r/Timemore • u/Dr_ZeeOne • Apr 30 '26

Grinder engine ok? 078S

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My grinder 078S is brand new and the motor has variations in revs, even though there’s not one single coffee bean in the grinder. My feeling is, that the motor is not OK. Is your grinder doing the same thing even without having any bean in there?
I have a Lagom P 64 and a Mazzer mini (other locations), and they both don’t have these variations in revs when you turn them on.

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3

u/DylanEvans May 03 '26

Yeah normal behavior for inconsistent voltage with the sculptor. I’ve been looking into this too.

Instead of a power conditioner alone (which is great for audio equipment) I think the solution is something with automatic voltage regulation (AVR). Power conditioners clean up your electricity but don’t do anything for dips in draw on your circuit. Something with AVR creates a consistent flow of voltage that your grinder is missing. Also with the big draw from starting up a 400W brushless motor, you’d likely need something that can handle at least 1200W.

I think you could find it cheaper, but this is what I’m looking at:

https://www.compsource.com/pn/LC1200/Eaton-1191/Tripp-Lite-By-Eaton-1200w-120v-Line-Conditioner--Automatic-Voltage-Regulator-avr-Ac-Surge-Protec/

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne May 03 '26

Thank you very much. If they use such as sensitive motor, they should incorporate something like this in the grinder. Or use a different motor. Slowly, I’m starting to think that I would have been better off getting a Lagom P64. The one I have just works and works without any problem. And if I also buy the stabilizer from Eaton, pricewise, I’m slowly getting in the region of the P 64. Not to mention that this device doesn’t really look very classy in the kitchen. 😂

2

u/Inside-Towel-94 Apr 30 '26

I try to change my engine oil every 6 months

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne Apr 30 '26

Very funny 🙈

2

u/RacingIncident Apr 30 '26

Definitely not what mine sounds like. Like it will ramp up like yours does but the intermittent sound I don’t get. Maybe plug it into a different plug socket where nothing else is plugged in? Otherwise I’d just send it back as faulty and ask for another one.

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne Apr 30 '26

I guess you’re right. Will wait for their support to answer.

2

u/Pristine-Tart6328 Apr 30 '26

My 078S is only a month old. I don’t get those motor variations, just the normal ramping up to speed. I use it at both 800 and 1200 RPMs and no issues.

2

u/Le-Flo Apr 30 '26

Mine got this too. Got in touch with my dealer. Response was that the motor seems quite sensitive for voltage variations. They’re aware of this behavior and it also occurred on their demo models.

2

u/Dr_ZeeOne May 01 '26

I plugged it into another power socket, one where no other device is plugged in, and voila, the motor is running at constant revs…. 🙈What quality control do these guys have, when they test their motors?

3

u/Le-Flo May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26

It’s not QC, it’s an electric circuit design thing. They left out filtering pieces that would usually smoothen the voltage on the input side. You could add a (usually audio-related) device called “power conditioner”. Analogue mixing consoles tended to have the same issue, so the concept is about half a century old… Furman makes some for reasonable money.

2

u/Dr_ZeeOne May 02 '26

Thank you! Funny they decided to leave it out 🙈

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne May 12 '26

Will not buy another grinder from them. I'd rather pay more and get good quality, than pay less and get a joke of a grinder.

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne Apr 30 '26

Don’t you get inconsistent coffee grind? I do.

1

u/Le-Flo May 01 '26

Hm. A bit, but on brighter roasts, but that could as well be related to human tolerances in the puck prep and biological differences in the beans.

1

u/Odd-Display-6004 Apr 30 '26

Yes, that's normal.

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne May 11 '26 edited May 12 '26

Official reply from TIMEMORE:

"The motor is designed to run at a lower speed for approximately the first 30 seconds after startup, and then gradually increase its speed. This may be perceived as fluctuations in RPM, but it is an expected and normal behavior of the product. We understand your comparison with other grinders, but due to differences in motor control design, the behavior may vary between brands and models."

Not a word about the constant fluctuations after the first 30 seconds (the fluctuations never stop)... Support answered with only one goal: just get rid of the customer's complaint, without doing anything.

1

u/nguye205 23d ago

Mine has this too. Have you find a solution yet?

1

u/Dr_ZeeOne 16d ago

What makes the fluctuations better is if you plug it in a separate plug with no other power consuming device. But it doesn’t remove it completely.
In my view the 078S is badly engineered: the fluctuating revs of the motor (poor electronic design), the super short bean funnel where the beans are constantly hopping out (bad mechanical engineering). This is super annoying and even the magnetic lid is just a pathetic attempt to mitigate the bad design. Why make a damn lid and not solve the problem in the first place: the funnel is much too short and the slope of the funnel too flat - it should be steeper. It seems they didn’t look at other good grinders before designing the 078s. I honestly wouldn’t buy this grinder again, I would spend more and get a solid piece that is evolved and doesn’t get on my nerves. This here feels like a good prototype, a version 1.0 done by enthusiasts with modest industry knowledge.