# Panther mills



## 300zx_tt (Jun 20, 2017)

So I ordered my panther mill 32 days ago and have not gotten it yet, or even received an email that said it was being shipped. Should this be cause for concern? Did they take my $200 and run or are they just 2 weeks behind their 2-4 week schedule?


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## kimosawboy (Jun 20, 2017)

Why go to an open forum and ask such a question, when you can just pick up a phone and call the guy????


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 20, 2017)

kimosawboy said:


> Why go to an open forum and ask such a question, when you can just pick up a phone and call the guy????



Emailed them several times. Was told the ship times were 2-4 weeks, several times. It's been 6. I'm trying to see if anybody else has had this issue with them (if I should cancel the order). Or if it's kinda of the norm for them to take this long. 

I'm looking for other people's feedback, hence the public forum post. 

If you haven't dealt with the company then you have no business posting a reply to my question.


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## IyaMan (Jun 20, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> Was told the ship times were 2-4 weeks, several times. It's been 6.



32 ÷ 7 = 4.5 (sorry to point out its not 6)

If its 2-4 weeks to ship, then it could conceivably be in the mail and still just fall within their window (mail can be slow, ya know). But if it hasn't gotten there by Monday, then yeah, I'd be getting pretty PO'd too.


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## hseII (Jun 20, 2017)

IyaMan said:


> 32 ÷ 7 = 4.5 (sorry to point out its not 6)
> 
> If its 2-4 weeks to ship, then it could conceivably be in the mail and still just fall within their window (mail can be slow, ya know). But if it hasn't gotten there by Monday, then yeah, I'd be getting pretty PO'd too.



Good Post.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 20, 2017)

hseII said:


> Good Post.





IyaMan said:


> 32 ÷ 7 = 4.5 (sorry to point out its not 6)
> 
> If its 2-4 weeks to ship, then it could conceivably be in the mail and still just fall within their window (mail can be slow, ya know). But if it hasn't gotten there by Monday, then yeah, I'd be getting pretty PO'd too.



I wasn't counting sundays. So it's been 37 days if you want to count a week like that. So 37/7 is 5.28 weeks. Today being the 38th day so I rounded up to ~6 weeks.


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## IyaMan (Jun 20, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> I wasn't counting sundays. So it's been 37 days if you want to count a eeek like that. So 37/7 is 5.28 weeks. Today being the 38th day so I rounded up to ~6 weeks.




I remember reading a similar situation from a year or so ago, so I searched for the thread and this was the reply given by the panther mill guy:

_Everyone who has ordered from us has gotten thier mill, some have waited a long time but they have gotten what they ordered, we are busier than we have ever been and I communicated this to you, you ordered a large custom carriage which is finally being put together, some of this is my fault as I was trying to get this together before we moved into our bigger shop and it did not happen, you will get the mill that you ordered, I am sorry you are having to wait so long, but I am sure that anyone here who has waited for one of our larger carraiges will hopefully put your mind to ease. I would never defraud someone out of their money it would never be worth it to me. I believe your name is what you make of it, I don't want anyone to legitimately have any bad words to say about me or my company. Thanks_
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/panther-mill-ii.260468/page-3#post-5866066

Others on the thread commented about their experiences. May be worth checking it out before blowing a gasket.


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## kimosawboy (Jun 20, 2017)

_'If you haven't dealt with the company then you have no business posting a reply to my question.'_
Until I see that you own this site, you can stick that up your A%$...
If you came out and said that you have tried contacting them rather than 'Did they take my $200...', perhaps you might have gotten a different response.

G Vavra


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## rarefish383 (Jun 21, 2017)

I'm kind of between you and G Vavra. You asked your question in a rather negative way. The Panther guys follow, or used to follow, this forum. Some of their answers have been curt and what I thought was rude for good customer service. But, on the other hand, they were responding to negative questions, mostly caused by their poor communications. To me, they always had an excuse for late delivery times, it was never their fault. But, their products always got there. I thought it would have been better for them to change their delivery schedule to match actual delivery times, and they wouldn't have this problem. You've been here for 2 years, you could have done the same search that lyaman did, then you would have known they tend to run behind schedule. It's the proverbial snow ball rolling down hill, poor customer service, concerned customer, no reply to email, angry customer, etc. etc.That's why I bought my mill from Baileys, Joe.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 21, 2017)

rarefish383 said:


> I'm kind of between you and G Vavra. You asked your question in a rather negative way. The Panther guys follow, or used to follow, this forum. Some of their answers have been curt and what I thought was rude for good customer service. But, on the other hand, they were responding to negative questions, mostly caused by their poor communications. To me, they always had an excuse for late delivery times, it was never their fault. But, their products always got there. I thought it would have been better for them to change their delivery schedule to match actual delivery times, and they wouldn't have this problem. You've been here for 2 years, you could have done the same search that lyaman did, then you would have known they tend to run behind schedule. It's the proverbial snow ball rolling down hill, poor customer service, concerned customer, no reply to email, angry customer, etc. etc.That's why I bought my mill from Baileys, Joe.




