Penn Slammer 3 Head Scratcher: Weird design decision considering the price point and competition
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- čas přidán 30. 11. 2017
- Penn Slammer 3 Head Scratcher: Weird design decision considering the price point and competition
Tackle Advisors Affiliate link where all purchase support the work I do: amzn.to/2jDvz2u
These two vids weren't meant to be put out publicly. I sent them to Alan Hawk to see if came across anything similar. He told me if i put these out he'd direct his "peeps" on over (I'm in that club for awhile now :) ) - Zábava
The shaft is already supported by two bearings so I see no problem with the design
Racer X @
You want the bearings on either side of the load... the current setup is kind of redundant while lacking on the bottom end of the pinion gear if you ask me
Response from PENN engineers: The second video regarding the pinion support is intentionally designed that way. The bearing pockets for the two pinion bearings in the body are machined to tight tolerances to support the pinion. The pinion tail support that is called out in the video actually has a larger tolerance and is intended to ensure proper gear mesh under very heavy load (shouldn’t contact the wall under normal fishing conditions). This keeps the pinion properly engaged with the drive gear, because the main contributor to gear wear is improper gear mesh. One reason that we don’t have a tight tolerance or bushing there is to reduce the dimensions of the body and the other reason is because it is more difficult to machine three pockets in a straight line (2 points make a line) and may cause some interference or tight spots, which is why we only support the pinion with tight tolerances in two places on most reels. Basically, most reels across the industry support the pinion in two places, just like we do, our third support is used for additional strength in some cases where cranking under heavy load may be necessary. The first video showing the seal damage is no doubt an issue. This would be due to an issue during assembly. As you can see there is a groove in the top of the rotor that the seal should sit in, the rotor nut should then compress this seal. The seal must have popped out of the groove before the rotor nut was torqued down. I’ll point this out to the factory.
Tunanorth, thank you for your reply i was about to cancel my purchase on my Penn Slammer III 5500
What are the chances the defect in assembly is on the only reel to make it to a video on CZcams. lol
Michael H so
Is he saying that the scratch away is just a defected model
Well this is great that you have addressed the concern of the video maker but seems to me anyone that will pay about a weeks paycheck to buy this real is expected a reel that will last more than a year I just stripped some thing inside mine and the handle turned and the rotor stays still I am about to take it apart and see what the issues are and then I will post a picture of it and maybe you can tell me why it has failed I have had about every spinning reel you peoe have had in production this is the most costly and the ONLY ONE TO FAIL GO FIGURE I WILL B IN TOUCH
@@joshdecastro1387 You should defintiely get hold of the service department directly, rather than here on YT.
The shaft going thru the pinion to its anchor point in the housing should help in keeping the pinion from moving too much but they still should have pressed in an oilite sleeve to keep down wear. As much as I like the look of the slammer the price point stops me from buying one. I have had excellent service from the new spinfishers. I just replace the knobs with the round speed handles and that's it.
Super useful video! I use Penn Clash, and i bet that it has the same issue. Did you sole this issue by putting a bushing? And can you please confirm that Clash is also affected by this issue?
Every penn reel except my Torque 5 bls has a bearing pinion support from what I remember when I serviced it my slammer 560 4500 ssv and Slammer3 3500 have the that type of pinion support don't see much sign of wear but I do put extra penn grease in that area haven't cracked open the Slammer3 yet the gears still feel great just got to be careful with the drag setting fluking in the pro angler with my Fenwick HMG snapping the rod bringing in good size flatties I get worried about the spool popping off where I try to get it set right it puts out serious drag for its size and I like the Tranx 300 as well
Can you please do a full maintenance video of Penn Slammer III?
@TackleAdvisors I would disagree with you about the oscilation gear being overbuilt. If people happen to fall down and hit his reel with the spool first onto a hard surface, that hard bump would push the main shaft and create so much pressure that it could shred the gear on the main gear or face gear and also the oscillating gear if both gears are made of cheaper materials. The stronger the better.
