Panther plotters

[letsoren]

Hi. I'm thinking about buying a new Panther plotter 24 inch. Any info on these units? I'll be using it to make signs as well as cutting out patterns for airbrushing motorcycles. Thanks.

 

[Chad.]

you get what you pay for.

 

[letsoren]

Hi. Can you give me some pointers on this unit?

 

[imaSIGNr]

I have a 30". I have had no problems with it....I have a friend at another shop with a24". She hates it. I think there is a big difference in the way the operate from a 24" to a 30" besides just being different sizes....

 

[bob]

I have a 30". I have had no problems with it....I have a friend at another shop with a24". She hates it. I think there is a big difference in the way the operate from a 24" to a 30" besides just being different sizes....

Having owned both a 24" and a 30" Panther I can state with some authority that they are identical in operation.

A Panther is probably the best of the el cheapo plotters. With the two I owned I had to replace the tool carriage once in the 24" and twice in the 30" in less than a year. As plotters go they're sort of heavy handed and without a lot of finesse and elegance. The manual is from hell. The stand and media roller mounting fasteners are cast pot metal Allen heads and one brisk turn with an Allen wrench and they are well and truly stripped.

If you've never owned a high end plotter you'll think the Panther is just fine. I did until I bought a Graphtec. The differences can sometimes be subtle but are telling and add up to night and day. Now you couldn't give me a Panther.

 

[txsurfer]

No problems with mine, going on 4 years!

 

[high impact]

I've been using graphtec plotters for about 4 years now. Bought out another sign shop a year ago and received a panther in the deal. Sits in the corner and nobody will use. Everybody uses the good ol' graphtec. I recommend spending the x-tra bucks and get a grapthec.

 

[Techman]

There are posts all over the internet about the shorfalls of those chinese cutters. At first ppl like them because they seem to do the job but later realize just how much they are losing.

Some are held together with hot glue in certain places. Some use nylon type bushings. Some use thinner belts. No matter. In the long run you will very likely wish you didnt get one.

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

I'll be using it to make signs as well as cutting out patterns for airbrushing motorcycles. Thanks.

It might be a good machine if you plan to hardly use it at all!!!

But if you plan to give it a lot of work, reread all the above, or do a search on plotters named after animals, for opinions- most are very unflattering.

 

[OldPaint]

MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW......you want a PET .....GET A CAT....you wnat a plotter...BUY A REAL PLOTTER.........