TW-90 has a 1/4" steel frame, but everything else is aluminum. Horizontal/vertical. Tool arms are 1.25", which is enough, but I like 1.5" better. The ratchet tension arm is very nice. The tracking is by moving the frame alignment to the motor. I never could get the tracking on my TW-90 to work right. I have to torque it as tight as it will go to the left just to get the belt completely on the contact wheel. Once set, it does hold tight tracking. If I was to put it in the middle of the tracking range the belt would go almost off the right side of the contact wheel. I'll have to get with Travis one day and see if there is an adjustment to the frame to fix this. The TW-90 runs very smooth and quiet.
Reeder is a rock solid grinder. Horizontal/vertical. I would have to go measure it, but IIRC it is 1/2" 6061 aluminum plate. All fittings and sockets are hardened steel. The unique two-way tracking adjustment is really good. Tension is by a spring, which works quite well. I will convert it to pneumatic tension this summer. I haven't used mine enough yet to find any problems. I love the large variety aluminum accessories and the sturdy 1.5" tool arms. Many accessories made by others fit it ( al my Bader tooling fits). I greatly prefer the Reeder surface grinder over the TW-90 surface grinder. It also runs very smooth and quiet. Reeder has a really good aluminum mobile base to mount the grinder on.
I ran a Bader BIII for 20 years. It is a great machine. Tension is by a spring. Some folks have changed this to a compression rod or pneumatic cylinder. They are built to run a lot and last a long time. It has 1.5" steel tool arms. Many folks have switched them out for aluminum tool arms. Many accessories will fit it. You can make or buy a flip base ( basically just a hinge) to make e it horizontal, but it isn't as nice as the dedicated H/V grinders like TW-90 and Reeder.
KMG was the main knife grinder for a while. It has issues that were hard to fix. The new Tilting Extreme model has supposedly addressed these issues, but I haven't heard enough to know if it is a solution to the old issues. Many folks don't like the quality of some of their parts, especially the bearings and wheels.
Burr King is probably the original knife grinder. It is a slightly scaled down model of their heavy duty industrial grinders. There are many models used by knifemakers, so it depends on which you are looking at, but all are tough machines. Tooling changes are difficult compared to the tool arm type grinders. As far as rugged and long lasting, they may be the champ. They are a simple belt grinder, and accessories/wheel sizes/attachments are few. Orientation is vertical only. For heavy stock removal and profiling they are great. Not so useful for more delicate work or handles. Flat platen is above the contact wheel, which is a poor choice in my opinion. The machine has the belt in a dedicated upward and rearward angle, which means you have to reach over the contact wheel to use the flat platen. Belt changing is not as simple as the tool arm grinders. Sometimes it can be downright hard to change a belt. Dust from wood is a problem on a Burr King.
I have an ancient Burr King Knifemaker grinder (a benchtop grinder no longer made) that I am restoring. It will probably be my dedicated hogging grinder. It has a foot pedal for retracting the tension to change a belt.
Good info man. That helps me in many different ways.
TW-90 i didn't know the motor plate controlled the tracking. That makes since now though as in one of his videos he mentions to check the plate in the back to make sure its straight. I dont like how nothings in house... I dont like how every accessory is just for that machine... and in not a fan on the motor used for tracking... I've heard it runs smooth though..
I need to look at the Reeder surface grinder... haven't looked at it yet... I dont like all aluminum, I want steel... personal preference, but I dont want to pay just as much for all aluminum... they look nice, but just a no go for me. I dont want a spring tensioner at all.
Bader 3 - spring again, though I do hear they last.
KMG - I dont see quality in this brand at all, was an easy mark off the list
OBM - looks like junk.
Burr King I threw out for reasons you mentioned too.
Outlaw 2 - look good, but still a spring tensioner, with they'd go to ratchet type.
Ameriblade - just not impressed, lower end.
Hard-core- too hard-core on the wallet. Too expensive, big, bulky, just doesn't fit with me personally if it was affordable.
Northridge - still looking at, in my top 2.
Iron Creek - current model im still looking at, in my top 2... but there's a new model he's working on and I'm not sure I like the "upgrades". Gonna have a tilting motor tracking and 5 inch flat idler tracking, electronic actuator belt tensioner, which is an electronic thing to go out eventually.. belt tension guage, don't need it, 4 pole motor 7 inch drive wheel 6700 sfm. Big price diff, im on the fence with what I heard.
Black fox - videos rubbed me wrong.
Pheer - I ordered a scribe several weeks ago, still hasn't shown up. No email receipt, no tracking email, no nada.. No reply to email.. customer service sucks.
Esteem - not double tool arm.
Brodbeck - not a ratchet system, has a shock assist tensioner thats more normally used to assist in weight distribution and assistance commonly found to assist going back vertically from horizonal. isn't horrible overall.. but not much info out there..
