The perpetual Question, Which Model T3 or T7?

[boomer45]

I have searched this forum and I hate to bring up the question one more time. But here it goes

I have decided to buy a Tormek to sharpen my knives. I am not a wood worker, I have a gardener who does all the mowing. All I need is to keep about 20 kitchen knives very sharp. About twelve of those are used at our small restaurant, the rest at our kitchen at home.  The restaurant knives will probably need to be sharpened every month, all of then during a day or two.

That is all the use the Tormek will see.

I know that probably 95% of people here own a T7 or equivalent. But please try to be realistic, if the system is as good as I expect I am leaning toward saving $300+ and getting the T3 but would not like limit myself.

Your advice please

Boomer45

[Mike Fairleigh]

I would say go with the T3 if you're certain that's all it will be used for.  But I'd offer a strong word of caution that once you start to get competent with using the machine, you tend to find other things that need to be sharpened.

[Ken S]

Boomer,

I was thinking about your post while making the 2 1.2 hour commute to my very soon to be permanent address.

I'm sure the T7 would serve your needs.  That said, I think you should look very seriously at the T3.  I have no actual statistics on the forum makeup.  This is my gut feeling:  i believe most of us, like me, are hobbyists.  As such, we give a lot of consideration to "someday you might want to sharpen whatever".  I don't see you ever wanting to sharpen planer blades or anything requiring the heavier machine.

You have a definite focus.  one of the reasons most of us have T7 or similar units is that the smaller units were only sold to a European market until recently.  The motors were incompatible with   NOrth American commercial power.

Costwise, I believe the T3 does not include the diamond dresser or stone grader in the basic package.  You will want these two accessories, unless ou plan on making your chef's knives into paring knives.  (Knife sharpening is generally done with the fine grading on the stone.) i would suggest you calculate the cost of the unit with these two accessories for a real world cost comparison.

You will want to consider the more pronounced hollow grind effect of the eight inch wheel and the lighter duty motor.  These may or may not be a problem.  I suspect they won't be.

The more compact size and lighter weight might be an advantage.

Sorry if I leave you with more questions than answers.  It is an interesting question.  I suspect you wouldn't go too far wrong with either.

I hope this post produces more thoughts.

Good luck, and keep us posted, not only on your choice, but how it works out for you

Ken

[Rhino]

My opinion is similar to Ken's

If sharpening is just a regular part of life, get the T3.  It will do the job.

If you enjoy doing it.  If you spend your free time thinking about angles and how to get things extra sharp and keep the machine clean and all the parts locked up and use the machine only yourself. Then get the T7. You will enjoy it more.

In the long run. the price difference is not much if you enjoy doing it.  You will find new uses and have fun doing it.  I sharpened a bulk paper cutter blade 20 inches long and half inch thick solid steel - it was not precision work but good enough for the job.  And lots of fun.

I own a T7 because I enjoy it. 

[Ken S]

Very good point, Rhino. 

For me, and perhaps others among the silent people on the forum, sharpening is as much of a fascination as a practical skill.  The T3 wasn't an available option when I bought my T7.  The lower price as well as the lighter weight and compactness would have been compelling factors.  The heavier motor and larger wheel might have carried the day, but not without serious competition.

I enjoy combining and/or modifying technologies to be able to do more with tools.  Earlier dialog posts with Ionut on this forum are examples of that (small blade and mortise chisel jig modifications).

I haven't physically modified my Tormek yet.  That may come in the future. (I have a second Torlock jig waiting for a hacksaw modification.)  I have modified my Omnijig (router dovetail jig).  With it I can now cut through and half blind dovetails of several pitches, dados, and three sizes of box joints.  I'm not done yet.  A regular small dovetail jig would suffice; the modified Omnijig is more fun.

The Tormek seems like an evolving machine.  Like Rhino, I find that fascinating,

Boomer, you seem more focused.  You have a very definite use in mind.  That's good.  I think we need both the practical and the impractical.  Do keep us posted.

Ken

[jeffs55]

You can always use less of something but you can never increase the capacity of an already installed item. ALWAYS buy more than you need and use what you need of that.

[Ken S]

Boomer, have you made a decision?

[Jimmy Russells]

I'm a hobbyist and after years of deciding I went with the T7. Not only does it have more accessories but its made of metal(instead of polymer) and will probably last forever.

[Ken S]

The problem toward the end of "forever" may not be the polymer housing.  It may be finding an archaeologist who can translate the original English or Swedish and finding a compatible power source.

I suspect the polymer housing will more than outlast the original owners.

We hobbyists, myself included, tend to solve theoretical problems before they appear in the real world.  For the record, I replaced my stolen T7 with another T7, so I'm poking fun at myself.  The large wheel does feel comforting. (as long as I don't have to move it too much)

Boomer, are you still out there? Did you ever make a decision?

Ken