Wanting to set her up with about five new reels that want cost me alot.What do you think about the Pflueger Purist??? Are they any good?

Slim 285,

I'm sponsored by Pflueger. I don't have any information regarding the Purist, other than what I've read in their catalog. I have found in the little over a year of being on their Pro-staff that every reel I've tried I have been extremely impressed with each one.

As a guide I sometimes have to supply the equipment for my customers. I have several different set-ups for my customers to use. That being the Supreme, President, Trion and Echelon. Last year when I was able to try the Echelon before it hit the market I was very impressed with it. I'm not sure of the actual price, but I believe it is $59.95. For the weekend angler I was very impressed. So much so, that I ordered two of them for my customers to use this year, along with the others.

If I can be of more assistance let me know.

Bass Regards,

Jeff
Fishin' with Jeff

I had a Purist for about a week. I found the 6-pin adjustable centrifugal brake system difficult to get into to adjust. I have not bought but I am looking at the Pflueger� Echelon. It looks like a good reel for around $60 and I expect it will go on sale during the "Spring Classic" sales. It comes in red and grey so maybe a little color might help add pizzazz to your wife's set-ups.

Slie_R , Is this the reel you had ? They say this is the new one.


http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/products/purist_lp_bc_reel.html

I have several of the Trions and a couple of the Supremes and just love how smooth and fluid they are. The only problem I had was with the thumb bar release on the Trions, and they all seemed to loose the spring wire that connects the engagement inside. The person that fixed them for me said they were wired up improperly and since they have been repaired I have had no problems. I would have bought one of the Purist, but they don't make that one in a left hand reel.

Since I got these I have heard many negative comments on Pflueger products, but that has not been my experience. I am pleased with the reels I have. If I had it all to do over, I would have just gotten the President Models.

Ron

Go with the Proline HS Pinnacle at Academy or Diawa Advantage on sale at Basspro for $59 which is the best value for a reel going for $99 elsewhere. I sold Pfluegers and they just are overpriced shakespheres. Try finding a place to service them good luck. Then you have to spend $20 to get it replaced every 6 months. In a year you could have bought a $100 reel add it up ($59 reel+ $20 service +$20 Service+ postage each time to Pflueger plus good luck getting it back).

Usually you can get the Pinnacle Proline HS for $38 on sale at Academy which is very smooth. It has a 6 pin centrifugal brake system which is more difficult for a beginner but actually better once a person learns to use it correctly. It has 8 bearing system also. That makes this reel really shine especially with a $38 price tag. This reel is better priced, smoother, and a little better quality than Pflueger's.

Diawa Advantage is the best choice hands down. Not only smooth but a very solid feel not much play. It is easier to adjust for $59 at basspro, usually $99 elsewhere. This reel competes well in quality to the old green curados. Since the frame I belive is graphite you feel the quality over feeling cheap plastic for reels in the $59 price range. It does have a magentic drag system which is a great reel for freshwater use. Small easy for people with small hands to handle. Diawa's also been in the business for years making reels with magnetic drags for a reasonable price. You can get Diawa's serviced at alot of places which you cannot do for Pfluegers.

Both the Pinnacle HS and Diawa Advangtage will impress you over any Pflueger in the $99 and under price range.

Thank you for the replies! I decided to stay away from the Pflueger. And decided to spend a little extra money and buy a couple Shimano citica.

I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN, I WORKED AT ACADEMY, "WE DID NOT GET ANY MORE PLFUEGER REELS BACK THAN ANY OTHER BRAND" IF FACT PROBABLY LESS THAN SOME OF THE OTHER BRANDS. I THINK THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.....

Tool-chest you may work at one store. Seen a guy that now works for the guy who bought my shop and he will tell you about the Pflueger joke and the low end rods (Allstar imports, Castaway imports, American Rodsmith imports). I have repaired and sold reels over 16 years from the finest quality saltwater made reels Penns, Averts, Alutecnos, Seamasters, Diawa's, Shimano's down to Okuma's. Being that you worked at Academy you probably don't have much reel repair experience, know what a bimni knot is or have sales experience in alot of different lines. Have you ever seen the inside of the reels especially comparing the insides of Pflueger's, Diawa's, Quantam, Lew's, and Shimano's? Have you seen the higher quality insides of Penn internationals, Alutecnos, Averts, or older Fin-nors? Have you dealt with companies like Pflueger in the past or present? You have buyers do that for you. Do you even know what an Alutecnos, old Fin-nor Ahabs, or Seamasters are? I think I went over you head on these fine products. The point is I deal with alot of reel companies and Pfluegers from the product to customer service is lacking.

Sad part is when customers came in consistently problems with Pfluegers from both Academy, other shops, and my shop when I first carried them my rep had no knowledge of the internal workings of a reel. He accused the people of abusing the reels. I took some out to try and they did the same thing to me. Then 3 months later he admitted Pfluegers had alot of problems which they do better by filling orders and fixing the problems later after the reel is on the market. If you get your so called information from him I can assume that you don't know much about reels or care about your customers. If you are in freshwater country 9 out of 10 even a cheap basspro reel will last longer than in an area where people inshore fish on a weekly basis.

You seem like you are also up in freshwater country which reels don't get abused as much so cheap reels can last longer. Bass fisherman usually horse fish in compared to inshore fishing where you have to fight the fish. Inshore fishing puts more abuse on a reel from saltwater damage to fish putting drags to use. This type of fishing shows you what internal parts of a reel are made of from drags, bearings, to pinion gears.

slim, I hope you did get some positive info here. Most of us are friendly and don't try and slander other posts.