I definitely had/have a negative tone to my post 
Because I'm agrivated that I ordered a mill 38 days ago and it hasn't even shipped yet. It says on their website that orders take 2-4 weeks, In little black print at the bottom of the page, then after you pay it gives you a big red notice saying the same thing. It would have been nice to see that notice before I ordered, they could have made it a little bit of a bigger thing on their site. 

I searched arboristsite and didn't find that post (from 3 years ago, things COULD have changed by now, but apparently they haven't) I did find some positive threads on them and though I'd be in good hands. Also found some info on them on other forums. That seem like they were getting mills out in about a week and a half.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 21, 2017)

kimosawboy said:


> _'If you haven't dealt with the company then you have no business posting a reply to my question.'_
> Until I see that you own this site, you can stick that up your A%$...
> If you came out and said that you have tried contacting them rather than 'Did they take my $200...', perhaps you might have gotten a different response.
> 
> G Vavra




If somebody posts a thread about dealing with something I've never dealt with then I don't post in that thread. Pretty simple concept, I don't think I need to own the site to make that statement.


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## IyaMan (Jun 21, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> If somebody posts a thread about dealing with something I've never dealt with then I don't post in that thread. Pretty simple concept, I don't think I need to own the site to make that statement.



I never dealt with the company, but I only hoped my input might have provided some food for thought. Sorry if I overstepped the imposed bounds.

But I think many people here feel the same way when they post, in that they are just simply looking to lend a hand. I've learned many things both directly and indirectly this way. Yes, threads often go off topic, but to preemptively shun what might otherwise be a gesture of help is not necessarily the best way to receive insightful feedback. 

(And look, as a result, now you're caught up with responding to posts unrelated to the topic that are only in regards to how you did not want to get any posts that are unrelated to the topic. A bit ironic, huh?) 

Best of luck with your mill once it arrives.


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## BigOakAdot (Jun 21, 2017)

I had the same issues you're having with panther mill. I got some excuses as to why it was taking longer like another member mentioned earlier. 

In their defense he was pretty good about communicating so I never got the impression my mill wasn't going to show up. I'm sure yours will come soon enough. 

What size mill did you order? I got the 72" model and had issues with it sliding in the middle of the cut. I think it was a combination of the size of the mill and running an 880 that caused vibrations. Bottom line is I ended up getting bigger rails for my grandberg mill. Will only use the panther on the largest of logs at this point. 

Andrew


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 22, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> I had the same issues you're having with panther mill. I got some excuses as to why it was taking longer like another member mentioned earlier.
> 
> In their defense he was pretty good about communicating so I never got the impression my mill wasn't going to show up. I'm sure yours will come soon enough.
> 
> ...



I got the 48" mill from them. I got the auto email right when I placed my order. 3 weeks later I emailed, for an update, was told 2-4 weeks from when you ordered. I emailed this morning to see what's going on. I own a small business and when I tell people 2-4 weeks I mean 2-4 weeks and if something changes along the way I notify the customer. I would expect most of my customer would be pretty pissed if I showed up to a job 6 weeks later with no attempt to contact them and tell them what's going on. I'm pretty sure I'd be out of business if I did stuff like that.


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## SeMoTony (Jun 22, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> I had the same issues you're having with panther mill. I got some excuses as to why it was taking longer like another member mentioned earlier.
> 
> In their defense he was pretty good about communicating so I never got the impression my mill wasn't going to show up. I'm sure yours will come soon enough.
> 
> ...


 Will the 72" mill cut 6 foot diameter or ??


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## Blamo (Jun 22, 2017)

Yeah...I placed an order for the Panther II 36" mill on June 8th and received the same "ships in 14 to 30 days" email. Figured I wouldn't bug them until July. I'm not really all that upset. I have some downed Black Cherry I am eager to get to but the Granburg Alaskan mill, that I originally ordered, would not even get into Forestry Suppliers for delivery until 7/23. Looks like there is short supply so I believe them when they say they are soooooooo busy! In short, I don't think they are scammers, just poor business people. In the end, I am not asking them to be Steve Jobs but to just give me a good product....eventually.


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## Blamo (Jun 22, 2017)

"I definitely had/have a negative tone to my post Because I'm agrivated that I ordered a mill 38 days ago and it hasn't even shipped yet. It says on their website that orders take 2-4 weeks, In little black print at the bottom of the page, then after you pay it gives you a big red notice saying the same thing. It would have been nice to see that notice before I ordered, they could have made it a little bit of a bigger thing on their site.

I searched arboristsite and didn't find that post (from 3 years ago, things COULD have changed by now, but apparently they haven't) I did find some positive threads on them and though I'd be in good hands. Also found some info on them on other forums. That seem like they were getting mills out in about a week and a half."

Yup...same with me except I didn't see anything about the 2 to 4 weeks until I got the email. It would be nice to see what they have available, if anything, in order to get something sooner. I'm really not married to the 36" and would gladly have settled on a different size if it meant sooner delivery. 

Oh well, like I said, they are not great business people but they really don't have to be because there really aren't that many options out there. You can wait until they deliver you one or you can wait twice as long for a Granburg.


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## Marshy (Jun 22, 2017)

They are really simple in design. I can't imagine it taking very long to construct. I'm glad I didn't order mine new.


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## DX250 (Jun 22, 2017)

This is the form email that I was sent shortly after ordering mine on May 21st.

