As you can see, dry motor bearings might not have been the only reason my Hearthware Precision sounded like it was straining. In fact, I don't think the motor bearings needed any lubrication at all, though I did follow through with the instructions and lubricate both ends of the motor shaft.
The unit is shown upside down in this picture, and I had just removed the base cover. Inside the cover you can actually see how the dust has formed an encasement around the motor assembly.
After cleaning the whole unit inside and out with compressed air and toothbrushes, I lubricated the motor bearings and put it back together. I ran a test roast and the unit performed beautifully.
I'll get the full set of pictures posted later on, but I thought I would at least put this picture up now. This represents the accumulation from about 700 roasts over the course of about 2-1/2 years. I now plan to remove the base cover once per month for a few months to determine how often the interior should be cleaned out. Incidentally, a friend who roasts much less frequently than me, and who bought his Precision about six months ago, sent me a picture of the inside of his. It was perfectly clean.
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