[morticaixavier]

I have a Monster Mill 2 roller adjustable model and I have been having issues with the free roller stopping. It seems like the adjuster knobs are slipping but I can't figure out why exactly. I tighten the thumb screws and check the knobs for any movement and get none. I check the roller to make sure it's spinning freely and then put a couple lb of grain in and go. It gets through a couple cups and the free roller stops. I empty the grain and free the roller and start again. pretty frustrating.

It does seem like if I open the gap way up it works better but then I have to mill twice and there is no guarantee that it will behave any better the second time through. It seems like one side of the adjustable roller starts to move and once the two sides are far enough apart it stops rolling.

Any ideas? hints? I had the whole thing apart this weekend and cleaned everything well, does anyone oil the bushings? with what?

[Stevie]

Could you add a lock washer to the thumbscrews?

[singletrack brewer]

I had a similar issue with my MM3 2.0 and I found that grain was getting between one of my rollers and the frame.  Only happened once but I'm thinking I may have been trying to mill a tad too fast with domestic malt.  No issues with UK or Continental malts. In regards to the adjustable roller slipping, it's a known issue that has been remedied.  You can get a kit to upgrade the mill with new adjuster knobs and a better retention system on the website.

[morticaixavier]

Could you add a lock washer to the thumbscrews?

Might try that. although I wouldn't want to mess up the finish on Robbie's mill 

[morticaixavier]

I had a similar issue with my MM3 2.0 and I found that grain was getting between one of my rollers and the frame.  Only happened once but I'm thinking I may have been trying to mill a tad too fast with domestic malt.  No issues with UK or Continental malts. In regards to the adjustable roller slipping, it's a known issue that has been remedied.  You can get a kit to upgrade the mill with new adjuster knobs and a better retention system on the website.

this might be interesting. I will check that out. It would be nice to be able to give this borrowed mill back to it's real owner a little better then when I borrowed it.

[tschmidlin]

I noticed the same thing as singletrack, and for the same reasons.  In my case the fix was to rebuild the table it was mounted on to stiffen the surface, square everything very carefully, and eliminate the gap between the rollers and the end plate.  It helped tremendously.  After running (literally) tons of grain through it in the last year it is starting to act up again.  I'm going to have to look at it and see if I need that upgrade kit.

[mabrungard]

Yep, the gap adjustment screws slip. I also have upgraded my MM2-2 to the revised knobs. It's an easy fix if you have the tools. You need a drill, proper bit, and proper tap to complete the installation.  I had all of that.  It was something like $30 for the knobs.

[morticaixavier]

well at least it's nice to know it's probably not something I did to the mill to make it do this.

I do NOT have all those tools Martin mentions. I do have a drill but no taps and probably not the correct bit. I'll have to give them a call this weekend or something and see what I can do.

[tschmidlin]

well at least it's nice to know it's probably not something I did to the mill to make it do this.

I do NOT have all those tools Martin mentions. I do have a drill but no taps and probably not the correct bit. I'll have to give them a call this weekend or something and see what I can do.

You can buy the kit with the new plates so it is not an issue of tools or not.  If you have them, great.  If not you can still do it, it just costs more.

[Joe Sr.]

Was just looking at a MM yesterday at the LHBS.  Safe to assume that new ones have this issue pre-corrected?

[morticaixavier]

Was just looking at a MM yesterday at the LHBS.  Safe to assume that new ones have this issue pre-corrected?

looks that way on the website but it couldn't hurt to call and check.

[duboman]

Maybe I'm being cheap but for the price of a Monster Mill, if it's a known issue then why don't they send out the repair kit if requested perhaps just for the price of shipping instead of at a full cost to the original purchaser? Those things aren't cheap!

[Stevie]

Maybe I'm being cheap but for the price of a Monster Mill, if it's a known issue then why don't they send out the repair kit if requested perhaps just for the price of shipping instead of at a full cost to the original purchaser? Those things aren't cheap!

Agreed. They could also allow people to return for repair.

[tschmidlin]

Maybe I'm being cheap but for the price of a Monster Mill, if it's a known issue then why don't they send out the repair kit if requested perhaps just for the price of shipping instead of at a full cost to the original purchaser? Those things aren't cheap!

Agreed. They could also allow people to return for repair.

I'm not sure that it is reasonable to expect it for free, but returning the end plates for repair seems reasonable.  Or even better to avoid down time is that you buy the kit, install it, then you can return your old plates to them for a rebate and they can modify them and send them to someone else.  What else are you going to do with them?

[morticaixavier]

Well, they get a big +1 for service.

I gave them a call to see about the mod fix. I have the 1.5 inch mill and they did not make the retro fix for that one because people weren't having the same issues with it as the 2.0. So no luck there.

But he spent 15 minutes on the phone with me going over the mechanics of the mill and giving me some ideas to try. He indicated that it matters which direction you turn the adjustment knobs.

if you turn them clockwise (if facing the drive shaft side of the mill) the idle roller moved up and towards the drive roller, while counter clockwise, it moved down and toward the drive roller.

Clockwise means that the thumb screws are above the center line of the knob so if the idle roller tries to move away from the drive roller it hit s the thumb screw. Counter clockwise, on the other hand, means the center point of the knob is ABOVE the thumb screw and as the idle roller moves away from the drive roller it moves down as well, eluding the thumb screw and loosening enough to jam.

I don't know if this will be the answer or not but I will give it a try over the next few weeks and see what happens!

is it just me or is customer service among Homebrew related companies just a step or two above and beyond the norm?