"HI thank you for your e-mail,� due to the volume of calls and e-mails please allow a few days for a response. Please note we are EXTREMELY busy at the moment. The panthermill 2's will most likely ship within 14-28 business days of your order, the panther pro mills, carriage only option should ship within 10-30 days, 30" or bigger panther pro mills( carriage style), or mills with track may take longer as well as custom orders. Please note you may not always get a auto conformation from us when we receive your order. We are working to rectify the problem, but please e-mail us if you need to. Also the size denoted by the mill in inches is the maximum size the mill will cut, i.e. 30" mill will cut up to a 30" diameter log. Typically you'll want your bar to be 4-6" longer than the mill size or your anticipated cut.

Also these lead times are estimated and are usually pretty accurate, but we do have the occasional rush which may delay shipping your items out. In Instances where additional shipping is needed it is for shipping only and does not include taxes or duties.

We appreciate your understanding at this time."

They were upfront about being slow to ship.


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## babybart (Jun 23, 2017)

After the 8th week of waiting on a listed 4-6 week lead time, I cancelled my order. Owner said they were moving into a new shop and things were crazy... I think he should have taken that into account. I guess that was a year or two.


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## rarefish383 (Jun 23, 2017)

babybart said:


> After the 8th week of waiting on a listed 4-6 week lead time, I cancelled my order. Owner said they were moving into a new shop and things were crazy... I think he should have taken that into account. I guess that was a year or two.


That's why they were late 3 years ago, is that when you were trying to get one, or recently? When I got my GB from Baily's, it only took days, not weeks. 36" mill, Joe.


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## babybart (Jun 23, 2017)

Yeah, I guess it was about three years ago... I had my Granberg in days as well. Now I'm on a Norwood portamill, so nice!


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## BigOakAdot (Jun 23, 2017)

SeMoTony said:


> Will the 72" mill cut 6 foot diameter or ??


Don't have any pics on my new phone but we have cut a log around 52" or so. I think the 72" doesn't include what you lose at the tip of the bar. 

We had to drill holes to keep it in place and now it doesn't cut perfectly square but nothing that can't be fixed when flattened. The biggest bar we've used so far is a 5' one so that's as far as we've gotten. 

I'm tempted to get a hud-son mill that can slab some bigger wood. Just need to justify the cost. 

For those of you who haven't seen it there's a guy Matt Cremona who built like an 80" band mill or something. Worth checking out if you're interested in big slabs and woodworking. He has a YouTube channel. 

Andrew


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## IyaMan (Jun 23, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> For those of you who haven't seen it there's a guy Matt Cremona who built like an 80" band mill or something.



For the lazy folk out there who can't bother searching, here's a link to one of the videos. Certainly worth a look:


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## rarefish383 (Jun 23, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> Don't have any pics on my new phone but we have cut a log around 52" or so. I think the 72" doesn't include what you lose at the tip of the bar.
> 
> We had to drill holes to keep it in place and now it doesn't cut perfectly square but nothing that can't be fixed when flattened. The biggest bar we've used so far is a 5' one so that's as far as we've gotten.
> 
> ...


Boy, that guy is doing some cool work, thanks for the name. I've gotten so fed up with people on youtube. They walk around a piece of junk for 23 minutes to show you how to pull the spark plug out, and then do another video to put it back in. His videos are quite long, but at least they show you something really cool, Joe.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 23, 2017)

DX250 said:


> This is the form email that I was sent shortly after ordering mine on May 21st.
> 
> "HI thank you for your e-mail,� due to the volume of calls and e-mails please allow a few days for a response. Please note we are EXTREMELY busy at the moment. The panthermill 2's will most likely ship within 14-28 business days of your order, the panther pro mills, carriage only option should ship within 10-30 days, 30" or bigger panther pro mills( carriage style), or mills with track may take longer as well as custom orders. Please note you may not always get a auto conformation from us when we receive your order. We are working to rectify the problem, but please e-mail us if you need to. Also the size denoted by the mill in inches is the maximum size the mill will cut, i.e. 30" mill will cut up to a 30" diameter log. Typically you'll want your bar to be 4-6" longer than the mill size or your anticipated cut.
> 
> ...




Upfront? That's the email you get AFTER you order. In tiny letters it says 2-4 weeks on the website, I missed it. I'm sure many others did as well. In my mind being up front would be putting that message in big bold all caps on the top of every page of their website. Not after you order.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 23, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> Don't have any pics on my new phone but we have cut a log around 52" or so. I think the 72" doesn't include what you lose at the tip of the bar.
> 
> We had to drill holes to keep it in place and now it doesn't cut perfectly square but nothing that can't be fixed when flattened. The biggest bar we've used so far is a 5' one so that's as far as we've gotten.
> 
> ...




I messaged Matt a couple of times through social media, as he was building his bandsaw mill. I was asking him some questions on little details about that build. He said he had $7800 into that thing... pretty cheap for an ~80" bandsawmill. 

The Hudson homesteader 36 is about $6500 and it will cant a 36" log. It won't slab a 36" log though. 

I looked into a bandsaw mill but I figured I'd start with the chainsaw mill and work my way up to a bandsaw mill.


