Used Compost Tea Brewer?

[wallzwallz]

There is a used tea brewer in my area, 100 gallon, name brand that I've heard of. Would anyone here consider buying used? The cost is about 1/3 of new one. Just wondering what the life expectancy is on these brewers? It says it's brewed 60 or so batches. Any thoughts good or bad are appreciated. thanks Mike

[Smallaxe]

The pump is the first thing to go. They are even rated to the number of brews they can do.

[tadhussey]

Who's the manufacturer of the brewer? That would help to know what kind of parts they used. Typically, it's the motor that breaks down and is a majority of the cost assoc. with a brewer. Assuming they've taken good care of it, it may be a good way to save money. I'd find out what the pump is they're using and then go back and check the rating on it to see what kind of a life it has and how much a replacement one would cost. Are they getting rid of it because they didn't get good results? Not all brewers are created equal, some are much better at extracting and replicating biology than others. You can find a list on soilfoodweb.com of ones that Dr. Ingham recommends as a starting point.

[tadhussey]

Totally forgot to ask what the cost was too. You may be able to get a new one for the cost of the old one. I know Tim Wilson makes good affordable brewers (ours are a bit more pricey).

~Tad

[treegal1]

sounds to good to be true, bad brewer, bad pump, lots of time in service,the air pumps we used first went bad real fast, now we use a regenerative blower.

point is that ever one is pointing out is there are a lot of variables to a tea brewer/ compost . what matters is under the scope. give these guys some info and let them hash it out.

[wallzwallz]

Thanks for the replys, It is an Earth Tea Brewer. I've looked no farther into it than noticing it for sale. I have heard good things about this brewer and others also, but this is only one I've seen used. Mike

[wallzwallz]

I still have no more info to tell you guys, I am taking the NOFA organic landcare course and tomorrow is my last day. My brain is maxed out and don't have time to call up. When I have time later this week ,I'll explain my needs better, but thanks again for the replys.

Tad it is $1200, sorry I missed that yesterday.

[tadhussey]

Just took a look at their system at composttea.com

I'd try and get some test results from the company and then find out the life on the motor. It looks like it has a lot of parts (mainly pipes and hosese) that could break down over time. It could be a good deal though on a 100 gal. brewer. I'd still check and see what Tim Wilson can sell you one for.

~Tad

PS: I know the motor we use costs almost that much retail.

[NattyLawn]

Test results are on the site: http://composttea.com/test_results.htm

Only 60 brews, and selling it for a 1/3 of it's cost? Then again, what's the used market for CT brewers?

[Tim Wilson]

Thanks for the replys, It is an Earth Tea Brewer. I've looked no farther into it than noticing it for sale. I have heard good things about this brewer and others also, but this is only one I've seen used. Mike

Mike,

Some (most?) of these models use a water pump for circulation. You may wish to research the efficiency of a water pump based system.

Tim

[wallzwallz]

Thanks for everyones input. I did buy it, after talking to him and finding out we had a mutual friend. He threw in some brewing supplies and a basic recipe to get me started. The reason I didn't want to buy new is I am only going to be using it for 1 big lawn. I also need a sprayer, which I will buy new now because of savings on used brewer.

[Kiril]

Why was he selling it?

[wallzwallz]

He had an offer for a good paying and bennys job. Said the tea results were good but he had a tough sell in his area, most didn't want the expense of all organic or the time to wait for results.