Just fell into some money...

H

hogworthy

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May 19, 2014
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I recently received some unexpected money in the combination of inheritance and a MAJOR expense report at work for mileage (1264 miles @ $0.56 per.. loving it).

Anyhoo... I'm definitely going to invest in a belt grinder before all hallows eve and I wanted to get opinions and recommendations before dropping $1000+ on the next investment. I'm definitely tired of filing away on blades into the wee hours of the morning and popping blisters. I'm not knocking it if it's your thing, but I'm ready to step up to a pro level grinder and set down the files for a bit.

I've been eyeing the Beaumont Metal Works KMG in the 3 speed setup, but I don't seem to be finding a lot of reviews or comments on these.

When I built my first propane forge a few months back this forum was instrumental in almost every decision I made and I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments on the subject. Oh, the forge turned out amazing by the way. Epic heat at 3-4 psi and super efficient.

Thank you in advance, as you all are both my inspiration and my mentors in a weird internet sorta way.
 
Others will chime in with their experiences. I have the Grizzly and a TW-90. The grizzly was definitely better than hand filing but there may be better two-wheel designs out there. It did a lot for the money though and I was happy to have it. It still does a lot of general duty work in my shop. The TW-90 is a very nice machine and has plenty of power but you won't get one into your shop for anywhere near $1000. They are a bit pricey but honestly worth it. It is hard to write the check though. Many people have Baders and KMGs and I don't remember hearing bad things about either of those. One good thing about the TW-90 is that belt tension works off a ratchet type mechanism. You can put as much tension on the belt as you dare. Other designs (aside from pneumatic designs) use springs to put tension on the belt. You'll have to swap springs if you don't like the stock one. Another plus for the TW-90 is that it turns on it's side which is very useful. I think Wilmont and maybe a couple of others also do the flippy-floppy thing. Just buy the best you can afford. You might also want to leave some room in the budget for a variable speed, reversible disc grinder.
 
I have a KMG. I love the thing. I know there are different more ramped up grinders out there, but the KMG is built like a tank and will probably outlive me and my children. I have never used a burr king or a tw-90, so I cant speak on them. But for a great grinder for a decent price, you cant go wrong with a KMG.
 
I use the 3 speed KMG and I've been very satisfied with it considering what I have invested in it. I was able to save a little cash by purchasing the same Leeson motor that Rob uses, from a different vendor.
 
i have the KMG
best parts about it are built liek a tank 2 its Lego grinder and fully upgradeable even from the base model. i have a bunch of tooling for mine now and i hope to buy a 2nd. i got mine used and it came with a vfd but i really only use it at 3 speeds with most of that at stock speed (max only when really hogging off steel on a 10 inch wheel and min when i use the small wheels)
 
KMG. Best grinder for the money and some say best grinder. I am currently building a Grinder in a box (Polar Bear Forge) and mounting it horizontal. I would never part with my KMG though. Larry
 
Ditto with Karl above. The Esteem is a precision turn key machine (after a little bolting together) and best bang for the buck out there IMO.
 
I just got a KMG with the VFD and absolutely love it. If you can I recommend getting the VFD if possible. It really helps for slowing things down and getting things done right.
 
Another plug for Brett's Esteem. I've used a KMG. I like my Esteem better. And you will not regret getting a VFD.
 
I looked at the esteem and it looks like an awesome grinder. The only thing that turned me off a bit was that he has no website to where u can really dig into specs and pics
 
Several good machines to choose from. Most impotant thing is to get variable speed.
It makes a major difference, especially if you have little experience using a grinder.
I use both KMG and Burr King. Without variable speed any machine will be found lacking.

Tad
 
I purchased a Pheer 454 not too long ago and love it. Call Jose and he'll take care of you. The options I got were the small wheel attachment, 6" drive wheel and 2hp VFD.
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I use a variable speed KMG and it works very well with the adjustable speed because sometimes I grind handles at a lower speed and steel at a higher speed.
 
I love the comments of kmg, best grinder for the money some say period.... These are people who havent used other grinders.

To date Ive used a bader 3, wilmont, esteem, pheer, kmg, coote, tw90, hardcore. My least favorite was the kmg. Incredibly stout build, however it vibrated more than any other, bearings went bad faster than any other.

In order of use. Tw90, esteem, bader/wilmont/hardcore, pheer, coote, kmg.

Yes kmg is built well, however not square, lot of friday afternoon specials all over the place that you dont notice until you take it apart to paint it.

Kmg has been around a long time but far from the best in my humble opinion. In the budget your asking, I think the Esteem is the best by far. Also you have a maker (Brett) who cares about his work and customers and it shows in his machine as well as his customer service.
 
I have chosen to get the Esteem from Brett.

After speaking with him I was sold. Getting the 2hp VFD next week and I was wondering what belts I should be looking at.

There are so many options to choose from. I was going to snag some of the "best value" from TruGrit.com just so I have a few belts to mess around with when I get the grinder set up, but beyond that all I've been told is that you should use ceramic for grinding the blade and stick with aluminum oxide for handles as you don't want to waste the more expensive belts to grind wood and micarta and clog them up prematurely.

Thanks for all of the help so far. Looking forward to hearing comments and opinions before I fill my wall hooks with $200 worth of belts.
 
I recommend Pop's knife supply. Good prices and service. Here's what I get:

For grinding bevels, and profiling etc. when worn out a bit-
3M 984F Cubitron II belts, in 36 and 60 grit. Just a couple of each will last you a while, to try them out.
For scratch removal on bevels and flats-
3M Trizact CF "Gator" belts in A100 (180 grit-ish) A65 (220-ish) A45 (400) and A30 (600.) You can leave out the A65's in favor of the A100 if you wish.

For handle materials:
Roughing belts, Pop's economy AlOx/Zirc combo belts in 36 and 60. These are cheap but will last a while if you keep blowing the surface out as needed with compressed air while running.
For scratch removal and finish shaping on handles, and small detail work on metal (plunges sometimes, spines):
Klingspor LS 312 j-flex, in 220 and 400 grit. These also last a fair while if blown out as necessary.

You oughta be able to burn through $200 quick enough buying those. While you're at it, check out Pop's price for corby bolts.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that making additions to a grinder to suit your needs is just going to happen. The kmg is a simple grinder that can be modded and is limited only by your imagination. I think some of the comments about the kmg probably take into consideration overal quality and price yielding a great value. I'm not a fan of hollow tubing. I know I saves money buy limiting steel weight but solid forms works well.
 
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