# magnet mod penn 525mag.



## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

from what i read, some people modded their 525 for an extra oopmh in mag power.

they stick on 2 extra mags on the carrier inside.

they said i can get theses neodymium mags (rare earth) at radioshack.

i want to mod mine.. what size do i need to get that fits ??

like thickness and width? maybe if someone can help me look on radioshacks website for a model number?

then i can head to one and just ask the counter people?


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## junkmansj (Jul 23, 2005)

I ordered the Mag Kit from Hatteras outfitters, Two screws and your done. Increased the Mag control


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## toejam (Jan 28, 2005)

ooeric said:


> from what i read, some people modded their 525 for an extra oopmh in mag power.
> 
> they stick on 2 extra mags on the carrier inside.
> 
> ...


 i use 2 of the 1/4 x 1/10 , just stick them on the back side of the factory magnet bar,,, the factory mags will hold them in place.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32065&cat=1,42363,42348&ap=1


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

is 1/4" x 1/10" the only ones that would fit??

what if i wanted more power, would thicker mags work? or would clearance issues be at hand?

thanks.


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## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

if you needed more then you could add up to four of the 1/4 magnets. That should be more than enough to get you r reel under control. If not then you my need to use a thicker oil in the bearings to slow it down a bit.


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## Mangus (Mar 22, 2007)

*Mags*

I got fifty 0.100 x 0.250 inch rare earth magnets from Magcraft for $9.00 plus shipping. I added two magnets and I threw 4 oz with bait all day on the 4 setting instead of the usual 8 (max). Five weeks later I finally got my mag plate from HO (it took them that long), and I am still throwing on 4 after installing it, 5 if throwing 5 and 6 oz. I use red rocket fuel. 
It's your reel, your choice. Radio Shacks are everywhere and the magnets are inexpensive. I'm getting two more 525's and just adding the magnets. If you were closer I'd give you a half dozen from my "collection". Just remove the end plate, and with your finger guide one magnet at a time toward the backside of the plate that holds the four factory mags. Magnetism will do the rest; it will leap from your finger by itself. These little guys are strong.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Mangus said:


> I got fifty 0.100 x 0.250 inch rare earth magnets from Magcraft for $9.00 plus shipping. I added two magnets and I threw 4 oz with bait all day on the 4 setting instead of the usual 8 (max). Five weeks later I finally got my mag plate from HO (it took them that long), and I am still throwing on 4 after installing it, 5 if throwing 5 and 6 oz. I use red rocket fuel.
> It's your reel, your choice. Radio Shacks are everywhere and the magnets are inexpensive. I'm getting two more 525's and just adding the magnets. If you were closer I'd give you a half dozen from my "collection". Just remove the end plate, and with your finger guide one magnet at a time toward the backside of the plate that holds the four factory mags. Magnetism will do the rest; it will leap from your finger by itself. These little guys are strong.


Not to start the "Great 525 Magnet Debate" again, but I have been HEAVING my 525 off the pier with true 8 and bait on a 3 or 4 setting (depending on size of the bait) with the overhead cast using a 6'5" HEAVY rod and do not get blow-ups. This is using the factory mags. Reel tuning involves more than just magnets. Reel oil viscosity comes into play also, as well as bearings (ceramic vs. ABEC 5 vs ABEC 7, etc) Not sure what type fishing you are doing, rod size, etc, nor do I know if you have heavy headwinds, but I would almost bet that if you used the standard Penn reel lube, you wouldn't need the extra mags. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe I'll change my mind when I get a little more proficient in surfcasting with a longer rod and the velocity increases, but I still think that I have a lot to play with going from 3 or 4 to an 8 setting without having to add extra mags. Of course, I guess what it all boils down to is use whatever works for you.


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## Mangus (Mar 22, 2007)

*sprtsracer*

Friend. There are some people like me that need all the help we can get!!! 

