Well, its about time for me to get the itch again and pull the trigger on another bow order. Has anyone here owned and shot both of these bows?? How did they shoot ,handle and compare to each other?? Is the Palmer really worth the $1200??... $500 more then the top of the line Bob Lee??
How is the Customer Service with both of these Companies???
Pop some popcorn! :campfire:
bob lee are great to deal with. nice bows too. as for palmer, i don't know.
Just mentioned it on another thread:
Had bought a second hand BL Recurve, and after some months one Tip broke of, whilst full draw.
I sent it in and Bob Lee repaired it free of charge, even though I was not the original owner and it was older than two years.
They fixed it the day it got there, as well!
That´s what I call great customer service.
Did I mention that I really like that bow?
Stefan
I have a lot of bows some well over the $1000 and honestly so far i almost always back with my bob lee for consistency and feel. it always surprises me but it is what it is.
s
i have a couple bob lees, i dont know anything about palmers but it would be hard to belive that they could preform any better, and as mentioned the service is great.
I agree with Jr , bob lee has great service , but I love to try a Plamer , I tried to contact Plamer but had trouble calling them. There both great choice.
BOB LEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome bows and great people!!! I heard Mr. palmer is very moody and bad customer service you might want to do some research!
I own a Bob Lee Bicentenial. Had a small problem, sent it back and it was taken care of immediately, no questions asked. My warranty was also extended for two years from date of repair. They're great to deal and the bow is a joy to shoot. I would gladly own another.
Service is great, and the people are a pleasure to deal with.
QuoteOriginally posted by limbow:
Pop some popcorn! :campfire:
:biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Palmer has a bad reputation for customer service, I never had one of his bow's but I've heard it from several people. When I meet him at K-zoo a couple of years ago he would'nt give me the time of day,that turned me off his bows in a hurry!!! just my 2 cent's, Jason.
stick hunter is very close to the mark. Pm me if you want my personal experience w/ Palmer.
I went to Denton Hill about 15 years ago with my Palmer bow. Had a fist full of money in my pocket & thought I needed a NEW bow. I shot almost every takedown there. None were BETTER than what I already had. I still shoot my Palmer.Both are top of the line bows. Try both if you can.I don't think you can go wrong with eather one.
They're you go string cutter. sounds like you have an answer! Bob, Rob, and Charlotte are good people, over 50 years in the archery business, thats says alot. I have a signature bow, new in 1995, still shooting strong. I always considered Bob as one of those "Fine southern Gentlemen"!
No longer own a Lee but not because of lack of performance or poor customer service. Just can't own them all. Would not hesitate to buy another Lee if the need were to arise. Good company, great customer service, and a long history. No way I would pay $1200 for a Palmer bow. Morrison, Black Widow and others in that price range might be considered but not a Palmer.
Does the BL bow have the performance that the Palmer's are known for? I know there have been quite a few folks here that have had a few structural issues with limbs/riser on the Palmer bows with not much help from the bowyer. I really want to shoot a Lee just to see how it performs.
I recently got a used bob lee off the site and am loving it. 62" 48# @ 28" really throws an arrow. Bob Lee my choice.
I own 5 palmers and love them. Their customer service stinks but they make a great bow. I have also owned Bob Lee classic and it shot well but I like the Palmer linb attachment system alot better.Their customer service system is much better but the Palmer is better for me.As far as the price, there some good used one's around.
I've owned three Palmer bows for several years without any problems whatsoever. They shoot great, have a great grip, draw real smooth and NO recoil after the shot. Did I mention they are plenty fast. I believe they are an outstanding recurve bow.
I have also owned Bob Lee recurve bows and they too are great bows. They are very accurate and consistent performing bows. I don't have any at the moment but hope to own another some day.
My experiences with Mike Palmer and his wife have been nothing but good. I have visited his shop in Sabinal, Texas on several occasions and once he treated me to lunch even though he was busy building bows. I'm no one special just a regular guy that likes to shoot traditional bows.
In the end, if you get a Palmer I believe you will be extremely satisfied with the performance of the bow. If you get a Bob Lee you will get the same results.
