New Pharos hand grinder difficult to turn

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coldwarkid
Posts: 12
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by coldwarkid »

Hi guys.
This is my first post and I'm hoping some of you can help me out.
I bought a Pharos hand grinder the other day from coffee hit in the UK. When I unpacked it, apart from a cut in the top disk made presumably accidently by some sort of electric tool during assembly everything seemed fine. I've got it dialled in and the shots and consistency of grind seem good but the damn thing is really, really hard to grind with. I'm quite strong and can turn the handle but it's very difficult to hold down as well, it keeps jamming and bouncing around. I can live with it I suppose if that's the way it's meant to be but looking at the videos on youtube for this grinder set to espresso it always takes 31 to 35 turns to finish grinding but mine takes 20 to 21 turns with 17 grams in the hopper. Is this usual when the grinders are new?
The resultant grind takes 26 sec to produce a 32 gram extraction and tastes fine but it's seriously difficult to grind and the beans aren't even light.
Any advice you can offer will be gratefully received. Thank you.

day
Posts: 1316
Joined: 9 years ago

#2: Post by day replying to coldwarkid »

What cut are you talking about? Pictures would help, as there shouldnt be any unexpected cuts if purchased new... I have a pharos v1, I assume you have a pharos v2.

At fine grinds the grinder will operate very fast. Try opening it up just a bit and get a feel for how it works at coarser settings. Depending on how fine your grind is 20ish should be quite reasonable, but I got mine lightly used and never had to deal with a break-in.

It was basically impossible for me to handhold that beast for espresso grinds, and even clamped on my knees was a nightmare. I ended up getting some hooks screwed to a bench that I slide it under, and they hold it down on two sides-espresso grinding is easy peasy now, for pourover its always easy. I am sure the official orphan espresso bench dogs would be perfect.

Handholding can be done for espresso, but not something anybody wants to do day in and out, especially if you are grinding with the plug in and shaking like a mad man afterward. If you find a way to just let the grinds fall out you will find that it works MUCH better and you will get 0 retention.

Alot of different approaches will make it work great, and then you will be in love. Some pretty simple methods will make it great, elaborate changes will, to, just depends how you want to approach it. In stock format is, imo, really for camping, rv travel, etc, some method of improving use required for daily at home espresso use.
Yes, i you per this on an iPhone

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coldwarkid (original poster)
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Joined: 8 years ago

#3: Post by coldwarkid (original poster) replying to day »

The cut is purely cosmetic. Just couple of mm deep nick in the top disc. It looks as if someone has got some tin snips and cut into it like you would with scissors through paper. I am grinding with the plug in and shaking like a mad man but I expected that so I'm not too worried. The handle is so hard to turn though. I'm the only person in the house that can do it. I can't wait to try a light roast, that should be fun.

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baldheadracing
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#4: Post by baldheadracing »

-Give it a few pounds of coffee to break in, it gets easier (or grind a kilo of instant rice)
-Hold the grinder down with only your left hand, try not push down on the handle, just turn the handle with your right hand.
-If yours doesn't have the nylon washer added to recent production, try it http://www.oehandgrinders.com/Pharos-Ny ... _p_91.html
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

forbeskm
Posts: 1021
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#5: Post by forbeskm replying to baldheadracing »

Yes, second that. Once it breaks in a bit its much easier, a few lbs through it and it became much better! I have a rimmed sink, I just push it against a corner of it. I need to mount the dog somewhere and that will help.

The rubber disc was cut on mine as well, makes it easier to put the beans in.

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doublehelix
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#6: Post by doublehelix »

Try using an electric drill to power your Pharos. A bunch of folks here have done this; especially effective when the Pharos is locked down to a bench.
Obviating the handle also makes it easier to shake the grounds out.
Hang in there, you'll come to really enjoy this ergonomically challenged wonder.

FJ60Cam
Posts: 61
Joined: 9 years ago

#7: Post by FJ60Cam »

I have the V1, which I bought used and already broken it, but can attest to the effort required to grind. I had a sore wrist for a week from the weird ergonomics needed to hold it down.

How are you holding/stabilizing the grinder? Once you find a grip that works, and learn how to attack the beans, it gets easier.

However, 20 turns/17g sounds pretty aggressive. Mine takes about 33 turns for 16g.

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emradguy
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#8: Post by emradguy »

Mine (v1) also got much easier after break-in. I've got two bench dogs mounted on a large butcher block, and that has helped even more. I just slide the grinder in there, hold it with my left hand and crank it with my right (and I'm left handed). I've had it well over a year. It takes me about 30-35 turns for 20g of medium roast.
LMWDP #748

coldwarkid (original poster)
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#9: Post by coldwarkid (original poster) »

FJ60Cam wrote:I have the V1, which I bought used and already broken it, but can attest to the effort required to grind. I had a sore wrist for a week from the weird ergonomics needed to hold it down.

How are you holding/stabilizing the grinder? Once you find a grip that works, and learn how to attack the beans, it gets easier.

However, 20 turns/17g sounds pretty aggressive. Mine takes about 33 turns for 16g.
I've tried a few ways to hold it. 33 turns for 16g sounds right so as you can imagine if you had a third less turns it would be much more difficult to turn, in the same way that when you coarsen the grind for brew it becomes easier to turn. I need to find out if it's faulty or not because I don't think it will be possible to turn with a lighter roast like the ones I sometimes use. I might try contacting OE, as the company I bought it off have turned out to be unhelpful. When I emailed them to find out if this was the new version with the anti static plastic I got no reply, then when I rang them the girl who answered didn't seem to know what a Pharos grinder was and told me to email them through the website. Go figure?

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rpavlis
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#10: Post by rpavlis »

Another thing that can make the Pharos easy to hold is to install a 7th spacer between the top two disks. One can take a piece of aluminium round bar stock and cut it to the precise length of the distance between the upper two disks, then drill holes in the ends and tap them. One can put this in the holes designed to hold the adjustment tool.

I did this shortly after I got mine, (#633) and I never had trouble holding it after that. One could also make this from wood. I never regarded mine as being particularly difficult to turn. It is wonderful for Turkish grind, by the way.

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