MTS power tools, I think, ~150 quid
*Edit* sorry, this is all about the 10" grinder....
Was in same boat as youself till a few days ago. I already had one of those Rexon horizontal wet grinders, which I use for honing up P/T knives - does this well. Would also be OK for carving tools, as the Japanese style waterstone wheel is very soft. However it's not very rigid, you need to be gentle with it.
The new Scheppach makes very short work of even wide HSS blades - the first job was the knives from the garden shredder (4" HSS). If you don't like honing guides, the hollow grind makes freehand sharpening on a standard Japanese waterstone very easy (always used a guide before).
I don't think the leather wheel will be much use for chisels and plane blades, but I expect carvers and turners like it. You can get an add on small shaped leather wheel as an acessory. I bet someone else will say the exact opposite...
DC mentioned one of his students having a little accident trying to flatten backs on the side of the wheel. Quite difficult to dress this flat, so best forgotten, I think. The wheel edge is easily dressed with a diamond, Scheppach and the other all sell one - should be in the basic kit as wheel dressing is the first job to do.
As you have to slide blades from side to side (narrow ones to prevent stone wear, and wide ones to grind the corners) flat is a bit relative, especially if your last blade had a good bit of camber on it. However if you go on to a 1200 and 8000 waterstone or similar to hone, you can check for straightness or curvature then as you need it.
The Tormek bearings are a bit more robust and suited to a very busy workshop, but for all that the Sheppach is carefully made, very much better than DIY quality (wt ~30lbs). Looks cnc cut with varoius notches to accurately align bent parts before welding. It has lighter bearings than the Tormek, and no stainless steel, but quite adequate for a small workshop, especilly if used for grinding primary bevels only. Say 'trade', but not 'industrial'. It is very rigid, and has a proper induction motor. Soluble cutting oil will prevent corrosion.
The supplied blade holder will take very wide blades, like a scraper plane blade, unlike the Tormek. A 90 deg. setting is automatic. The supplied angle setting gauge is a bit too simple as it doesn't alow for wheel wear, but aking your own is also quite easy. If you're just grinding the primary bevel, the exact angle doesn't matter all that much anyway. As far as I know all the varoius makes of guides will fit each other's grinder; I hope to mix and match there.
For grinding 1 man's blades, I thought the Tormek just too expensive. The Jet appeared to be priced so as to just cut under the Tormek, as was the Scheppach before the recent price drop. Previously a bit overpriced, the current £150 looks about right.
One point, have a look at the post in 'General Woodworking' on 'the best way to use Tormek etc' as I found the vertical wet wheel rather messy when grinding blades wider than the 2" wheel. Sems this is best done with the wheel rotating away from the blade, not towards it, as the manual says. You can download a Tormek manual from their website, which may be helpful.
Hope this helps a bit.
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