Been there with a Dayton motor myself. Grabbed a cheap grease gun from the hardware store and made it a habit to hit those fittings every time I changed the furnace filter. That little routine turned a six month motor into one that ran six years without a peep. The key is using the right grease too - standard lithium grease works fine for most furnace motors, just don't overdo it or you'll blow the seals. A couple pumps is plenty, and you'll hear the difference in how quiet the motor runs after. That two minute job pays for itself about fifty times over compared to pulling a seized motor out of a hot furnace.

Did your friend @ray613 ever get burned by a similar situation? My buddy Tom took his old lawnmower to a guy who quoted him $30 to fix it, and Tom almost walked out saying the same thing about buying a new one for $50. But he let the guy take a look, and it ended up being just a dirty carburetor that took like 20 minutes to clean. Now Tom says that $30 was the best money he ever spent because that mower runs better than any new one he could have grabbed from the store.

That's a solid point about using layover time for exploring airports.

Man that's exactly how I felt when I got my first machine. The burns are just part of it like you said. I remember the first week I had a Pavoni, I touched the steam wand knob without thinking and had a blister for days. But once you figure out the temp surfing thing, the shots come out so much thicker and sweeter. It's like the machine teaches you patience because if you rush you either get burned or drink thin sour espresso. I still get a little scar on my hand every now and then but it's worth it for that perfect pour.

Did the notebook also save him $50 a month?