Some people have that "touch" and can find the sweet spot with no effort. I don't. I have practiced all summer with a 4 1/2 oz rubber ball in my front yard (704 feet long) and was never able to throw on less than 8 straight from the factory until I added the mags and changed the oil. Now, the difference between 3 and four is fluff. 
My best cast in the field is only 480 ft. In the surf it's in the water without a blow up. The mags and oil do that for me. They compensate for my inexperience and uncoordinated efforts to throw the weight. It's not the reel, it's me. And perhaps with practice and a pocketfull of Tinker Bell Fairy Dust I will improve.


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Sprtsracer covered it prety well ,the spool play,line and casting style will also play a big part. Try and control the reel with spool end play and oil first with a 4-5 mag setting with 4oz. and go from there. Donot forget a smooth cast. Best of luck with it as you have a great reel.:beer:opcorn:


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

well its a stock mag i just got.
i cleaned it this morning, and relubed the spool bearings with some shimano oil. its fast.

i tried this same oil on my slx30, 2 blocks, and it blew up casting 6oz, when it never blew up with daiwa oil

so ya, adding the additional mags inside are like a no brainer.. so i might as well add them. 
cause for damn sure. ill never be able to cast with like the 0-3 settings, my stupid thumb..


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## toejam (Jan 28, 2005)

seajay said:


> Sprtsracer covered it prety well ,the spool play,line and casting style will also play a big part. Try and control the reel with spool end play and oil first with a 4-5 mag setting with 4oz. and go from there. Donot forget a smooth cast. Best of luck with it as you have a great reel.:beer:opcorn:


According to Blackbeard, who designed the 525 mag, you should not control the reel with spool end play,,,, makes sense since it is a ultra cast designed spool with its own bearings. Don't tighted the spool end knob down more than to have a very slight free play in the spools side movement. Best thing I like about the extra mags is that while nite fishing I can crank it up and not have to worry about my lead splash down. I hate picking reels out in the dark,,,, jUst fine what works best for you..


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

good point.. cause i know at night ,,, everyone casts their further.

more mags... good at night.. even on 8 , i know we can all cast 300y at night and dump the spool.


So anyways, before i go fishing again (sunday) ill head over to radioshack and put up like 4 mags in case ( know i know what sizes are commonly used)

prolly return monday to give a report on my personal findings.


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Ditto TJ I should have clarified that in my post.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

toejam said:


> According to Blackbeard, who designed the 525 mag, you should not control the reel with spool end play,,,, makes sense since it is a ultra cast designed spool with its own bearings. Don't tighted the spool end knob down more than to have a very slight free play in the spools side movement. Best thing I like about the extra mags is that while nite fishing I can crank it up and not have to worry about my lead splash down. I hate picking reels out in the dark,,,, jUst fine what works best for you..


I agree on the end cap thing. That applies to just about all Penn reels, ball bearings or not. Get it too tight and you can damage the spindle (axel) of the spool. Also, that is a good point on the night fishing thing also. Especially around here when the "Turtle Police" have all the lights out at night. I do crank mine up to a higher mag setting, but still haven't hit 8.


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## ffemtreed (Mar 29, 2007)

I don't care how many mags you have on, you still need to stop(thumb) the spool at splashdown or your going to have problems.


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

dont forget about the rod!!!! a stiffer rod is MUCH easier to cast, and will allow you to turn your mags down further. a rod with a slow recovery tip can be an absolute pain in the ass, and will blow up your reel alot easier.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

so i went out to practice today with my still stock 525mag.

i reoil the spool bearings with some shimano oil which is pretty darn thin.

to test it all out. i took my 11' daiwa emcast rod outta closet clipped on 3oz bank , 15lb BBG. and 50lb shock. mag setting 2-3

with my stupidly bad OTG, i believe i threw something 70-90 yards.

i think my results are decent. not the greatest. decent. could be better, with a better technique.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Start a debate,na not me... JMHO*

I've kept pretty quiet about this reel until now...
Now I have owned 3 of them and have been using them for three months now.. 
This is my accessment:
1. Clicker s*cks
2. Drag s#cks or overrated to say the least
3. Line capasity could be borderline with some fish (big cobes,big drum with current off the planks..) A big shark,I don't mean a 6'er or one of those no pullin sandtigers,but a "real shark".. Or a big tarpon that's h*ll bent on heading to sea.. If you have to cutback line for a fray or nick,you may as well respool... Course,it holds as much line as a slosh 20,and I use that too,just respool a lot that's all...
4. Castability great right outta the box...
5. Durability could be in question,but it's only been a few months,so I'll give that issue some time..