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## IyaMan (Jun 23, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> In tiny letters it says 2-4 weeks on the website, I missed it.



I really don't want to cause trouble, but I was curious if they were trying to be deceptive there as you seem to suggest.

The lettering used to state the delivery time is the same size and font as the rest of the description. Yes its on the last line, but its not like its a massive page full of content. Are you saying this info should be on the top line? or put somewhere within the description content? It also states "30 day guarantee" and "lifetime support" in the same manner on the same line.
http://www.pantherpros.com/panthermill2.html

They also state on the next line that shipping to the lower 48 is included in the price. Yet somehow you aren't complaining about that.

Yeah, I agree the page layout could be better (mainly to highlight the guarantee, support, and free shipping selling points), but its a small manufacturing company, not a web design firm.


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## 300zx_tt (Jun 23, 2017)

IyaMan said:


> I really don't want to cause trouble, but I was curious if they were trying to be deceptive there as you seem to suggest.
> 
> The lettering used to state the delivery time is the same size and font as the rest of the description. Yes its on the last line, but its not like its a massive page full of content. Are you saying this info should be on the top line? or put somewhere within the description content? It also states "30 day guarantee" and "lifetime support" in the same manner on the same line.
> http://www.pantherpros.com/panthermill2.html
> ...



I doubt they are purposely deceiving people, that's a pretty awful habit to get into as a business, and would probably cause serious problems for them in the future. I was just simply stating they should have an *accurate *
Time posted, and posted so it's impossible to miss, so you know you're in for a 2 month wait... before you order. I also didn't even see the free shipping until I checked out. 

I don't care if the mill takes 2 months to get here. I just want a company to be honest. Don't tell me 2-4 weeks and expect me to be happy in 2 months when my mill ships. That's just a shitty way to operate. In my line of work that won't fly, I guess that's why I'm mad about it. My grandfather taught me at a young age that If I say I'm gonna do something then I have to do it. All we have is our word. 
He had an oak tree cut down when I was 14 I said I'd split it all for him for $100. After 4 hours I realized I'd never "profit" from it and I told him I didn't want to do It anymore. He said how could I take you serious when you tell me something in the future. It took me ~6 days of splitting (at 14 mind you) but I finished it and I got my $100. I learned a lot from it and I'd like to think it changed my outlook on life. He gave my dad extra money that he put into my bank account.


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## IyaMan (Jun 23, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> I was just simply stating they should have an *accurate *
> Time posted, and posted so it's impossible to miss, so you know you're in for a 2 month wait... before you order.



Hey, I hear ya, man. I'm not saying they are gonna make satisfied customers if they have a more-often-than-not habit of making people wait longer than "typical", and if the Panther guys were reading this, I'd say that if they forsee such delays as being somewhat common, then they should state a shipping time that reflects this.

And though it seems to be a re-occurring theme to wait longer than expected with Panther, as with any business, usually its the dis-satisfied people who go out of their way to say something as opposed to those who got their stuff on time and/or relatively quickly. And while I'm not saying excuses should be the norm, but its pretty obvious that Panther is a small operation, and anyone who ever was in business for themselves knows that just a small little hiccup like catching a cold, a family situation, or single one of the few staff being unable to perform for a couple days due to injury/sickness... such stuff can wreck havoc on one's schedule.


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## BigOakAdot (Jun 24, 2017)

Hard to complain when you're getting a mill at such a good price point. No where will you find a csmill that can handle a 6' bar for under 300. That's how I looked at it at least. 

Andrew


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## BobL (Jun 24, 2017)

Surely they aren't that busy that they cannot keep customers posted about their order.
Something like a week before the 28 day deadline, unless the order has been shipped they should send out a progress report. I get that sort of service when ordering a $2 part from Chinese eBay sellers.
Some provide an actual delivery profile, i.e. a distribution of delivery times to different parts of the world. Or maybe that just shows what you can do with cheap labour?


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## rarefish383 (Jun 25, 2017)

I don't have their product. I know they had a problem with their delivery schedule several years ago. They didn't change the schedule, and they still have a problem with it. Seems they leave an exceptable delivery time on their order form, knowing once you make the order you're hooked. If some one says 2-4 weeks, that's one month. Place order on June 1st, have product on July 1st. If you only work 5 days a week, that doesn't mean 4 weeks are really 6 weeks, and you, the customer should know that, everybody in the universe knows that. That's just a slight of hand, shell game, deceptive means of doing business. What if your neighbor tells you they scheduled to take down a big Oak tree and the tree service is coming in 4 weeks and you can have the log. In four weeks the log is on the ground, no mill. In five weeks the log is on the ground, grass under it is dying, grass around it looks like hay, no mill. Neighbor gets mad at you and pays to have the log cut up and hauled away, no mill still. Mill arrives with note, enjoy your new mill. On what, the log is gone. How come when the tree guy makes a schedule he's there when planned. My mechanic tells me to bring my car in on a given day, work is done that day. True lawn calls and says take your pets in, we'll be there tomorrow, they are there. I grew up in a small family owned business too, we had schedules too, we made them too. These guys know exactly how long it will take to get your mill to you. They've been doing it for YEARS now, and haven't fixed the one big problem they have. They used to sell on Ebay, and they had a terrible feedback rating. Now they don't sell on Ebay, maybe they don't need to. All they have to do is be honest and tell people how long it really takes, end of story, no conjecture here to talk about, Joe.


