RobertRo101 just realized that you say “if it all works”. But you do own the V2 right? So what are you referring too if you can actually see if it works or not? Maybe you are referring to DaveC temperature testing discuses earlier.
Lelit Mara X V1 and V2 – the differences
I do have the V2, but mine had some temperature problems and I had to send it to their service to get checked up and repaired. That is why I said that they may have rushed the lunch and if they managed to update their manuals and had more transparency to the public about how the new V2 works and managed to reduce the machines that had some kind of defect from the assembly line, the MaraX V2 would 95% be a marker changer and could make Lelit a ton of money.
RobertRo101 I think they may have rushed the lunch of the V2
I first suggested it to Lelit over a year ago, so I don’t think they rushed it. The owner really liked the idea of loosing the pure HX mode. From a personal standpoint, pure HX was a mode I never used and wanted a coffe only mode, then flip it into steam boost if I was ever making milk drinks…say for a visitor @MediumRoastSteam 🙂
MediumRoastSteam In all honesty, if this new firmware works well, the MaraX would all of a sudden become a very good and viable proposition for those who don’t steam milk very often (say, at the weekends only, as an example). They can run the machine in “coffee mode” most of the time and only use the “steam mode” when they need to.
I think the main advantage of the new Xcoffee mode (coffee priority without steam boost) is for multiple shots in a row, where a steam boost might overheat the group when you actually only want to brew a few shots of espresso one after the other. It isn’t like a dual boiler machine, where turning off the steam boiler can save a lot of energy or shorten heat-up time, so there isn’t a huge advantage in turning steam boost off if the machine is usually used to make one or two shots at a time (you can potentially save some energy by not having a few seconds of steam boost, but it is probably insignificant).
While it would be nice to know I have this mode, I personally would probably never use it, because I mainly make coffee for myself, and when I have guests - 99.99% of the time they want a milk drink.
DavecUK Lelit are sending me the new Gicar box with the revised programming of the V2 MaraX. It’s good because I can update the MaraX review and answer any questions once I fit it
That’s great! As explained above, personally I am mostly interested to learn about the changes to Xmode steam (formerly known as Coffee priority mode). To be honest, for the way I use the machine I find the V1 Coffee priority mode to be perfect, so I can’t think of anything I would want to change about it. I never need to wake the machine or trigger a steam boost. I just make a shot, clean my basket and steam - and always have good steam power, no matter what I do or how long I take between brewing and steaming. I can imagine other workflows that might benefit from a stronger or longer steam boost, but I don’t find that I need that. Still, it would be very interesting to know what the change is.
DavecUK I think you will be surprised at how much milk you can steam even in coffee mode after one or two shots, it’s even better, for longer steaming, with a single hole steam wand tip
RobertRo101 I think you will be surprised at how much milk you can steam even in coffee mode after one or two shots, it’s even better, for longer steaming, with a single hole steam wand tip
I agree in the dedicated coffee only mode, there is enough power to steam milk for the sort of smaller (not big gulp) latte I would drink. Think Expobar dual boiler which ran at 1.0 bar steam pressure to avoid overheating the brew water (that’s why they actually did it, made a bit of a design faux pax).
In the coffee steam boost mode, it should be good for steaming and multiple drinks, but will overheat if left for 4 min or so..
Losing the HX mode is the good thing, because that simply made it an HX machine that needed flushing before use.
This post really made me curious, so I did some research. 30 minutes were spent wisely:
Here is the complete manual of the V2: https://espressissimo.azureedge.net/media/pdf/db/af/1f/LELIT-MaraX-PL62X-V2.pdf
The same retailer also states (in German): “Nun war es aber Anfang 2022 doch soweit: die neuen Maschinen der PL62X ab Versionsnummer 417066 sind alles Vertreter der neuen VERSION 2.”
In essence: All Maras beyond version number (not sure if that is lot or serial number) 417066 are V2 machines.
Still, all black machines should have the OPV mod.
portafilter that’s very good information, thank you.
