Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice please

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

    I have to support what Attilio wrote above....

    If you can buy a used SJ that is in good nick (verified either by yourself or someone you trust) then just buy it mate. Theres no need to go on with endless questions about its suitability... Its a fully commercial grade grinder made to a spec that includes a requirement for years of reliable service. In a home situation it will last you forever and to be quite honest, unless you are one of these people who happen to have a "Super Palate", then you would not be able to taste the difference between brews made from beans ground with this grinder or any other well known brand of commercial grinder.

    Time for a decision I think, either buy a used SJ or a new MM.... Both will perform equally well in a domestic situation and the final decision should come down to one of appearance and ergonomics. It would be a different matter entirely if we were tossing up between a SB EM0480 and a Rancilio Rocky but were not comparing apples and oranges here, just apples of a different size and maybe colour. Go for it, make a decision and with either choice you will be happy with the outcome.... Guaranteed [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

    Mal.

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

      not that it matters, but if it were me, itd be the SJ by a fairly long shot.
      30% faster BIG points here (i have a robur at work 5 sec max for a double V my iberital 20 secs for a double (painful) so grind time is important for ME
      heavier
      more heavy duty internals
      true commercial duty
      wont move around on the bench as much/at all
      if i went the MM over the SJ i think id always be wondering if i should have bought the "bigger" baby.

      (then again, maybe i shouldve just got the damn robur... )

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

        Its hard to go backwards anyway. I have a SJ, and whenever I use a MM I cant get over how slow it is. I used to think my Rocky was quick enough. Its all relaltive.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

          Originally posted by Mal link=1226270246/0#15 date=1226308739
          Time for a decision I think, either buy a used SJ or a new MM....
          Unfortunately for some of us Kiwis, its not so easy to go through with a decision - not through lack of will but through lack of availability.

          I still havent heard back from the handful of options I have for a used SJ. Tis the penalty we pay for living in paradise :

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

            Paradise is somewhere with unlimited grinder choices.

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

              Ok I MAY have something lined up. I dont want to set myself up for disappointment.

              See attached photo. There appears to be ??rust around the grind adjustment ring?

              Cause for concern??

              Obviously there are chips but Im not too fussed. Will try to get up a better photo later.

              I have been offered a money back guarantee if Im not happy after seeing it in the flesh and a short warranty against failure too. So should be good?

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                Gawd,

                I have never seen one in such terrible condition. What did they do to it and wheres the SS dregs tray??

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                  Looks like a new dregs tray to me still with the protective cover over it. If so then you wont get a better dregs tray than that. The units sure been knocked around a bit, but cosmetic things can be fixed up, a fundamentally poor / marginal construction cant be. I cant quite see in the photo but from the shape of the switch it looks like a timer model rather than whatever the one you sold me was Chris - auto-start or something I guess. Either way, no particular cause for concern, just a different way of using it.

                  The stuff round the grinds adjustment ring would just be stray coffee, theres nothing in there to rust apart from the springs but theres no moisture in that area to cause rusting anyway. The bodys cast alloy I think and the grind adjustment ring is chromed brass. So nothing ferrous. If youre happy with the price and the condition I cant see anything wrong with it (same would apply for a Mini of course), these things are like old Holdens (if you have them over there!) - they keep going forever. Especially since choices over there dont seem to be in abundance. I guess if you were prepared to reveal the price to us wed be able to say whether its good value to a Mini unless youre already happy it is.

                  Greg

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                    I think thats the old(er) shape of the SJ right. Ive no idea when they changed it, maybe others know. I think the newer ones have a shorter base under the dosing forks.

                    FWIW, Ive seen some SJs in worse condition (cosmetically), still in cafes being used. Be intersting to know why its so beat-up.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                      yeh the newer ones have a taller base and a slightly larger body. sorry greg, im not convinced that that isnt rust near where the hopper sits, or under the adjustment. its abit hard to tell from the photos though. how much are you paying for it?

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                        Originally posted by soupy link=1226270246/20#24 date=1226383599
                        yeh the newer ones have a taller base and a slightly larger body. sorry greg, im not convinced that that isnt rust near where the hopper sits, or under the adjustment. its abit hard to tell from the photos though. how much are you paying for it?
                        Yeppers- I forgot about the old body :-[

                        That one really looks like it spent an extended time at a quarry near the beach. I cant inderstand how they could knock it around so badly...

                        We had busy cafes and ours looked a heap better....

                        2mcm

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                          Originally posted by soupy link=1226270246/20#24 date=1226383599
                          yeh the newer ones have a taller base and a slightly larger body. sorry greg, im not convinced that that isnt rust near where the hopper sits, or under the adjustment. its abit hard to tell from the photos though. how much are you paying for it?
                          History of the machine is that it has been used on short term loan or rental throughout its life, as opposed to "one careful owner".

                          Is there any difference to the older model grinder apart from appearance?

                          I dont want to reveal the price yet (happy to do so once Ive sealed the deal), but lets just say its a lot less than $500 (new MM $800).

                          Using my "CSI vision", here is a detailed closeup of the possible rust?

                          And I just realised that it has lost the grind adjustment handle. I suspect I will secure this first (bird in the hand) and then seek a sexier model at my leisure as this should be able to be onsold quite easily.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                            still hard to tell if thats rust or grinds. im leaning towards grinds.
                            in any event, if you have a guarantee of money back, whats the harm done?

                            then again, its a little worse for wear externally. but that doesnt mean thats the same story internally.
                            theres no cracks in the hopper and the dosing chamber looks clean from the photo. often on evilbay youll see pics of badly stained dosing chamber windows - real filth, which is not the case here....

                            theres USUALLY an element of "well il buy it and see what it needs" (read, TIME and possibly MONEY) when buying used equimpment.


                            no one here can say what you should do. its a little bit of a gamble i guess, BUT with the money back guarantee, that gamble is reduced

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                              If, when I hopefully get this, I took photos of the burrs and posted them here, would anyone here be able to tell the condition of them? Or is a 2D picture useless for telling that?

                              And is it easy to dismantle one of these machines? I wont have manual so might need to look for one. Does anyone know if the newer model has differences "under the bonnet"?

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Buying a USED Mazzer SJ Grinder - advice pleas

                                Looks very grindsey to me. Mine has something similar which smelt a lot like coffee and wiped off with a cloth. If its rust can someone please tell me what material in that area could be rusting, considering the same rust is also in the holes of the brass collar? Check the Mazzer site and youll see theres normally a peg that screws into those holes to make it easier to adjust the grind. May like to check if theyve got that, though Im sure theyd be cheap to buy or make. If its rust Ill eat my rusty plastic doser lid!

                                If the burrs are real bad you should be able to see blunt cutting edges or gouges but itll more be by feel. With mine if you push your thumb gently against them and run it down you can feel its quite sharp. Doesnt cut you but you can feel its a sharp edge. If the collar has screws in the top of it, unscrew those, five full turns clockwise and the top burr carrier comes out and there are your burrs. 30 second job literally. Just be aware there are three springs that the burr carrier sits against (three fingers on the carrier lines up with these) and make sure these dont come out with the burr carrier and then drop on the floor.

                                Greg

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X