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 17, 2017)

Got an email today, my mill has shipped, 63 days later and it's on its way!


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## Marshy (Jul 17, 2017)

Oh my. LoL
That's terrible. It'll catch up with them if it hasn't already.


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## DSW (Jul 19, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> I messaged Matt a couple of times through social media, as he was building his bandsaw mill. I was asking him some questions on little details about that build. He said he had $7800 into that thing... pretty cheap for an ~80" bandsawmill.



Yeah, not a bad price for band mill with that capacity. Especially if you consider other slabbers prices.

Compared to an Alaskan it's still way up there. I don't think most could justify it. Not just the price but most couldn't feed it with enough oversize timber.


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 20, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> Got an email today, my mill has shipped, 63 days later and it's on its way!



False alarm guys! They told me it shipped and sent me a tracking number but it still hasn't shipped. I'll update this when It actually ships.


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## Cabin by the Creek (Jul 27, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> So I ordered my panther mill 32 days ago and have not gotten it yet, or even received an email that said it was being shipped. Should this be cause for concern? Did they take my $200 and run or are they just 2 weeks behind their 2-4 week schedule?


Don't panic. My 4 weeks took 8, same with my Dad when he ordered his. They come through in the end.


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 27, 2017)

I got the mill today, on the 73rd day after I bought it. It was just zip tied together no wrap or anything in between it so a bunch of the paint is worn off, not great looking but I'm going to be using it on a chainsaw so I wasn't expecting show car quality paint. I'm going to assemble it tonight, and try and use it before I go away for the weekend. 

I'll update this in a little


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 29, 2017)

Not too bad! I like it.


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## CR888 (Jul 29, 2017)

Looks good. You would think a company that's been in business as long as Panther would have mills pre-made in stock to fill orders. 71 days is a bit too long and would frustrate the hell out of customer who have wood waiting in neighbours yards etc.


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## BobL (Jul 30, 2017)

The ridges near the red lines in the cut suggest one or more of the following
1) Uneven pressure on the mill by the operator - placing the log on a slope will help even this out.
2) mill not tightened up enough - i.e. sloppy so it moves in the cut.
3) Mill too flimsy so it deforms under pressure


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 30, 2017)

BobL said:


> The ridges near the red lines in the cut suggest one or more of the following
> 1) Uneven pressure on the mill by the operator - placing the log on a slope will help even this out.
> 2) mill not tightened up enough - i.e. sloppy so it moves in the cut.
> 3) Mill too flimsy so it deforms under pressure
> ...



I stripped out a bar lug and tried to mill with it, didn't work out. Also my fiancé wanted to help with it and she pushed down on the mill, didn't realize it until after the fact! I think that might have had something to do with it.


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## Marshy (Jul 31, 2017)

I bought my Panther from another member on here. It has been modified slightly. I'll take some pics and share. You might want to consider a few of the things done to improve your milling experience. Otherwise nice pics/lumber.


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## 300zx_tt (Jul 31, 2017)

Marshy said:


> I bought my Panther from another member on here. It has been modified slightly. I'll take some pics and share. You might want to consider a few of the things done to improve your milling experience. Otherwise nice pics/lumber.



That would be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks!


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## Marshy (Aug 1, 2017)

The mill was modified so you bolt the bar directly to the end of the uprights so you don't have to work about the bar clamps slipping. A few cross braces were added in case you are milling a narrow log. The hand bar was drilled and bolted directly to the rest of the mill. The upright closest to the power head was widened to make a runner with tapered ends. The bars were slotted so you can adjust the mill width to run a shorter bar.


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## setters (Sep 10, 2017)

Hello all---
My first post here. I was Googling Panther Mill 2 and found this site/forum. Excellent info. and a lot of very useful information here. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences. 

I'm glad I stumbled into here, I too ordered a Panther Mill 2 mill on Aug. 10, 2017. Before ordering I emailed the company and asked about delivery and got their automated reply, as most others have stated. I then asked to have them call me as I had some questions I would like to have answered. 2 days later I got a call from the owner and he was very helpful. I also asked what actual delivery time I could expect. He stated they were caught up from a run of large orders and were pretty much all caught up and the Panther Mill 2's should ship in 2-4 weeks. I based my activities on what the owner of the company told me. 

It's now Sept. 10, 2017. No mill, no email, no response to my emails. Now---- I can sympathize with them concerning hurricane Irma and have empathy for them. But. I don't buy the small business , very busy bs they seem to have been using for last years it seems. 

I have a farmer friend that saved a lot of large Walnut, Cherry, Oak and Maple saw logs for me after he had his farm logged out. So I told him I should be slabbing these by the middle of Sept.. With the hurricane I'll be lucky now if I see a mill by Dec., if at all and I have a very irritated friend. Crop harvest will begin here soon, logs have to be gone or moved. 

Like many of the rest of you, I wish I would have shopped else where------ I hate being jerked around. This mill would be so easy to make I wish I would have just made my own from the very start. I will update this if/when I get a mill, right not I'm not very hopeful. 