This sentence from the V2 manual “*The above features have been progressively introduced in MaraX V1 starting from April 2021” makes me wonder that since the OPV redirection is on some non-black-logo MaraX, maybe there might be some non-black-logo MaraX with the new Xmode!?
If it’s the case and if anyone finds a way to identify which ones have the new Xmode in the red logo MaraX, I’ll be extremely interested since I’ve been told the black logo may not be available before late 2022 in Canada. The person may wrongly have assumed that it also meant the no Xmode on MaraX with the red logo.
Or maybe I’m too optimistic! :D
Now that think about it, I tried a machine that had all the general features change listed in the PDF (copied below) except the black logo:
General features*
• Hot water and steam taps with LELIT logo embossed and visible from above. They are longer than the former ones, therefore the wands will not touch the body of the machine, preventing any possible scratch.
• IMS filters made of 304 stainless steel: 1 dose (9-11 g), 2 doses (16-18 g), 2 doses PLUS (18-21 g), blind.
• Water tank with LELIT logo embossed.
• The OPV drain system discharges the water back into the water tank instead of the drip tray. In this way, the user needs to empty it less often and the water consumption is halved.
• New silk-screened logo displayed on the front to give the machine a new minimalist look, in line with the company’s rebranding.
The Xmode change is not listed as a feature but only explained later on.
@DavecUK, or anyone else who may know, except the serial number and the black logo, are you aware of a way to verify if a machine has the XmodeCoffee change?
They mention in the manual that the power led would blink at startup: was the previous version doing that too?
No, the V1 had a different way of confirming the coffee mode. Mauro has a youtube video about it, the two lights for temperature and water would stay on for 5 seconds (or something like that).
I would say the best way is to switch in away from 1 to 0 on the right hand switch under the tray and see if the steam goes up and stays there…then you know it’s the old software and is working as an HX machine. When I get the stuff I shall put a video up before I change out the Gicar box
Anyone know what “Hot water and steam taps with LELIT logo embossed and visible from above. They are longer than the former ones, therefore the wands will not touch the body of the machine, preventing any possible scratch.” actually means?
The wands on my Oct-2020 machine have an engraved (as opposed to embossed) Lelit logo on top, and the elbow of the wands will not touch the front of the machine, but you can articulate the arm in such a way so that the tips of the wands could touch the sides of the case. Do these new wands completely eliminate the wands from touching any portion of the case?
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authorized reseller in my country sent me this video
to explain the software update in v2. I’m planning to buy marax, but still not decided yet between marax and bezzera bz10
6 days later
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If anyone receives confirmation of when / who will have this machine in the US with the revised software, please share. Thanks.
4 days later
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I talked to Jim at 1st-line.com and he wasn’t even aware of the changes/new software for the MaraX. He said it could be a few months before it hits the US market. His machines right now have the upgraded OPV drain but nothing else.
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Snooze are the changes for the Xmode only a Gicar software change with the same Gicar or there is some hardware that need to be changed/added too?
Just a Gicar box change. I have a replacement box for mine and will be wiring it in soon…I’ll make a video.
A Gicar box can be programmed using the correct procedure, and although I know exactly how, I don’t have the programming kit to do it…or I might not. The one thing I know for sure, Lelit don’t give any Retailers the ability to reprogram anything.
I would imagine the Retailer would simply replace the Gicar Box and perhaps that what they mean….maby they assume if they send the old box back to Lelit they will be credited for a replacement. I have no idea. Not something I get into.
My view is if you already have a MaraX, wait till the Gicar box fails, then replace it with the new box/software. You can be assured that such an approach will result in your Gicar box never failing (that’s how it works). Or bite the bullet, get a new box and keep the old one as a spare. The MaraX already works pretty good…this is just fine-tuning, and it does remove the pure HX function (which I never used but YMMV)
I also have no idea of the Retail cost of a MaraX Gicar box with the new software…or even if retailers have them yet.