FYI, occasionally you will see a Palmer or Bob Lee bow for sale on this and other sites. You might consider getting a used one of each to try out since I'm sure there is an abundance of shooters that will be more than happy to buy them back from you if you don't like either.
As a matter of fact, today I received a used but very unique Palmer bow that I bought recently. It has a classic riser made of osage/modark and the limbs are osage. Believe me the bow is immaculate and looks new. It's 60" 53@28 and shoots just like you would expect a Palmer to shoot; AWESOME.
My point is this, there are plenty of good used bows out there that people hardly use and if you look hard enough you may become the recipient of one of those bows. I'm sure you will be very happy to own either one.
Good Luck.
Tommy, get the Lee. Preferrably the Bicentenial Elite, 60" 50@27 (or there abouts). Shoot it for a while, then I'll be glad to buy it from you at fair market price!!
I'm pretty serious.
Allen
:campfire:
My first custom bow was a Bob Lee HUNTER T/D. 62"s long, 49# draw @ 28"s. I have taken 5 deer with that bow in the last 2 seasons. All pass thru double lung shots. The craftsmanship and performance is excellent. Rob Lee will answer all your questions and Sandy will help with your shipping questions or any other questions you may have. Customer service is second to none in my opinion.
All I can is that my B.L. HUNTER is....SMOOTH, SILENT, FAST, NO STACKING. Just an AWESOME PIECE OF WOOD....!!
Hawgslayer................ :archer:
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o96/hawgslayer/Ubly07021.jpg)
There are bows on sale now at bobleearchery.com.Click on bows ready for shipment and they are writen in red..GOOD LUCK
I have read and heard many good things about the Palmer recurves, but there seems to be quite a bit of negatives too.
1. certain risers tend to split
2. bolt holes easily crack
3. double carbon is no better than single carbon
4. customer service is fair at best
5. and they are overpriced
I had the chance to buy a used double carbon about a year ago and after a few months of shooting it, I was not impressed. It may have just been that particular bow, but I found it finicky, unforgiving, and tempermental. I sold it and checked it off my list.
My nod goes to the Bob Lee.
Just checked out BL's website. They have a sell going on..T/D Hunter for $499. :bigsmyl: A.S. I'm a southpaw. Sorry???
If you want a palmer, be patient and wait for one to show up in the classifieds. The one I have is an older model, but it is a sure enough shooter.
Here's my take and I have owned both. The Palmers are fast bows, no doubt about that. I liked the grip on my Lee TD over the Palmer. I was more consistant with the Lee TD.
Bows will vary from bow to bow. It is always best to try out a bow before you decide to buy. The bow has to fit your shooting style. If you can't hit with a particular bow, why own it?
JL
I have owned a few Lees and they really are great bows. I had an issue with one of them and they immediately started making me a brand new replacement bow - does not come any better than that.
I have never shot a Palmer but one of my good buddies in Australia bought one and told me to NEVER touch a Palmer. He said the customer service was horrendous and very stressful.
After watching the Eichler tapes I really wanted one of those bows but one would be an idiot to desregard advice like that from a good friend.
sutto
I have had a couple of Palmers, but never shot a Bob Lee. The first Palmer I had was a custom order....just what I wanted! While it lasted, it performed beautifully and I really liked it a lot. However, I had a crack develop in the riser and sent it back to be repaired. When I got it back, it wasn't really repaired correctly and got progressively worse. Then, one day the bottom limb broke in half. I was so disappointed in the service from the riser repair, I simply junked the bow! If I were to get another custom bow, (doubtful)I would go with the Lee over the Palmer.
Mike
I had a Palmer for a bit. It was very fast and I really liked the grip, but it was touchy (but it was a 60 inch bow and I draw 29 so a 62 incher may have been a better choice)and very loud. I would like to try a Foley at some point which is also made in texas and resembles the palmers and bob lees a bit.
I have a Lee all Bubinga takedown longbow. I love it. You can't go wrong with a Lee.
Darren
ttt
go with the LEE
Lee is the way to go, have 3 and love them all, with no problems and great service.
