I found a used Huky local to me and would like to know to be aware of when buying used. It's a good deal....and certainly not a deal too good to be true, priced Right but not a steal.

It has a phidget, looks like two thermocouples, propane tank and appropriate hookups, and everything that would come with a Huky based on what their site has.

Any suggestions, tips, or tricks would help immensely!

I'd say buying a piece of equipment like the huky, there is very little risk. You're buying a whole lot of polished steel with minimal technology. Some things to look for is making sure the phidget works, which by the looks of it on the ad he has it up and running on Artisan. I also live in the Valley. Also I would recommend taking a look at the ceramic bearings and making sure there aren't any cracks. The huky is pretty noisy when on so don't be concerned about that. I've noticed that broken thermocouples are almost impossible to diagnose without beans, so this might be hard to tell when you look at the roaster initially. With all this being said, all these parts can be easily attainable by Mr Li or online and super easy to swap out. Good luck.

Looks like I'll have to take it apart while there....which isn't a bad thing. I figured on running a batch or two thru the Huky to make sure things are on the up and up.

This is one of the roasters I was looking at...Cormorant, Hottop, and Bullet were the other three. I am lucky to have searched and found it.

I had a hottop before my huky, and I absolutely love that I "upgraded". It's a great roaster and you're going to enjoy it. I think the biggest thing I see debated is which drum it has, mine is perforated. I can't lean either way as I don't have the solid, but mine has been doing great. I think the solid would do great too!

Not much help, but a +1 on your decision. Try to pick their brains as much as possible, as you'll have a chance to talk to someone in person about a roaster they've been using. Talk about cleaning and maintenance. You can probably get into any problems with that talk alone.

You can actually see the front and some of the back bearing without taking it apart. Say you have to replace a bearing or thermocouple, Mr Li sells them for $18, it's still a pretty good deal. The cormorant looks amazing and is gas which is something I was looking for when I was buying my roaster. I eventually decided to go with the huky because of how many people had them and the support I would get here and other forums.

I actually reached out to Mr. Li directly and found that the price for new is not much more than the price for a used one off of CL. $1700 for everything new including extra motor, drum, fan, etc, etc and includes delivery compared to $1300 which does not appear to have extras. The used one does come w 5# green and a propane tank....but that's only a savings of ~$100.

I guess the next thing to consider is solid v perforated. Based on comment by Mr. Li, the perforated has ability to move flame from direct to indirect, see below.

The direct flame Roaster (Perforate drum can change into the semi- direct flame)

Perforated drum has the function of "direct flame" and "Semi-direct flame".

"Semi-direct flame"Meaning: There is a adjustable shutter cover hole of the perforated drum.

Perforated drum will be effective，It is standard equipment. Solid drums can not be adjusted.

Well. I have owned my Huky for 4-5 years now. There are very few of these roasters on the second-hand market, as most people seems to keep them. As commented above, there is very few things that can go wrong with them. I had to exchange two thermocouples and the gas gague over my 4-5 years running time.
I have also put together a maintenance document which you can find on the old Huky Forum. There is a wealth of information to be found on that site, it's just a matter of getting acquainted to the forum so that you start to learn what you are looking for.

stevanpierce wrote:I actually reached out to Mr. Li directly and found that the price for new is not much more than the price for a used one off of CL. $1700 for everything new including extra motor, drum, fan, etc, etc and includes delivery compared to $1300 which does not appear to have extras. The used one does come w 5# green and a propane tank....but that's only a savings of ~$100.

I guess the next thing to consider is solid v perforated. Based on comment by Mr. Li, the perforated has ability to move flame from direct to indirect, see below.

The direct flame Roaster (Perforate drum can change into the semi- direct flame)

Perforated drum has the function of "direct flame" and "Semi-direct flame".

"Semi-direct flame"Meaning: There is a adjustable shutter cover hole of the perforated drum.

Perforated drum will be effective，It is standard equipment. Solid drums can not be adjusted.

Yeah, the Hukys seem to hold their value extraordinarily well. Used units are not much less than new. One thing to consider is that the Huky does not include a Phidget. Instead, you can order a Center thermometer from Mr. Li, but that - along with all the usual extras - will land you closer to 1800.

Yeah, there were a few other things that the used Huky has that I forgot to factor into equation, namely a few extra parts, able to run back to back roasts. Plus I'm buying "local" and helping someone out.

LOL...but I gotta wait tad longer. Realtor put a coming soon sign in the yard and had a bite...so I may be moving to an apartment and hate to move a lot of stuff. Which makes me second guess buying the Huky as a future apt might not appreciate me roasting coffee.

I used to roast in an apartment. I vented out a window and never received a complaint. The only concern I would have about a Huky in that setting is the fuel source. I would never store a propane tank in an apartment - I'm not even sure doing so is legal. You would have to get the butane model. Or you could just get an electric roaster.