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  • Bigguy
    replied
    Tony, I posted in Hardware for sale, posted some pics and can post any other you may need. The water has always been filtered only, serviced over xmas as we usually go away, new seals and showers installed. we had to get a new on/Off switch replaced and the steam knob re-built but they said that is very common. The Grinder was and probably still is one of the best on the market(Mini Mazzer Doserless), never missed a beat and having a good grinder is what its at!

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  • kyeba
    replied
    Originally posted by tonyh View Post
    The longer I look and research, the more clearer it becomes that I need to raise more money or lower my machine requirements.
    Depending how bad the coffee bug has bit you, I'd recommend saving a bit more for a better machine, because like most CS' rs, you'll likely upgrade a few times down the road.

    Might as well plan which machine you'll realistically settle on for the main part of your journey, especially since your better half doesn't understand why we spend this much money on machines.

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  • ajdean
    replied
    My preference would always be to buy local, just to avoid the potential for damage in transit (not always possible I know)

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  • tonyh
    replied
    Originally posted by samuellaw178 View Post
    Another thing Tony, if shipping is involved and it is a heavy machine, make sure it's packed real well. That's killer no.2 after limescale. Even a well-built sexy lady like Unico Splendor will lose a limb or two after going through roller coaster ride by the courier.

    Btw, from a seller's perspective, I would hate someone to ask way too many (sometimes irrelevant) questions, and decide not to buy in the end. My way would be to pick some main questions that I think is important, and a bit more detailed question in the following correspondence if I'm concerned, rather than a long string of ???. That of course will depend on how much info the seller puts forth in the first place (like what we have here above, haha). Just something to keep in mind when approaching any prospective seller. But as usual, that's just my personal preference/opinion.

    Good luck with your purchase!
    All good advice, and I agree that a trip with a courier could be like taking a roller coaster ride, and then there is the cost of freight, it in it's self may exclude long distance purchases.

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  • tonyh
    replied
    Originally posted by Shannon View Post
    It was said in an earlier post but bears repeating I think - Grinder.
    If your $1500 limit is for a machine AND a grinder then realistically the machines you are looking at are not in your range I am afraid.
    I bought my first grinder from here (thanks yet again Mal ) as well as my current machine. I was very fortunate with both and have had many years of great coffee from 2nd hand gear. When I upgrade my machine unless I get really lucky it will once again be bought 2nd hand from here. So long as you research and read the posts (including the persons who is selling the item in case they have had issues in the past and asked for help here) things can work out well buying 2nd hand - especially if you need both items with your budget.
    Caveat of course is that 2nd hand anything can turn around and bite you in the hip pocket even if people sell truthfully.
    Hope this helps some
    The longer I look and research, the more clearer it becomes that I need to raise more money or lower my machine requirements. I don't want to lower my machine requirements, so I guess I have to save more money, there's plenty of time, Christmas is coming up soon, maybe machines will come on the market to make room for new shinny toys, I won't rush in and buy something that I don't really want or won't be happy with.

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  • samuellaw178
    replied
    Another thing Tony, if shipping is involved and it is a heavy machine, make sure it's packed real well. That's killer no.2 after limescale. Even a well-built sexy lady like Unico Splendor will lose a limb or two after going through roller coaster ride by the courier.

    Btw, from a seller's perspective, I would hate someone to ask way too many (sometimes irrelevant) questions, and decide not to buy in the end. My way would be to pick some main questions that I think is important, and a bit more detailed question in the following correspondence if I'm concerned, rather than a long string of ???. That of course will depend on how much info the seller puts forth in the first place (like what we have here above, haha). Just something to keep in mind when approaching any prospective seller. But as usual, that's just my personal preference/opinion.

    Good luck with your purchase!

    Leave a comment:


  • tonyh
    replied
    Hi Bigguy,

    I Will need to know heaps more mate, pictures, age, history, maintenance, water quality and if used with filters, services, any past and current problems and of course a price.

