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Tfs smithy special reviews.


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I've recently come into some extra funds and have really been eyeing the Texas farrier supply smity special 300lber, and their 400lber. I just haven't seen any reviews. I don't know anyone that has one either. So if anyone has one and can tell me how they like it and what they don't like about it I'd really appreciate it. I love the design, the weight, and the price. I contacted the sales people but of course they will always give a glowing review on a product. So any info about them would really help. Thanks.

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I used the TFS double horn 100 lb anvil for a few months at a shop I worked in. It seemed like a fine anvil. 

 

I do not like the hardy hole so close to the round horn on the larger TFS double horn. Some of your hardy tools can hang out over the horn and be unsupported. I plan to buy a Refflinghaus #57 220lb. There hardy hole is set farther into the face

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TFS anvils are made from ductile iron not steel. If I was going to spend $1500 on a 300 pound anvil I think I would just save up a little extra and get a something made from tool steel in roughly the same weight range. To me the investment is to large not to get the steel anvil. There are several and tool steel anvils in the 250 – 275 range that are in the same price range or only slightly higher. I would look at Nimba, Fontanini, Rhino, and Peddinghaus.

 

That being said I worked on a JMH Competitor, also ductile iron, for a week and thought it was a very good anvil. The owner of the anvil works on it full time and he had only positive things to say about it. 

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I see your point. I've looked at all of those anvils before, and they all have been in my thoughts as a purchase for sure. I had just seen the tfs anvils and liked there weight, and design. I also will have a good chance of not paying any kind of shipping because I could buy one direct from a farrier supply place where I live. If I could hear from someone that has actually owned one and has compared them to similar anvils it would make my choice much easier. As you've said this is to large of an investment to mess up, I hate that shipping has to be a factor. But saving an additional 400 to 500 on shipping alone is quite hard to pass up. I know quite a few farriers here in Oklahoma, and they all say Texas farrier supply puts out quality anvils. They just didn't know about the big gun smity special.

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I bought a 275 Peddinghaus anvil from Blacksmith depot a few years ago. I think the shipping was closer to $100 than $400 or $500. They shipped it to a freight terminal in my town and I went and picked it up as that was the cheapest shipping option. I'm sure it's more now but $400 seems like a lot. Have you gotten a freight quote from anyone yet?

 

One more thing you might check is Home Depot is a supplier for Ridgid tools and Ridgid owns Peddinghaus. Before I ordered my anvil from Blacksmiths Depot I checked with customer service at HD and they could order one for me and have it delivered to the store without a shipping charge. At the time it was a little more expensive even without shipping so I ordered from Blacksmith Depot. However I see Blacksmith Depot's price have gone up several hundred dollars since I ordered mine. It might be worth checking with Home Depot to see what they can get one for.

 

I do hope someone here has a TFS they can give a review of. I am in that area at least once a year and have been considering getting one of the smaller ones for my son.

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The ones I've got quotes from where actual freight company's bidding to get the job from the anvil makers location. I had to enter there pallet size, weight, etc. The TFS won't have a shipping cost, because I will buy it direct from a farrier supply place right here in Norman Oklahoma. It's literally 10 minutes away from the shop it will spend the rest of its life in. So I mean there are some serious pros as to why I've been so interested in the TFS anvil. The ductile iron they use is hardenable just like any tool steel. I did some more research on the exact ductile iron used.
The 80-55-06 ductile iron grade has a ferritic/pearlitic matrix. The mechanical properties of 80-55-06 will be similar to medium carbon steels that contain up to 0.50% carbon including 1040, 1045, 1141, and 1144.
All grades of ductile iron bar stock respond very well to conventional heat-treating methods.

All I need is a good response from someone that's actually owned or used one extensively. I emailed a guy on a different forge that talked about him buying a 300lber, but he didn't say how it was. So I'll let you guys know what he says if he even responds.

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I bought a 300# Fisher anvil from a lady in Massachusetts and had it shipped to my door in SC for $200.  Like you, I had a lot of quotes from shipping companies that were astronomical, but I waited.  U-ship.com has a lot of small carriers that bid, and one of them hit me the cheapest quote.  It was beautiful.

 

All told, I got the anvil into the ship for less than $3/lb, and that's a great price.

 

If you're not in a hurry, use searchtempest.com to find anvils that are relatively local to you.  Granted, OK is a large area to cover, but it's certainly worth it if you save $500 on the cost of the anvil.

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I think I'm just passed waiting for a good deal to fall from the sky. The one time it has I sadly wasn't in a position to get her. A sweet 288lb Peter wright that I still have nightmares about. I am in a place now that I can afford a brand new anvil. So I'd rather know exactly what I'm getting, and not have to sit around and hope and dream that it will come along. With not paying a dime for shipping on a TFS anvil has really caught my attention. That's why I'm asking about that type of anvil and how people like them. Not about shipping prices so much. Thank you guys for the help. I really apreciate all the valuable info.

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You might shoot primtechsmith a PM. I know he uses a JMH Competitor and is pretty pleased with it. It’s not a TFS but it is made from ductile iron. See post

 

I think if you checked with a manufacturer or one of the blacksmith supply companies that already has a relationship with a shipping company the rates will be much less than what you are getting quoted.

 

I’m not trying to discourage you from getting a TFS if that is what suits your needs the best. I also agree it would be awesome to have a 400lb double horn anvil sitting in my shop. I just wanted to make sure you thought about the other options in the price range and I don’t think they can be fairly evaluated at the shipping rates you were quoted.

 

What is the price of the TFS from your local guy? TFS lists the 400lb Smithy Special at $1694 and the 300lb at $1449. If your guy is more than that there may be a hidden shipping charge so to speak.

