Grinder Dilemma


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I know somewhere there is a separate coffee grinder thread. IIRC I even started it. Can't find it. :(
Anyway over a few days have grown to REALLY like this KA grinder. So far it's done everything I asked and done it very quietly. Until yesterday. While grinding AM brew, the sound went from a quiet "purr" to a very sharp sound suddenly. IDK why. When it happened the machine was still functioning as normal. So I assumed a weird bean got into the burrs. Yesterday afternoon, I removed the hopper and the burr. Brushed it all clean. This AM functioned well but still that very "sharp" sound. Not the sound a "well oiled" machinery. Something changed and it's not "happy" inside. So, I don't want to give up on KA. But what to do? I could engage with KA, make a warranty claim, and fart around. Have never needed to do this with a company before so IDK what KA does. If they simply send out another machine with a RA label and I ship this back to them? Or do I need to ship back to get new. Or should I simply engage Amazon and say I want to exchange it due to a fault? UGH?
Or maybe I should return it and simply buy a full new burr set for the Breville (since it is about 4 or 5 YO) and chance the rest of it lives on after spending a sizable amount for a new burr set. And send the KA back for a refund
 
Well small update. I found Amazon now had the red one on sale for the $139, but to be shipped at later date. So, I locked in by going ahead and ordering. I prefer the red one as it would match the espresso machine and my KA Commercial mixer. So since the black one is grinding OK just sounds bad like it wants to come apart at the seams (given the number of rave reviews I see on this product I have to believe I simply got a bum one) I will continue using it. When the new one shows shipping I will simply invoke the return clause, send it back and have the purchase refunded to my Amazon CC account. If it does not coincide or I come to some other form of resolution directly with KA, I'll simply cancel the order.
Not sure what happened to it. Honestly if it made this sound out of the box I'd not give it a second thought. But the fact that it was running whisper quiet with nothing but a nice "machinery" sound and during a grind suddenly changed it's pitch and now will not change back, bothers this old machine tech/mechanic. Machines just simply don't change their sound in the middle of a run and IMO be "normal".
 
I understand where you're coming from. On one hand, it could continue to run for years sounding like that but you just never know. If anything you'd expect it to quiet up a bit after breaking in. But being a mechanical guy, you know a bad sound when you hear it. I tell customers all the time "yes, that knocking noise is bad and it will only get worse". They get frustrated when I can't give them an accurate time frame/mileage to expect catastrophic failure. You just don't know, but once it starts, it's coming. Best of luck with the grinder situation sounds like you made the right call.
 
Just hoping the new one will show up or at least show a delivery date, before this one craps. Though I still have the Breville over on the coffee bar and I have those 2 Shardors in the basement. So it would not be like I would be without one. Just the regular price on the KA is about $229. And I really felt lucky snagging it for $139. Well, went on Amazon yesterday and price was then up to the discounted $175. This AM they showed the red way discounted again but "for order" so I thought WTH I'll grab the red one I wanted anyway (the red was $229 when I ordered the black for $139). So since the black one sounds like it wants to give up the ghost, just figured I would snag the opportunity
 
Called KA today. Said it definitely sounds faulty. But replacement is on 4 - 6 week backorder. He suggested to go ahead and do an exchange with Amazon :D
 
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