# Penn Reels



## J_Lannon (Jul 23, 2003)

Just a a few lines about my recent dealings with the Penn company up in PA.

I bought a series 6500 SS a couple years back from Dicks Sporting Goods when I decided to take up surf fishing. Its made a couple hundred trips to Dam Neck, Lesner, Refuge, and probably every pier within a 100 miles.

Now the bad part.......I treated this poor thing like dog doo doo. Only got washed once after been used in the entire 2 years. I know.......I Know.......I'm a idiot. Well the anti reverse finally went out after being brined up and it actually broke one of the small rachets that work the anti reverse. I tried to repair it myself , but the parts were too small to deal with.

So I went onto Penn's website and downloaded a repair form and sent it off to PENN. I gave them my AMEX card number and wrote on the form that the reel had been abused pretty bad by some irresponsible user ( me  ). I told them to give it the works.......whatever it needed.

I recieved the reel back from Penn last week after a 17 day turn around with a 23 dollar charge to my AMEX.

I couldn't believe what they did to this thing. Not only did they fix the anti reverse, they also put a brand new drag knob, Crank handle, and cleaned it up like it just came out of the box.

The break down of the bill showed mostly labor and diagnoses. The parts were free...no charge!
Even after I told them I had abused the thing.
The reel seems to work better than when it was new, especially the drag system, it seems to be more sensitive to minor tweeks.

I guess what this all boils down to is, It's really nice to see that some companies still give you a nice bang for the buck. Even if they sell to idiots.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Peen is great for that stuff.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

thanks, thats good to know in case my penn ever needs servicing. i've found that even authorized repair/warranty places often times are laggin.

thanks


neil


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

i caught a penn 309 on the pier...cleaned as best as i could...still wouldn't work right...sent it back(and told them where i got it)...got it back looking brand new...they charged me 3.25 puul shipping...no labor...


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Best product out there, hands down. A little sloppy when you buy them, but they never change (get worse) with age. For the $$ I haven't seen anything better and I try them all.


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## gordy (Aug 20, 2004)

*penns*

The parts were free because that is a chronic problem with the SS penn reels since they went to cheap plastic parts. I have had three reels in the shop for the same repair in the last year and one reel twice. FYI- the tackle shop on 17th street and Pacific, can't recall the name, is an authorized penn repair shop and they will give you the same deal but turn it around quicker.


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## J_Lannon (Jul 23, 2003)

*gordy*

There isn't one plastic part inside the reel.

I had it apart and its all metal components.


17th Street would have been quicker, but I wanted to see how it went with the 
manufacturer.


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## gordy (Aug 20, 2004)

The housing is graphite...thats what always breaks on mine....anti reverse fits into a grove in the housing. I have six... the older ones had metal housing and I don't have this problem.


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

Nutin wrong wit dat ole Philly hospitality


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

check your reels right out of the box...i got a new 6500 at the end of November, went out on a headboat trip and was hooked up with somethin nice (probably one of those rare eastern magical morphing striped bass...you know the ones that go from 30lbs. on the bottom, to a 2lb. chub on top!  ) when my reel just stopped...the bail arm was real loose, and it would get to the point where it'd pull the arm to where it wouldn't let out line, but it wouldn't crank either way...i'm freakin' out trying to figure out what happened to my new reel, i got a fish on, so finally i drop the rod in the holder and start to hand line the fish, he gets to the top..., before i can get the net on him he spits the hook, and swims away REAL slow.


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## Shoebag22 (Jun 17, 2004)

I bought a 5500 this summer, and took it back after 2 weeks. The bail would close on me during a cast at least twice an outing... I ended up losing $50 worth of lures... got a shimano spheros 6000fa... a much sturdier and safer feeling reel. I can toss as hard as possible and still not come close to flipping the bail because the bail doesn't creep backwards like with my Penn... sorry to say it, but I will never go back to penn if they keep up with the cheap interior parts.


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## striperswiper (Nov 30, 2004)

i,ve never really liked penn spinning reels thers always somthing going wrong with them so i just dont buy them but thier casting reels are great there very durable


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## rockhead (Nov 6, 2002)

with the ss models the anti reverse does go out. I have one of their intnl baitcasters and love it. My experience with a factory repair left me less than happy, (I basically had to cry to get it back) after about 2 months, but hey thats life. I still like their products.


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## wireman (Jan 1, 2003)

If I remember right, the 5500 and down is graphite and the 6500 and up is metal. I don't have any Penn spinners but thier GTi's and Senators stand up to some serious abuse.


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

the 4400ss i bought this striper season has stood up to its fair share of use and the only complaint i have is i wan't another one prefferally a 5500 on a 9" tica spinner but an avet sx is next


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## J_Lannon (Jul 23, 2003)

*gordy*

I did a little scraping on the housing of my 6500 SS and I'm positive its metal of some sort.

I kinda knew before I did the scraping because the threads for the gear case cover are tapped right into the casing. Usually a composite structure will have inserts made of metal to take the load.

What models have you had difficulties with? 


I grew up with Penn, Shakespeare, and Zebco reels.

I buy reels at fleaMarkets, Pawnshops, etc. ....I'd like to know what models to avoid.


thx.