Sorry f0r the long first post----

Steve


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## BigOakAdot (Sep 11, 2017)

setters said:


> Hello all---
> My first post here. I was Googling Panther Mill 2 and found this site/forum. Excellent info. and a lot of very useful information here. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.
> 
> I'm glad I stumbled into here, I too ordered a Panther Mill 2 mill on Aug. 10, 2017. Before ordering I emailed the company and asked about delivery and got their automated reply, as most others have stated. I then asked to have them call me as I had some questions I would like to have answered. 2 days later I got a call from the owner and he was very helpful. I also asked what actual delivery time I could expect. He stated they were caught up from a run of large orders and were pretty much all caught up and the Panther Mill 2's should ship in 2-4 weeks. I based my activities on what the owner of the company told me.
> ...


Yeah all sounds about right. It's not worth the money you save when you can get a grandberg for $250. Not to mention the issues I've had with the mills depth sliding while in the middle of the cut. 

What if I was cutting a one of a kind large walnut log and it dove in the middle of the cut? That's a lot of wasted lumber due to a faulty mill that took 3 months to receive. Just my opinion.


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## Marshy (Sep 11, 2017)

setters said:


> Hello all---
> My first post here. I was Googling Panther Mill 2 and found this site/forum. Excellent info. and a lot of very useful information here. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.
> 
> I'm glad I stumbled into here, I too ordered a Panther Mill 2 mill on Aug. 10, 2017. Before ordering I emailed the company and asked about delivery and got their automated reply, as most others have stated. I then asked to have them call me as I had some questions I would like to have answered. 2 days later I got a call from the owner and he was very helpful. I also asked what actual delivery time I could expect. He stated they were caught up from a run of large orders and were pretty much all caught up and the Panther Mill 2's should ship in 2-4 weeks. I based my activities on what the owner of the company told me.
> ...


Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear your frustration. I know what I would do if I were you... Cancel the order and demand a refund. Then go buy a Granberg mill or even a Chinese knockoff of the Granberg. I've read some nice reviews of the knockoff Granberg through northern tool (iirc).


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## 300zx_tt (Sep 11, 2017)

BigOakAdot said:


> Yeah all sounds about right. It's not worth the money you save when you can get a grandberg for $250. Not to mention the issues I've had with the mills depth sliding while in the middle of the cut.
> 
> What if I was cutting a one of a kind large walnut log and it dove in the middle of the cut? That's a lot of wasted lumber due to a faulty mill that took 3 months to receive. Just my opinion.




I had mine slip in a log on Saturday, shifted 1/4 inch halfway through the cut. Not the end of the world buti can see if it was a super valuable log I'd be pissed about it... If I was doing it over I'd buy a granburg 100 out of 100 times.


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## setters (Sep 11, 2017)

Thanks for the replies, 
I've been thinking about cancelling my order with them but I really hate to bail on the guy. The hurricane I'm sure will hurt his business. I'm going to give him a couple of more weeks, if no response of any kind from them by then I will probably go the Granburg/knock off route. I'm unrealistically hoping it may have shipped before the hurricane hit-----but------base on other post I've read hear it sounds like 2-4 weeks has been his normal answer for years and hardly if ever produces that.


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## rarefish383 (Sep 11, 2017)

Don't know what to say? It's all been said before. I'll be milling, while you be waiting, Joe.


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## TheLazyBFarm (Sep 11, 2017)

I ordered their oiler last March. After not hearing from them for over 2 1/2 months, I canceled the order. Had to do it not once but twice to get a response. Oh and big surprise! they had already shipped it by the time of the 2nd cancelation e-mail. Their so-called CS person, Kim, went from nice to ***** in one e-mail. I direct-returned their item and they tried to stick me with the return postage.

Fork them and Fork that ***** Kim. I'll never order from them again.


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## SeMoTony (Sep 11, 2017)

setters said:


> Hello all---
> My first post here. I was Googling Panther Mill 2 and found this site/forum. Excellent info. and a lot of very useful information here. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.
> 
> I'm glad I stumbled into here, I too ordered a Panther Mill 2 mill on Aug. 10, 2017. Before ordering I emailed the company and asked about delivery and got their automated reply, as most others have stated. I then asked to have them call me as I had some questions I would like to have answered. 2 days later I got a call from the owner and he was very helpful. I also asked what actual delivery time I could expect. He stated they were caught up from a run of large orders and were pretty much all caught up and the Panther Mill 2's should ship in 2-4 weeks. I based my activities on what the owner of the company told me.
> ...


Amazon is listing a alaskan knockoff for less than $150 IIRC. 24" unit , I've stretched mine to 72" with longer rails & opening up clamp for the tube to fit EMT (electric mechanical tube) Just a thought. My avatar shows off the 60" bar & the stump that needed it
Mill safe & enjoy


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## BigOakAdot (Sep 15, 2017)

Hahaha their oiler is laughable. When I was ordering my monster mill from them I saw they sold an oiler for around 20. Had some pvc and stuff to make my own but figured for 2o why bother building one. Then it arrived and it was an old plastic bottle with a brass valve mounted to the bottom. basically the cheapest POS oiler anyone would ever consider making. 

