Custom lever machine

Tjyven

Maybe some of you has already seen it but there is a guy selling a custom lever machine in a facebook forum. I think the machine looks great but very difficult for me to say if it would be be wise to buy it. The guy has built lots of lever machines and I have talked to him and gotten some specifications.

Gaggia GX group head

Spring 9 bar

Boiler 0,8 liter

Tank 3 liter

Vibration pump

Heat up time: 15 min

24cm wide, 54cm deep, 70 cm high (40cm without lever)

Since this machine is custom it is of course very difficult to have an opinion if it is a good machine but still curious if anyone has any thoughts.

Besides the look I also like the rather small footprint and price is also ok for me. I have also seen a video when he brews an espresso and for me it looks good.

Petre

do you have any details about temp control (pid) and if the group has any heating itself? what’s the price?

Tjyven

Petre Is no PID, heat controlled by pressostat, and group head is heated by a steambox. Price is 2200 euro.

Cuprajake

Wow sounds a hell of a lot of money

DavecUK

Cuprajake Wow sounds a hell of a lot of money

It does seem a lot!

giampiero

0,8 lt boiler….a bit small. IMHO

Tjyven

Was very difficult for me to guess the price of this one, dont really know which machine it could be compared with. Was hoping for it to be cheaper but was actually afraid it would be higher… :-)

Anyhow, asked questions about heat stability and possibility of doing multiple shots. He said that the brass group is very stable and that it is a commercial group so of course it can handle multiple shots.

As everyone understand it is impossible to control this ithout buying but that was the answer I got.

DavecUK

Tjyven He said that the brass group is very stable and that it is a commercial group so of course it can handle multiple shots.

It would be nice to have a more independent variation in the absence of any control/measurement systems on the machine.

StevenG91

This group is very stable, I have rebuilt many of these, and extremely easy to service. The price of this is reasonable considering it’s custom made, and various parts have been cncd, and hand/ custom built. The group alone is worth a few hundred pounds, these were originally used on Spanish Gaggias and the seals are available today.

Tjyven

StevenG91 Thats interesting to hear, a machine is of course more than its group head but did you enjoy those machines?

StevenG91

Tjyven
Yes, these groups are solid work horses and were used primarily in two group commercial lever machines aswell as some single groups. Top of group is removable by two screws which will pop out and reveal a piston with seals. Easy to maintain. The groups mass is particularly thermally stable. These groups were originally used on a dipper leaver however I think if you speak to the owner you’ll find it was likely modified to thermosyphon.

StevenG91

[unknown]
Yes, these groups are solid work horses and were used primarily in two group commercial lever machines aswell as some single groups. Top of group is removable by two screws which will pop out and reveal a piston with seals. Easy to maintain. The groups mass is particularly thermally stable. These groups were originally used on a dipper leaver however I think if you speak to the owner you’ll find it was likely modified to thermosyphon.

Tjyven

StevenG91 Asked about the heating and the group and boiler is not in contact which he says is better for not overheating. Water is taken from the bottom of the boiler with an external pipe, then there is a steam box element to heat the group.

Tjyven

StevenG91

Tjyven yes this is much better than the dipper design and will reduce the prospect of overheating

Tjyven

StevenG91 Btw, what shot size did you get with those machines without doing fellini?