Do the components of the TW-90 hold up to years of daily use?

W

webjas9

Joined
Apr 15, 2013
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The time has come to buy a new grinder and I'd like to comb through the many experienced minds of the makers that haunt these pages...

After sifting the millions of threads on the web, researching this grinder and that grinder I find myself revolving around the KMG and the TW-90. I'm drawn to the simplicity and adaptability of the KMG, however I repeatedly find myself drawn to the TW-90 for all of its component attachments and the ready made horizontal flip feature.

Over its first few years on the market the TW-90 seemed to be all the rage and everyone was rushing out to buy one. The web was flooded with honeymoon reviews of how fantastic this grinder was. Now that some time has passed and some of you have been working daily on them for a year or several years what are your experiences and perspective? Are all of the aluminum and other component parts holding up? Do you find it remains sturdy after a few years of use?

I'd like to purchase a machine that I can maintain and adapt for a lifetime of use. Can those of you who have extensive experience working these machines speak a bit about your experience?


thanks,

J
 
One of the nice things about Travis' design is that almost all of the wear components are sourced to be available and your local ACE or hardware store. So if you do wear something out, you should be able to easily replace it with minimal cost.

--nathan
 
Thanks for the input guys. Call me old fashioned, but I'm having a hard time with the idea of 1.25 inch aluminum. What I would like is a hybrid of the TW-90 concepts and the KMG sturdiness.
 
Seriously dude? 1.25 solid aluminum isn't sturdy enough for you? You planning to crash cars into it on a regular basis or something? Bear in mind the vast majority of the TW is made out of plate steel, and aluminum solid bar is usually much straighter than even thick walled square tubing and much steel solid, since weight deformation is an issue when dealing with 20' standard lengths and handling.


Just sayin', no real world advantage other than lower cost for the manufacturer IMHO for using steel for tooling arms in most cases. Also, lets not forget about corrosion. My shop suffers from constant humidity. Un-painted carbon steel rusts in my shop no matter what I coat it with besides some kind of grease. I consider the aluminum to be a perk, not a flaw personally.
 
I've never felt the components of the TW-90 and didn't realize the arms were solid; my experiences with aluminum parts, particularly those which are routinely clamped and torqued and handled, not to mention dropped is that they tend to get marred and dinged easily. And that's why I'm here asking, to see what the voices of experience with the actual machine have to say.
 
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Sorry man, I was just giving you a hard time, and I want to make it clear that's all it was. ;)

The Twuertz TW-90, and the Wilmont TAG, are both built about as bullet-proof as you could ask for. Make a decision based on what you think will fit your needs, goals, and logistical concerns. Don't worry about durability, they're tanks. I've spent countless hours with both.
 
I love the concept of the Tag. Which package did you order? Not that I can afford it, but every time I've looked at the website the complete package C (with motor and vfd, etc) is out of stock.
 
I had a chance to test a TW90 yesterday; very solid design and probably the best grinder I have tried.
 
Patrice Lemée;12259647 said:
I did not know that. From where?
Click to expand...

Travis sells the SG attachment separately for a KMG 1.5" toolbar, or for a bader (1.25"?)

$1500 I think

I asked for his price list some time ago and it was on there.
I don't see it listed on his site.

twpl.jpg
 
I use the surface grinding attachment on my TW90. I am very satisfied. I like it better than my standard surface grinder.
Travis has videos of how to use his surface grinder. They should give you a idea of how well it works.
 
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