Hi all,

My first post. I'm trying to buy a nice grinder for home use.

I've found a like new Mazzer SJ for $480 purchased in early '08. Do you all think that is a reasonable price? Also, I'm trying to find info on model years to no avail. I'm assuming this was made in '07, would that be the newest version to date?

I'm trying not to let my excitement in getting an awesome grinder get the best of me and settle for a poor deal (this always happens anyways).

Thanks in advance.

Beckman,

Welcome. I have seen many grinders of this type for sale in this price range and in many cases below that. You can buy new ones for about 650-700 depending on where you shop. Check Chris Coffee or 1st Line has them, so at that price I personally would not purchase it used unless I could verify the condition. If however, the grinder really is like new and you feel comfortable with that, it really is up to you. It is a great grinder. I too was just in the market for a grinder and got an amazing deal on a brand new Compak K10.

I had been watching ebay, Craigs list etc for months and not really finding any decent deals that I could trust. I personally opted to pay a bit more and get something new. It really depends on the grinder you find, and if you feel it is a version in the condition you want at a fair price. I would ask for a picture of the badge with the serial number on it. That gives you the date of when it was made. I think it is the part of the serial number and on some versions it is the first two digits that reflect the year. If you search these forums you will find a good deal of information on that specifically.

It is worth considering that these grinders are available new and are still being manufactured. I know that on Chris' Coffee website the item is listed here http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/hom...so_grinder and 1st line has them here http://www.1st-line.com/machines/home_m...rjolly.htm.

If you have questions on the Compak K10 let me know. I just converted it to doserless and it works perfectly. It is in my opinion, a step up from the Super Jollly as it has 68mm conical burrs vs the 64mm flat. I have used the SJ and several others and now that I have a K10 I would not go back to the SJ.

John

I say thats way too much to pay for a super jolly, but I guess that depends on how much cleaning you want to do(of the used grinder). I personally bought a used super jolly for 75 dollars, this was an amazing price, but the grinder was pretty dirty as well. I spent about 10 hours or so taking it all apart and cleaning it. If you want a newer and cleaner grinder you still shouldn't pay more than 350(that seems to be the going rate).

For prices, go to eBay. Do an advanced search on Super Jolly, checking the "completed listings" block. It will bring back sales within the last 2 weeks. You can then determine if the unit you are considering is priced appropriately.

Just me, but I am not going to pay 70% of retail for a used item. If I am going to drop that kind of money, I step up to new. No need buying someone else's possible issues for that price. 50% of retail, maybe. Depends on the grinder, the listing, the seller's rating, the pictures, etc.

Just one opinion, B|Java

Keep in mind the shipping cost (expensive for somthing that big and heavy) and you will need new burrs which will probably hit you for another 100+

Thank you all for the very helpful replies. I should add some information.

I will be picking up locally so no need to worry about extra shipping costs-big reason why I am considering this unit.
Second, the grinder was used only a handful of times and purchased from whole latte love-so hopefully I won't need new burrs any time soon.

Any other advice?

If it really was only used a handful of times, it should be in excellent condition, and in my mind, worth $480. The ability to see and touch a used piece of equipment, as well as no need to put it at the peril of shipping companies, is worth a considerable amount.

If it looks and performs like new, and it meets your needs, I think it's a decent deal. Also, I'd bet if you showed up with a little less - in cash - you may save a bit. "Gee mister, I sure would like that grinder, but it's way more than I was planning to spend, and more than I was able to save - would you be willing to accept $420?"