Vibiemme 2 Group Manual Lever (Replica)
Does anyone know any thing about these machines?
Vibiemme 2 Group Manual Lever (Replica)
Are they worth the price? are they prone to issues? Shot quality vs Effort?
And something I don't see to many people talk about, Energy Consumption?
Thanks
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Sabol on
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Picture? Link?
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This looks like it is a Faema E-61 knock off/replica. I've used a real E-61 and a couple of machines that had the E-61 group head and I really like them. They do a fantastic job on extraction. You have about as many issues as any other hX machine. Now, the units that were in the .pdf link you supplied weren't "Lever" machines like I was thinking. Do they have a model with the big lever sticking out of the top of the group or were you refering to the little lever off to the side of the group as a "lever" machine? If it is the latter I would highly recommend it. Probably the most elegant and (arguably), effective, method for variable pre-infusion available. And the design is 50 years old!! If I can find a machine like this at a reasonable price I would gladly put one in my shop!
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Permalink Reply by Matthew on
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So, it's the one with little lever on the side. And what I have read about the model is that it is in-fact a "replica" of the Feama. I now have a picture of the machine (Below). Not sure what I want to pay for it. The owner is trying to sell it, and I don't know what to offer. I am trying to get more info, but the data is coming into me slow.
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Most of the parts on machines like these tend to be dead stock generic parts from Nuova Ricambi. Back in the day the European countries had poor IP protection and a lot of designs became public domain because of the complexities around enforcement. What this means for us is that these kind of parts are readily available and the designs are proven.
As for any used machine you need to make sure it's not hammered and full of scale and that all the seals are not leaking. If this machine is in perfect used condition, with some wear marks but is mechanically sound I'd be happy to pay between $2000-3000 to put one in my shop. The price would only go down from there depending on what needed to be done to get it battle worthy. Once you start hitting the $4000+ range you have to start considering buying new.
Is the machine local to you? You need to either look at it yourself, if you know what to look for, or have someone you trust look at it for you. This could also make a very shiny and expensive boat anchor. If the machine was hammered, full of scale, needed all the rubber replaced, group heads worn, pump frozen, etc, I'd buy it for $300-500 and rebuild it, but that's what I do for a living anyway. If you don't have the time or experience pass on a fixer upper opportunity. My $0.02.
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Hi Mike, Thank you so much for all of this information. It is very much appreciated. I'm still working on getting some more info on the machine. It's not really local to me, its about a 4 hour drive, so I am trying to get the owner to send me as much as they can first. The owner said that it was only used for about 6 months before their shop had to close. So here is the current list of questions I sent to them.
- Does it work?
- Did you have many issues with the machine while it was in use?
- Was the water line in, softened water? Did it have a water treatment hooked to it?
- How old is it?
- Can you take a picture of the information plate/sticker? (has the model number and all that stuff on it?
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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Interesting history of Vibiemme on their website - "The origin of Vibiemme is intimately connected to the espresso machinery company – Faema, located in Italy. The founder of both companies was Carlo Ernesto Valente."
Not exactly a knock off. Read more -
http://www.valentemachinery.com/valentemachinery.html?id=44
Mike Sabol said:This looks like it is a Faema E-61 knock off/replica. I've used a real E-61 and a couple of machines that had the E-61 group head and I really like them. They do a fantastic job on extraction. You have about as many issues as any other hX machine. Now, the units that were in the .pdf link you supplied weren't "Lever" machines like I was thinking. Do they have a model with the big lever sticking out of the top of the group or were you refering to the little lever off to the side of the group as a "lever" machine? If it is the latter I would highly recommend it. Probably the most elegant and (arguably), effective, method for variable pre-infusion available. And the design is 50 years old!! If I can find a machine like this at a reasonable price I would gladly put one in my shop!
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Matthew - Ask him to take the top off the machine and take a few pictures. You want to look for signs of overheating, such as tank discoloration and visible damage to wiring. A picture of the pump is good, too, as they will sometimes have scale build up around the fittings if the water was not treated correctly.
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Awesome. I will do that, and keep you updated. Mike have you ever used one of these before?
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Yes. They make great coffee. If the machine is in good shape and the price is reasonable you will have a great machine. Honestly, I'd rather have one of these than a LM Linea.
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Really? Good to know. I will keep that in mind. I have had shots off a Linea, and they are some of the best I have had.
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Don't get me wrong. Linea's are great. And to be fair I've never used a PID'ed Linea so I can't discount that but I find that the texture is "fluffier" and the shots are sweeter from the E-61 grouphead. Temp surfing is easier, for me, on a hX machine too and I'm also of the philosophy that complete temperature stability makes for a flat tasting shot. I find shots from LM and Synesso to taste single pointed, which works well for single origin coffees. I find that "single pointedness" to be a bit boring and flat. I will also freely acknowledge that user error may be involved in my lack of "god shots" coming from a Linea and that I don't know how to use the machine correctly. I can rebuild them with my eyes closed and wire them without a schematic but I've never gotten coffee I LOVED from one.
My order of preference for espresso machines is, and again, this is a statement of pure personal opinion and not meant to be a statement of "fact", Van der Westen Lever, E-61 Legend, Van der Westen Mirage, NS Aureila, and then Linea. I don't have enough experience with the GB-5 to make a claim, it could blow my mind, and I've yet to use a Strada. This list is also based on how I think the coffee tastes. Not on other factors like build quality, price, or dependability. The list would look different if I factored those in.
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