I have some top and middle of the line Quantum reels, Daiwa Advantage, a BassPro Mega Cast and some Pflueger Echelon. Until last year, I have always bought reels under $50. I decided to try top of the line when I got the Quantum and of course as expected found out most of the time you get what you pay for. I fish a lot and need reels that will hold up to heavy use so I will stay with the higher end reels. With that said, I have had no problem with my Echelon, it's smooth casting and have caught several 3-4lbers in heavy cover and the reel performed well for me.

Redtoplady I don't disrespect people I just call it like I see it. I am the guy that gets cursed out due to reels that I don't even sell are broken. They come in saying how they can't afford to fix a $119 Pflueger or johnny morris reel but I have to put up with the guys anger due to some weekend warrior told him how awesom this reel was. He did not get good advice from a reel shop that sees reels come in all day long.

We see alot of different reel brands, people use them in different situations, and work on different reels all day long. The guy that bassfishes and then inshore fishes with the same reel will always put more stress on a reel. Fishing a reel in freshwater catching 3 to 4lb fish is not really putting a reel to the test. Most times bassfisherman don't even understand how to properly use a drag since they horse bass in. If a reel last for any type of time in an inshore environment it will also do well in a freshwater environment.

I fix on the average between 100 to 200 reels a week the brands vary. Some reels I do authorized warranty work others I get stuck with junk due to I am down the street from Academy. All reel companies have some bad lines even shimano and Diawa have some. Pflueger almost every reel they make has almost the exact same problem due to quality control and cheap parts. Some other brands such as Basspro, Pinnacle,and Cabelas have this problem also. Try asking a Pflueger rep at show about a return pawl spring and what it is. He won't know, but it is a major problems with their reels. Like a rep told me they just import them they don't build them.

Very entertaining however.

jlsch1, its plain to see that you have axe to grind about pflueger, what you don't know is I have taked the time to ask other stores about their returns, all had the same answer, what you don't know or realize is that, if Academy were having a lot of returns, they would drop the product. you have never said which pflueger you had the problems with? I will say it again, I have used shimano, and I get farther casts and I to me the presidents are smoother. Shimano is a good product, lots of people swear by them, but personally I would rather spend my time fishing than bad mouthing......

First I don't have an ax to grind I just work on reels for a living and sell what my customers want. I don't have sponsors, or a cute little boat which a sponsor gave me, or brag about what I dreamed of catching in a tournament. The guy asked I question and I gave him the best advice any good reel repair shop would give. I also deal with reel manufacturers on a daily basis, reel repair shops, and ACADEMY'S or Basspro's ANGRY CUSTOMERS WHO DID NOT GET TO RETURN THE JUNK YOU SOLD THEM. I try to give people the best advice due to experience fixing reels and seeing the problems so they can be on the water enjoying fishing and not in a reel repair shop with a broke reel 3 months from now.

When a customer who bought the reel from Academy 6 months old but Academy don't have the reel anymore sends the reel back to Pflueger 3 times and got three new reels which had the same problem that is $20 a pop. The guy spent $69 orginal Solara, $20x3= $60 plus loss time of three months fishing for returns total of $129 for a solara which he paid $69. This is not the only story I see it all the time. The orginal reel purchase was not even 11/2 old.

First the way they design the return pawl and spring system it will wear down sooner or later there is not if's and's or buts. Most cheaply made imports reels under $100 have this design Pinnacle, Pflueger, basspro, Cabelas, Shimano's, Diawa's. Bigger name keeps parts on hand for five years. People who don't fix reels don't understand this. Can't fix reels without the replacement parts. The parts are very cheap and don't take less than five minutes to fix.

Problem with Pflueger is they change their parts in their same year and model reels so much that they may have 3 to 4 different spring types, return pawl types, and ratchet types. Then lets get into the lower end stainless steel bearings. The second saltwater gets thru a drilled spool it is over for the cheap bearings. Shimano, and Diawa put higher end bearings in their reels so it takes alot longer on drilled spools to see bearing problems. Good luck finding the parts or matching it up from other models.

Pflueger Solara - return pawl spring took it off the market parts no longer avaliable but off the market less than five years.

Pflueger Trion- same thing with spring, return pawl wear and cheap bearings serious issues

Pflueger President-same issue but add on bearing issues cheap bearings and the dry drag gets really jerky due also from dirt getting into the reel. I you clean and lubricate a wet drag with proper grease it is smoother and will last longer. For $129 to $139 you should not have these problems. Craked plastic side plate also common problem.

Basspro Johnny Morris-Very similar to President and has the same return pawl issue with bearings also second most problem.

If you wanted to buy a outboard for a boat would you ask an outboard mechanic or salesperson about the outboard? Ask people who work on reels not people who sell them due to they don't see the problems 6 months to a year down the road like we do. Even ask Southwestern parts why they don't carry parts for Pfluegers.

Most people that ask about $99 reel for a spouse are looking for a quality purchase. Pflueger's quality, service, and parts avaliability is not close to being able to give the guy who asked this question what we wanted to get his wife.

Just because it is not what you want to hear it is from someone who has alot more experience than you dealing with reels. Knowing about reels is more than just pawning a reel, stocking shelves at Academy, and talking to guys who sell reels but not fix them. PS I do have a 28 Foot offshore rig, switch out my truck every year, and 19 foot bassboat so I must do a good enough job fixing reels to make a better living than you working at Academy.

my my don't you get testy, I don't work at acamemy to make a living....whats the name of your shop? let every one know where to get first rate work done.....if you are not ashamed////