Penn reels

[wingnut55]

That's why I'm leaving the mk4's alone mate.

Thought you used Tronixpro Guerilla multis Wolf ?. Have you looked at the new Banzai ones mate..

Ian.

 

[Wolf]

Thought you used Tronixpro Guerilla multis Wolf ?. Have you looked at the new Banzai ones mate..

I do, i have got a pair of the banzai ones,it was just that I got offered a pair of mk4s.

 

[goose]

Just bought a pair of fathom 2 stardrag mags in the 12 size, feel very solid , not as refined as the 7ht's but feel a bit better in use than the casting specials which is odd as I thought they were just a smaller version.

 

[blakdog is back]

Despite the horror stories, I use a 525 MK4
Loaded with 80lb braid and used solely for skull dragging.
Not failed yet......

It will .... give it time

I use the 515 mag 4,
Narrower spool and frame means less chance of alleged distortion! taken some stick on here for using them in the past but in the right hands they outcast the fathom 12 all day long

They definitely distort (and don't leave it in your car on a hot day or lean rod and reel near a radiator) .... some of them also go like a bag of spanners prematurely and they have shite mouldings out of the box.

This is a mag3 but the couple of mag4s I've seen hadn't shown much improvement ...


The casting comment is daft .... they are about the same size spool with the same size bearings, same spindle setup and same mag system. There will be nothing between them so long as they are running okay.

 

[Wolf]

Just bought a pair of fathom 2 stardrag mags in the 12 size, feel very solid , not as refined as the 7ht's but feel a bit better in use than the casting specials which is odd as I thought they were just a smaller version.

Will be interesting to know how you got on with them,looking forward to reading your write up.

 

[Still whittling]

Does anyone use the penn mag 4's for beach fishing? I've been offered a pair.

Had no problems so far with my 525 mag 4, despite the warnings from blowhards that haven't actually owned one,I read the review on here and figured Mike and co are fairly knowledgeable about tackle,it was under £100 new so it is probably inferior to a £300 pound reel and won't last as long,ye pays yer money

 

[Beach]

Does anyone use the penn mag 4's for beach fishing? I've been offered a pair.

Overpriced and over here imo.

 

[blakdog is back]

Had no problems so far with my 525 mag 4, despite the warnings from blowhards that haven't actually owned one,I read the review on here and figured Mike and co are fairly knowledgeable about tackle,it was under £100 new so it is probably inferior to a £300 pound reel and won't last as long,ye pays yer money

I haven't owned one (nor would I) ... I take it that makes me a blowhard does it?

 

[Cwab]

Had to check on the definition of blowhard

 

[Still whittling]

I haven't owned one (nor would I) ... I take it that makes me a blowhard does it?

Why would you own one you don't go fishing you could put it on a mantle piece I suppose most reels have problems even the expensive ones,if they didn't you would be out of business pretty quickly.

 

[Mushty]

It will .... give it time


They definitely distort (and don't leave it in your car on a hot day or lean rod and reel near a radiator) .... some of them also go like a bag of spanners prematurely and they have shite mouldings out of the box.

This is a mag3 but the couple of mag4s I've seen hadn't shown much improvement ...

View attachment 63547
The casting comment is daft .... they are about the same size spool with the same size bearings, same spindle setup and same mag system. There will be nothing between them so long as they are running okay.

That’s odd as you posted this earlier in the year…quote
“The 515s are like a different reel ... I wonder if they are made in a different factory because they suffer much less from the quality issues.”
confused dot com.

 

[blakdog is back]

That’s odd as you posted this earlier in the year…quote
“The 515s are like a different reel ... I wonder if they are made in a different factory because they suffer much less from the quality issues.”
confused dot com.

Much less doesn't mean not at all .... it's like the difference between a turd and a polished turd. Feel free to keep searching through the archives.

 

[blakdog is back]

Why would you own one you don't go fishing you could put it on a mantle piece I suppose most reels have problems even the expensive ones,if they didn't you would be out of business pretty quickly.

I'm quite fussy about my fishing company .... hence most people won't have any idea about my fishing.

There is no perfect reel .... but its a very low bar set to be better than the Chinese Penn mags. Another reel repairer describes them as "manufactured worn out".

You didn't answer the question.

 

[Still whittling]

I'm quite fussy about my fishing company .... hence most people won't have any idea about my fishing.

There is no perfect reel .... but its a very low bar set to be better than the Chinese Penn mags. Another reel repairer describes them as "manufactured worn out".

You didn't answer the question.

I'm not disputing the fact you have a good knowledge of reels, it's your job,but you would have to use one to give a fair and balanced view,I would make the analogy that a journalist reviewing a car would not give an opinion without test driving it,look at the many reviews online and you will see the reel scores 4.9 out of 5 and as I stated the review on here is good,perhaps you would like to pm Mike and tell him to remove it as it's misleading, it's a cheap reel and to achieve that the manufacturing standard is not as good as reels three times the price,I have used mine for six months and it casts well and has wound in skate and double shots of doggies with no bother,oh and i probably have a better idea of your fishing habits than most on here bar one of course.

 

[blakdog is back]

i probably have a better idea of your fishing habits than most on here bar one of course.

You don't know me anything like as well as you think .. nor does bar one quite frankly!

A review of a reel out of a box is just that .... just tells you what it's like out of the box and after a few sessions. I don't have to use a reel to see that they end up on my bench busted before their time (or in a number of cases) within a few sessions. I don't need to pm Mike, I wasn't talking to Mike. Six months is not much of a test for anything.

 

[concrete]

Had no problems so far with my 525 mag 4, despite the warnings from blowhards that haven't actually owned one,I read the review on here and figured Mike and co are fairly knowledgeable about tackle,it was under £100 new so it is probably inferior to a £300 pound reel and won't last as long,ye pays yer money

Can I have a go with it.

 

[nearly70ty]

I have a 525 and a 515 mag 3, I've had them a while, I like the overall feel of them the casting is controlled well, they are light and winding in is a doddle. I mostly night fish and the one thing that not great about both reels if I have a bit of a fluff up the line can get between the frame and spool. its not the end of the world and is easerly remedied with a tug in the right place but still a pain.

 

[Cwab]

had at one point a number of Penn 525 slidey and still have one but not used for over a decade and were great for the ground I fished then, but started fishing heavy ground so invested in a pair of penn trq100 slidey and a 535 high ratio all bomb proof and still have the 535 winch. All did great service and got some stick with no bother, but now use egg whisks and braid for the heavy ground. Edit, just to say the 525 would have coped with rougher ground with ease if needed.
Of course the Alvey reel will fill the creel this winter upt cliff