Why does my slammer tick when under tension?Its brand new and I used guarantee ,they sended me brand new again.And this one also has some ticking noise when i use spinnerbaits,crankbaits for pike fishing?Hate that feeling of ticking.....
Not sure if you mean that the bore will wear or if youre worried abot the top. I have ocasionally experienced some roughness in other reels from the pinion gear contacting the top of the support. In those cases, if the pinion shoulder is rubbing the top of the support, it means something is wrong elsewhere, usually the rotor nut is not tight enough. When everything else is proper there is no contact. Maybe the Slammer is the same?
Why does it always make sounds when it is new after filling the thread? It is always a problem in this version
Hey Scoob,
Fabulous job as always on the video. I barely used the reel before I sent it to you for disassembly. I don't even think I had a fish in it (I bought it for albies and I found it a little tight for the warp speed reeling I like for albies. Ironically, I ended up using a BG which worked out great). Incidentally, this was the third Slammer I purchased. The first two had a slight knock during the retrieve. You couldn't feel it when spinning freely but as soon as there was any load, you could feel it. I discovered it while reeling in a 5" Redfin so it wasn't like there was much load.
Scoob (lol) is a douche misleading you.
Great point, but are all Penn's like this or just the slammer 3??
Is it ok to put a washer or any metal busing that fit in that are mate?? Or there is no way ti fixed that problem?
Hey there please can you do a review on the new Penn Slammer 4 and Slammer 4 DX that was released on icast last week would love to hear your thoughts on it
That o ring around the frame, do u lubricate it with anything? I would think petroleum based lubes would destroy that oring. What say u?
Good review. For the cost of the Slammer 3, I would expect a bearing or bushing rather than metal to metal.....
However, the design is the same as my Conflict 6000, which I have been using in the surf for 4 years without issue. I keep that area well greased and have not noticed any unusual or premature wear to the pinion or to the reel body.
That's just it. For cheaper reels it get it. They're throw aways. But with all the hoopla about this thing and the top of the line gearing....why Drrrrp! it up with that oversite.
I'll also add. I checked all the schematics for other penn reels and some pure fishing reels ANd compared them to shim/ daiwa. And found it interesting that they don't like to put antyhing there on the vast majority of their reels.
And not knocking penn....But they are the most commonly talked about brand that have issues with they're gearing. At least on the surf fishing forums. It's one of those things that aids in extending the like new feeling into the second season of hard use.
Tackle Advisors I'm just starting the second season of my slammer 3s,and on my 7500 I've landed a 132lb yellowfin, 157 yellowfin tuna, and a 201lb yellowfin tuna. I broke down the 7500 yesterday, and did all my maintenance. It still doesn't have the like new feel my 8500,10500 still do. I'm only new to self servicing, so maybe did something wrong - but I almost hear a metal on metal scrap ad the rotor turns when the shaft bottoms out turning the handle. I dunno. I haven't been able to find a disassemble and proper cleaning video for the Slammer 3, but have been servicing my reels for a few years now.
I'm actually rendering a comparison video between the saltist and slammer where you may be able to get a good idea how they go together... But from what I've seen... If you get a good one more.. You'll be good for awhile... But they have awful consistency in their quality control
the 7500 & 8500 are the same reel but smaller spool. same for 9500/10500 6500/5500 etc
I have the same problem I wonder if I can get help
I really like my Slammer III's a lot but that is truly a real head scratcher. It hasn't caused any issues...yet and I've fished them hard bottom fishing offshore and chasing cobia around close to shore. That's on my 7500. And same with the 4500 with bull reds and snook. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed lol. Great review thanks!
Now, 3 years later, I trust it still hasnt caused any issues ?
I have two slammer III 4500 & 6500 (same configuration?). In your opinion for prevent frame damage it's enough place one very thin shim (stainless steel with the external diameter bigger than the pinion diameter) between pinion and frame?
