Best all round spinning reel make/model to own?

[drichitt]

I am a Penn guy and am having a blast learning all there is to learn about Penn conventional reels and how to properly maintain them. This site has been fantastic.  I am moving slowly into working on spinning reels and realize I have a lot to learn. Can some of you more experienced members give me a few pointers on getting started, or how to get started, and what you feel are probably the best all round spinning reels. By best, I mean most reliable, good parts availability, cost of parts and ease of working on.  I have seen it written somewhere on this site that the best reels to own are the ones you know how to fix yourself. I have already decided to avoid working on my Shimano Baitrunner right away . Thanks....Don

[Alto Mare]

I don't know what type of fishing you do. Did you check out the tutorial for the Penn 6500SS from BigT? Since you're a Penn guy like myself, that would be a great reel for you. I'm not crazy about the newer models SSM though, but I do like the older SS models, once you get comfortable working on these reels, you will find  that it will only take you about 10 minutes to take the reel completely apart and reassemble it. You probably already know that the skirted spinnfishers come in many sizes, from the 420SS to the 950SS or 9500SS to fit your need. I'm sure you will hear different opinions, but to me you will not find a better dependable reel for the money. With proper care they should last you a lifetime. If you do consider these reels, there is some upgrades you can do to bring them up a notch, like replacing the two teflon washers with HT100's, this will give you 3 HT100's in the spool and 1 HT100 under the spool. Hope this helps take care, Sal

[alantani]

shimano charges $1 per part for their spinning reels.  hey, don't laugh.  it's true! the best advise i could give you is to stay away from shimano baitrunners!

[Bub B.]

I'm with Alto Mare.  The Penn SS spinners are probably the easiest to work on, good parts availability, and less complex than some others.  Shimano's are the cadilac's but there's too much going on inside them. 
I personally believe spinners are easier to work on than conventionals.  Until you start messing with bait runners and the $600 and up reels.  That's when it gets tough.

[drichitt]

Thanks for the quick responses....

Alan - I love my Shimano Baitrunner, but after reviewing BigT's detailed rebuild post I realized maybe I don't love it as much . Maybe Shimano's $20 service isn't looking so bad .

Sal/Bub - My spinner use is varied, so (being the typical fisherman) I have different spinners for different apps. But your response is what I was hoping for. I am sitting here at a cross-road and at least now I have some direction. How does the Penn SS series compare with their Slammer series. By that I mean, what are the draw-backs or weaknesses of the Slammer; I just had my first bout with a Slammer line roller bearing issue. So many of my buddies swear by them, or Shimano spinners.....Don

[Norcal Pescador]

Don,
Dom and Dominick will confirm that I like to stir things up, so here goes -
I've got 3 Daiwa Regal XiA Spinners: a 4000 for surf fishing, and 3500 and 2000 for bass fishing.  I've only done minor service on each one (haven't had to do any more) and I love every one of them!  No issues or complaints at all.
And except for a Newell 220, all of my saltwater conventionals are Penn.
Rob

[drichitt]

Don,
Dom and Dominick will confirm that I like to stir things up, so here goes -
I've got 3 Daiwa Regal XiA Spinners: a 4000 for surf fishing, and 3500 and 2000 for bass fishing.  I've only done minor service on each one (haven't had to do any more) and I love every one of them!  No issues or complaints at all.
And except for a Newell 220, all of my saltwater conventionals are Penn.
Rob

Rob  - I appreciate all input from this community. Everyone has their personal favorites and these personal choices are the reels I want to learn more about. From this choice group I will settle on what works best for me and be better equipped to service spinning reels in general. I also hope this exchange will benefit others as well....Don

[reelgood]

I have to say I love my old baitrunner too, I keep it in my trunk with an ugly stick, makes a versatile reel for improvisational fishing allowing freelining bait in the river or fishing lures.  To be fair, I have never taken the baitrunner mechanism apart, maybe then I would hate it like Alan does 

I got the smallest of the new baitrunners too, 4000D, they come with a carbon fiber drag that is the same exact size as that of the Stradic Ci4 4000 except the 2x expensive Ci4 comes with a felt drag.  The "new" graphite/resin of the Ci4 is advertised as being 50% stronger than the XT-7 material which the baitrunner is made of and 20% lighter.  At the 4000 size, I don't think it makes that much difference.  Funny, they rate the Ci4 4000 drag 5 # higher than the baitrunner 4000D, the only difference aside from the felt is that the top metal washer of the CI4 has a slight convexity.  I sold my Ci4, kept the baitrunner.

[MaineTuna]

While I been fishing for over 40 years it seems as though I don't have the knowledge that others on here have BUT I do know that the Penn 9500SS that I bought back in the late 80's has NEVER let me down and I've in the past never done anything other then rinse it off, wipe it down and use the heck out of it. I say get on ebay or your local rag and hunt up one of the made in USA older Penn SS series spinners and you will not regret it.

On another note:
I have now started to service my Penn SS & Internationals ever since finding this site so a HUGE THANKS to Alan & others who have enlightened me & simplified for me the satisfaction of servicing my own reels.

[winston61]

I'm interested in your take on Shimano Baitrunners. Can you expand on your advice to stay away?

shimano charges $1 per part for their spinning reels.  hey, don't laugh.  it's true! the best advise i could give you is to stay away from shimano baitrunners!

[alantani]

they are a nightmare to service.  great reels, otherwise.  i'm a tinkerer.  if i can't crack something open and get it back together, i want no part of it.  that's why i avoid the more expensive spinners. 

[winston61]

I understand that. That's why I love Mitchell 300s. I can have one apart, cleaned, lubed and back together in an hour. And they are built like brick outhouses.

they are a nightmare to service.  great reels, otherwise.  i'm a tinkerer.  if i can't crack something open and get it back together, i want no part of it.  that's why i avoid the more expensive spinners. 

[Dominick]

Don: go here.  http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=995.0 This is the perfect tutorial to take a Baitrunner apart and get it back together again.  I did one and it was my first maintenance on a spinner.  Got it apart and together with no problems thanks to the tutorial.  Dominick

[alantani]

hey, dom can be our new official spinner guy!   

[Dominick]

 Shimano and I got divorced . I'm seeing Penn-ie now.  Dominick