I am thinking on buying a Fujimarca. In a lot of the videos that I have seen of the machines shaving ice, I see the operator manually turning the handles, putting some pressure on the ice I guess to help the machine shave. Why is that?, is the 1/4 HP motor not powerful enough? .... or some parts need to be replaced?, what is the problem?.

Thanks,

Luis

That should never be the case, except when pressure assembly is not adjusted properly or the tension on the spring has worn out. Blade is also another factor. But, don't be deviated from getting one because of this simple issue. The best thing I like about the machine is it's easily serviceable and repaired. The cost to maintain is cheap compared to other machines. I can easily swap parts from one Fujimarca to the other without any problems regardless of age.

In terms of ease of maintenance, the Fujimarca wins hands down. Most of the parts are exposed and easily accessed to with just a screw driver and wrench.

I like the "Old School" vibe of the Fujimarcas also...