I wonder if stretching the springs a touch could help?

Caffinator wrote:I was almost going to pull the trigger and get a Niche because of the glowing accolades from its users.

Then I wondered? Not if but when something breaks, how does it get fixed?

The Niche is a simple device and well engineered. If they keep their act together, they could be around for a very long time. I expect the Niche to last as long as the Macap and Elektra it replaced. Those two were more than a decade old and still grinding well. 2^nd owners are very satisfied.

On another note, Leviton was founded in 1906 and I've used their dimmers for decades without a fault. In 2016 I put in 32 [Made in China] and they started failing weeks after the warranty expired. Ditto their timers. Most of what we buy today is not repairable after a very short interval. Phones, TVs, computers, all destined for the tip

sweaner wrote:I wonder if stretching the springs a touch could help?

Longer springs have less power. A shorter spring with a spacer to make up the distance might work.

beanbrowner wrote:A hard drive mounting screw. Interesting.
Do they just happen to be the perfect diameter to fit inside the spring? Effectively making the spring taller?

They do...,just the heads pop out, In the olden days they started with 19 coil springs, then I tested 17, 15 and 13 coil spring for them, settling on 13 coil (I think it was 13)....which appeared to stop all slippage.

Roughing up the polymer collar holding the outer burr can help as will degreasing those areas that press together to move the burrs.

cafeIKE wrote:What viscosity?
What volume?
Test data?

It might work if one changes settings frequently and moves back and forth. However, grease and grit are seldom a good combination.

Viscosity: I like this, more like a wax:
https://www.amazon.com/Trident-acc577-S ... th=1&psc=1

Volume: Just a light film. You're the Engineer. Use your judgement.

Test data: Works for me.

"grease and grit are seldom a good combination" Sounds like you need to grind a better quality bean.

Caffinator wrote:I was almost going to pull the trigger and get a Niche because of the glowing accolades from its users.

Then I wondered? Not if but when something breaks, how does it get fixed? While not expensive to me. It definitely is not a disposable blade grinder you pick on sale from Bodum.

Do you just get another one? Do you send it in for repairs? How long will that take? etc etc etc.

That is why I went for a company that has been around for 70 years because hopefully, they'll be around for another 70.

This is also the reason for not getting Monolith's etc. Who is going to repair them when, not if, they break down when Denis retires?

Precisely the main reason I have strayed away from electric grinders. Yes there are usually parts to be found years down the road as well as band aid fixes, but with something like the hand grinder I prefer I'm set for life. Have ordered a few parts to have onhand just in case, but it should surely last the rest of this lifetime even with my fairly heavy use.

scrane wrote:"grease and grit are seldom a good combination" Sounds like you need to grind a better quality bean.

Sandy:
I've seen three grinders permanently locked from lube applied to burr carriers. Not mine because, working on engines since I was big enough to hold a spanner, I've seen head bolts snapped off and pulled from the block because some clever fellow didn't clean the grease and grit from the bolts before removal.

My solution is definitely Mickey Mouse and was implemented after two factory suggestions failed.

As far as sanding the upper carrier, that happens with use and, if anything, makes the drifting worse:



In my younger days, I'd have torn the sucker to bits, put it in a Bridgeport and added a Teflon tipped locking screw through the side

BodieZoffa wrote:Precisely the main reason I have strayed away from electric grinders. Yes there are usually parts to be found years down the road as well as band aid fixes, but with something like the hand grinder I prefer I'm set for life. Have ordered a few parts to have onhand just in case, but it should surely last the rest of this lifetime even with my fairly heavy use.

That's interesting. I have a couple of hand grinders and a couple of electric ones but I've never thought about grinding from a wear and tear point of view. I'd certainly prefer an electric car to a self-propelled one (not having a dig at you, just having visions of me on the freeway pedalling really fast).

On the basis that you prefer not to have an electric engine because it will wear out, do you also have a preference for non electric appliances in the kitchen such as food processors, egg beaters and cake mixers?

For me, the hand grinding can become tedious if I was using it for three or four pours a day, but at one pour a day I quite enjoy it.

I guess too it depends on the electric grinder and the volume. The EG-1 will probably see me out at two grinds a day.

BodieZoffa wrote:Precisely the main reason I have strayed away from electric grinders. Yes there are usually parts to be found years down the road as well as band aid fixes, but with something like the hand grinder I prefer I'm set for life. Have ordered a few parts to have onhand just in case, but it should surely last the rest of this lifetime even with my fairly heavy use.

I'm all for "buy it for life", but things like a hand grinder are prone to damage as well. A drop, a misplaced handle, a small rock could call for an untimely fix. Things like that just happen no matter how much we try to mitigate the possibility. I now look at how replaceable or repairable an item is if it were to become a part of my life and take up space in my home. No matter how bulletproof something is, I try to picture how an item will endure 3 minutes alone with a 3 year old. I can't think of many coffee appliances that will come out unscathed.

I'm having a similar problem. Today I grind at 13, tomorrow it will be 12. Now it's at 11. Have tried re-calibration several times to no avail. It was great until the first time I cleaned it. That was when things went awry. I'm considering getting a grinder that is sold locally so I can at least take it in somewhere to be checked out. Now to figure out what's comparable. I guess Eureka.

cebseb wrote: I'm all for "buy it for life", but things like a hand grinder are prone to damage as well. A drop, a misplaced handle, a small rock could call for an untimely fix. Things like that just happen no matter how much we try to mitigate the possibility. I now look at how replaceable or repairable an item is if it were to become a part of my life and take up space in my home. No matter how bulletproof something is, I try to picture how an item will endure 3 minutes alone with a 3 year old. I can't think of many coffee appliances that will come out unscathed.

Certainly depends on the hand grinder, but even at 4 lbs mine feels a bit dainty and never lost grip of it. Been cranking out 6-7 doubles daily for well over 1 yr and it continues to impress. Not concerned with stones, etc. to be honest as from the time I weigh the green to ending up pouring into the grinder roasted I will have examined the coffee 5-6 times, pretty much one bean at a time as I sift/pour. I do get that things you listed could be an issue for some hand grinders, just works great for my daily use. I still have a quality electric that gets used periodically so life is good.