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

I was just out today with my Penn 6500 throwing Storm and I had a Shakespere Alpha Custom on a 10' surf rod with bait. Ya know I kinda like that Shakespere. I know it's cheap and it's only worth about $20.00, but it cast pretty decent and I haven't caught anything with it but I'd imagine it would hold up for a 15 to 25 lb fish
maybe even more, and hell if I drop it in the sand or the water it's not like I'm out 120 bucks like with my Penn. Windy crapy days are ideal for a cheaper reel.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

I am a long time fan of Penn reels. There are boat reels and casting reels just don't get them mixed up. I buy them used and clean and/or rebuild them. If any parts need replacement they are availible at Princess Anne Distributing Co. at low prices. The new 525 magnetic reel blends a distance reel with fishing toughness all into one. I will be buying another one soon!


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

I agree Dyhard, Penn boat reels are great. I found some old 1970's boat reels in my grandpop's attic and with a nice Shakespeare steardy stick, I think I could land a 100lb fish with 30 lb. test line. There are very steardy.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

The last time that I checked the choice of the Head Boats was Penn reels. Now that's a working reel!


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

That's the sorta reel I found...two of them, I cleaned them up and my Dad was amused at my 
interest in them. I also found an Ocean City Reel what predates the Penn reels by quite a margin.
It's from the 30's. Almost 'fraid to use it though. I know it's sturdy.


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## Capt. Kim CG Ret (Sep 27, 2004)

As stated earlier, the Penn Spinfishers 6500SS and larger are all metal reels and the anti-reverse on these reels is pretty good. (Scratching the paint to determine if the reel was metal wasn't a great idea. The reels are aluminum bodied and with use in salt water, will corrode. I'd touch that spot up with some good marine paint designed for aluminum outdrives and props.) I've never had a problem with mine and I have more than several in this size range. 5500SS and smaller are graphite body reels and their anti-reverse is a different story. I think becuase the reels are smaller and the parts are smaller, they don't really hold up that well. And when there is a problem, you don't want to try and fix it on the beach. The little parts and the even smaller spring that wraps around the shaft are impossible to find in the sand. That is why I use Diawas in the small reels.

The good news according to a friend who had an in with Penn and knows Dick Henry, the new owner, Penn is completely redoing their asnti-reverse on the Spinfishers so it is more like the Slammers. When they do that, the graphite reels will give Shimano and Daiwa a run for their money. 

Regarding the bail flipping too soon during a cast. This is caused by the bail wire becoming bent. The phenomenon according to the Penn engineers is called premature bail failure (sounds obscene to me.) You can fix it by taking the palm of your hand and cupping the bail wire and then slightly bending it towards the side opposite the roller and see it that corrects the problem. If not bend it the other way, towards the roller. While testing, set the drag as low as you can and turn the anti-reverse to off so that if it does trip, you won't break off. It doesn't take a whole lot of banging the reels around to bend this wire until you experience the problem. However the fix is really pretty simple. (If you have an identical reel that isn't causing problems, you can compare the two bail wires before starting to bend the one that is failing.) 

There is no company selling reels in the US that can compare with Penn for customer service in my opinion.


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## J_Lannon (Jul 23, 2003)

*Scaratching.*

Capt Kim
I scratched the inside of the gear case cover to determine the material.

I agree, scratching the outside will cause corrosion.


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## gordy (Aug 20, 2004)

*penns*

J Lannon,

The ones I have had problems with are the 4400, 4300, 4500...the 6500 and the 8500 I have do have a metal housing and haven't yet had any problems with those two. The problems on the lower series started when I went to super lines like Power Pro...the graphite reels can't handle dragin bubba out of the poles at the Lesner.


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

*Penn 525mag problems*

I've had my little 525mag for about six months now. To be honest, it's the best casting reel I've ever owned. When I buy my next reel, it's going to be another 525mag. 
However, the reel has had a few problems. The eccentric lever came off a few months ago. Now the handle is broken.
I had the lever fixed for a dollar at Princess Anne B&T. Fortunately, I found the lever in the sand when it fell off and all I needed was a new screw. 
It seems all I ever need in life is a new screw, but that's another story. 
The guys at Princess Anne found a screw from another Penn model that fit. 
The Penn company did send me a replacement lever and hardware for free. I now keep it in my tackle box in case the lever ever comes loose again, which happened last week. I think it's a good idea to use the little Penn tool to tighten that screw down about once a month or so. Might not be a bad idea. 
I tried to call Penn today about the broken reel handle. I couldn't get anyone on the phone, so I had to leave a message. I hope they will replace the handle for free. If they don't, no big deal. I'm pretty hard on my equipment (insert joke here).


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

i've never had any problems with any of my penn reels...i've got a few old 4/0 senators, a smaller boat reel ("No. 38"), a 525mag, and a 6500SS. they're very durable...all of my reels are in good condition, i rinse them well after every use and oil them occasionally...a good cleaning once or twice a year.


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## gordy (Aug 20, 2004)

*Penns*

I hate to bring this back guys but........I"ve had a slight change of heart. I received a Penn 330 GTi combo from my wife for X-Mas . I've been with the woman for 4 years and have never received a fishing related gift. She stold my heart again. At least this Penn is good in my book..LOL.....better catch a big fish on it or my wife will never buy another fishing related gift..........


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## jjaachapa (Aug 7, 2004)

Gordy, if you cant seem to catch the big one with your new gift just go to a fish market and then bragg to her. She will get you a fishing item from then on out every b-day or x-mas.  
Chapa
Its slick but just might work.


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