Reason why I still am using the reel?? Castibility is so consistant.. You can set the spool tension to slight side to side with full mag setting and it's pretty close to bulletproof as far as backlashes.. Most of the time I have it set on 5 with slight sideplay,no problem,unless I move mags..   Can't see a need for extra mags,even with lighter lube such as 3n1,which is what I have in one of mine now..

I'll continue using the reel as the drag hasn't gotten totally out of hand as of yet.. The reels have already caught a few fish and seem to have a little "juju" on em,so I'll keep throwin em till "the DD test" runs em into the ground....  Now ya'll come on back and blast me,I like that sort of thing..


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

Kenny, the two extra magnets under the stock magnet holder gives me more control.

Then again, I usually cast mine on 8 even with the extra magnets. Two additional mags allow me to go down to 5 on the days when the wind is not in my face. 

I don't mind the drag. It's enough for the stripers I catch with em. I just don't like the line capacity.

That clicker ain't worth a chit. I've read some posts on how to make them louder, but I haven't tried it. 

And they don't hold up as well as the Daiwas, IMHO.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

ya. i have problems with the drag. we been pampered by daiwa.

the drag star is weird, when i turn itll go loose without any tension. gotta move spool to set it to that amount.

having the extra mags is good for those just in case days where i want the reel to be bulletproof even in crosswinds. like 4 extras mags at 8, pretty damn sure it wont blow up. at all. 

but yes, my casts today were very consistent, the guy next to me told me that buoy i was throwing near was about 100yards.

every cast i was hitting near it. or a lil short.


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## ffemtreed (Mar 29, 2007)

I have had the same exact problem with my 3 525's. To fix it there is a tension spring that you need to manually adjust every once in awhile. It's a very simple fix. You can get a new tension spring for .75 cents Penn Part Number 8-008 60



ooeric said:


> ya. i have problems with the drag. we been pampered by daiwa.
> 
> the drag star is weird, when i turn itll go loose without any tension. gotta move spool to set it to that amount.
> 
> ...


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

ooeric said:


> ya. i have problems with the drag. we been pampered by daiwa.
> 
> the drag star is weird, when i turn itll go loose without any tension. gotta move spool to set it to that amount.
> 
> ...


2 extra mags will do it.
Get them from Lee valley there coated and won't rust.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Newsjeff said:


> Kenny, the two extra magnets under the stock magnet holder gives me more control.
> 
> Then again, I usually cast mine on 8 even with the extra magnets. Two additional mags allow me to go down to 5 on the days when the wind is not in my face.
> 
> ...


 Jeff,my point about the additional mags was,I don't understand why you would need them?? I've already casted the reels I have in *extreme conditions*.. Crosswind,at back,in face,with rain,no rain,and colder'n h*ll... Most of the time my setting is on 5... If you have that thing on the highest setting with slight side to side,imho it IS bulletproof.. I'm being honest here,I've not had ONE backlash in that reel that was not do to my own stupidity(dropping back the mag and not looking before the cast)... IMO the reel is waaaay too slow to get ANY distance if you put MORE mags in it.. Heck Tater can thow it without a backlash,and this is his first yr with a heaver..


