gets used for everything from bread to cookies to pies every couple days. We also have the citrus juicer attachment after burning out a Cuisinart juicer. Grandma has a Meyor lemon tree, and we juice many bags of lemons. We also juice pomogranites this way. I have never heard our mixer strain doing anything. The motor can sound a little different depending on the load, heavy loads like bread require more power applied than cake batter at the same speed setting, so the motor may be a bit louder, but it is not strainig. Hope you enjoy your KitchenAid