points to consider when buying used roaster

[Becca]

Hi all, I am considering buying a used 7-10k roaster if I can find one on the west coast and I would like to hear from those of you experienced in doing so. Are there some questions that you wished you had asked about the roaster you bought? Other than roaster fires and timely, regular maint. what should I inquire about assuming I basically know the roaster and its specs before hand?

Besides the cost difference on new v/s used, I am considering time to manufacture a new roaster to spec., and also how far it has to be shipped. I live off of Vancouver Island, so even though I would strongly consider an Ambex, for instance, I am not keen on shipping from Florida.

Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks so much

Becca

 

[ourcoffeebarn]

I am buying a new 12 kilo custom built with a power burner from US Roaster Corp. Who actualy is owned by Roasters Exchange in Oklahoma. They have a couple used roasters in stock now. I was looking at a Diedrich IR12 for around $12500. I went with new to get a computer controlled profiler and a power burner (more btu's) with a larger flame control curve. I want the profiler and the power burner to give me an edge in the custom roast market.

But some points to look at when buying used.
Rebuilt or as is?
How old?
number of hours ran? since last rebuild?
Warranty?
Shipping?
Air flow controls?

I just decided that after 6 years in the business I wasn't going to buy used and not get the roaster I wanted.
Dan Jolif at US Roaster Corp. is also a great guy to work with.

 

[GreenDude]

Hi Becca, some things to consider might be:
1. is the roaster being used now, or has it been in 'storage' for a few years. If it has been in storage, chances are thats because someone was planning on 'fixing' it but let it go.
2. If at all possible, try roasting on it. A $1000 travel bill will be a lot less than a crappy roaster.
3. Find out what they were roasting in it (medium or dark) and how many batches / day. If they were roasting dark roasts 15 hours a day, i wouldnt recommend buying it. Or if its a 12 kilo, but they were roasting 15 in it to max it out, you will have problems.

Hope this helps a bit

 

[coffeejoes]

Always buy new if you can afford it. There are some very good used roasters as well as some very poor used roasters. If you have the funds don't go to the casino when buying a roaster. If your business is successful you will never look back on your decision to purchase a new roaster. Good luck.

 

[Becca]

Thanks for the responses thus far. My hope would be to buy a great, clean, gently used roaster here on the west coast, but I definitely see the wisdom in buying new. I have been talking to Dan at US Roaster, and know he could build a great machine for us, but thought I would at least see what responses I might get for a used one. In case something shows up, I have several good questions to ask that I didn't have before. Thank you all so much, and if you hear about a "clean mochine" for me, please let me know!

 

[Colin]

I don't know if it's to late but I just started a business designing and building roasters in Oregon. Take a look at our web site and let me know if you have any questions, www.heisroasters.com

 

[wmark]

I just finished helping someone tear down and rebuild a roaster. While it is a simple machine, putting it back together was a pain in the ass.

I guess, unless you know what the machine (is supposed to) sounds like, it is hard to tell. Unusual or unfamiliar noises coming from the machine makes me nervous.

 

[griz1]

becca do you still have the sivitz roaster that you had if you do please e-maile me at [email protected] i may be interested in it when you get your new roaster.
thanks Harold Snow