Hey mate, I owned an ecm classika PID (half a sync) and now own an LMLM with Ricks preinfuse 2 stage mod.
First off, both are exceptional and either way, you are well geared up to make some of the best coffee you can. I must admit, i actually still miss the ECM every once in a while for a few reasons.
The ECM is super well designed, super well built and in almost all ways more refined than the LMLM. The group handles look and feel much nicer. The PID and timer is so nicely integrated. The fc works really well, repeatability is a pain in the butt although you'd find the same with any manual fc. With the sync, you could plumb it in giving you line pressure for super consistent preinfuse. In terms of coffee in the cup, I arguably could pull better shots with the classika Simply because I could do things like bloom and flow profiles. Personally, I really like the look of the sync.
E61 is amazing and has been used for this long for a really good reason. You don't have to make any real modification to the machine and you can service it nearly anywhere. With the e61 you can also see much better where the saturated LMLM group is a bit harder to see well when pulling shots, even with barista lights.
For quality in the cup, access to services, lower cost and footprint (I think) the ECM is exceptional. I would also wager resale market is different if you needed to move it on.
The LMLM to me is not just for brewing coffee. I marvel at it daily, both in terms of engineering and design. The tactile feel of the brew switch is seriously just cool. The industrial build comes through strongly and I like that. Everything is chunky and sturdy and really feels reliable and built for 1000s of shots. I keep it on all the time and I'm very comfortable doing so. I can whip up an endless supply of drinks on demand whenever I want.
With Ricks mod, you can do a few types of shots super consistently and reliably. Straight 9 bar, timed preinfuse and slayer style shots. It works an absolute treat and I've had some magical shots. The milk steaming also is undisputed. Rick has mentioned that he has not had a single reported issue with the mod since 2016 which I can imagine given its mechanical nature. I do however wonder what happens of things did break...
I have had better shots from the LMLM than all other machines I have owned. I have however owned it the longest, made the most amount of drinks and was the most experienced at pulling shots. Could someone with a sync pull better shots? Potentially. Will it be significantly better? Unlikely.
I do not think an LMLM without the mod makes sense for home use at the price. Apart from it likely being serious overkill for 2 people, you will unlikely get better performance than with the sync (or Lelit Bianca for that matter).
I love my LMLM, every shot sparks serious joy. Its always a part of the event when we have guests over. As it stands, I'd happily own this machine forever and seriously enjoy serving my family and friends great drinks. The only alternative I would consider is a Decent or Lever as both are something completely different.
In saying that, I bought it second hand for a steal, Rick is local and all up it was a touch more expensive than a new ECM would be. Would I pay double what an ECM sync costs for a modded LMLM? Not too sure I would.
I vaguely recall a fellow CSer having his LMLM up for sale. Might be an option to pick a second hand one up.
Reach out if you have any questions.
First off, both are exceptional and either way, you are well geared up to make some of the best coffee you can. I must admit, i actually still miss the ECM every once in a while for a few reasons.
The ECM is super well designed, super well built and in almost all ways more refined than the LMLM. The group handles look and feel much nicer. The PID and timer is so nicely integrated. The fc works really well, repeatability is a pain in the butt although you'd find the same with any manual fc. With the sync, you could plumb it in giving you line pressure for super consistent preinfuse. In terms of coffee in the cup, I arguably could pull better shots with the classika Simply because I could do things like bloom and flow profiles. Personally, I really like the look of the sync.
E61 is amazing and has been used for this long for a really good reason. You don't have to make any real modification to the machine and you can service it nearly anywhere. With the e61 you can also see much better where the saturated LMLM group is a bit harder to see well when pulling shots, even with barista lights.
For quality in the cup, access to services, lower cost and footprint (I think) the ECM is exceptional. I would also wager resale market is different if you needed to move it on.
The LMLM to me is not just for brewing coffee. I marvel at it daily, both in terms of engineering and design. The tactile feel of the brew switch is seriously just cool. The industrial build comes through strongly and I like that. Everything is chunky and sturdy and really feels reliable and built for 1000s of shots. I keep it on all the time and I'm very comfortable doing so. I can whip up an endless supply of drinks on demand whenever I want.
With Ricks mod, you can do a few types of shots super consistently and reliably. Straight 9 bar, timed preinfuse and slayer style shots. It works an absolute treat and I've had some magical shots. The milk steaming also is undisputed. Rick has mentioned that he has not had a single reported issue with the mod since 2016 which I can imagine given its mechanical nature. I do however wonder what happens of things did break...
I have had better shots from the LMLM than all other machines I have owned. I have however owned it the longest, made the most amount of drinks and was the most experienced at pulling shots. Could someone with a sync pull better shots? Potentially. Will it be significantly better? Unlikely.
I do not think an LMLM without the mod makes sense for home use at the price. Apart from it likely being serious overkill for 2 people, you will unlikely get better performance than with the sync (or Lelit Bianca for that matter).
I love my LMLM, every shot sparks serious joy. Its always a part of the event when we have guests over. As it stands, I'd happily own this machine forever and seriously enjoy serving my family and friends great drinks. The only alternative I would consider is a Decent or Lever as both are something completely different.
In saying that, I bought it second hand for a steal, Rick is local and all up it was a touch more expensive than a new ECM would be. Would I pay double what an ECM sync costs for a modded LMLM? Not too sure I would.
I vaguely recall a fellow CSer having his LMLM up for sale. Might be an option to pick a second hand one up.
Reach out if you have any questions.

I’d get the LM either with or without the upgrade with a future upgrade plan. 
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