What is the baitcaster you have or had that most surprised you with performance and durability for the price?

low profile abu garcia ambassadeur eminence - have three of them that are still going strong and cast like they were brand new. Now they are very very heavy compared to today's low profile reels but they have never let me down.

Team Lews Pro. I paid $150 for it in the half price rack at SW parts about 8 years ago. It’s been used so much the paint is worn off and the spool release is worn into the metal. Works great.

I have three Pflueger Supreme baitcasters that are ten years old and still work great with just annual cleaning/oil/grease.
Think they were around $65-80 each in 2011.

Penn Squall/Squall 2's(all size 20).................the standard Squall's are a real steal right now and are great reels.Passed my original Sqall's down to a couple grandsons who love fishing but especially chasing big blues and flatheads with Poppa.More than likely those reels will still be in great working order when I pass down or they inherit those S 2's.Bought them each a Squall 2 in size 15 when I caught them on sale the other day thanks to one of our contributors here.They have a great little channel cat hole almost right out their back door and those size 20's were a little big.

Long story short.........Penn

Lews SC 600. Still absolutely the smoothest reel in my line up.

All Time Sleeper Reel ( for me )

Quantum Crankin Reel

My Piscifun Chaos XS60 catfish reel. $60 One of the smoothest castings reels I ever owned. Still waiting to test it on a 50lb fish.

Quantum Accurist

Daiwa fuego ct, noisy as hell on a cast but could consistently throw a spro frog 50+ yards. Paid 75 for it on sale at academy a few yrs back, got stolen out of my boat at Rayburn 2 yrs ago.

$99 Lew’s speedspool LFS.

I have had more expensive reels, but this just feels the smoothest, most reliable, and easiest to use of any I have had.

An Okuma I got at Oshmans before they went out of business. Got it half off, like $53. I love that reel.

Penn Squidder

Abu Black Max. Disposable at 50 bucks but it throws more line than my Quantum's and Shimano's with the same set up.

I have 3 of these that I use every trip. I have higher priced Lew's reels that have another bearing and are a little smoother, but I doubt they have ever resulted in me catching a single fish that I wouldn't have caught if using a LFS reel