I'm really not the type to bash companies but their stuff is just not quality at all. All the cheap prices start making sense when you see what they're offering.


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## setters (Sep 16, 2017)

I'm now on 5 weeks and still no mill, no tracking number, no e-mail, no expected delivery date etc.. I now really,really wish I'd have found this site sooner. I've checked eBay and other places on the Holzzforma,Farmtec Chinese knock off mills and so far I haven't seen anything negative about them. Delivery is stated as---available for delivery --- price is nearly identical to the Panther 2 and shipping is included. 

The mill I ordered is a 48" unit, I have a 660 with a 42" bar and would like to get a 48" bar for it " someday" . As of right now I plan on calling my credit card company on Mon. and have payment on the Panther Mill cancelled. I will call the Panther people also. 

BTW---- for most of my adult life I have owned my own business and was fairly successful at it. Based on what I've read here and how my transaction with them is going so far I'm amazed they are still around. I didn't order from them based on price. I did watch a lot of the Matt Cremona videos on U-Tube showing him milling with the Panther Mill and the fact that it was made in the USA is why I ordered from them. In all my years of running my own business I can gaurentee that waiting for a product that takes twice as long to deliver as is stated would have ruined us. Sounds to me like he may just be bulking up on orders for discounts on larger steel buys ----- or------ he's really doing this part time as it fits his schedule. Either way---- I'm done. He wins. I'm going elsewhere. At least now " he may have a 48" mill " he can ship in a timely manner. 

Thanks to everyone for all your help and insight ---- I feel like a fool for not knowing this sooner.


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## setters (Sep 25, 2017)

Just a quick follow up for potential buyers of Panther Pro mills. 

Having been told personally by Kim Kasten that his company was finally caught up and I could expect delivery of a Panther Pro 2 in 2-3 weeks I went ahead and ordered my mill on 8-10-2017. It is now 9-25-2017. On 9-6-2017 I sent an email inquiring as to when the mill would ship. No answer. Nothing. I finally called the credit card company today to cancel payment AND I called Panther Pro and told them to cancel my order. Low and behold----- exactly 26 minutes after I called---- Kim Kasten called me back. Yes----26 minutes. Where has he been the last three weeks. Amazing huh ? 

He did use the hurricane as an excuse, and, as much as I sympathize with him, the hurricane would have been a non-issue had he shipped when he said he would. And I told him so. I was then asked to rethink my position so to speak as my mill was scheduled to go out next Fri. Not this Fri , next Fri. So---- from order to receipt it would be nearly 7 weeks for delivery. 
Everything was cordial until he told me I basically heard what I wanted to hear instead of what he actually said during our first phone conversation. I then let him know I wanted a refund , period. That was pretty much the end of the conversation. 
My rant is over. By the way. During the time it took me to type this ( I'm very slow) I just received and email that states that I have been credited the full purchase price of the mill I ordered. Why not conduct all of your business this way ? I could have been a very happy customer. Sad. 
Hope everyone is having a great day.


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## Jimbo209 (Oct 1, 2017)

China small mill it is until I can build my own


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## TedSherman (Oct 18, 2017)

300zx_tt said:


> So I ordered my panther mill 32 days ago and have not gotten it yet, or even received an email that said it was being shipped. Should this be cause for concern? Did they take my $200 and run or are they just 2 weeks behind their 2-4 week schedule?



When I got mine a couple years ago, it took over 6 weeks. Communication was pretty bad; when I finally got hold of them and said to cancel the order, they said it would go out that week. It did. 

I've used it quite a bit--it's a good mill, though heavy (I've got a 42" pro, I think). Getting the depth adjusted is a bit of a pain. Once I'm done with the logs I have, I'll probably sell it and get a lighter Granberg.


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## jdodd (Feb 27, 2018)

I know this is an older post but just updating for people thinking of buying. I ordered a Panther 2 on Dec 15 2017, and received the auto response of payment and ship date of 14-28 business days. On Jan 4 just sent an email to see progress, little early because of holidays, but just wanted to check. I received an instant replay that it would be 4-6 weeks. Feb 13 I sent another email just checking again, due to having wood on the ground and no reply. Feb 21 I sent another email and no reply. I am still going to give them a chance before canceling, but if you need a mill today, you might be better going somewhere else. I'm new to this forum so you can take this with a grain of salt, but looks like I am not the only one having issues. Thanks, and hope you all have a great day. Will update when and if I get the mill.


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## moondoggie (Feb 27, 2018)

jdodd said:


> I know this is an older post but just updating for people thinking of buying. I ordered a Panther 2 on Dec 15 2017, and received the auto response of payment and ship date of 14-28 business days. On Jan 4 just sent an email to see progress, little early because of holidays, but just wanted to check. I received an instant replay that it would be 4-6 weeks. Feb 13 I sent another email just checking again, due to having wood on the ground and no reply. Feb 21 I sent another email and no reply. I am still going to give them a chance before canceling, but if you need a mill today, you might be better going somewhere else. I'm new to this forum so you can take this with a grain of salt, but looks like I am not the only one having issues. Thanks, and hope you all have a great day. Will update when and if I get the mill.


