pcrussell50 wrote:Here's a gambit for you...

I don't know about finding the old style collar inserts any more. BUT replacing the old style ones required a fair bit of disassembly, unlike the routine maintenance chores of say replacing o-rings, solenoids, and steam valves. You are pretty much removing the group to change the old style single piece insert.

I watched a video the other day, and yes you are right on target, it does require moving a fair bit out of the way to get to the group head. Not impossible, just a pain.

BUT ereplacememtparts appears to sell the new style group as an assembly, complete with a new portafilter*, for not a whole lot more than a bottomless portafilter costs on it's own. Yes, that would be a major repair, but not much worse than you would be doing anyway to replace the old style collar, and now you'd have the up to date group, where the plastic inserts are super easy to change going forward.

And remember, it's not a given that you will wear out your plastic group collar. I was the first I've heard of to get a BDB, back in fall 2011, and the one I sent back in June this year had a discussion five and a half year run with no sign of collar wear. With a new steam ball valve, new o-rings and a new solenoid, it was in perfect mechanical order. But I was always gentle on the portafilter insertion and I'm beginning to think that has some effect on longevity of the collar.

My plastic collar appears to be just fine as well. I tend to be easy locking in the pf as well. In 2 and 1/2 years the handle still only travels to the 6 o'clock position. For now I'm better off waiting to see if the machine throws a circuit board like yours did...send it back for the $350 and get a totally updated replacement. This is the beauty of Breville espresso machine ownership (IMO)...granted not a true given but there is a good chance if it suddenly, and totally dies.

Latest details on the plastic collar insert for the group head on "older" BDB 920XL models (#1415) from eReplacementParts.com today.

I sent them this message:

Hello eReplacementParts,

Thanks for sending this small parts order to me. I just wanted to inform you that part # SP0009141 "Collar Insert for Group Collar - New Version 1522" is not the correct one for my Breville Dual Boiler 920XL. Mine is an older version, model #1415 which uses a solid plastic ring. For $3.41 it's not worth me sending this one back...just wanted you to know. Is it possible to get the correct "older" plastic collar?

Their response:

Hello,
Thank you for writing!
Unfortunately, we don't stock the older original part.
Thank you,
Customer Service
http://www.eReplacementParts.com

Oh well...probably won't need this part...I'm not hard on locking the pf into the group head. Time will time as it's been 2+ years without a problem.

I still plan to search other sites. Anyone need a "newer style" two piece collar insert for their BDB? Free to a good home, just pay shipping.

BaristaBob wrote:
Oh well...probably won't need this part...I'm not hard on locking the pf into the group head. Time will time as it's been 2+ years without a problem.

I still plan to search other sites. Anyone need a "newer style" two piece collar insert for their BDB? Free to a good home, just pay shipping.

Possibly not a bad plan. My -900 went nearly six years without needing a new insert, and was still going strong, when it got replaced for something unrelated to the plastic collar.

I'll take those inserts off you if nobody else had claimed them.

Once again, if anyone without the current four-screw group thinks they will be in the BDB game for the long haul, it might be worth buying a four screw group assembly and a couple of two piece collar kits, setting it aside for future use. It comes with a free portafilter, too. The price is less than a mandatory maintenance service on a La Marzocco, too.

-Peter

Having had one of these for more or less seven years now, (Fall 2011), every time I think I'm getting upgradeitis, some new capability of this machine comes forward and crushes it. Not three months ago, I was looking at GS/3's, just for the pleasure factor of having the solidity and brand cachet and neat guys like Dick Green and Assaf and such. Not now. Not with this whole needle valved flow profiling thing a few of us have going on. But maybe this is the final trick up the old girl's sleeve and in a few years when the others have caught up, that will finally be her swan song? Who knows? I'm too busy tumbling head over heels trying to get a grip on maximizing this kind of control, and having hoot, doing it.

-Peter

Every now and then, I pop my head up, look at what else is available, and try to decide whether its worthwhile to upgrade from the BDB. The only machine in recent history that made me consider was the DE1, but its pricing now puts it out of contention for me. I don't see anything else in the BDB price range that could compete with it in terms of features and tech. Seems anything that comes close would still be 2x the cost.

With the discounts you can get on the BDB I would say maybe even 3x now. The only machine I would consider after using my modded BDB is a DE1 as well.

This^^^

But people cling to old beliefs. I know I do. I always thought this BDB thing was going to be a bit of a fling, before settling down and getting a GS/3. Yet over time, as the people warning us about the BDB being low build quality "throwaway" consumer appliance junk were proven wrong, and as even bone stock, the utility of the programmable pre infusion began to track positively with the evolution of the third wave and lighter roasts, the reasons to come back to earth and leave the BDB simply did not materialize as expected. So not only has it proven to be durable and inexpensive to maintain, it remained as capable and relevant as ever, even as espresso evolved.

And now with the BDB's easy, whole-shot flow profiling capability just a plug and play away, it puts the GS/3 even further back on (my personal) burner, and for the first time, is forcing me to take a hard look at considering something else, (like DE), should this wild fling with the BDB ever wind down... though that shows no signs of happening for the foreseeable future.

-Peter

What IS the cheapest I can get a BDB for? How has reliability been for you all?

Brand new... don't pay more than $1040 (+ taxes & SH). And I believe you can get cheaper than that at some places.

icantroast wrote:What IS the cheapest I can get a BDB for? How has reliability been for you all?

In seven years, since Fall 2011, I have had no failures that prevented me from making espresso. I got one free replacement in January 2013 for spurious problem that was easily avoided. That machine was working perfectly until June this year, when it stopped pre infusing. It still worked perfectly in every other way. Of course, I kept up with the periodic maintenance required for all BDB's and used the same water you put in expensive dream machines and commercial machines. When it stopped pre infusing, I put the old solenoid, steam valve, and pump on it and sent it back for the $350 repair or replace service. They sent me back a brand new machine with all the updates and upgrades. So in seven years, I'm in $350 to Breville for a brand new machine, and about another $75 for my own DIY parts and maintenance: a new solenoid and steam valve, plus $10 for more o-rings than I will ever need.

It would take some serious convincing to get me to believe an Italian machine that performs like this, (and the ones that do are very expensive indeed), would be cheaper over eight years.

-Peter