I still have a 2008 model Brewtus - not sure if it's a I or II. I've been using it pretty much every day since. I was mildly active here when I was new to it, but hadn't visited this group / forum in years. Had it converted to rotary pump and plumbable about four years ago and actually plumbed it in about a year and a half ago when we had our kitchen remodeled. The only other mod I've done was to switch to a one-hole steam tip and I ripped the "no burn" tube out of the steam wand (replaced with a rubber sleeve over part of it), which improved steam pressure quite a bit. I still can't pour latte-art like I could with my previous Rancilio Silvia, but I'm pretty happy with the consistency of the milk/foam I've gotten since these mods.
But the temperature controller (pre-PID) is shot (it holds steady at 92c, but none of the buttons do anything anymore - so it's stuck there) and the on-off switch is coming apart and all of the valves and seals could use a good overhaul. I've done some really minor maintenance over the years but the couple of more ambitious attempts I've made convinced me I'm not a tinkerer with stuff this small (I'm a pretty fair bike mechanic so I thought I had a shot, but I don't like getting into those tiny spaces around the boilers). I'm thinking about either sending it back in for a full overhaul and a PID conversion or trying to sell it for whatever I can get and buying a new Brewtus IV R. It seems that between the labor costs and the part costs and the SHIPPING costs (!), I can probably buy a new Brewtus IV refurb for just a few hundred $$ more than a full overhaul, particularly without any shipping cost.. And I wouldn't be without a machine for a month or so. The other thing I really like about the IV is the ability to turn the steam boiler on and off independent of the brew boiler. We do a fair number of shots and Americanos but usually only one or two milk drinks per day, so it would be good to be able to keep the steam boiler off most of the time... So I still have my very early (maybe not quite early-EST, not sure?) Brewtus. It's been well used and mostly quite reliable. But it may be near the end of it's run, at least in my kitchen. If anyone is a DIY type and is interested, particularly anyone in the mid-Atlantic area that could do an in-person delivery/pickup, let me know - I'll probably let it go for not very much. -Ray -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Brewtus" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
