Ponsness Warren in Trouble?
 

Sent my PW 800 Plus in for a tuneup about 4-5 months ago. Called about 6 weeks ago, and was told "You're getting near the top of the heap". Called yesterday. Went to voicemail. Asked for a return call. NADA. I'm getting worried

I wonder if they've ever thought of putting on a couple of more mechanics instead of hiring engineers to come up with new models. I have a small covey of 800Bs and there was absolutely no reason for them to invent new potential trouble sources. My loaders are thirty years and more old and are still working fine. Good luck ever seeing your loader again.

Problem is EVERYBODY is looking for help and can't find any. If you find someone willing to work they want wages higher than what the owner makes or higher than employees who have been working there for years earn. Guys that say "just pay them" have to realize that will drive up the costs of goods and services. No business can give the extortion type wages some are asking and expect to hold prices to pre-PLANdemic levels.

Because they earn such a comfortable wage (gummint handout) sitting on their butts at home.






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I hear you Mike!! We can't even interview anyone for menial office work (a minimum wage job) for less than $17+ an hour. Then they show up and I discover what brain they used to have was left somewhere else by mistake.

Keep in mind the rush of people getting into reloading because of the factory ammo shortage.

I just wish I had the four 800C’s I used to have BACK :whistle:

Possibly try e-mail?
Email us at: support@reloaders.com for Repairs and Technical Support or info@reloaders.com for Sales and Orders questions.

Contacted them last week. Mu position in the waiting line has improved from #17 to #5. Only took about 5 weeks for that

Each and every contract negotiation I was a party to had to deal with the union's ceaseless quest for 'sick days'. Apart from choking utility electric bills ( in 2000, an average month was well north of $60K per month) I can only imagine how hard it would be to keep going today, and feed 135 dependents.

I just called Ponsness Warren today. I talked to a very nice lady, Jean. I told her I shipped my press to them last November and at that time I was told 3 to 5 months for it to be returned. Today she told me there are 8 ahead of me. She also said that there is only one man who rebuilds/repairs the presses. He get pulled off at times to work on other items. She also said that in the past year they have hired seven people to hopefully find at least one to work with this one man and none have stayed. Apparently they just did not want to "work" for a living. She also said that they are in no way in trouble and are staying in business. Hopefully my press will be done and returned by the beginning of April.

I got a call this past Friday from Ponsness Warren. The young lady informed me that the estimate on my press was $787.79. She told me that the "cross head" was cracked. She also said that they did not have one and it could possibly be 3 to 5 months to get one. I called back today and told them to keep the press. I went and ordered a Mec 9000gn from Precision Reloading and with the state tax and shipping it came to $803.55. I had bought the PW used ten years ago and put probably 9,000 to 10,000 rounds through it. It had a lot of issues when I bought it account of the previous owner had no idea what he was doing and did more damage than good.

Tom, did she give you the price of a new PW?





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Yes she did Dean. To replace the LS1000 I had it would be $1099.99. Their Patriot is now $1200. The base press now is an 800plus which is $899.99.

After sitting for about 4 months, I got a call about 3 weeks ago, telling me that their first guess was $375, but would be adjusted as they got into it. Told them I was away from my house for a month - please hold it until I returned. They were most accommodating. Cost of shooting is going up, whether fresh shells or reloading. Down in FL for a month. Am pleased to find a friend who will sell me a flat of shells for $85, all up

I have two extra PW machines in 12g that I need to sell. They have been sitting in my basement. I was thinking of mentioning them before Ernies this year.

I have two broken 800B .410s. I guess the best thing to do is sell them at no money and go from there. My 12, 20, and 28 800Bs are running fine after 40 years or so.

You were lucky to find shells for $85 a flat. I was at LL Beans in Freeport this past Sunday and have not see as much ammunition in one place in two years. Tons of cases and individual boxes of about anything you can imagine, including some 2.5" RST's in lead. But the prices were out of sight. The RST's were $65 a box, and the flats went from $165 to $248 per case. Run of the mill individual boxes were around $25 to $35 per box.

Steve - The $85 is an insider price. My friend started a gun club and Clays range, and buys shells at the lowest price possible. He's passing them on to his friends at his cost

Very sorry to hear about this problem with your PW reloader.
During the past 40+ years I have sent my PW 375 back to them 3 times for add ons -10, 16 & 20 ga. They adjusted them for me including making 10b 2 &7/8" , 12 b 2.5" & 16 b 2.5" inch dies that I also use to cut shotgun shells to correct length.
Finding good help continues to be a problem many places, sadly
Jim

Got my press back. $287 - about $75 less than initial estimate. Of that cost, $93 was for "Shipping fee". UPS got their share, but I was really impressed with the quality packaging job they did. Several plywood plates, and lots of Styrofoam./ Now, if I could only get some 700X and Winchester 209's.

Jim McKee has a great idea, using a 375 PW die to keep the shells in place while you cut them to 2 1/2". Thanks, Jim.