Sorry for intruding, I don't own a GS/3 but I get what tekomino is saying. I've seen the video of the paddle being serviced. It may look daunting, but with everything, once you get your hands on it, it probably isn't as difficult as it looks.

I used to race 2-stroke GP bikes. Before I started racing them, I witnessed my friend swap out a motor in between races, and my jaw dropped. But after I helped him do it a couple times and did it to my own bike (not on race day), I understood that it wasn't that difficult; that GP bikes are meant to be worked on in such a manner.

Perhaps that's a bad analogy, but commercial-grade espresso machines are meant to be serviced (if it's put together one way, it can be taken apart the other way). It's good practice to have a "pro" do it for you, but it also makes sense to not shy away from doing it yourself just because it looks scary.

Marshall, have you seen step-by-step written instructions on how to service the paddle? Perhaps that would look less daunting. Even if you have and feel the same way, perhaps you just need to do it yourself before forming an opinion that's not backed by experience (same goes for the tech that watched the video).

Marshall wrote:It must be very frustrating to live as a genius in a world of clueless idiots.

Showing your true colors again I see....

BTW - Your warning is akin to telling someone not to take their Ferrari to a Honda mechanic. Terrific insight ol' bean

I agree with Dennis. A seasoned tech repair may be somewhat surprised that the repair requires special tools and a long list of steps, but judging from the video, it certainly didn't look difficult to me:



As a point of reference, I used to ride/repair mini-bikes when I was young and remember reading Chilton's manuals that walked through the procedures step-by-step. Even as a 12 year old, I didn't find it particularly daunting and recall that some repairs did require specialized tools. *shrug*

I have to agree that it doesn't seem that difficult. The first few attempts might be very slow going but after that, it is straight forward.

If I were a tech, I might be worried that one mistake could be very costly. Maybe that's why his jaw dropped?

Aside from the curious jaw-dropping incident, I can understand Marshall's point of view here.

Even though I maintain much of the equipment I own (coffee machines, computers, radio tranceivers, large antenna arrays, automobiles, audio systems, motorcycles, etc.), do my own household electrical work and even some plumbing work, and love nothing more than tearing into an expensive and complex machine (sometimes even when it's still under warranty), I don't expect others to feel the same way. I know many people for whom the thought of taking a wrench to their multi-thousand dollar baby is a nightmarish spectre. I certainly don't think ill of such people. They're in the vast majority, while I'm the mutant .

We all know what the underlying problem is. High-end espresso machines are simply not designed for the average home user (in ham radio, another hobby with bleeding-edge hot rod technology, we call them "appliance operators".) Even so-called consumer or pro-sumer machines capable of delivering fine espresso are based on the commercial machines used by coffee shops, where regular maintenance is expected and there are qualified people either on premises or on call to perform it. Marshall, who is in touch with his preference to avoid brain surgery without a license, is perfectly justified in seeking a competent repair person to do regular maintenance on his GS/3.

The only choices we have at this point are 1) buy an inferior consumer super-automatic at the local kitchen boutique, 2) buy a small high-quality machine and be willing to ship it for service, 3) do your own maintenance, or 4) hire a qualified technician to service your "unshippable" machine at your home.

I'm afraid that's where the state of the art is. Espresso machines are relatively complex, it takes skill to operate them, more skill to service them, and the market isn't large enough to justify the R&D required to make them more bulletproof.

As Dick said above, if you add maybe two more options to the list as:
5 - Throw it away when it breaks
6 - Sell it as parts
You pretty much have the entire list other than a possible number six which would be to get a six pack and take the machine with the 30-30 out to the hills for some drunken fun.

On another forum I was berated by a so-called professional repair person for stating that changing the boiler or installing a PID in a Silvia is a fairly easy matter if you are comfortable with basic hand tools and can follow instructions, and in the same or similar thread, I stated that if you can rebuild a carb (if you know what a carb is) then the same applies.

Like some of the previous comments, I was pulling motors when I was 15, and doing more basic work well before that. I have been doing virtually all my own maintenance on my vehicles since I was about that same age. So I suppose in this day and age I am in the minority when it comes to technical things and our throw-away society.

Looking over this thread I am a bit confused as to whether the negative comments are pointed at Marshall for choosing to have someone else work on his machine or the tech who decided not to. As Clint E. said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

As a tech, the man has to know that a mistake can get expensive for him as well as the client. Damaged parts, cost of special tools, down time. One lawsuit or insurance claim can run your already-ridiculous premiums up to the point that you have to close shop. Maybe he works for someone else and just then realized why the boss doesn't take in LM work? Who knows? And maybe Marshall does not enjoy that sort of thing, or maybe his time is more valuable to him than to spend it doing the job. Doesn't really matter in his case, does it?

Maybe his jaw dropped when he saw the guy in the video tightening that top nut with an adjustable ("Crescent") wrench instead of a proper box-end 6 pt, and then not fully gripping the nut with it...? Mine did just before I giggled at the "pro" doing that.

Sure, you can use a 3/4" Impact wrench to get the gland nut off the harmonic balancer of a Volvo 960, but I would much rather take it to a mechanic with the proper tool and counterhold than putting that sort of stress on those parts. If that was my machine and I saw someone sticking a pick or needle nose pliers down into the group of my $6500 machine I would surely raise some Hell about it.

I, of course, deeply regret that I ever started this thread. My purpose was to point out that paddle brew heads are rare creatures in the coffee world, notwithstanding all the Synessos in third wave shops and that, therefore, their owners should be careful to find techs who are familiar with them.

My purpose was definitely not to hold a very experienced and respected service tech up to ridicule. He did not deserve it. I have no doubt that with a bit of training and the right tool, he would be off and running to fix them (especially, if his company sold them, which they don't).

I bristle when people with apparently better education express disdain for blue collar workers, especially on as little evidence as I presented in my brief story. Humility is a good thing to have, and it is often in short supply on Home-barista. We can all be taken down a peg or two by someone with superior skills, taste, intellect or money, should they chose to do so.

Marshall, it is not my intent to ridicule anyone. Let me try again: What struck this gentleman as shocking about the video showing the disassembly steps? The number of steps? The specialized tool? The design? For someone who regularly deals with the countless mechanical machinations of super-automatics, I would (naively) assume the GS/3 paddle assembly is child's play.

Reason I posted is to provide counter point for all people that do have GS/3 and I did not want them to be discouraged by paddle service. If they are a bit mechanically inclined they will be able to do it. It is literally 6 screws and bolts. Getting inner ring out with needle nose pliers is easy since it is solid metal. If you are really, really just not paying attention you might screw it up...

It is fine if some people just don't feel comfortable doing that, I completely understand that. What I can't understand is that tech with several years of experience finds this daunting, if indeed that is the case as I posted in my first reply.

It is just not that hard...

Marshall, I too apologize if I offended you (or the tech) with my post. Perhaps I am not the typical poster since I have a lift at my house and have been wrenching my autos since I was a teen. I too was into the CB radio craze back in the day and mounted my own antenna's and used amps to increase the power of my set (to the dismay of my neighbor who called the FCC!)

I think the "jaw dropped" comment is what made me curious.