Compak k3 burr life?

[tristanp]

Hi all. I'm an infrequent poster but regularly check in here.

I'm considering a second hand K3 touch that, if I can believe the seller's statements about when he bought it and how many grams per week go through it, has probably had about 50kg ground over its almost 4 year life.

Can anyone give me any idea of the life of a K3 and the burrs in particular. If I go for it is it likely to need new burrs or be approaching clapped out? I can of course order and fit new burrs, but I'd rather have some idea before I commit.

The grinder should be a nice upgrade to my EM480 and hopefully match well with my Brugnetti Simona Top HX.

Thanks,
Tristan

[TRRR]

According to the manual they should be changed after 350kg with a medium to hard coffee blend. So if you keep using it at the rate the current owner is you won't need to worry about it for another 24 years!

[Yelta]

As long as the grinder looks to be in good condition and runs well I wouldn't worry too much Tristan, at the worst you may be up for a new set of burrs, approx $70.

[tristanp]

According to the manual they should be changed after 350kg with a medium to hard coffee blend. So if you keep using it at the rate the current owner is you won't need to worry about it for another 24 years!

Thanks. I reckon I use about half his turnover (I mostly just make coffee on the weekend with my machine) so I should be good for going on 50 years :-)

[tristanp]

As long as the grinder looks to be in good condition and runs well I wouldn't worry too much Tristan, at the worst you may be up for a new set of burrs, approx $70.

It's not a local sale so I can only go on his pics and description. The unit was originally bought via JetBlack Espresso so at least I know he probably knows his coffee and hopefully how to take care of his gear. I should ask what he's upgrading too.

Yep, burrs from JetBlack $80 including postage so no great expense when the time comes.

[TOK]

..I'm considering a second hand K3 touch that, if I can believe the seller's statements about when he bought it and how many grams per week go through it, has probably had about 50kg ground over its almost 4 year life.

Can anyone give me any idea of the life of a K3 and the burrs in particular...Thanks,Tristan

Even if you doubled that (the 50 kg), its still only just barely run in.

[Avex]

even it was ran in, replacements wont break the bank at $68 from coffeeparts...

[TOK]

to be sure to be sure, but the real question is, why would anyone want to fix something that aint broke. Something that wont break the bank is still a loss if it doesnt need doin"....

[CafeLotta]

I bought a 2nd hand "Compak K3" which turned out to actually be a Wega mini instant 5.8. This was sold to the original owner by Jetblack as a Compak K3. Supposedly a rebadged K3 but my issue was why not advertise it as the true item? At the time I did a search on the Wega and found the new price to be cheaper than the Compak. May be a consideration when comparing a 2nd hand price.

If you do buy the grinder and need to replace the burrs, be sure to buy original Compak burrs and not copies.

[tristanp]

Hopefully there is no need for new burrs, but I'd be getting the genuine article from a site sponsor if I needed them.

Thanks for the top on the wega mini instant. I found a couple of sources and the price is a little less than the k3 touch, but not enough to sway me in that direction. Still, it doesn't hurt your bargaining position to know your options.

I'll be in touch with the seller tomorrow so we'll see how we go.