Breville Smart Grinder - Broken?

[robertm]

Hi.
Well a long time user of the Breville BES 900 (one of the first in Aus) , that broke then i had to upgrade to a BES 920

Now my original Breville Smart Grinder seems to have stopped working as well. It is out of warranty and i got about 4 years usage out of it.
It seems to now slow down and get a rachet noise if it grind anything fine at all. Used to work fine,no change in operation or beans by me. I have recorded a video below
https://youtu.be/ybzJahMcNok

Has it a died sad death? Fixable?, Worth fixing? or it is time for a burial ceremony....
Help me Phil Obi-Wan McKnight....

After a 3 failures in the BES 900 and now the smart grinder , it hasn't filled me with much confidence in the brand to tell the truth. Am i expecting too much?

Cheers
Robert

[Yelta]

"Am i expecting too much?"

Probably, Breville appliances are not noted for their long life.

[noidle22]

Not worth repairing on an older grinder really. The main nylon gear is under high stress when grinding and eventually a few teeth will wear down and start to slip on the metal motor worm gear.
This is the "ratcheting" noise you are hearing. It will only get worse until is stops grinding altogether.

The nylon gear is not available as a spare part and can only be sourced as a salvage part. In an older grinder, chances are there are other problems relating to the gearbox and motor as well.

Invest your money into a new, non appliance brand grinder and you will be happier. The expected lifespan of an appliance grinder is ~5 years, there isn't really a lifespan of a non-appliance grinder (Compak, Macap, Mazzer etc.) as they are rugged and dependable. Change burrs every few years, depending on usage, clean when required and that's pretty much it.

Check out the grinder buying guide here, it is quite comprehensive: Buying guide- coffee grinders | Talk Coffee

You can also send an enquiry to all site sponsors using the Quote Form at the bottom of the page outlining your needs and hopefully they can put you on the right track for your requirements.

[robertm]

Thanks for the feedback Noidel22
It a shame that some of the devices just aren't built to last. But they are made to a price point i guess

Anyway onwards and upwards
I am looking at a few new grinders such as the Macap M4D and the Compak E 5OD range now.
How would you rate these two?
Cheers

[jjdoom]

Just thought I might chime in (and apologies if this steers the thread in the wrong direction) that I had the exact same problem in this last week with the Smart Grinder. I read on here or elsewhere (can't remember) that Phil McKnight didn't think the SG was capable of producing fine grinds on a regular basis, so I always used mine on a midway espresso setting, with really fresh beans this seemed to produce good tight shots. But it did mean that I never bothered buying a VST basket as they require finer grinds...

Anyway, my SG konked out at 18months, and I asked politely enough at DJ's, as my place of purchase, to replace it with a Smart Grinder Pro as they didn't have any stock of the older one. So now I have a SGP, I've taken the upper burr to setting 4 and the main adjustment on around a 10 with beans roasted on 4/5/16, the motor is audibly straining. So I don't expect this new machine will last me much longer, I'm going to start saving for something more robust right away.

[artman]

I always presumed (wrongly by the looks) the ratchet noise was a built in safety mechanism, not the gears slipping against each other. Yikes.

Cheers

[chrismcq]

I had the same problem with mine. Not worth fixing. Glad I didn't. I got a Rancillio Rocky and the consistency is far better. I have not looked back. It is a great grinder with a commercial motor. If I had more money then maybe a Mazzer would have been on the cards.