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ECM Giotto Premium Plus - eBay 'bargain' from US arrived today....

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  • ECM Giotto Premium Plus - eBay 'bargain' from US arrived today....

    So, I haven't gotten home to open the box yet, but my 'bargain' ECM Giotto Premium Plus arrived today.

    Why 'bargain' and not Bargain?

    Well, the price was good, with a 10% eBay discount, and shipping from East Coast USA was reasonable, but GST and conversion pushed price to just over $1k AUD. So reasonable, but not really cheap.

    And it does need work. Seller says just a new pump, but hmmmm... I bet it needs more.

    Also not as much a bargain as I've since seen a good condition working one, with a semi decent grinder for $1000 on sunshine coast, and no apparently a 'new' one for AUD$1650 in Melbs. Must be new-old stock I'm guessing though, or some sort of fake, as it's definitely badge ECM.

    Anyway, when i get mine opened up, and see where I stand I'll update... with photos.

  • #2
    Ummmmmm , just checking - you know USA uses 110 volt and we use 240 volt?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by kofekitt View Post
      Ummmmmm , just checking - you know USA uses 110 volt and we use 240 volt?
      That is going to be an unpleasant surprise if he doesn't know. RIP the repair budget.

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      • #4
        They are a beautiful design. Worst case, its a decent kitchen sculpture.

        Cheers

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        • #5
          All good, have already factored in a 240V to 110V 1500W step down transformer.....

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          • #6
            Or will that not do the trick?

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            • #7
              If it's a machine with a Rotary Pump, then you will also have to change-out the Start/Run Capacitor since the US uses a 60Hz mains supply, whereas we use 50Hz...

              Mal.

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              • #8
                It's a vibe pump. Will I still run into a freq issue? (obviously I should have asked these questions before I purchased....)

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                • #9
                  It should be Ok...
                  At worst, you may have to install a Dropping Resistor to compensate for the slightly higher current flow.

                  Mal.

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                  • #10
                    Okay, update. Turns out the US bought eBay Giotto was in worse conditioned than described, and drip tray bracket and feet were damaged in transit. eBay seller provided a full refund, so I bought the working Giotto on Sunshine Coast, yo be picked up by courier tomorrow or Tuesday.

                    The working one was actually slightly cheaper than the non working US eBay one, and even comes with a semi decent grinder (surplus to requirements as I have a fairly new Quamar Q50S).

                    At least I'll have a few spares, as the eBay seller doesnt want his one returned.

                    So it may be that with selling the extra grinder, my current La Pavoni Europicola and maybe the extra Giotto I should have a cost free upgrade!

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                    • #11
                      I'm always on the lookout for donor machines for my dastardly experiments. The 110V doesn't worry me as I will discard the pump and control board anyway and the element is a $150 changeover. PM sent.
                      Last edited by Lyrebird; 28 October 2018, 09:16 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Dastardly, eh?
                        You don't have a long black pencil moustache do you Lb...

                        Mal.

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                        • #13
                          I have a cunning plan, m'lord....

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                          • #14
                            Is it as cunning as a fox that had recently been made a professor of cunning at Oxford University?

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                            • #15
                              To continue this thread: I bought the machine above from fotografa, intending to use it as a second donor body for my variable speed pump experiments, which would probably mean it sat on the shelf for a while until I worked on the first.

                              When it turned up I removed the covers (no easy feat given that some idiot Septic had replaced some of the screws with zinc plated non metric screws)



                              Start

                              and worked out that I could convert it to 240V fairly cheaply and use it at the winery (replacing my old Silvia) until the variable speed experiment is ready.

                              I stripped out all the 120V bits:




                              The element, solenoid coil, controller and pump will all need to be replaced with 240V versions. The wiring is in poor condition so that might as well be replaced too. I happened to have a suitable controller and pump (and the associated wiring harness) which came out of the first donor machine so that’s a straight swap.










                              The mains switch is marked with a 240V rating so it can stay. I forgot to include the Sirai pstat in the pic, it is also marked with a 240V rating.

                              I couldn’t find ratings on the thermostat, the brew switch or the indicator lamp (neon, I think). The brew switch is no drama, it's in poor condition and I was going to replace it with a roller plunger switch in any case. The indicator is almost certainly 120V so out it goes. I am pretty sure the thermostat is 240V but “pretty sure” doesn’t cut it with mains components so out it goes too.






                              I ordered the replacement parts today from JetBlack as they had a good price on the element (the most expensive part) and had all the other bits in stock. Total came to $175 including shipping. If I’d had to buy a new controller, harness and pump that would add another $380 which would have rendered the project a non-starter.

                              Sorry for the lousy pics, I'm no fotografa.

                              TBC.
                              Last edited by Lyrebird; 10 November 2018, 11:07 AM.

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