Reeder vs KMG

R

RedWolf4

Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
181
Hey all,

I'm just getting into knife making and have narrowed it down between Reeder and KMG for my belt grinder. Not really looking for other options at this point. I started a thread about 4 days ago asking advice and heard great things about Reeder. I've also heard that KMG are good reliable machines. Anyone have issues with either? Overall, which one is the best bang for your buck, and the longest lasting, sturdiest machine? Thanks
 
RedWolf4 said:
which one is the best bang for your buck,
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Price them out and see if there's any real difference in the price. If price about the same, I'd say both were about same "bang for buck" since either is a good machine.
RedWolf4 said:
which one ..... the longest lasting, sturdiest machine? Thanks
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I'd say they're about the same in that respect. Although personally I "think" I'd go with the Reeder.... Especially if I were looking at a Surface Grinding Attachment to go with it. For SGA, Reeder hands down.
 
I just got a Reeder last month, and it's great!
I think I'm going to go back to my 4 inch drive wheel though, I got a 5" with the grinder and I'm finding that on the flat platen
I can start to bog the 1hp motor down.
' course if I had 220, if have 50% more power, but we're not there yet...
 
A.McPherson said:
I can start to bog the 1hp motor down.
' course if I had 220, if have 50% more power, but we're not there yet...
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Why do you think you'd have 50% more power with 220vac source? It's only 1hp, and the motor has no idea of source voltage after the power goes thru the VFD....... wait, you didn't say if you had a VFD for variable speed?

Doesn't really matter, as long as you've got the source current. Even at 120vac a 1ph 1hp motor only draws around 7 amps so there is little voltage drop at motor (providing wire size, etc are correct) a 1ph motor will provide so close to same power on 120 as 220 you'll never know the difference.
 
I used a no weld grinder with step pulleys for the last 12 or so years. It ground a lot of knives, but I decided to get a Reeder with variable speed about a month ago. Its a good machine for the money and I have no regrets. I was able to take the wheels off my old grinder and use them on the Reeder so that saved me some money. Definitely go variable speed if its in the budget. Also, I see some complaints about the tilting feature on the Reeder, but it was pretty easy to cut a hole in my bench and now I have either vertical or horizontal. I've only had it a month but so far I have been impressed.

-Mike
 
I'll give you my first tip. If you live in the GTA you can use a package forwarding service. That way, you pay US Domestic Shipping charges for shipping to the border, and another $7 CAD for the package to cross the border into the GTA. For the weight of a belt grinder, the difference in charges would be substantial.
 
Reeder has a new tilting arrangement that puts the whole unit higher and will clear the bench. The mobile base/table they make allows the unit to change from horizontal to vertical quickly and easily. I would suggest anyone getting a Reeder also purchasing the mobile base. It is worth way more than the price. Greg's engineering and machining are by far the best I have seem on a commercial unit.
 
Ken H> said:
Why do you think you'd have 50% more power with 220vac source? It's only 1hp, and the motor has no idea of source voltage after the power goes thru the VFD....... wait, you didn't say if you had a VFD for variable speed?

Doesn't really matter, as long as you've got the source current. Even at 120vac a 1ph 1hp motor only draws around 7 amps so there is little voltage drop at motor (providing wire size, etc are correct) a 1ph motor will provide so close to same power on 120 as 220 you'll never know the difference.
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Cause it's actually a 220v 3 pH 1.5 hp motor, but it'll only do 1 hp on 120.
 
You're using the KBAC drive? Did you set the parameters to 1hp? From the KBAC manual on page 4, "KBAC-27D is rated for 1-1⁄2 HP maximum with 115 Volt AC Line input"

If you're using a VFD other than KBAC I'd like to know the model/manuf since KBAC is the only drive I know of that provides 115vac input for 220 vac output. I've been looking for one and can't find it.
 
KMG was having some quality problems for awhile I don't know if they have been resolved or not. Why are those the only two on your list? I have a Esteem and its been a great machine but if I did it over again I would get TW90. I still think that my Esteem was the best deal for the money at the time I bought it but the things that I do now I really wish I had a grinder that would work very easily in horizontal mode. I don't have any complaints about my Esteem though and it is a whole lot of grinder for the money although I think there are more really good budget options now.
 
A standard KMG would not be anywhere on my list of grinders. The TX is a large improvement over the standard. The Reeder is one of the few machines I haven't used, but it also doesn't have any of the features I need in a grinder.
 
KMG-TX...... That's what I was thinking about when comparing the KMG to Reeder. The old standard KMG just isn't up for comparison. 20 yrs ago it was considered "top of line" from what I've read. These days the original 3 speed pulley setup.... not at all.

edit to add: I don't understand why KMG still offers the old standard grinder setup for sale. That's like Ford still offering an old flathead V8 engine as an option in a new car.
 
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