Same thing happened to me. I waited 43 days before cancelling my order. I kept getting what I would call excuses. I finally grew tired of waiting. I did receive a full quick refund though.

These guys got me my Mill in a week.

http://www.toolcenter.com/G778-48.html


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## jdodd (Feb 27, 2018)

moondoggie said:


> Same thing happened to me. I waited 43 days before cancelling my order. I kept getting what I would call excuses. I finally grew tired of waiting. I did receive a full quick refund though.
> 
> These guys got me my Mill in a week.
> 
> ...


Nice, I might have to go that route


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## rarefish383 (Feb 27, 2018)

I think I got mine from Baileys and it was only days. Being on the East Coast, when I order something out West, it usually goes out the same day. I certainly didn't have to wait for them to make it, Joe.


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## jdodd (Mar 21, 2018)

Just wanted to update. My mill is at home and waiting on me. Order Dec 15 2017, received mill March 21 2018. I’ll let you know how it looks.


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## rarefish383 (Mar 21, 2018)

Hope it looks new and skweeky clean.


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## jdodd (Mar 21, 2018)




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## 300zx_tt (Mar 31, 2018)

jdodd said:


> View attachment 641084



At least yours has paint left on it. They must have packed mine while the paint was still wet. Had a bunch of it on the inside of the box! 

Tighten the depth bolts well. Check them after your first few cuts.


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## Brandon Kline (May 23, 2018)

I bought my mill from them. It was on eBay so I messaged them and he said he had one already made in the size I wanted so I ordered it and it took over a month for him to even ship it being already made and didn’t have to make it. And the jigs that bolt to the bar aren’t square you can see at first glance and was told oh it’ll cut just fine lol


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## BigOakAdot (May 24, 2018)

Lololol it never ends with them. He clearly didn't have one made already. You get what you lay for ladies and gents.


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## Brandon Kline (May 24, 2018)

BigOakAdot said:


> Lololol it never ends with them. He clearly didn't have one made already. You get what you lay for ladies and gents.


True that. I mean the mill itself I like it an cuts great. Just all the obstacles ya gotta go thru and deal with just to get it to your door


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## andy at clover (May 25, 2018)

jdodd said:


>



I would miss not having the channel in the rails. Makes width adjustments easy.
Also, It was very easy to attach a winch into that channel with simple carriage bolts.
I like the look of the rectangular tube for the posts on this Mill ^^^ Looks super strong.
It sure looks much "stockier" than the Granberg, ... does it need to be?
These things are heavy enough!


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## ragnar_furniture_sawmill (Sep 14, 2018)

Just a quick FYI, I ordered a panther mill from them in April 2018. Five months later and it is September and I still have not had a responce to my phone calls or emails. Still no mill.


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## andy at clover (Sep 14, 2018)

ragnar_furniture_sawmill said:


> Just a quick FYI, I ordered a panther mill from them in April 2018. Five months later it is August and I still have not had a responce to my phone calls or emails.


Dude... it's September 12th !


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## Marshy (Sep 14, 2018)

ragnar_furniture_sawmill said:


> Just a quick FYI, I ordered a panther mill from them in April 2018. Five months later and it is September and I still have not had a responce to my phone calls or emails. Still no mill.


If you have knowledge of this thread before you ordered then you are the only one to blame lol. Sorry. I'd open a case with my bank or credit company.


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## Clifwoodman (Feb 13, 2019)

Hey guys, new on here and this is an old thread for sure. Wish I’d have found it sooner! Ordered a Panther2 last week and get an automated email saying the time now is 4 to 8 weeks due to medical issues. I have emailed the guy twice and tried to call to cancel order to no avail. Any suggestions? Thanks!


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## ragnar_furniture_sawmill (Feb 13, 2019)

Just cancel with the PayPal account you paid with, and order a Granberg.


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## Pro Mac Zak (Mar 5, 2019)

ragnar_furniture_sawmill said:


> Just cancel with the PayPal account you paid with, and order a Granberg.


Is it safe to say that’s what you did? Ordered mine dec 15th 2018 and everything seemed normal. Six weeks passes and i email the guy and get the automated response. 

I ordered the 72” mill. Cant afford the same from granberg


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## Clifwoodman (Mar 6, 2019)

I ordered with a credit card...have emailed the guy 4 times and called once, no response. Gonna wait the 4 weeks and then file a complaint with Florida attorney generals office. Probably won’t do any good but what the heck. It’s unbelievable to me that someone in business like that would just abandon any customer service...SMH...


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## Clifwoodman (Apr 9, 2019)

Well, went to Panthermill website and it says he is shutting down. Can’t even link to send him an email...SMH...


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## Pro Mac Zak (Apr 9, 2019)

Clifwoodman said:


> Well, went to Panthermill website and it says he is shutting down. Can’t even link to send him an email...SMH...


Yeah i checked paypal, the money was never debited from my account. So now i have a granberg 48” mill on the way from acme tools. It’s a shame but it is what it is. I hope the dude is ok


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## rarefish383 (Apr 10, 2019)

Never met the guy. I think he's just a poor business man. I think he came up with a salable idea, and bit off more than he can handle. People don't deserve to die just for being stupid., or rude.


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