 

Good luck with your purchase no matter what you choose. If you do get the TFS please post a review on it as I would like to know how they perform.

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Watch out for some of those "cheap" shipping companies. I've had one of them unband & depalletize items on me resulting in damage & uloading problems. They basically told me tough luck when I called them up about it.

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You make very good points kubiack. I've emailed Home Depot to see what they say about the Peddinghaus. The farrier supply place has told me shipping would be free, they are supposed to contact me with the exact price sometime soon.

Thank you so much for the link to primetechsnith I will shoot him a pm and see what he has to say about the JMH. If Home Depot gives free shipping and a slightly lower price than what kayne and son are offering ill jump on that Peddinghaus.

Pound for pound and convenience. It's definitely looking like I'll be getting a TFS if primetechsmith has nothing but good things to say about the other ductile iron anvil. Or unless someone shows up saying to steer clear of it. I just don't see a huge company like TFS putting out a bad product when it's centered around smithing? That's their business after all.

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In addition to brand, it's a good idea to look at an anvil's features.  Does it have a step? Location and size of the hardy hole? Location and size of the pritchel hole?  Width of the face?  Shape of the heel?  Shape of the horn?  I personally advocate a step, a 1" hardy hole toward the heel, an offset pritchel hole, a wide face, conical horn and tapered heel.  Unless you're doing really heavy work, I wouldn't recommend an anvil heavier than 300 lb -- it's just too difficult to move around the shop.  Hardness and composition of the steel is very important:  Below about 52 Rockwell it dents too easily.  Above about 58 Rockwell the edges are likely to chip.  High chrome content helps make it tougher.

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Yeah the TFS smith special is a beautiful anvil with everything I've been looking for. 1inch hardy hole, a decent step, good pritcel hole loctation, double horn, and an upsetting block. You can't ask for much more than that. I was just quoted a price in the 300lber for 1350$. It looks like I'm gonna go with her. I'll be sure and post pictures as well as my review on her as soon as she gets shipped to the farrier supply place. Thanks for all the help fellas. Words can't exspess how glad I am to have found this site.

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  • 11 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Ok finally I have arrived with a full review of the TFS smithy special 300lber!! Better late than never, after a nasty surgery and a divorce later I finally am back on the anvil!! Lol! I'll break it up into several sections, and if you have any questions gentlemen please feel free to just ask!

1. Shipping was absolutely free! If you have a farrier supply place any where near you, have them order it for you on there next big shipment! It was delivered way faster than I anticipated. TFS was more than helpful and so was Natures Farm farrier supply here in Norman Oklahoma, helpful and knowledgable people!

2. The price was just so tempting, it seemed to good to be true. I paid 1400$ flat for my 300lb. They didn't have a 400lb double horn available when I ordered mine, and they would have to make you special order which greatly increased its price. Even with that being said the 400lber was just 2100$ to 2300$ If memory serves.

3. The finish and paint are absolutely beautiful! There are a few things that bugged me about the paint, as well as it's final finish though. Mind you it still did not affect the performance of the anvil in anyway! The round horn was painted on the bottom, which is quite annoying and so was the upsetting block. Nothing a elbow grease won't take off, but still an annoyance none the less. The angled horn was not squared as nicely as I could have been at the very end. Instead of it coming to a nice square point it was a sloppy angle, which again is easily taken care of. The hardy hole needs some slight dressing as well, but again assuming you're a fully capable smith none of these should hinder you in the slightest!

4. The rebound, ring, and all around performance of this anvil is a dream. With a proper stand. She will move the metal beautifully! I even had to strike the top of her with a 6lb well dressed sledge to seat her in my stand! Not so much as scratch on the top! It seemed to just polish the top on the spots I hit, not dent it. The rebound is easily 90%, when I placed her on her final home it increased even further! Striking anywhere in the anvil you get the same rebound, which I was worried about when I first purchased the anvil. I wasn't sure how ductile iron would do with uniformity on rebound. She rings like a bell, much more so than my old Trenton, and the TFS has a huge waist and working surface. Now with that wide working surface I did notice it's very difficult to get the anvil warm so that it doesn't suck the heat out of your work.

5. The design is a perfect double horn smithing anvil. Complete with large pritchel hole, a side table, a 1inch hardy hole, an upsetting block, nice wide base, beautifully finished round horn, and a huge work surface!

6. My final thoughts on this anvil. I'm more than pleased with my purchase. It was everything I needed. Everything I wanted, and all at a very reasonable price. I've made several projects on her so far, and it surprises me every time in use it. Would I recommend anyone purchasing them. Yes I would. Do I know how she will hold up after years of everyday use by a professional smith? No, but she fits my needs, and she gets the job done.

Pictures!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Idk, 48-50 rc on face, where as my tfs is 52, that just less rebound, plus I like where the mass is in the tfs, it's got a big fat waist, not to the nimba extent, but close. Even an errant blow from an uncrowned hammer does next to no marking on the face. It takes a serious blow to mark it noticeably. There is a good thread on here about cast ductile iron on here, someone mentioned it can be 4x stronger, and 2x harder than mild steel. Not to mention the carbon forms spheres instead of flakes which makes it much harder to crack.

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  • 1 year later...

I bought a 200lb TFS Smithy Special several years ago and I love it. I'm only a hobby smith, but this anvil is so much nicer to work than the many old worn out anvils I had used before finally selling off some stuff at a CBA conference and then dropping the bucks for this anvil. There was no shipping as the guys from TFS helped load it into the back of my truck. That was at least 5 years ago and I have never regretted it. My grand kids grand kids will be able to use that anvil.

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