Same problem here, twice. The original heater failed just before the warranty expired, and Tim S. at FreshBeans was on the ball with a replacement. Unfortunately, the replacement failed very soon after I put it in. (failure means temps failed to rise beyond about 444, and would then plummet).
Cutting to the chase, we wound up replacing everything (boards, etc) except the fan and the temp/timer assembly, all to no avail. Finally, long after the warranty had gone by the boards, a new Gene arrived on my doorstep in November. I can't say enuf good stuff about FreshBeans - Tim has been more than willing to stand behind the product, and I do appreciate that!
This one has some design changes from the original, although I really don't know what all the specifics are. Heater-wise, in low ambient temps in my garage (40-50F) it pumps along OK, though it does like a warmer operating environment. My original was worthless below about 60 and had to be moved inside.
The drum and rotating wheels look much the same as the original, although the way the drum mounts and the geometry of the whole assembly has been modified - I know this because while my old drum will lock in, it projects a quarter inch or so above the "wheels." So much for having a back-up.
All in all, I'm still happy with my Gene, and particularly with how Tim has handled the problem.
Raven
