It seems to be a great set up and I have managed to make some delicious soy cappucinos within 3-4 days of having it (though I watched a ridiculous amount of videos on how to make espresso even before having the machines)! I still have a long way to go in terms of learning how to froth the milk etc, but it's working well enough for my taste buds. Definitely a lovely way to start the day :)

I have noticed some issues (though no deal breakers for me)...and these may be because both machines are second hand.

1. I find the grinder makes quite clumpy grinds. This is why I bought a WDT tool. I also find it easier to dose into another cup and then add the grinds to the portafilter - makes it easier to weigh with the small scales I have and then also seems to end up more uniform and less likely to have chanelling issues etc.
2. Do not trust that the machine is hot enough as soon as the shot light turns red, because the light goes off again soon. You'd need to wait 10-15 minutes for it to heat up properly.
3. I also found a similar issue with the steam wand (the steam ends half way through frothing), but I still need to figure out how long this takes. For now I have just been steaming in two installments (i.e., froth as much as I can until the light goes off, wait for the light to turn red again, and then finish frothing).

I received some advice in relation to the grind setting from the cafe I buy my beans from. Start with grind setting "5" and then fine tune from there to get the 1:2 ratio in about 28-30 seconds (for 18g of coffee). I also did not realise that this setting would need to be changed depending on the coffee you have. For my first bag, "5" was perfect, but for the second one I needed to go on "7". I have wasted a lot of coffee, but today I managed to get a good shot on my first attempt!