My Versalab was getting worse but now it has been fixed

#1: Post by **opother** » June 6th, 2016, 9:06 pm

Edited from My Versalab is getting worse and worse to My Versalab was getting worse but now it has been fixed. Here starts the soap opera from the beginning.

I am begining to see the signs that Jim has wrote about happening on my grinder and can only assume it's related to runout. My grinder has chewed up all of its belts and I have done some rigging to keep it running which only keeps the grinder limping along.

It started gradually and very gradually continued to get worse and worse untll I was only able to slowly pour the beans into the grinder in hopes of it not jamming. I flipped the small pully on the motor over and filed a groove in it in hopes that it's wider diameter would grip the slipping prone belt better. Well filing it just right is easier said then done but I managed to get it to work but not much better overall.

Turning the speed up on the motor prevented motor stalls and increased torque but I still have a guarantee of belt slippage if I feed the beans in too fast. My pulls are not tasting anywhere near as good as the coffee shops I go to such as Oslo in Williamsburg and other shops. I do not know if it is related to the Versalab but my gut is telling me it is.

As a low volume home user this tooks about 8 years to get really bad. I can't see this grinder handling any high volume use without multiple refurbs. Meanwhile my very well used before I brought it Mazzer Super Jolly which is frequently used at work to grind drip coffee at work (1 cup for the bunn) and is used every day all day and night by everyone which I had longer than the Versalab is trooping on without a hitch except for a broken doser lever return spring that really isnt needed anyway and does not effect grind quality.

For the price that this thing goes for (Versalab) it should not be so prone to breakdowns. Versalabs prices for parts are too expensive in my opinion and the thought of having them service this grinder is giving me shivers about how much they will charge only to have a repeat of the above performance down the road.

I am disappointed but am open to ideas. I can't find that cogged belt system (dr. bean) online but will it help.

#2: Post by **TomC** » June 7th, 2016, 12:23 am

Best case scenario, if it will grind for drip without trouble, you can sell anything else and put that towards a new espresso grinder. It would be pretty hard to sell the Versalab for much in it's condition. If anyone tries it out on a hands-on purchase, the faults will stick out. If you sold it online, you'd probably have to deal with a return from a frustrated buyer.

#3: Post by **tohenk2** » June 7th, 2016, 3:43 am

opother wrote:I am begining to see the signs that Jim has wrote about happening on my grinder and can only assume it's related to runout. My grinder has chewed up all of its belts and I have done some rigging to keep it running which only keeps the grinder limping along.

...

Versalabs prices for parts are too expensive in my opinion and the thought of having them service this grinder is giving me shivers about how much they will charge only to have a repeat of the above performance down the road.

I am disappointed but am open to ideas. I can't find that cogged belt system (dr. bean) online but will it help.

Maybe Terranova / @Titusgrinding can help you. (You might want to send him a PM, I think responses from forum members that might have a commercial interest are "sensitive" in this case ...)

I guess another alternative is take your loss ... and scrap the thing - maybe sell it for scrap parts.

#4: Post by **samuellaw178** » June 7th, 2016, 4:20 am

Sounds like what you need is a new belt? It seems to be a wear-and-tear part.

versalab wrote: And as long as the machine Is kept clean and the belt changed when it ages, it works!

From Re-introducing the Versalab M3 Grinder

#5: Post by **TomC** » June 7th, 2016, 11:18 am

tohenk2 wrote:Maybe Terranova / @Titusgrinding can help you. (You might want to send him a PM, I think responses from forum members that might have a commercial interest are "sensitive" in this case ...)

I guess another alternative is take your loss ... and scrap the thing - maybe sell it for scrap parts.

He doesn't mess with the Versalab anymore.

#6: Post by **shawndo** » June 7th, 2016, 11:50 am

You can also send it back to Versalab for a checkup and repair. You'll have to pay for round-trip shipping and they may/maynot find anything wrong with it. Just make sure and discuss all the costs up front so you can decide if it is worth the effort.

#7: Post by ds » June 7th, 2016, 12:01 pm

Or just get Monolith and be done with it...

#8: Post by **ira** » June 7th, 2016, 12:19 pm

I would think that the problems you're complaining about would be caused by the burrs, either needing replacement or being out of alignment. How you go about aligning a Versalab is not something I'm familiar with but I believe loss of alignment can be caused by the bearing slipping in its mount or the bearing mount moving in relation to the base. I guess it could also be caused by the bearing dying but it's hard to imagine that happening.

Ira

#9: Post by **shawndo** » June 7th, 2016, 2:20 pm

ds wrote:Or just get Monolith and be done with it...

I did all 3:
1) sent machine to VL to get repaired
2) sent it to Terranova for upgrade
3) got a Monolith

#2 is off the table now
#3 wasn't available to me back then.
#1 may be a better option now than it was for me. I've heard (but no direct knowledge) that VL has actually acknowledged the possibility for the design to lose alignment, which they didn't before.

In your shoes I would write off the VL. Try to sell it as is, acknowledging the problems and go with #3. more expensive, but a sure thing. #1 is less sure, but probably cheaper.

#10: Post by **Terranova** » June 7th, 2016, 2:39 pm

opother wrote: As a low volume home user this tooks about 8 years to get really bad....
I am disappointed but am open to ideas. I can't find that cogged belt system (dr. bean) online but will it help.

Why not trying just a new belt and if that doesn't work, have a look @assafl how he modded the controller for less than $100 or so.
The dr.bean "solution" doesn't work, if you don't change the controller.
It is very unlikely that it went out of alignment on its own.

Just have a look how big is the gap between your grind setting and zero, if you cannot grind fine enough it's another story, but if you have a 30°- 40° gap then the problem is an easy fix and a new belt is the solution.

Imagine, you paid U$1500 or so 8 years ago and you could sell the grinder in 5 minutes for 20-25% less than you paid for it.
I don't think that you find many grinders with such a low loss in value.