Wow. You took the plunge and went for the machine! Did you buy the pre-order version or the new version?
Did you order through their website and they sent directly to your house? Was there any additional tax?
What do you mean when you said it is hard to master a good roast? Does it have a very steep learning curve? I am considering to buy one but undecided whether it is worth the investment.

Good to know you did not get an additional 30% tax on your R1. That would've hurt. Which roaster did your friend purchase? Good to know which one the Customs would consider a commercial machine.

R1 does sound like a lot of work. Do you need to open up to clean the R1 each time? That's one of the reason I am considering the Sonofresco fluid bed roaster. Seems simple enough with one moving part only which is the fan. Cleaning should be a breeze too as the coffee container can be removed and cleaned separately. Only issue is the consistency as the variables are harder to measure (airflow vs drum rotation) Not many articles on fluid bed roasters. Any body with experience on commercial fluid bed roasters?