New espresso machine

[jhadsell1883]

I have an opportunity to upgrade my Gaggia baby twin to a Nuovo Simonelli Oscar for $500

The baby twin has been a good introduction to espresso but it is starting to have issues. Stream wand is leaking and the paint is flaking which will eventually cause many more issues. 3 way valve has been clogged but I've been able to clean it out. Still makes a good drink but I have the money saved and think it's time to move on.

With that being said I found an Oscar for sale on Craigslist. It has only been used a few times as it was purchased for a business that ended up not using it as intended. If the condition is as described does anyone have experience with one and reasons for or against it?

I also have a Baratza Vario just to let you know grinder shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Mick]

Run, don't walk, and grab that machine.

Oscar is a sweet espresso machine and will be the last espresso machine you will need to purchase.

I "believe" that you can run them direct plumb and reservoir fill. Ask which way that one is set up (not that it matters at that price)

 

[jhadsell1883]

OK, that's what I was hoping to hear. It is a reservoir model. I have been impressed with videos showing the time it takes to stream and that you can brew/stream at once. I was considering a Classic, Silvia or crossland cc1 but it seems Oscar is in a whole other class of machines.

 

[Mick]

Yes it is a different class from the home machines. It is a commercial machine. Check voltage. Some are 240vac some are 120vac.

 

[jhadsell1883]

Here is a new vs old shot. Picked up Oscar earlier tonight after testing the water flow and heat is working. I have cleaned the exterior, portafilter, and water tank. Have been trying to figure out if I should descaled it and how to do it. I'm finding some conflicting info on forums and thought I'd check here.

 

[jhadsell1883]

So far I've pulled 2 double shots on Oscar but I'm having issues with the steam wand. Last night it produced some steam put not enough to froth. After letting it heat more it did not have anymore steam or water coming out of the wand. I let it sit overnight after seeing posts about it possibly being over pressurized. This morning after 30 mins of warm up nothing has changed. I tried starting the machine with the steam valve open but nothing ever came out. Any suggestions?

 

[jhadsell1883]

So I called tech support at Seattle coffee gear and they suggested checking the wand tip for a blockage. So very happy it was that easy. I am now enjoying my first cappuccino on the Oscar!

 

[Mick]

You may want to descale it. Check your local water report and base your maintenance on what type of water you have.

When you descale, remember to remove and clean the group head screen as if it has a lot of calcium and scale build up, the screen can get clogged during the cleaning

 

[jhadsell1883]

Yesterday was a good day with my slightly used Oscar...this morning is another story. I'm thinking the machine may need a full descaled just to clear any possible issues but thought I would check here first.


Turned it on this morning and almost instantly the heat light turned off then about 30 seconds later the water light turned on. Checked the reservoir and it has half a tank of Brita filled water. Tried replacing the tank a few times to check for air bubbles. Also turned out off/on with the steam valve open, then tried with the button on.


Water is flowing through the group but nothing through wand. It is not getting hot at all since the heater shuts off immediately. Tested the water light by brewing with the reservoir removed and it sits of like it should. Then when I seat the reservoir it fills and light turns off. The heater does not kick on but the water light comes back on after 30 seconds.


Also tried adding straight tap water to make sure it was detecting minerals but that didn't change anything. Found the link below that sounds very similar. I tried adding some himalayan pink salt and cycling water throufh the grouphead but it didn't change either.

Six year old Nuova Simonelli Oscar: repair or replace?

Any thoughts? I'm trying to not have to open the case but can learn if needed.

 

[jhadsell1883]

Found this when i opened up Oscar. Looks like the tube bulged due to built up pressure or trying to push something through. There's nothing in it now though. Tested the solenoid with a multimeter and did get a reading of .18 on the 200 ohm setting so I think it's working especially after disassembling the valve and it was clear

Think I found the culprit though.
[FONT=&amp]First we see if the pump pushes water, we unscrew fitting, as shown below, of the 2 ways solenoid valve, then we push coffee dispensing button, if the pump works well the water will come out from the teflon tube.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]- pump is working fine through the line. also can tell its flowing through the valve since i'm getting water through the group[/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]we have to screw the teflon tube that we had disconnected and we disconnect the wire of the probe of the water level as shown below[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]we turn on Oscar, we will feel immediately that the pump starts and that water will be released from the fitting shown in the picture below[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]-this is where i start having problems, pump does not kick on or let water flow. When I hit the brew button I got a sputter of water through the valve. It almost seems like the valve is functioning in reverse of what it should. As I'm brewing there is a stream of water coming through 6) 2-way solenoid output cold water for boiler filling[/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]if the water comes from the fitting the solenoid valve is functioning[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]In this case you should look for the fault obstruction fittings as in the picture below[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]-I believe they mean if water comes through while not brewing, unless I'm not understanding how this should work. If I have found the problem, what do I need to replace to fix it?

Here's the link I used for testing.
[/FONT]http://www.elektros.it/us/en/tips_tricks.html

 

[jhadsell1883]

Pulled everything apart including the 2 way, water level probe, and descaled those parts plus the boiler. The 2 way now seems to be functioning as there is no water going through when hitting the brew button. It's still not filling the boiler though. I also opened the electronic control unit (brain) to check for any issues. I didn't see anything obvious but still am having the same issue with lights.

 

[MntnMan62]

When I was looking for an espresso machine for my house I had considered the Oscar as an inexpensive option. It gets good reviews. But as I did more research on espresso machines in general I learned how complicated and finicky they can be. And for that reason I would be hard pressed to buy a used one. If I'm going to spend $500 or the full price of $1,700 I want to be sure that I'll have a warranty to back it up if it doesn't work. Good luck in fixing your new machine. If you get it working you'll have a nice machine at a bargain price, even with the hassles. I am not as handy as you are, especially with electronics, so I could never handle the problems you are facing yourself. But if you can't fix it, I'm sure you can probably take it to a place that sells espresso machines and I'm sure they can fix it for you and you will still be ahead of the game. Good luck.

 

[jhadsell1883]

When I was looking for an espresso machine for my house I had considered the Oscar as an inexpensive option. It gets good reviews. But as I did more research on espresso machines in general I learned how complicated and finicky they can be. And for that reason I would be hard pressed to buy a used one. If I'm going to spend $500 or the full price of $1,700 I want to be sure that I'll have a warranty to back it up if it doesn't work. Good luck in fixing your new machine. If you get it working you'll have a nice machine at a bargain price, even with the hassles. I am not as handy as you are, especially with electronics, so I could never handle the problems you are facing yourself. But if you can't fix it, I'm sure you can probably take it to a place that sells espresso machines and I'm sure they can fix it for you and you will still be ahead of the game. Good luck.

So far it is still working great, might have figured out the little works for now. I've been happy with my espresso from a wide variety of roasters. It sure didn't start out easy though.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Mick]

So far it is still working great, might have figured out the little works for now. I've been happy with my espresso from a wide variety of roasters. It sure didn't start out easy though.

Buying used you need to expect to go through everything.

If you are not afraid to tear things apart, espresso machines, even the autos, are not that difficult. boiler, 2 way valve, 3 way valve, and tubes. It's a pretty simple machine once you understand what all of the "stuff" is and what it does.