Greetings,

After reading Cannonfodder's excellent review of the Achille I've been tempted to hit the "send order" button the the screen. My main concern is that I keep getting Ebay notice's of an Achille for sale. The notice comes mainly from one vendor and states that the unit has been returned under the "thirty day policy". I get 2 to 4 per month. Is their reason to believe that something is wrong with the design that the units are returned or are they using this reason to reduce inventory?

Thanks,

Cliff Isackson

The Achille has had a few leak problems in the past. They are probably returns with a leaky seal or people that realized that using a lever has a little more learning curve than they care for. I have heard of leaks in the group as well as people that are thrilled with the machine and have had no issues.

I purchased one of those. The first machine arrived beaten up to hell and back, with no indication whatsoever of it being refurbished, not even inspected. I would find it hard to believe that it was a store return; it looked more like a floor model that people abused on a daily basis.

Vendor was willing and happy to exchange. On the phone they are very helpful and courteous. They had no clue how to conduct customer support over emails. Most were not answered, and they misunderstood/didn't read most of the ones they responded to (me: "I got the RMA but I still need the return address. As per telephone conversation and due to my location, I will not get issued a fedex shipping label" them two days later: "don't worry, you will get the address with the Fedex shipping label").

Eventually, the replacement machine was everything i hoped for. it indeed looked like somebody bought it, got intimidated, and placed it back on the box.

The leakage is the result of one gasket. Two screws and three bolts is all that there is between you and the gasket. An easy maneuver worth learning early on.

Still having problems with the steam wand that refuses to completely to close. Seems like vendor will replace that part.

All in all one hell of a machine worth every penny. The fact that you can pull shot after shot after shot all day long makes is worth the price difference between itself and less expensive levers that can't pull more than a handful of shots before overheating.

cai42 wrote:Is their reason to believe that something is wrong with the design that the units are returned or are they using this reason to reduce inventory?

We can only speculate. Overall Dave and I were impressed with the design innovation and quality of the component selection. However, it's a new model, and there could be design problems that won't be evident for years. That's the risk of buying a new design versus most levers that haven't changed in decades.

A bit of speculation: I assume you refer to WholeLatteLove. I've noticed they have lots of refurbs and returns in their outlet; I wonder if this is the "dark side" of their strong web presence and generous remorse return policy. They've got a huge range of equipment from the steam toy Krups to a double boiler Brewtus. My suspicion is that these factors make them a popular choice for first-time buyers, which means higher return rates.

PS: True confession... I bought and returned my first "real" grinder from WholeLatteLove under their remorse policy (Solis Maestro to Rancilio Rocky).

I have been watching these same one(s) for months also. The reason I say (s) is that I think it is the same unit, not 2-4 per month. The ones I have seen never sell, just expire and are relisted immediately. I am pretty sure that is what you are seeing. One unit, not 1 return a week.

I too was/am leary of some of the reports I heard about WLL's stuff, but overall would go with them, but instead of ebay, I would just call them. Person to person seems to be the way to go.

Hi Alchemist,

I like your explanation for the Ebay notices. It makes more sense than my reason.

Thanks,

Cliff Isackson

Alchemist wrote:I have been watching these same one(s) for months also. The reason I say (s) is that I think it is the same unit, not 2-4 per month. The ones I have seen never sell, just expire and are relisted immediately. I am pretty sure that is what you are seeing. One unit, not 1 return a week.

Based on conversations with them it seems like they have several in stock. Also, it seems that they do not list more than one at a time which makes sense; seeing just one promotes a higher sense of urgency.

Alchemist wrote:I too was/am leary of some of the reports I heard about WLL's stuff, but overall would go with them, but instead of ebay, I would just call them. Person to person seems to be the way to go.

Good advice. Their sales department are top-notch. They are knowledgeable and will do their best to provide you with accurate information. If you can get a hold of a sales rep that is willing to pull the machine out for an over-the-phone inspection, a huge amount of risk can be mitigated. The number one spot to check is the brass bushing that is on the lever's wear spot. The first machine I received had that bushing, along with the steel around it, worn out and deformed. Somebody really took it out on this thing. While it would have been nice for WLL to have noticed before the put this machine on a box, I can't complain to the fact that they exchanged it. Also, make sure that everything that is supposed to come with the machine is there. A sales rep trying to close a sale would be glad to find a missing basket or something like that.

I looooove the leaky bastard. I hate the following:

1. The drip tray has the same capacity as a little girl's bladder (I should know, I have two. Girls that is). This is quite annoying because there was enough space for quite a bit more capacity. Must... resist... urge... to... drill.... hole....

2. The darn gasket that shifts out of place when somebody (ok, me) stupidly overpressure the machine. Fixed it once, lasted quite a bit, then it came back. Once I get my hands on some silicon lube I can see those problems going away.

3. The steam wand assembly. They seem to have a chronic problem with leaky assemblies, which is not helped by the fact that the evil bastards are sealed; you can't just replace a gasket and be done with it. The knob is mostly plastic; over tighten the thing once and you will strip it.

Having said that I must add that there isn't another home lever I would rather buy.

Abdon,

Not exactly a glowing recommendation for the Achille and the vendor.

Cliff Isackson

cai42 wrote:Abdon,

Not exactly a glowing recommendation for the Achille and the vendor.

Cliff Isackson

All I can do is to convey my experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Keep in mind that my experience may or may not be representative to either the machine nor the vendor. Even if it is, different folks have different ideas of what is tolerable and what is not.

Will I deal with the vendor again? Yes, their willingness to fix things (even after fumbling things left and right) counts for a lot on my book. It is up to whomever reads this to make their own decision whether this is acceptable or not. All I can do is to state it as I saw it.

My experience with the machine itself is that it can eventually leak, and if it does, it will keep on leaking until you open it up and reset the gasket. Again, it is a personal decision whether somebody is comfortable with opening the machine. If you are not, I would stay away. If you don't mind, the overall built and performance of the Achille is simply a joy to work with. As much as I hate the steam wand assembly, they sure didn't skimp on other things, such as the boiler or the massive HX. To me, putting up with the deficiencies is a small price to pay for the ability to consistently pull shot after shot for as long as my body can take the caffeine.