Does anybody know anything about Knuth Nachinery

[Spin Doctor]

Was looking through a catalog the boss got in the mail at work from these guys

http://www.knuth.de/frameset_usa.htm...onv_drehen.htm

The usual PRC POS's or some what better quality. While it looks a little pricey the 9x22 has some modification potential

[Ries]

Knuth is a german company that buys tools from all kinds of factories, paints em all blue, and sticks on their decals. Kind of like the German version of Jet- but since Jet is actually owned by a Swiss company, I guess they arent that different. They are the big low buck supplier of tools in Germany, and they are dipping their foot in here.
Actually few of their tools are chinese- I am pretty sure most of their bigger milling machines are made in Romania, a lot of their Fab tools like rolls and brakes are from Turkey, and there are even a few tools in that catalog that are actually made in Germany.
I have not heard from anyone who has actually bought anything from them, but they sure are sending out the catalogs.
Many of their tool designs are european- for instance Deckel mill copies, and their press brake style hand brakes are copies of high quality german tools as well. So they offer some interesting layouts and options you dont find on the Chinese stuff.
Buy something from them, and tell us if its any good.

[Elninio]

I bet the romanian made tools are worth the money of course if your going to buy a chinese made machine just buy from grizzly or enco or sumtin

[wierdscience]

If you look through the Sieg factory tour pages,one pic is a batch of little blue drill presses headed to Germany.

[DR]

I've noticed the machine description and specs on a couple of their more expensive listings show gross errors, like the writer didn't know much about machine tools. For sure they did a poor job of proofreading their catalog which always worries me about machinery dealers. If they're sloppy and pay that little attention to details while they're trying to sell, what's it going to be like when you need warranty work & parts?

[Ries]

I think for common tools like a 12x36 lathe, you would be much better off with grizzly or jet, who do have parts and service all over the country.
The stuff at Knuth that is interesting is the oddball european stuff-
Like the universal head milling machines- no chinese import offers anything similar. Their box column and radial drill presses also look beefier and tougher than any chinese drill I have ever seen. Good prices on cold saws, which the chinese are just starting to get into. Cheapest price I have seen on the small turkish angle rolls- $3200- while most importers like cole tuve or promac sell em for closer to 5 grand. Their press brake style hand brake, for $1500, is very cool- no american or chinese company makes anything like it- it is much heftier and better looking than those funky 3 in 1 machines.

And I wouldnt be so quick to put down eastern european manufacturing. TOS, of Poland makes very good lathes. I think LION lathes are from eastern europe too. A friend has a czech made CNC VMC, and he loves it- it is a sturdy workhorse, and he considers it a crazy deal for the $65,000 he paid for it used. Even the russians made some darn durable lathes and mills- simple, but built like tanks. The eastern europeans industrialised a long time ago, and though areas suffered under communism, they still have a lot of good machinists and toolmakers over there. I have heard that the Knuth Romanian made Deckel copies are not as good as a real Deckel- and I am sure that is true, but they cost 1/3 or 1/2 as much, too.

[This message has been edited by Ries (edited 11-23-2004).]

[Spin Doctor]

One reason I was interested in getting some info is they are only about 50 miles away. I'd love to get a chance to visit one of the green bears showrooms but I'm not going to drive ten hours just to look. I did send in some questions in their online service and we will see what comes from that.

[quasi]

T.O.S. Machine tools are made in the Check republic I believe, or part of what used to be checkoslovacia.