Prepping a la Cimbali M32 for shipping

[jesawdy]

Hey all-

Minor gloat... a used la Cimbali M32 Bistro should be on its way to me soon.

I'm not real sure how helpful the seller will be as I haven't had a chance to speak directly with them yet, that comes tomorrow. So, before we have that conversation, I wanted to get some input from folks here.

What steps should be taken to prep this machine for shipping? It is coming out of a chocolate shop in Wisconsin, having been replaced with a 2-group. I'm not sure how long ago replaced, whether the machine has been in recent use or just sitting idle. I'm sure the boiler should be drained if it has not.... how is this done? This machine can be pour-over and/or plumbed, I'm pretty certain they had it plumbed.

Any other things that should be addressed?

The complication in this is that I have contracted someone to pick up the item for me and have it shipped to me, since the sale was a local pickup only. If the owner cannot, will not drain or otherwise prep the machine, I will have to instruct this person on what to do.

Also, for simplicity, I was planning on having this person take it to a local UPS store, having the machine "professionally" packed, double boxed, insuring the heck out of it... and then shipped to me. The idea being that UPS will be responsible for the packaging, HOPEFULLY avoiding damage, and making an insurance claim go easier. First off, should I avoid UPS? Anybody know if I can have the item shipped to another UPS store, so that it can be UPS's responsibility endpoint to endpoint? If not UPS, I'd have to go freight I think. The machine is ~100 lbs, 20" x 15" x 18" or so. I think UPS has a 150 lb cutoff.

Any tips and ideas appreciated. Thanks.

-Jeff

[HB]

Congratulations!

My first concern woud be getting all the parts of the machine. Portafilters go missing, no baskets, and oops, external pumps never seem to make it on the truck. I would absolutely insist on a pallet shipment. Chris' Coffee Service shipped the Elektra A3 on one and it was pricey, but well worth it (I think the shipper was ATS, but would have to confirm). If the Bistro is like the Junior, it will have a drain similar to this one:

[jesawdy]

Yes, I am wondering if I should just go freight. Was the Elektra boxed and/or shrink wrapped and then palleted or what?... just curious.

I assume this machine has the pump internal since it can operate in pour over mode. La Cimbali appears to be quite secretive in machine specs and diagrams... I couldn't find anything (I did not try partsguru or similar yet though).

I will be sure to discuss PF handles, baskets, manuals, etc with the seller.

[HB]

Here's a picture of the A3 as it arrived from Chris' Coffee:


Absolutely perfect condition

As you can see, it was strapped to the pallet with lots of room around it. If there were any damage, you would not be discussing who was at fault with the shipper. They delivered to the door and offered to take the pallet away. It was hassle-free shipping at its best. A couple large machines (e.g., Cimbali Junior) have been delivered here via UPS. It was clear from the box's corners and scraped sides that it was not a gentle ride.

[cannonfodder]

I hope they drained the boiler and HX when they took it out of service. Wisconsin gets cold in the winter. If the boiler and HX were full of water and it sat in a non heated location, the water will freeze and can rupture the boiler and/or heat exchanger. The boiler is easy enough to drain, one bolt. The HX is more difficult. You can hook the machine up, no power to the heating element, engage the pump and blow compressed air through the line to flush it out. Or disassemble the HX line and let gravity do its thing.

The boiler is obvious, water everywhere, but the heat exchanger would never be noticed until you hook it up and use it. One of the HX's on my Faema was ruptured; I just capped the water line and HX tube and use it as a single group with a big boiler.

You would definitely want to box and strap it to a pallet as Dan's A3 shows. If you send it heavy freight (carrier) make sure you let them know it is going to a residence and they will need a dolly and lift gate on the truck, unless you have a dock at work. I have 23 truck docks .

And congratulations on the machine.

[T.J.]

If this machine was not kept in warm storage, then I'd cancel the deal. A frozen machine can yield more aggravation than pleasure. Ruptured Cimbali HXs are always a pain in the neck to fix.

I'd steer clear of UPS (regardless of insurance) since they have a tendency to throw and drop packages.

At Ammirati Imports we use Yellow Freight for national shipments and don't seem to have a problem.

Good luck with the M-32 Bistro......it is a monster!!!!!!
Plumb it in if possible and be sure to use a good water filter/softener.

I am not a big fan of the automatic cappuccino frother, but you can remove and de-activate it if you like.
Otherwise, the M-32 Bistro is a monster. You have a seriously high end machine there with all sorts of programming functions.

[HB]

A frozen machine can yield more aggravation than pleasure. Ruptured Cimbali HXs are always a pain in the neck to fix.

So true. Owen documented his funny man versus machine story of replacing a busted HX. I really felt his pain.

"Why didn't you just remove it and inspect it out in the open?" I hear you ask. There's the rub... quite literally, unfortunately. Not only did the presumptive deep-freeze the machine suffered break the HX open, but it also EXPANDED the whole end of the HX. If the phrase "reservoir tip" means anything to you, you have an exact picture of the shape this HX is currently in.

[jesawdy]

Well, I do not think there are any worries with the condition of the machine... coming out of a business, decommisioned about 3 months ago, boiler drained, not subjected to any freezing. Looks like it has been serviced regularly, has all the hoses, cords, PF's and baskets. The girl in the shop thought it might be 220V, I'm wondering if it is just a funky dedicated circuit 110 plug, as la Cimbali sites I have perused reference 110V... in any case not a big deal if it is 220. About the only thing not included is a manual, but they are going to ask their service company to provide me a copy. We'll see if that works out.

Well, it looks like the consensus is definitely freight, even though it is not that huge... trying to work that out too. I have a loading dock (actually a lift) at work, or could pick it up at a freight terminal so that should help.

Thanks for all the warnings, tips and congratulations.

-Jeff

[jesawdy]

I am not a big fan of the automatic cappuccino frother, but you can remove and de-activate it if you like.
Otherwise, the M-32 Bistro is a monster. You have a seriously high end machine there with all sorts of programming functions.

For sure not something I would intend to use... is it any problem to just leave it on and not use it, or do I need to do something to disable it.

-Jeff

[HB]

The girl in the shop thought it might be 220V, I'm wondering if it is just a funky dedicated circuit 110 plug, as la Cimbali sites I have perused reference 110V... in any case not a big deal if it is 220.

Could be a 20A plug:

[jesawdy]

Could be a 20A plug

My thought exactly.

Well, it should ship today or tomorrow via UPS freight. It wasn't cheap, but was about what I expected for freight and it was easy for me and my "eBay Assistant" to work out. Take it to the UPS store, have them box, pallet, strap and shrink wrap. I just called the UPS store to pay for the shipping charge and didn't have to complicate it too much for the assistant. Should have it by the middle of next week.

So it turns out that my eBay assistant is a 16-year old.... very nice kid, enjoying his summer and making a little spending money on eBay. I did not know about the eBay assistant program, until I happened to try to find a service for picking up this "local pickup only" item. The eBay Assistant program is really meant for someone to help you list, sell, and possibly pick-up and ship your personal items on eBay for a commission or other flat charge. If you find something cool on eBay, local pickup only, keep this option in mind as a way to get it (with some risk involved so YMMV).

Well, we'll see what shows up soon enough!

-Jeff

[cannonfodder]

There is also a 30 amp 110 twist lock, and 30 amp plug.

[T.J.]

You can leave the frother on the unit and simply disable it.

Should not detract from your enjoyment of the unit.

TJ