TAG 101 grinder or TW 90 grinder

wallaceedgedtools

wallaceedgedtools

Active Member
I'm looking for a new grinder. At work we use a KMG and their horizontal belt grinder. Also have a Hardcore Maximizer, but I don't have that kind of bankroll to get one of my own yet. I really like the Beaumonts but, they no longer offers the horizontal. Of the two ( TAG 101 / TW 90 ) which is the better option ? Does anyone else make a dedicated horizontal ? Do they work as well in the horizontal as the vertical ?

Thanks,
Mike
 
you might want to contact beaumont metal works to inquire about the KMG horizontal grinders. i recently wrote them about that same thing and they indicated that they were planning to make more in the near future.
 
Tw-90 all day every day. I was VERY hesitant about the tw-90. After you talk to Travis on the phone, then when you plug it in and it runs perfect, I wish I would have bought it a year ago and saved myself the trouble.

A machine shop owner came over to my house because I couldnt stop talking up the grinder. He has two kmg's, a couple baders or maybe wilmonts one is setup to run 4x72 and he turned my tw-90 on, turned it off, flipped it horizontal, looked at the brilliant work rest system, and said yepp gimme his card Im gonna order one. This guy had been around NICE machines for 20+ years and said the tw-90 was the most well thought out piece of hardware he has seen. I couldnt agree more.
 
I don't own ether of the two but have investigated both extensively and will continue to do so until I pull the trigger on one or the other for my next grinder purchase.

I own the Hardcore Machined billet 1 1/2hp Variable and it is so Smoooth! Great for flat grinds and con vexing blades. The only draw back on that unit is the small wheel adapter leaves the grinding belts at to wide of an angle behind the small wheel. I had a KMG and ended up using it as a small wheel machine 90% of the time. I sold it to a new maker that needed to move up from a grizzly belt grinder.

So Wallace, If you don't mind? Have you used the Hardcore Maximizer extensively? Please do tell us about your experience with it? How is the small wheel setup? Can you run the courser belts on it? I heard when the came out you could run a belt courser than a 80 grit on it?
 
To be 100% honest I haven't had much time with the Maximizer. IMHO the Beaumont isn't perfect but it's pretty darn good. I mainly like the quick belt changes, and ease of use.
For the maximizer and take this with a pound, not a grain of salt as I do not have much time spent with it. I haven't even got it out of the horizontal position yet. Mainly due to it
needing a good spot in the shop and we are a bit cramped at the moment. It has been mainly used for finishing work 220 grit and up, but I'll throw on a 36 and 60 grit and see how
she performs and report back tomorrow.
Pro's
Seems well thought out
So smooth
The variable speed has a broad range
Lights are a great feature
Quiet

Cons
Cost, its a pricey bugger
Belt changes aren't as easy as the Beaumont
Needing to use an allen wrench to slide out the tool rest for small wheel changes.
 
Wallace,
The KMG is a simple three wheel so the belt changes will be easy. I am really interested in hearing how you can utilize those different wheels and work stations? I like to do curves on my blade shapes and handles. Please give us an update how she purrs?
 
I have used both machines at Haywood's Bladesmithing school. I found them both to work very well. I listened to both of the makers at Blade and saw their demos. After about 20 hours on both machines over the past year, Either is a good choice. My preference to purchase is the Wilmont. I really liked the method used to operate it, the ease of use, and the communication response from them.

If you are looking to save space the TW has a surface grinding option that is nice.
 
I have been trying to decide on a grinder for the last couple years, debating between a Bader, KMG or TW-90. I thought I had it narrowed down to a Bader or KMG, but took the plunge on the TW-90. Travis is a great guy to talk with (sometimes a little hard to get in touch with, probably because he is busy as heck). The times I have connected with him, he was happy to answer all questions and talked my ear off, lol.

I can't give any feedback on the grinder yet since it is on its way. What made me make the decision was the 110/220 option, horizontal feature and great reviews from others. Is it the best value on the market, well maybe not according to some, but for limited space, I think it will serve very well. I would like to have separate machines in my shop someday, but right now that just isn't an option. I will agree that there isn't much on the market for dedicated horizontal grinders.

The Wilmont looks like a very nice machine too. It was also a consideration.
 
Well Rhino, I put 36, 60, and 80 grits belts on ( one of each) I swapped out the 320 that was on and started with the 36 grit. All tracked perfectly with no adjustment to the tracking needed. I didn't get much time yesterday and today and spare time is nonexistent. My family and I closed on a house today, I've got 6 rooms of carpet to tear out to prepare for new carpet installation, and around 20+ knives in various stages of completetion to get ready for a local show on Sept. 13th and 14th. I'm weary.... Overall I'm impressed with it thus far, someday if funds permit, I'd consider the investment for one.
 
I've been trying to contact Beaumont for a week now and no one answers the phone and no answering machine. I'll keep trying I haven't ruled them out yet.
 
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