I just bought a used 1-piece Red Wing Hunter made by Bob Lee. Consistent shooter, fast, smooth. Very pleased with it. Buy the used, cheaper one, then, if it doesn't fit you sell it. Never owned a Palmer, and don't plan to.
A Bob Lee is real hard to beat for quality and shootability.
Find you a used Partners Bow, then you won't have to choose. ;)
I believe Brent is refering to the fact Lee and Palmer worked on bows together at one time. I believe the design is very very similar. i have owned both and performance wise a few and I mean few fps. is all. I never dealt with Palmer but i have the Lees many times, for me hands down go with the Lee. Great bows as good or better than the Palmer in many aspects and ya get great customer service and ya can buy two Lees for the price of one Palmer, or better yet buy a lee with one set of longbow limbs and one set of recurve limbs and still have enough to buy a few dozen arrows!! Shawn
Palmer and lee are both great bows,, I would never trade or sellmy palmer classic because it totally smoked the 3 lees I had. with that being said I believe palmer only makes one style recurve now called the slam, its sure its nice bow but cos a lot.
bow lees on the other hand, draw super smooth, have a sweet grip and are backed by a great company that will be around for along time. they have a ton of bows always ready to go and for the money they cannot be beat.. if you have the money and the time get the palmer,, but if you want to save 500.00 and don't want to wait get the bob lee.
I'd go with the Lee...
Sorry, I never shot both but my Bob Lee is a shooter. I just got my third one last month.
Customer service is top notch! Rob Lee and the gang at Bob Lee Archery are a great people to deal with!
Cant go wrong with a Bob Lee....great bow for the money and Rob is a great guy to boot!
I just bought a Lee Signature TD recurve. They had exactly what I wanted in stock. I got it one week from the day I ordered it. It was a great deal at $635. It's smooth and quiet and no slouch in the speed department. Service was excellent and friendly. I would definitely recommend the Lee. I haven't shot a Palmer, so can't say anthing either way about them.
I own 4 palmers and a trad slam will be here in 2 weeks. I have nothing but good things to say for his bows and customer service. Never any problems and bows were delivered when he said they would be. I've never shot a bob lee so will not comment on them other than to say the top of the line b.l. with exotic hard wood, etc. is not much less money than a palmer.
I picked this thread up again because I read something recently that said that Palmer and Bob Lee were at one time in business together, and there was a split. Not interested in the gossip, just the bows--they look awfully similar (riser shape, etc.) Does anyone know if there is a performance difference given the big PRICE difference (although a top-of-the-line BL now hits close to $900)--I mean could the limb design be that different?
QuoteOriginally posted by limbow:
Pop some popcorn! :campfire:
:coffee:
I had Mike Palmer build me a bow, maybe 15 years ago ( single carbon 62" 53#@29"). I talked to Mike for close to an hour on the phone, just pickin his brain. Seemed like a nice guy to me. Never had a problem with the bow, still my go to bow. Would I spend $1200 for a new one? That's twice what I paid for mine. I think I would look for a used one first.
Having owned a few of both, the Palmer will be a couple of fps faster. If anything goes wrong, you are much better off with the Lee. Nuff said.
I feel for the money you can't beat a
Bob Lee. Service is also first rate.
I own both...I can tell you that I can take either bow and shoot them without an obvious difference in how they shoot for me but every shooter is different. Both where bought used off this site for about the same price. I called about new limbs for my Palmer (something heavier)and found out that he is only making the Trad Slam bow for $1200 right now. I bet I could get some limbs for my Lee Classic pretty quick if I needed them so that would sell me on the Lee if I wanted a new one!
Bob Lee bows are great shooters, they are smooth as silk, spit out an arrow pretty fast. The one I ahve in the garage is has taken a lot of game , including antleope, deer and feral hogs . They are dead in the hand with little hand shock. The customer service is top of the line.
BUT I would never buy another due to them being the noisiest recurve I have EVER shot. I tryed everything to quite mine down . I found a way to quite it -Sell it .
