Granburg vs panther pro (48")

[adictedtooak]

hey guys, new to milling here and had a question. I can get a granburg 48" mill for about $270 bucks. The panther pro mill is only $180. Is there $90 bucks worth of difference between the two? Any body have any experience with the panther pro mills? I haven't heard one negative word about the granburg mills so I'm leaning in that direction even though the price is higher.


Edit, I'm looking at the panther II not the panther pro mill

 

[mdavlee]

Depends how strong you are. Granberg is a bit lighter

 

[adictedtooak]

Depends how strong you are. Granberg is a bit lighter

Is that the only difference? Granburg is aluminum and the panther is steel?

 

[mdavlee]

I've never used a panther. I had a 56" Granberg and 30" Granberg. They're not too bad as far as weight.

 

[Dolmar Junkie]

Is that the only difference? Granburg is aluminum and the panther is steel?

I don't know slot about the panther other than what I have seen in videos,it is going to be a good bit heavier, relatively speaking but it's not like you have to carry it all day. The majority of your work will be done with the log carrying the load. It will offer a little more resistance when pushing,but I believe that would be negligible. A lot of people mill on an incline to lessen the resistance.q Granberg doe's offer a quality product, the stuff I have is nice, but I do like saving money and after buying the equipment I realized that I could build a mill with material that I have on hand basically scrap metal. I am not saying that is what you should do but it is an option, a cheap one. And there are mills on here that members have built and use. Don't know your intended use or your skill level but it is food for thought! Matt....
And by the way, Welcome to the Forum. Lots of good people and information....

 

[Wolverine]

I can only mirror thoughts already posted. When carrying the set up around (I use a 394 w/ a 42 bar and a 48 mkIII), weight is an issue. Take that into consideration. Grandbergs new end brackets are very nice. If you do choose it, make sure it has them. Old style had a known bad run that broke easily (ask me how I know).

 

[Marshy]

I purchased a used Panther II for a co-worked and helped him mill with a 394 and a 44" bar. I have not use the Granberg mills but I can spot one advantage it has over the Panther. The Panther is fixed and you cannot adjust the mill width to run different length bars without drilling holes into the mill and handle. The Granberg used slotted rails and you can use any length bar you choose. Other than that, the panther mills are not terribly heavy. They use a pinch bolt to secure the uprights and are simple and stout. It really does amaze me how easy it would be to create your own with a small welder and some tube stock.

 

[mdavlee]

088 50" bar and 56" granberg is pushing 50 lbs. Panther pro is about 6-10 lbs heavier in that size.