Well, most of us know the quality of Penn reels have diminished now that they are being made in China. Just how much they have gone downhill is up for debate
.
When I was at Tochterman's picking up my rods, I grabbed an Okuma 55 off the shelf and was looking at it. Tony's take on the reel was that they had a lot of problems when they were first introduced. They wouldn't hold up to constant use. Tony said the company made a commitment to improve their product and now they have drag washers that are almost double the size of Penn 330's and they have upgraded the line guide to titanium
. I also believe the gears are larger as well.
It looks like you can pick up a new Okuma 55 for about $85. I know we can always get parts for Penn, but should that negate us buying a sturdy reel of another make?
Does anyone have any experience with the new model Okuma 55 that has been "beefed up"? At $85, will I be the ginny pig? I may pick two up and see how they compare to the Penn's.
Any comments?
5th (Marty)
Okuma Convector 55 levelwind
Threaded Mode