[drichitt]

Penn had some early assembly problems with their conventional reels when they were first being produced in China. Far as I can tell, the bugs have been worked out and the recent H2/GT2 reels are well made. They are much more corrosion resistant than the older vintage Penns. I have sold all of my non-Penn conventional reels, with the exception of one Tekota 800 reel and that will be sold this summer. I see no reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to conventional reels; Penns are the best for the money. Yes they cost a few dollars more but in the long run they are well worth it (availability of parts, ease of repair and maintenance, proven designs, resale value, etc.).

That "upgraded levelwind (LW)" in the Okuma might be made with titanium but it is still mounted in an Okuma frame and the true test will come when line coming through the line guide is not aligned with the line on the spool with a large fish tugging like hell. Ever seen an over worked 209 or 309 with a cock-eyed line guide.