Finally pulled the trigger!

[TimDaddy]

Yesterday, I finalized my order for a Huky 500T with Mr. Li. 

I thought seeing the communications involved in my purchase experience might be helpful to those who have not yet ordered one.  We're all so used to clicking "BUY" buttons on slick retail websites, the idea of ordering with email might seem a little daunting because of the potential for ending up with not exactly what you meant to order.

Here's what I originally emailed to Mr. Li:
--------------------------
Hello Mr. Li,

Thank you for the quick responses to my questions.

Below is the Huky package that I would like to order.  Please let me know if the prices I have indicated are correct.  Also, how do I make payment to you?

1 Huky 500T with solid drum, 72 RPM motor, 1 fan, 1 tray, 1 funnel              $1,160
Please replace analog thermometer (ET) with thermocouple installed
1 MET thermocouple installed                                                                         $    16
2 extra trays                                                                                                     $    30
2 extra fans                                                                                                      $    96
3 extra funnels                                                                                                 $    39
2 extra motors, 1-72 RPM, 1-48 RPM                                                             $    36
1 extra drum, perforated                                                                                  $    98
1 infrared NATURAL GAS stove                                                                      $    98
Shipping                                                                                                           $  186
Please include flat oval piece in charge pipe and trier at angle
                                                                                                                         ----------
                                                                                                       TOTAL      $1,759

Thank you,
Tim Dixon
-----------------------------
Mr. Li's response:
-----------------------------
Hi Tim,

Confirm your order:

1 Huky 500T with solid drum, 72 RPM motor, 1 fan, 1 tray, 1 funnel              $1,160
Please replace analog thermometer (ET) with thermocouple installed
1 MET thermocouple installed                                                                         $    16
2 extra trays                                                                                                     $    30
2 extra fans                                                                                                      $    96
3 extra funnels                                                                                                 $    39
2 extra motors, 1-72 RPM, 1-48 RPM                                                             $    36
1 extra drum, perforated                                                                                  $    98
1 infrared NATURAL GAS stove                                                                      $    98
Shipping                                                                                                           $  186
additional package shipping                                                                             $    76

Since the box can not content the third fans tray,and funnel. there will be extra shipping fee 76 USD for the additional package.
                                                                                                           
Please include flat oval piece in charge pipe and trier at angle
                                                                                                                         ----------
                                                                                                       TOTAL      $1,835

You may pay by the wire transfer through banks or PayPal
My Paypal account is: Li Kuanho (kuanho.li@gmail.com)
My Bank account :
                                Bank Name: E. SUN COMMERCIAL BANK
                                International Banking Division
                                Bank Address: 6th Floor,No.5,Yung-Suei Street,Taipei Taiwan,R.O.C.
                                P.O.Box 1335 Taipei R.O.C.
                                Swift Code: ESUNTWTP
                               Telephone No:886-2-2361-1313
                                Fax No:886-2-2381-3513
                               Account No:   XXX XXX XXX
                               Name:  Li Kuan Ho

 Please indicate the recipient's address and phone number after payment.
I  am Looking forward to receiving your further information.


Best regards,

Kuanho Li
----------------------------------

The reason I was ordering so many extras was to avoid having to pay shipping in the future if/when the original item failed, or when I realized that I wished I'd ordered another one because they didn't cost that much.

But as noted above, I'm having to pay an extra $76 for these few items that I may or may not need down the road.  So I asked Mr. Li to remove whatever items he needed in order to keep the shipping at $186.

He eliminated 1 tray, 1 fan, and 2 funnels.  So my order now looked like this:

----------------------------------

Confirm your order:

1 Huky 500T with solid drum, 72 RPM motor, 1 fan, 1 tray, 1 funnel              $1,160
Please replace analog thermometer (ET) with thermocouple installed
1 MET thermocouple installed                                                                         $    16
extra trays                                                                                                        $    15
extra fans                                                                                                        $     48
extra funnels                                                                                                    $    13
2 extra motors, 1-72 RPM, 1-48 RPM                                                             $    36
1 extra drum, perforated                                                                                  $    98
1 infrared NATURAL GAS stove                                                                      $    96
Shipping                                                                                                           $  186
                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                         ----------
                                                                                                       TOTAL      $1,668
---------------------------

This was acceptable to me, so I went to Paypal to pay him.
-------------------------
Mr. Li,

I just went to Paypal and entered the amount above, $1,668, to send you.  Paypal came back with a fee of $73.69 and showed that you will get $1,594.31.

Please confirm that the Paypal fee is included in your amount of $1,668 and I will complete the transaction.

Thank you,
Tim
------------------------------

...I'd estimate I've paid for close to 100 purchases using Paypal, but have never had it tell me how much the fee was, which concerned me.  Regardless, Mr. Li responded that the fee is included in the $1,668 amount.