    Have you read the entire post above, if so you will know where I am located, what my budget is and what the other CS members have advised me to look for in a used machine, will wait to hear back from you

    Leave a comment:


  • Shannon
    replied
    It was said in an earlier post but bears repeating I think - Grinder.
    If your $1500 limit is for a machine AND a grinder then realistically the machines you are looking at are not in your range I am afraid.
    I bought my first grinder from here (thanks yet again Mal ) as well as my current machine. I was very fortunate with both and have had many years of great coffee from 2nd hand gear. When I upgrade my machine unless I get really lucky it will once again be bought 2nd hand from here. So long as you research and read the posts (including the persons who is selling the item in case they have had issues in the past and asked for help here) things can work out well buying 2nd hand - especially if you need both items with your budget.
    Caveat of course is that 2nd hand anything can turn around and bite you in the hip pocket even if people sell truthfully.
    Hope this helps some

    Leave a comment:


  • samuellaw178
    replied
    Originally posted by WantRancilio10 View Post
    I suspect Sam was referring to general photos rather than photos of (no) scale but this link might help
    Should I descale my machine? | Talk Coffee
    That's exactly right. You can't really see the scale(if any) from pictures. To know that, you have to research how hard the water is in the seller's area. Chances are most people don't have sufficient softening. General pictures give you a sense of how the machine has been taken care of, and how old it is. Though that can still be deceiving - you can polish the hell out of the machine but the internal is still crap. Speaking of which, internal pictures will further reduce the chance of getting a lemon. If there is any leakage or water scale, it'll be more likely to manifest.

    Leave a comment:


  • tonyh
    replied
    This is more an observation then a question, the better branded machines hold their value well don't they, some of the machine I have looked at are 10 or more years old and are still bringing more than half their original price, and who knows they may last another 10 years with the proper care.

    I read on another thread by Yelta, that his Bezzera Domus Galatea is now 6 years old and that the daily cost of the machine based on a purchase price of $2850 is now down to $1.30. I tried that on my wife last night when she asked how much all this was going to cost me, I couldn't manage to make my mouth open and say, $1500 or maybe $2000 or it could even go as high as $2500, I took the smart route and after a long pause said, oh I think about $1.30 a day, she still shock her head as she left saying, just so you can drink coffee, it better taste good. She is into bromeliads, you know the plants, maybe when I buy my gear I will get her a bromeliad, that is if I have $20 left over

    Anyway I have sent a lot of questions out to a few sellers about there machines based on the advice received from this site, we'll see what happens, I guess the longer it takes me to find something the more money I save towards something better and newer

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  • WantRancilio10
    replied
    I suspect Sam was referring to general photos rather than photos of (no) scale but this link might help
    Should I descale my machine? | Talk Coffee

    Leave a comment:


  • tonyh
    replied
    WantRancillo, sorry mate, I may of got a little carried away when talking about the Unico Splendor Machine, but just look at her.

    Kyeba, $1000 extra is more than a little stretch at the moment, maybe with 6 months more saving and a little help by way of a discount from the site sponsor mentioned I could look at a deal like that, the other problem though is convincing the non coffee drinkers of the house that I should spend $2500 on me just so that I can drink coffee.

    MrFreddofrog, I am an electrician by trade and more than handy at tinkering, its not so much that I will have a machine that I have to work on, but one that I have to spend more money on, I don't see the point in saving $500 on a machine that is 5 years old, if I then need to spend $500 on repairs to make it work, you may be right in that I would prefer to buy a new machine, and if I can't put enough money together I will need to reconsider my options.

    samuellaw178, I'm starting to realise that water quality is a lot more important than I had previously though, as I said I am on rain water, the only thing I need to worry about is a little frog piddle, what photo's can be taken to show scale, the amount of or lack of, I was thinking that scale would be an internal problem not visible.

    Leave a comment:


  • WantRancilio10
    replied
    Originally posted by tonyh View Post
    I would sit next to her while drinking my coffee, stroking her lovely sides with a clean towel keeping her shiny and clean until she's ready to please me again with her next silky crema delight.
    I'm not sure how things are going with Tony's love life but he's indicated a pretty serious need for something with a bit more sex appeal! (Tony - keep your clothes on in the kitchen, for OH&S reasons among others)

    Leave a comment:


  • MrFreddofrog
    replied
    While I've bought cars and bikes sight unseen I wouldn't buy a coffee machine as it's not worth getting someone independent to inspect it. That's important as what they consider "like new" or "works perfectly" can be vastly different from yours.

    If you are diy mechanically inclined then age, warranties, parts are not so important as you should be able to fix most minor issues yourself using Google. If not then a new one might be more suitable.

    Important qu is ask to explain their maintenance routine and why they may or may not use filtered water.

    imho you sound like you'd prefer new for peace of mind. Instead of looking at a pricey twin boiler, why not a new 6910/7000. Good machines at Half the price and you've got enough money left over for a decent grinder.

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  • WantRancilio10
    replied
    The look of E61 machines is certainly what gets most snobby snobs excited. The Lelit, by comparison, would be more energy efficient for the single user. Although here in Hobart any extra heat generated is generally a good thing!

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