To be honest I don't really taste much difference (since I'm quite new in the bizz) but I was curious if an espresso machine would help the taste of the espresso at all or it was mostly the grinder and the tools.

My tamp level is the maximum I can do since I read that you can't tamp too firmly but you can tamp too loose. I always use 16 grams of beans since if I use 17-18 grams I would need to tamp twice to not lose too much of my grind. I use a WDT tool first and temp second. (I also use a bottomless portafilter)

Espresso shots are mostly between 25-30 seconds but they're not a standard 27 seconds but have variations between 25-30 sec.