New Kindermann Stainless Steel Tanks

L

LeicaVirgin1

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Dear Tom,

I know you are a fan of Kindermann. I am looking into getting a stainless steel tank set-up. People say invest in new HEWES Reels and a Kindermann Stainless Steel Tank. I've looked online and only found a used one on ebay...

Do they not make them, (Kindermann), anymore and if so where could I invest in a few? Or, is used all that's left?

Best,

LV1
 
I have some Kinderman tanks - but I prefer the Paterson ones. The Kinderman are slow to fill and empty. I mainly us mine for small batch developers (Delagi D8 etc). The diameter is to small using on my UniRoller - while the paterson 3 and 5 reel tanks fit on it. The stainless steel reels takes a bit to get used to - but once you mastered them - no problem. However if you drop one - it is usually game over. They do bend and once that happens - they are almost impossible to straighten out. I have little experience with the HEWE's reels in 35mm - did use some for 120 film years ago.
 
I've used Kinderman tanks and Hewes reels for years and have had good reliable results. I haven't found them particularly slow to fill or empty with chemistry, and certainly faster than the brand X ones that we have at the community college where I teach. The Hewes reels don't respond well to being dropped, but they do stand up well to student use.
 
What I've done since the 1980's as news and then wedding shooter/processing is use the less expensive stainless tanks from various asian suppliers but use them with the Kindermannn Lids instead. They are expensive but very durable and don't develop cracks in the plastic. I have many that are from when I did volume black and white for weddings and they were bought 10-15 years ago and still working perfectly.
As for the reels yes Tom is correct the cheapy stainless will bend when dropped but the Hewes are far far more robust and durable, if you drop those just the outer bit might bend and its not usually an issue to bend that back. The cheap ones will distort quite easy and in many cases I've found that the reels when brand new in box will still be not true. The Hewes stainless are the only ones I'll consider using period.
 
Never even seen a hewes reel but have used Nikkor and Kinderman for over fifty years. I'm still using Nikkors that my father bouht in 60's. Any metal reel will warp and bend if they're dropped. Sometimes you can straighten them and other times depending how far they fall, how the hit and what they're droppen on. I'd look for some really nice clean Nikkor and Kinderman before I spent the price of a hewes.

In tanks I have quite a few of the old and also later Nikkor tanks. They work mine but I'm a by fan of the Kinderman I have. I use mostly Kinderman tops and often use tanks that hold 5 35's and they fill plenty fast.

I have some really large Tanks. One takes either 14 or 16 rolls. Can't remember at the moment. If I'm using it I simply turn off the lights in the darkroom when I'm filling or draining, pull the lid off in the dark anf fill from a large graduate or dump the chemicals. Then I replace the lid and flip on the lights until the next step. Doing this you can fill a extra large tank in seconds.
 
New Kindermann tank lids are available from B&H. Buy a generic stainless tank that comes with a standard push-on plastic lid, toss the included lid, swap in a Kindermann. Expensive, but they last and most importantly, don't leak.

Hewes reels are well worth getting. They are more damage resistant and load more easily (thicker gauge wire). Also, rather than using fiddly clips to secure the end of the film to the core, they use fool-proof prongs to engage the sprocket holes to align and start the film for loading. Since reels must be loaded in the dark, this feature, apparently unique to Hewes, is a big help for us fumble-fingers.
 
The Kindermann tank lids have been "back ordered" at B&H forever. I ordered a really nice replacement lid made in Japan from KHB Photographix in Canada. What I haven't been able to find is another Kindermann funnel for filling the tank. I have one but I'd like to have a spare.

Ditto on the Hewes reels. Best stainless reels I've ever used.
 
After many years of using Kindermann stainless tanks I was surprised to discover they also made tanks and reels in a larger diameter for 120/220 film. The larger reels make 220 especially easier to load without kinking and overlapping, as the wire diameter is larger too.

I've not needed replacement lids, and was not aware of a special funnel, as I just tilt the tank and pour straight in or out.
 
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