Baratza Sette 270Wi Gearbox Failure

It's an expensive grinder (£480) to go wrong. They should have recalled them all if they knew there was a gearbox issue, in or out of Warranty, so good luck.

If its CoffeeHit then I'm sure they'll do the decent thing about this matter.

I'm just looking at buying one of these so it better have the updated gearbox!!!

They're a good grinder due to the unique burr design setup but the plastic this and plastic that ...such as the cog etc, does make you question how long they'll last, but things like the gearbox and motor must have longivity at it's heart! At least Baratza, have addressed the gearbox malfunction and have redesigned it so there should be no more issues, so credit to them for acting, and anyone who's gearbox has failed should get it replaced for free whether in or out of WARRANTY as so many users suffered this inconvenience.

@HarryM did you get a replacement or you still waiting for a reply?

Yes, I've heard from CoffeeHit, Baratza Manager, and the gearbox is being provided for free for me to install if I pay the postage, but there's a delay in sending out the replacement part due to being inundated with orders, so the wait continues...

harrym, how did the new gearbox fit? I see others have had the same dreaded issue on these expensive grinders.

@Tristan II, it still hasn't arrived yet!

These grinders are a copy the Etzinger grinder but far better built and much more expensive.

yes, the etzMAX Grinder manufacturer is the company who designed and made the Baratza Sette grinders; the etzMAX Grinder is 5 x the price of the weight based Sette 270Wi

Originally Posted by DarkBean

These grinders are a copy the Etzinger grinder but far better built and much more expensive.

@HarryM how's it going now?

the replacement gearbox finally arrived on Friday, 22nd May, and carefully installed; the old gearbox cogs were completely Shot/GONE to mush over time; the new gearbox cogs are still plastic but designed differently.
Frustratingly, after screwing everything back, and redoing the Firmware, the grinder FAILS to make a sound or movement; checked the wire connections, and all was correct, but still nothing; the LCD screen operates fine, and shows the preset button weights from before, and when I press the START button, it just goes to 0.0, with the green light flashing underneath it, so I'm now thinking that the Motor should have been replaced at the same time, as the 2 are connected together; I do see American users have been given the complete new motor and gearbox to install, so gets me thinking this could be the case!
Anyway, have contacted CoffeeHit, again!

@HarryM, that's nearly 3 weeks you've had to wait for CoffeeHit to deliver - I know delays are happening due to COVID, staff isolating etc, but 3 weeks? wow! By what you've said about the motor, I agree!

Finally, after a Micro Switch clip issue, resolved, and a spade connector snapping on another plastic micro switch, and after a bit of soldering, I got it to fire up again; what a relief!
Reminds of the days when I used to work on the Reliant Robin; it wasn't called the plastic pig for nothing!

Good job harry, but what faffing about. Have a look at the weight based grinder Melitta Calibra for a fraction of the price of the Sette.

Thanks for your experience and updates sure is helpful.

Glad you sorted it out!!

@HarryM how was Baratza UK service?

John at CoffeeHit was under pressure and lacked support so the part was very slow to arrive; nearly 4 weeks, due to Covid-19 and being under staffed, but he responded well, as did Baratza Customer Support in the USA; I don't know how many times I took the grinder apart, but I feel confident that it'll last far longer than before due to the improved quality and design of the updated gearbox.