pflueger reel advice any thoughts on whats wrong with my "new" one

[buffresources]

My experience has not been good...bought a trion gx spinning reel and used it 4 times and the reverse lock (switch on the bottom of the reel that keeps the bail from turning both directions) quit.

So since I didn't keep my reciept (yes I know) should I repair or throw it away...call it a learning experience?

Any ideas what it might be?

The service center just said send back for repair and gave me an estimated cost of about 3/4 the price of a new one. So are they any good?

[bdorman]

Sorry to hear about that. It seems the quality control at Pflueger needs some improvement. Two weeks ago I bought a Trion GX and returned it because the retrieve was very stiff. You know how you can spin the handle when there's no line on the reel? And the handle will turn 4-5 times just from it's own momentum? Well, this reel wouldn't even spin one complete turn.

The reverse lock is just an on/off lever that engages a stop-gear. If you open yours up you'll probably find it's either snapped broken or just loose. Did the reel come with a schematic of parts? If the part is broken then Pflueger should just send you a new part (the part costs them less than a penny).

BTW, the retailer should have a record of your purchase. Get a new receipt from them.

[no1son]

Stiff retrieve probably means that the lubrication in the gearing needs to be redone. There is no way to really tell how long the reel has been on the shelf or what temperatures or conditions it was stored under.

Recently I have seen some of the older versions of cheaper Pflueger models being offered repackaged at bargain prices which makes me think that Pflueger is cheapening what used to be a very dependable brand.

BTW I have one ultralight Pflueger and the rest are discontinued models of the Shakespeare Alphas, the black or bronze flecked ones. Those have stood up real well for me, but even the Pflueger is an obsolete model, even if recently purchased, and none of them can be replaced by new reels of those same models. I know they are old models since they all have the anti-reverse level on the back, which I prefer but can no longer get.

As for the failure of the anti-reverse lever, have you taken the reel back to where you bought it and asked if they will make an adjustment without the receipt? Some of them will.

Reports of lemons from Pflueger is disturbing. I have always had a good impression of their quality control and many people I know have relied on that dependability in the past. Their little brother company Shakespeare has downgraded their product in the past few years especially in their price point offerings, and I was hoping that Pflueger was not going to follow suit.

[bdorman]

Stiff retrieve probably means that the lubrication in the gearing needs to be redone.

I thought the same thing, so I opened it up and found all the lubrication in good shape. Main gear mesh was good; handle shaft bearings spun very freely. The only thing left I could think of was misalignment of the main shaft, which I didn't feel like troubleshooting since I probably couldn't fix it anyway...and the store is only 10 minutes from home. The other thing I noticed was that the line spooled up 1/8" off the front of the spool - weird, and nothing I could do about that.

I exchanged it for a Shimano SiennaFD. Great little reel.

I've had good luck with Pflueger's in the past. My Pflueger President 2000 series on a medium light Pflueger rod is my go-to rig.

[Slab Junkie]

I had a Trion I bought a few weeks ago basically lock up on me while reeling in a fish. I had only fished with it one day and it was about the 12th fish I had caught on it. The problem was the bearings; the housing they set in had warped or something and they all migrated to one side and bunch up together. Luckily I bought it locally and the folks at the shop know me well. I put it back in the box and they exchanged it for me on the spot, even let me remove the spool off that one, which basically had brand new line on it, and put it on the replacement reel. I really hope Pflueger it's going to have QC issues left and right. I really like their reels, especially the President.

[wilbur]

I had one once I forget the name it was Pflueger about 35.00. You turned the handle but the spool wouldnt go in an out, so the line stayed in one spot. Took back to BPS and they gave me another

[lowe175]

i have 2 Pflueger cetina spincast for 3 yr. now. have not had the first issuse . if you buy the uper end you will be better off. zedco is the same. you buy a 33 and you will call it bad names. you get a zebco deita an you wil be in love. all the reel manufacures make good stuff its just more $. people don't take pride in there work these days it's all about money

[Fatman]

Up until about 5 years ago Zebco 33 was one of the best spincasters you could get for a kid but when they re-designed the cone cover it just bound the reel up. You can buys lots of older 33's on the auction site and I've even bought the broken ones for parts. The older ones are the best. Never used any Pflueger spinning reels cause I've had such good luck with my Shimano's and they don't let me down.

[lowe175]

a stradic will last a lifetime best $200you'll spend

[buffresources]

found the reciept! will send it in for warrenty repair as it is only a month old...guess it will be a cheap fix for this time....but judging for the feedback more trouble may be coming

thanks to all for you comments

just confirms how good this site is