Jack
I have 2 Lee TD longbows--don't know about the recurves--and I quieted them down by adding those Simms rubber things on the limbs (along with wool string silencers). Works like a charm.
So, my unofficial poll says not much difference in performance for most shooters, and a big difference in customer service for most shooters.
I currently own 2 Palmers and performance wise they are both very fast, stable and quite accurate. They are probably the fastest bows I own. I was fortunate to buy them when they were half the price they are now.
I have never had an issue with them or Mike Palmer, and in fact he is very knowledgeable no doubt, but was quite friendly when I called him. His wife even gave me his cell phone number and I called him while he was hunting. I can assure you that I would not be as nice as he was.
In fact, when I was at Denton Hill my Palmer was chronoed the fastest bow for the few days I was there. That was a 58 lb bow.
I waited a while for my second bow, but to compensate for the wait, he upgraded my limbs to the Trad Slam without cost.
So, would I pay that money for a Palmer, it all depends on your available resources, but from my experience they have been excellent bows, and will shoot with the fastest out there.
I have no experience with Palmer, but do with BL bows. My son and I have several Wings and BLs between us. I just sold one BL and have made a deal to buy another. I have, and have had many other bows, but I keep going back to the BLs.
I guess that speaks for itself.
My friend has 3 Bob Lee one piece recurve he shoots them great and they are well made. Hummingbirds for me though.LCH
BTW, I have had some noisy BL bows but finally figured out how to make them shoot quiet.
Of those two choices, I would take the Bob Lee every time over the Palmer. No way it is worth $10 more than a Bob Lee.
i love the Lee t/d recurves and i am a big fan of there customer service and warranty .
i have dealt with Palmer as well , but if you can't say anything nice then you shouldn't say anything at all so i'll stay quiet .
On a lighter note when my mate was looking to get new limbs for the Palmer i had just sold him for an upcoming 'Buff hunt , Mr Palmer wondered why he wanted anything more than 55lb limbs and told us that he'd happily shoot our Aussie asiatic water buff with a 55 @ 29" bow ... mmmm
ben
Ben
I shoot a Bob Lee Hunter takedown, it is a great bow. When I had it about 6 mos., I was letting a friend shoot it. The bow broke in half. I don't know what caused it but I contacted Rob Lee and they replaced the riser. Their customer service is great. I would definatly recommend a Bob Lee. I've never shot a Palmer. He seems like a crazy guy on the Traditional Harvests DVD's.
I bought and Bob Lee Classic used from a Guy last year and I called Bob Lee Archery to see if I could get some new Limb, Rob Lee answered the phone he treated me as if I was the original owner made me a new set of limb and dropped the poundage on my old limbs and redid my riser, I told Rob I am a Customer for life I have never had any dealing with Palmer Bow,
I have a Lee Hunter and it's great. Someone borrow me a LH Palmer to test against it for a year or so, and I'll give an educated opinion on which is better...
I have owned both and still own a Palmer single carbon. Mike and Sandy have never been a problem for me but I do know others with much different experiences. The lees have great customer service but I prefer the Palmer bows personally by far. I'd wait for a good used single carbon to show up though, I wouldn't order a Trad Slam but I'm not all into having a riser with all of those laser engravings on it my self. By the way, Mike hunts the single carbon himself last I knew and he can own any bow he makes lol.
My brother hasa bob lee and i have a palmer. My palmer is my go to bow and is very fast and great shooting.
I have two bob lees, and absolutely LOVE them. Very fast, very quite. Most bl limbs will fit both my short or regular riser. Every time I have been next to a palmer they always seem loud, maybe due to somthing else other than the bow, I don't know. Bob Lees customer service is the best. m2c
Gilbert
If customer service is important go with the Bob Lee. They stand behind what they build.
My Bob Lee developed a small crack in the limb glass. They replaced the limbs no questions asked; had them in a few weeks. Very Good customer service.
Never owned a Palmer but I do have a one piece Bob Lee Hunter. Good bows good people to deal with, Bob has been at it a long time and does not get the kudos that he deserves, did I mention that they are a sponsor here.