So I completed the Paypal transaction and sent Mr. Li an email with my shipping address and phone number.

Dealing with Mr. Li, as you can see, is quick and trouble-free.  It was surprising to me that a fan, a tray, and a funnel would cost an additional $76 in shipping.  And the Paypal fee threw me for a minute.  But all in all, a very pleasant buying experience.

Sorry for such a lengthy post, but maybe it will prompt any fence-sitters out there that the process is really pretty easy and Mr. Li is super fast at responding to emails.  All the communications above occurred inside of 24 hours, spanning April 1-2.

Can't wait for my box full of Huky to arrive!

-Tim

[kenneroast]

You're officially part of the Huky club. Welcome! 

[jeffgsd]

can you explain the trier at angle request?  Mine is straight on.  I just ordered a new faceplate and the T pipe upgrade. 

[TimDaddy]

can you explain the trier at angle request?  Mine is straight on.  I just ordered a new faceplate and the T pipe upgrade.

I'd read posts, I think over on H-B, that talked about how beans would start coming out when the trier was removed.  So Mr. Li offered to angle the trier down at a 10 degree angle in an attempt to keep the beans from coming out.  I haven't heard if the modification worked, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for it.

[MJ5150]

Cool, cool. How exciting!

Why did you replace the analog thermometer with a thermocouple? What does that analog thermometer measure? Temps inside the drum?

I guess I should more precisely ask, what do you mean by 'thermocouple installed'? I don't think I'm really clear on what this means. Is this a probe inserted by Mr. Li in place of the analog thermometer? This way you can then plug in the probe to a logging unit (Phidget or device Mr. Li sells) to electronically measure temps?

I sort of like the old school look of that analog thermometer, but if I am understanding right, I see the advantage of the probe there feeding into a data reader.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

The analog thermometer is in the ET position, so you need to replace it with a thermocouple if you want to be able to record/datalog ET.  Many of us have chosen to monitor BT (thermocouple already installed), ET (replacing the analog) and MET (optional/extra TC).

I guess I should more precisely ask, what do you mean by 'thermocouple installed'? I don't think I'm really clear on what this means. Is this a probe inserted by Mr. Li in place of the analog thermometer? This way you can then plug in the probe to a logging unit (Phidget or device Mr. Li sells) to electronically measure temps?

Yes. 

[MJ5150]

Right on. Thank you SusanJoM.

I have to say, this forum is beyond awesome with all the helpful and friendly folks to answer questions. Thank you to you all.

-Mike

[jeffgsd]

I'd read posts, I think over on H-B, that talked about how beans would start coming out when the trier was removed.  So Mr. Li offered to angle the trier down at a 10 degree angle in an attempt to keep the beans from coming out.  I haven't heard if the modification worked, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for it.
[/quote]

I see.  So far I do not have an issue with beans flying out of the trier hole while roasting.  A few beans land in the hole when the machine is running but I just push them back in with the trier when I replace it.  I re-insert the trier open side up, then turn it upside down once it's back in the hole.

[TimDaddy]

I guess I should more precisely ask, what do you mean by 'thermocouple installed'?

To Susan's excellent response, I would add that I'd read in someone's previous post (again, on H-B, I think) that they asked for the analog thermometer to be replaced with a thermocouple (TC).  The replacement TC was included loose in the order, but it hadn't been installed, and a special brass fitting had to be procured locally by the poster in order for everything to go together.  So I included the word "installed."

I sort of like the old school look of that analog thermometer, but if I am understanding right, I see the advantage of the probe there feeding into a data reader.

As do I--I think that dial on the front plate really classes it up a few notches.  But ultimately, for me anyway on this roaster, it's more about function and less about form.  Even the beautiful Diedrichs and San Franciscans have the "functional" (code for unsightly) TC cables sticking out the front plate.

In case you didn't pick it up elsewhere, ET stands for Environmental Temp, which is, as you'd correctly guessed, the temp inside the drum.

I have to say, this forum is beyond awesome with all the helpful and friendly folks to answer questions. Thank you to you all.

I couldn't agree with you more!

-Tim

[TimDaddy]

I see.  So far I do not have an issue with beans flying out of the trier hole while roasting.  A few beans land in the hole when the machine is running but I just push them back in with the trier when I replace it.  I re-insert the trier open side up, then turn it upside down once it's back in the hole.

Good to know.  One or two folks on H-B were making quite an issue of how beans were supposedly pouring out when the trier was removed.  I'm not sure if they were actual owners.  Either way, I haven't read anything about it on this forum, other than what you just said.  Glad it's not an issue.

-Tim

[hankua]

Looking forward to seeing photos of the "Model T" and user comments.