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## mud (Sep 23, 2007)

Ive changed the oil in my 525 and it still seems slow. I bought it from Randy's a few months back and cast it on 0 daily (not when I first got it) with OTG. Read all the guys quotes on here about casting it on a 3 or 4 but mine sounds like its begging me to loosen it up on that setting. Maybe I need to change from Penn oil to rocket fuel?? 17lb Suffix Tri with 60lb Ande shock


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

mud said:


> Ive changed the oil in my 525 and it still seems slow. I bought it from Randy's a few months back and cast it on 0 daily (not when I first got it) with OTG. Read all the guys quotes on here about casting it on a 3 or 4 but mine sounds like its begging me to loosen it up on that setting. Maybe I need to change from Penn oil to rocket fuel?? 17lb Suffix Tri with 60lb Ande shock


be careful when you put the side plate back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have had it "bind up" and found that the side plate was not seated all the way. check it out i wouldnt be supprised if that is the problem. when you put the side plate on it should sit flush on the frame, (without any screws in it). put the plate on and push it down flush, if you let go of it and it pops up about a 32nd, then its wrong, and you have to try again.


sorry, this is so hard to explain.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

on stock. im sure alot of people like me find 2-3 a good setting for most fishing casts.

but ill put in mores mags anyways, for the 'in case' factor.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Lip Ripper said:


> be careful when you put the side plate back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have had it "bind up" and found that the side plate was not seated all the way. check it out i wouldnt be supprised if that is the problem. when you put the side plate on it should sit flush on the frame, (without any screws in it). put the plate on and push it down flush, if you let go of it and it pops up about a 32nd, then its wrong, and you have to try again.
> 
> 
> sorry, this is so hard to explain.



Lip,ya oughtta let me take it apart.. Not only will the sideplate not sit flush,but all the magnets will have fallen outta the holders and stuck together...


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

strip the bearings with electrical contact cleaner or lighter fluid, put red rocket fuel in (yellow if youre feeling froggy), side to side knock...17tri, 50 shock, 8 n bait and lay into it with it on 0....ill call....i used to cast mine from the factory anywhere from 2-4.....cleaned the bearings and humbled myself. 5 when conditions permit.


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

Drumdum , which 525mag do you have there are several versions out there with different quantities of factory mags . There were AFAIK 3 versions of the factory slidy and 2 versions of the knobby style released by the factory .


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Connman said:


> Drumdum , which 525mag do you have there are several versions out there with different quantities of factory mags . There were AFAIK 3 versions of the factory slidy and 2 versions of the knobby style released by the factory .


 It's definatly not the knobby style,it's one of the other three.. Mine are close to brand new.. Gave one back to RDT because it was screeching in a hard cast,probably a bearing,and they gave me another one...


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## Franklin7X57 (Aug 5, 2006)

reels are like any other machine. One motor you build will be super fast, next one slower. One rifle, shotgun off the line great pattern, one hole target; one before and one after not.
I'm sure magnets aren't the same power, bearings, spool and frame aren't the same either. Do you put more line on the reel than others? All that's going to affect how fast the reel is.
I'd rather have the reel setup to throw on 8. At night I don't have to see is it on 3,4,5 or whatever it needs to be, just push it all the way on.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

is it normal for 525s to whrrrrrrrrr when cast hard ? 

when i cast with a regular overhand, it basically makes no noise.

when i otg it hard. wrrrrrrrrr.

normal?

my 525 has black outer metal rims on sideplates, and a chrome handle.

made in usa.

which version is that??


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

ooeric said:


> is it normal for 525s to whrrrrrrrrr when cast hard ?
> 
> when i cast with a regular overhand, it basically makes no noise.
> 
> ...


most likely, you have a dry bearing, or spool is out of balance. probably out of balance. the bible has threads on how to fix it.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

well i oiled bearings before i went out. so i would guess my spool is a lil off.


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

The original 525 was the 525gs non mag , then came the 525mag , next the 525mag knobby , then the 525 mag xtra , then the 525 super mag and finally the 525 supermag xtra knobby . They should say the name on the front cross bar . Not all were released in the US but lots of UK reels have ended up here any way .


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## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

Connman said:


> The original 525 was the 525gs non mag , then came the 525mag , next the 525mag knobby , then the 525 mag xtra , then the 525 super mag and finally the 525 supermag xtra knobby . They should say the name on the front cross bar . Not all were released in the US but lots of UK reels have ended up here any way .


Does it come with fries?


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