KMG vs. TW90 (objective comparison)

[JMJones]

So what are you gonna make with the extra 45 minutes you save?

Don't get me wrong... I understand the appeal of the Tw-90. It seems like a well designed and functional machine. All of the previously made points of why it's better than any other machine may very well be valid.
This is just one of those "factors" of why it might be better than any other machine, where I just don't follow the logic.

I mean, my shop time is at a premium as well, and I try to spend it as efficiently as possible. But to turn down a machine that might service me for the next 20 years (175,320 hours give or take) because it takes 1 hour to set up seems kind of funny to me.

Its not really the setup time, it is learning the skill set to wire the motor, plug, switch, mount the motor correctly, get things turning in the right direction ect. Many new makers dont have those skills when they first start out. I had an electrician friend come over and get me going on my KMG. Now that I have seen it and have one, I could set up a second in no time. Same with forges. I bought a vertical blown forge(for welding) and a horizontal venturi forge (general forging) because I had no experiance with either and had never really used a good one of either. Now that I have them, I feel king of silly that I could have made either one myself in an afternoon, probably both in an afternoon.

 

[javand]

Its not really the setup time, it is learning the skill set to wire the motor, plug, switch, mount the motor correctly, get things turning in the right direction ect. Many new makers dont have those skills when they first start out. I had an electrician friend come over and get me going on my KMG. Now that I have seen it and have one, I could set up a second in no time. Same with forges. I bought a vertical blown forge(for welding) and a horizontal venturi forge (general forging) because I had no experiance with either and had never really used a good one of either. Now that I have them, I feel king of silly that I could have made either one myself in an afternoon, probably both in an afternoon.

John makes a good point, that I think is a fair one.

My first grinder was a GIB, which I still have, and have since modified extensively, but building it I made numerous mistakes, and it cost me a lot of time and money(wrong hardware, numerous trips to the store, etc), in the process. I didn't have a lot of experience with metalworking in general, and though I had been using other grinders, it still wasn't an intuitive process. In the end, I could have easily bought a pre-built grinder for what I had in time and money, although for me, it was worth the education.

If you don't have any interest in metalworking or toolmaking beyond making knives though, or your time is worth more money than you could spend on whichever grinder, it makes a lot of sense to go for the most "plug & play" option.

I still feel one of the big issues regarding the KMG tracking reputation is related to improperly setup and tuned machines, which is a moot point with the TW-90, or any other fully assembled grinder option. Some may simply not have the desire, inclination, or ability to deal with that.


For me, it's all about the process though, and learning from such. Similar to what John mentioned, not only do I feel comfortable assembling or setting up grinders, I now modify at will and can build a robust grinder from scratch, so it was a good investment toward my goals, which are more than making knives.

To each their own. Everybody has specific needs, and priorities, the point of this thread I think is to be honest about the "variables", of each, and other grinder options. There is no perfect solution for every potential scenario. Let's stop pretending there is. (Not intended toward anybody btw, just a philosophical statement)