After reading Tjustice's report I feel I needed to give one on these Academy brand reels as many of us are using them.
I purchased 2 of the reels on Dec 26th 2011 not on sale(my luck). I have used both of them for 28 days of fishing since. Target fish were LMB of moderate size to big. I will say that at $48 per reel I cant complain to much. Im am very demanding of them and provide minimal maintance as per most of us. A bit of oil on the level wind etc..
One reel is being used exclusively for cranks/spinner baits on #12 floro. The other is used for jig/soft plastics. Both have caught a fairly equal amount of fish with the cranking rod catching 2 large fish... THIS REEL HAS NOW DEVELOPED SOME SERIOUS DRAG RELATED ISSUES. A big fish last week resulted in having to free spool the thing 3 times as the drag just basically locked up. Forgive me if this is not the correct term, but yall get the point.

The other reel has given me zero problems and works as well as the day it came out of the box.

I have decided to not to return the reel and just see how long they can last before it craters.

This post is not a rant or praise just field testing these 2 reels. Please let us know if anyone is having similar issues or completely different ones or none at all

never had any complaints about my mettles, i have several of them.

The best thing about the mettles is that you can always take them back to academy, and get new ones..check with your local store...

For 50 buck you just can not beat the mettles! I have 5 of them and plan on buy one for all 16 rods that I own! Never had a drag issue and with ruoutine maintenance the reels cast further than any reel I have picked up! 7 1/2 ft duckett w the mettle chunks a 6XD a literal mile! I have two Johnny Morris' and curados and a chronarch and I'm retiring these reels! So up grade ur rods and put mettles on them! Everyone I've recommended just loves em! And just like it was said before! If something does happen... Academy with exchange w Zero Questions! I just wish the made other ratios besides 6.3:1

I bought one to take to Galveston last July. I was just looking for something cheap I could take down there and not worry if it broke. I caught several trout, reds, and a few catfish without any issues. The biggest red was about 7 pounds and trout was about 3 1/2 and it handled them quite well. I couldn't tell you what kind of condition it is now because I haven't used it since. I would assume it is locked up from the salt rusting the bearings. I did rinse it in clean water and oiled it when I got back so it might be still in great shape! I guess I will find out this coming summer

We've had a few mettles for almost 2 years I guess and fish them regularly in both fresh and saltwater. Only complaint is the drag is a little light but I have caught redfish up to around 8 pounds and many bass, trout, flounder with no problems. Great reels for $50 I just make sure to rinse them off after each saltwater use.

I have four and had them for a few years and never had a problem. I fish on average 3 days a week and use them quite a bit. My friend has citica's and crado's and I outcast him with the H2O's. For the money, you can not beat them imo, and looking to buy more when they go back on sale, what a deal.

I just saw the new ones and they are priced at $89. Looks like all of their stuff has or is going up.

I love the mettles for the money. I have had the drag issues but with a simple cleaning they work like new again. I neglect my reels and dont feel near as bad when I only have $25 - $50 tied up in them.

??? I have seen the "camo version" which sells for $69, but the regular ones are still $49 when I was in my local Academy this week.

Menaces are $89

Decent,cheaply priced reel, not a bad alternative to a better built quality reel, especially for $50!

For $50 the are a good real. They work well for a while but depending how much you use them do not last to long. The menance ($89) on the other hand seems to hold up a lot better.

My drag works fine then again I don't torque any drag system down except for my frog reel. I've had a mettle I just painted that I've had over 2 years. Not only were the internals clean but eveything looked fresh inside. Had some oil residue from oiling other than that its 100%. I fish 3-4 times a week sometimes more when I can. I've only had one mettle have a problem and it was the level wind. Academy exchanged no questions asked. I will by more. I might even try the more expensive menace since they have a 7.1:1 and a 5.1:1.

Wish they made them in left hand retrieve.

I have about 8 that I have fished for about 2-3 years now quite a bit, tournaments, etc...

they work well, not the prettiest reel you can buy, and they paint on them doesnt hold up all that well, but as far as functionality...you cant beat them for the price.

They come with great stock bearings also, just flush and oil with a high quality thin oil and they will scream.

Does anyone know who is actually the manufacturer for these reels?

I heard silstar builds them. They made several store brand reels as well as the pinnacle line. They were all basically throw away reels because you couldn't get parts for them if something happened with them. That's not the case for the pinnacle line anymore.

Gotcha

I've had mine for about 2 years, I bought it as a beater to keep in back of truck and it has never let me down. Rinse it off, oil it and replace the 5 or so rods I've broke bc of sliding ice chests and its always ready to go. I use 10lb mono on it and can sling it as good or better than my shimanos.

I own 5 and have never had any problems with mine. Have 1 on a 6'6" Carrot Stick and consistantly out cast my buddy and his Curados, and I am throwing wacky worms with mine.

i have 13 of them! they are AMAZING reels for the price. Of course they are not a steeze or a revo MGX but it is pretty dang close. For 50 bucks i freakin' love em'! and ANY time they give me a problem i carry them right back up to academy and they will swap it out NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

I bought two of them on Black Friday for $25 each and will buy a couple more when they put them on sale again. Good reels that will cast a looooong way.

I put a 8 lb Hybrid in the boat with one of them last week and it and the drag worked fine.

The manufacturer for the H2O reels is Academy. It is the Academy private label brand. The molds were designed and constructed by Academy's global sourcing department and then they are produced overseas in Asia. The mettle is the way to go for the price. The manic and the menace are basically the same thing as the mettle as far as design and set up. The only different is one bearing and one gear and that is it.