Coote or KMG1?

Eric T. Maier

Eric T. Maier

Joined
Apr 29, 2000
Messages
573
I'd like to hear from the owners of these grinders. Is the KMG1 really worth twice the price of the Coote?

Advantages / disadvantages, if you have one do you wish you had gotten the other.

Looking for all opinions.

Thanks,

Eric
 
I have a KMG, but have not used a Coote so none of this is a direct comparison or a cut at the Coote since I just haven't used one. I bought a KMG primarily for two reasons. One the expandibility. There are a quantity of platten and wheel attachments for it and changing between them is real easy. Second is the construction phylosophy. The thinest piece of steel on mine is 1/4" and that is the flat platten (by the way that dimension has been increased on the newer ones) while most is 1/2" to 3/4". Without the motor it weighs somewhere around 100 Lb. I also liked the idea of haveing the motor separate so that I could use whatever I could get my hands on for a while then upgrade to a nice powerfull variable speed later. I think that you won't go wrong with either one, these are just the reasons I made the decision that I did.

WS
 
Versatility. Though there's absolutely nothing wrong with the platen and single contact wheel approach of the Coote (good grinder), there is really no comparison to the large variety of wheels and attachments you can achieve with a KMG. There's a good reason why it costs more...
 
You're comparing Apples, to Oranges. The Coote is a good grinder for the price(about the best entry level, with low price), but is nowhere near as versatile as the KMG1.

The KMG1 is way more heave duty. The changeover to different setups is rapid, and sure. It is very smooth.

You are limited with the Coote to very little in the way of options, and there are going to be things that are very hard to do on it.
With the KMG1, you have optional accessories for any job.

Darrel Ralph has used most(if not all)of the grinders available to knifemakers, and when he got a KMG1 a while back, he said it was the best grinder he's ever used. There is a thread on this forum about it. You'll have to search for it. It's about 1-2 years back.
 
Another big difference is the 2-wheel vs. 3-wheel.

While grinding it is very advantagous to be looking directly down on your work. Imagine your body position when using each of these grinders.

You can tell knife makers that have 2 wheelers (like Coote and Grizzly) by the lack of nose and eyebrows. They make excellent knives; they just look funny.

Steve
 
I agree with everything that has been said. When I was looking to get into making the KMG was not available and I bought a Coote. It may not be as versatile as the KMG-1 but is a great grinder for anyone entering into knife making because of its price and quality.

At the time I got started I got a lot of advice to buy one of the higher end grinders. My dilema was that I had a habit of jumping in and out of hobbies (I get bored easily :rolleyes: ) and was not sure that I would stick with it and did not want to spend a fortune to find that out.

I really like my Coote. It is a very well made grinder and I can hollow or flat grind with it. It tracks very well and runs quite smoothly. Because it is a two wheel grinder it is a bit of a pain to taper tangs on the platen however with the disk sander option I don't need perform this operation on the platen.

The next grinder I buy will be a KMG-1 because of the many fine options available as add ons however I don't see a need for one in the immediate future. When I do decide to buy a new one it will be paid for by the old one.

If I were to do it all over again I would likely make the same choice due the the uncertainty but had I any inkling that I would stick with it...I would have bought the KMG-1. No matter what choice you make you will have a grinder capable of producing excellent quality knives.

Take Care
Dean
 
Originally posted by Sando
You can tell knife makers that have 2 wheelers (like Coote and Grizzly) by the lack of nose and eyebrows. They make excellent knives; they just look funny.
Steve
Click to expand...

So that's where Buxton got that tilted-back forehead! :D:D

After awhile they catch on, Steve. :D Then you can tell them by their squared-off bill on a baseball cap.
 
Hey fitz I got this forehead from my mother and she never ran a grinder in her life and for the eyebrows, that first experience of lighting a propane forge took care of them.:D

This is my take on grinders, if your just wanting to get into knifemaking and figure you'll never get real serious about it then buy the coote, it does a darn good job.
If you've got plans of taking knifemaking to the limits, then spend the extra money for the best you can buy no matter who the maker is. This will save you from replaceing it in the future. 1 more thing, I know some tools limit what we can do. But there's a lot of mid priced tools out there that will do the same as there higher priced competitors, if you take the time to learn how to use the tool. No matter how good the tool or machine is, the operator is the brains and it won't do a good job if you don't dedicate the time to learn how to use it.

Now where did I leave that junky looking hat at. :D

Good Luck

Bill
 
Originally posted by B . Buxton
Hey fitz I got this forehead from my mother and she never ran a grinder in her life and for the eyebrows, that first experience of lighting a propane forge took care of them.:D
Click to expand...

Oh, man, you're brutal. Can't insult genetics. You know I can't badmouth yer mom. :D
 
I like my Coote. If I had the funds I would have gotten the KMG. If you can swing it, I advise you going for the best now instead of later.

RL
 
Originally posted by fitzo
Then you can tell them by their squared-off bill on a baseball cap.
Click to expand...

Mike hahahahahaha, actually I did talk to someone that used a hat for that very purpose.

Originally posted by Buxton
But there's a lot of mid priced tools out there that will do the same as there higher priced competitors, if you take the time to learn how to use the tool.
Click to expand...


Yup, feel the same way. I do have a KMG, but a host of other 'less than optimal' tools that fall into your category.

Steve
 
KMG, definately the KMG. Like said above, more options, heavier duty, strong, good tracking and reasonably priced. A grinder is definately something you don't want to skimp on. I learned that the hard way. I don't own a KMG, I have a Bader (also good but expensive) but I am getting a KMG this year for sure. I have seen them at work and they are sweet ! Also, at Blade last year checking out all of Rob Frink's cool new tools was a treat ! Great quality.....RDT
 
From the sound of it the KMG is the way to go as far as quality and expandability. They are very nice looking machines and from what everyone says, perform just as good as they look.

It'll probably be the 8" contact wheel package.

Thanks Again,

Eric
 
Get the biggest contact wheel you can afford; you won't regret it. Try to get a 12" or a 14" wheel.
 
I look at it this way. You will ultimately spend the money anyway, might as well spend it now on the KMG and not on both. You will save the cost of the Coote.

Ask me how I know!
(I still have all 4 grinders.)

Craig
 
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