Penn 955 / 965

[Rancanfish]

Never hear a peep about these reels.  Whyizzat?

I seem to recall some negative durability questions, but could be wrong.

I love my 965

[theluckpusher]

   Price is one negative thing i hear about  them --- I love my 965 but then again i only paid $175 NIB @ Cabela's bargain Cave 

[coastal_dan]

The one thing I was not personally a fan of was the pins for the reel foot, I ended up getting one that had a loose pin and only way I could find to fix it was JB Weld.  I don't know what saltwater will do to JB Weld but I didn't see it as a final answer.  Why couldn't they have put countersunk fasteners in there rather than pins?  To me it seems like a "Hey, here is some sheet stock, lets use this instead of a CNC'd foot"...obviously I don't know but I wasn't a fan of that.  Otherwise awesome reels and super smooth!

[Bryan Young]

They are great little reels...ahead of their time regarding costs.

My pet peeve with these reels is that I often need a 3rd or 4th hand to get the thing apart and put back together.  It's definitely not the easiest reel to service.

[steelfish]

They are great little reels...ahead of their time regarding costs.

My pet peeve with these reels is that I often need a 3rd or 4th hand to get the thing apart and put back together. 

hmm I have heard this same sentence few times now, and I would like to know where is the part in the disamble when you need the 3rd or 4th hand, I have one for servicing and dont want to to open it before knowing

thanks

[handi2]

I've used one for many years now without a problem.

[Tightlines667]

I've used one for many years now without a problem.

I have had mine for a long time and it is still going strong.  It is my go to bait jigging rig.

I hate to admit it, but I've only serviced it twice in about 12 years.  I think the only problem with the service is to make sure not to overlube, and to ensure the freespool release is functioning properly before reassembly.

[Bryan Young]

Nothing in particular.  Just small parts in cramp locations.  You need patience, nimble fingers, and an ability to keep your cool.  An extra hand to help keep things in position to screw the parts down helps as well.