Recommendations for a new grinder?!

strahd71 said:
on a side note..... does it seem odd to anyone else that the KMG is no longer the top dog?

jake
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Not odd at all. Frankly they haven't been innovating. Don't get me wrong they make great machines but the new modular and flexible grinders are superior.
 
WilliamWoods said:
Not odd at all. Frankly they haven't been innovating. Don't get me wrong they make great machines but the new modular and flexible grinders are superior.
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i meant they were the top one for so long. but your right they have stayed stagnant.

jake
 
I think the KMG is still a great value too, for anyone who does not need to flip their grinder on its side. The price of the grinder without a motor is really pretty low for the great quality you get. You could easily get a KMG, set it up direct drive, and make a 90 degree hinge baseplate for it if you wanted to. It would cost probably $100 extra in mild steel and bolts.
 
strahd71 said:
on a side note..... does it seem odd to anyone else that the KMG is no longer the top dog?
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Not at all.

Beaumont hasn't done anything new or interesting.

Also, the KMG does not even come assembled or painted. I would pay more for a product that is actually ready to use.

If I'm going to spend $3K on a grinder, I want to take it out of the box and start grinding.

I own a KMG. It's a great grinder, but there are better options out there.
 
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WilliamWoods said:
The TW90 is $3400 plus shipping and the TAG-101 is $3000 w/ free shipping. As far as I know they are both available and are very small one or two man operations.

I wasn't really looking at surface grinding until I started to see some of the videos by Wuertz. The ability to do perfect tapers and even some grinds all done with a surface grinder and a small wheel is VERY attractive.

Anybody know how much the surface grinder is for the Wuertz machine?
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I found my info, I was way off.

.$1325

twpl.jpg
 
Did anyone look at the new hardcore grinder. Looks like a lot of thought went into this design. I have the wilmont grinder already and it is a best grinder. Great service with Chris as well. Before i had the wilmont grinder I wanted to buy the KMG. Rob wouldnt ship to Canada so that was out of the question.
Jim
 
Yeah I paid $800 for my Landis 6x18 hydraulic feed.

Seriously, the tw-90 is probably the ultimate grinder where space is at an ultra premium, but if it isn't, you have to ask; can it do this?:
Cooper-1%20Horizontal.jpg



Do you want a Ferrari or an F-350 Diesel 4x4?

I hope Travis doesn't kick my ass if he meets me, I'm a huge fan of his work, but Chris' grinder is the most versatile, go anywhere, *belt* grinder I'm aware of. Unless, as I said, you need the surface grinder attachment. Which would be exceptional for blade work in a tiny shop.


Also on the note of Beaumont and lack of innovation: I think that is totally unfair. The KMG may not be evolving, but they've got a novel and very affordable dedicated horizontal grinder, the new disc grinder tool rest (ultra-slick), and probably 20 other things being sold indirectly that we dont know about. Also, I wasn't aware that paint was necessary to make a grinder functional. Guess I better paint over all the rust on mine.
 
javand said:
Yeah I paid $800 for my Landis 6x18 hydraulic feed.

Seriously, the tw-90 is probably the ultimate grinder where space is at an ultra premium, but if it isn't, you have to ask; can it do this?:
Cooper-1%20Horizontal.jpg



Do you want a Ferrari or an F-350 Diesel 4x4?

I hope Travis doesn't kick my ass if he meets me, I'm a huge fan of his work, but Chris' grinder is the most versatile, go anywhere, *belt* grinder I'm aware of. Unless, as I said, you need the surface grinder attachment. Which would be exceptional for blade work in a tiny shop.


Also on the note of Beaumont and lack of innovation: I think that is totally unfair. The KMG may not be evolving, but they've got a novel and very affordable dedicated horizontal grinder, the new disc grinder tool rest (ultra-slick), and probably 20 other things being sold indirectly that we dont know about. Also, I wasn't aware that paint was necessary to make a grinder functional. Guess I better paint over all the rust on mine.
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Don't misunderstand me. I'm not knocking the KMG machine. People far more talented than me design these grinders. I just want to make the most informed decision with my money.

So why specifically do you think Chris's machine is more versatile?
 
I'm sorry, but to me that pic makes the versatility plain as day.

Maybe for your grinding style it isn't, but to my mind if horizontal grinding is a big priority, it would be obvious. The multiple tooling arms open up endless fixturing and tooling possibilities, in a streamlined manner.

If you're totally "free hand", and don't do a lot of complex operations at the grinder, it may be irrelevant.
 
javand said:
Also on the note of Beaumont and lack of innovation: I think that is totally unfair. The KMG may not be evolving, but they've got a novel and very affordable dedicated horizontal grinder, the new disc grinder tool rest (ultra-slick), and probably 20 other things being sold indirectly that we dont know about. Also, I wasn't aware that paint was necessary to make a grinder functional. Guess I better paint over all the rust on mine.
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After a few quick calculations, the Beaumont horizontal grinder (in a configuration that you would actually want)is about $2K shipped. Not a horrible price, but for $1K more you could get a Wilmont. For a little more, you could get the TW90.

You don't need paint, but I expect a $3K tool that is prone to rust to be painted.

It seems odd that Beaumont is the only one that does not paint their grinders.
 
I received a KMG last week. First thing I did ,was paint it.. Its well built and designed for the money. A step up is TW 90 .. Side by side, using them both ,,,TW 90 hands down..
I have not used the others but they all have there good features .. One of every, a sweet shop....
 
Here's a better pic of my package. That sounds bad, but everything in the pic is included and shipped ready to plug into the wall at 110V or 220V.
 
Zero doubt Travis. I'm up at Haywood all week with Jim Rodebaugh M.S., taking the ABS handles and guards class. Doc Batson and Bill Wiggins are around. There're atleast 6 Baders, and one TW-90 there, and its obvious to everyone which ones are Buicks, and which one is a Ferrari. Atleast once a day someone comments on how flawless your grinder is.
 
I'm using my KMG to grind knives, not pick up chicks.

I never even gave a thought to the fact its unpainted until I saw pics of grinders folks have painted.

5 years in, there's a few spots with some surface rust, but that is all, and I run it with a misting unit attached.

Travis' machine is an engineering marvel.
Chris' machine is no slouch either.
Each one of them has features I prefer over the other.
Both makers are great guys, as is Rob at KMG. It seems to be the theme for grinder builders.

Flip a coin.
Once you are deciding between these two, it isn't "Do I want a Ford or a Ferrari?"
It's do I want a "Ferrari or a Lamborghini?"
 
Fellhoelter said:
I'm using my KMG to grind knives, not pick up chicks.

I never even gave a thought to the fact its unpainted until I saw pics of grinders folks have painted.
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Ha, made me laugh




This was mentioned before if you have space or need for only one grinder than your needs are different than a FT maker who eliminates the setup time by having a row of grinders for different operations.

Different grinders appeal to different users.
 
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