Not worth it. When the rotor nut is tightened it should lift it off and clear. This was a defect. Seems there are many defective Slammers out there according to feedback over the last year. The person who submitted this reel has since had it swapped 3 more times for 3 new reels. If you get a good one that isn't clunky or rough. Fish it until it's dead which should be a loooong time
As a machinist/engineer, I agree with your criticism. This is second rate in both design and execution and doesn't show due regard to some basic, very old and time tested, engineering principles. How can anyone buy the 'shouldn't contact under normal fishing conditions' line - when it clearly does? Not saying that the reel is seriously compromised by this flaw, however - There is simply no good reason for it to be there at all. That's the point that may undermine confidence in Penn's products. I was about to press the button on one of these and get my fist Penn, maybe next time.
Thanks for all the detailed reviews and analysis. You got a new sub!
Hey viper! Thanks man!! This vid made it's way to one of the engineers at penn...
Whether or not my response gets back to him...I don't know but I'd like to hear from him..didn't sound like he appreciated me calling out his design....
lol! Funny how you called them out for over engineering the oscillation gear while under engineering the rear pinion support. Curious about their response. In any case, its good to see Penn moving forward with their newer models... gotta keep up with Daiwa and Shimano
File the part of the "bushing" that the pinion is rubbing on flush, and you'd be left with a pinion that is supported by metal cradled ball bearings in two places, and by a "failsafe" metal bushing on a metal arm extending from a metal frame at that third point... vs a second pinion support bearing that, although further back, is held by a 'somewhat' graphite filled plastic arm that extends from a 'somewhat' graphite filled plastic sideplate on the Saragosa... does that REALLY strike you as MORE heavy duty, or LESS "weird", than 2+1 supporting? Neither have a bad rep for causing problems... but I would actually guess the Slammer way of doing it can better handle extreme drag pressures. That having been said, I do very much appreciate your efforts at trying to get to the bottom of this stuff, because I had been shying away from the Slammers because of another internet know-it-all (just kidding) who panned them in passing, and never acknowledged, as you made a video to do, that they went to a ball bearing line roller by 2018.
Your reel reviews are lagit and amazing! People can actually deside 100% after watching your reviews what reel to buy with confidence and no regrets!! Please if you can get your hand on a kastking kodiak to do a review that would be awesome!!
This design was changed in later models the pinion no longer even goes into the 3rd spot they have shortened the pinion and put a bushing in where the pinion went into
They're always listening :)
1st of all, great video!...And second, my biggest concern about this reel is how much use I`ll get out of this reel before problems start and with that said, am I really going to feel like I got an upgrade over the Spin Fisher for $359?...I currently have the Spin Fisher 7500 and the Battle 6000. I`m very happy and had no problems with the Spin Fisher and I will continue to buy them.I really feel like I got a great quality reel for less than $200 but on the other hand I had the same problem a lot of guys talked about with the Battle and that is the gears stripped not even after 2 years...So I really felt it wasn`t worth $119 especially considering the Diawa BG is so much better of a reel in that price range. Now the Slammer claims to put out a crazy amount of drag on these reel but I have to wonder what good is a high amount of drag going to do for you if it`s not even effective?..Sure Penn claims their biggest reel can put out 60 lbs of drag but maybe only half of that drag pressure will be smooth when referring to effectiveness and the durability to last a reasonable amount of time before parts have to be replaced...I`m basically wondering whether I`ll have the same thing happen with this reel as I did with the Battle.
valid point. I used it a bit more the last few weeks with a really good bass bite.....the ar clutch sealing proved to be less effective than I'd hoped...the bearing seal failed and bearing corroded a fe days later...same with the handle knob bearings...it was flawless during the time fished but 2 very gentle dunks did it in. Penn is replacing the reel...and i did compormise the water repellent coating...but my worry of there not being a true seal there came to fruition.
When I 1st saw that specs.sheet and price of the Slammer my 1st thought was if this reel turns out to be a great reel Penn will probably never sell another one of their Torque reels ever again. lol...When I watched your video on the comparison on the Slammer, Battle and BG it answered a lot of questions I had about price and quality. I`m not a pro angler but I am an extreme one and fish pretty much every day for any fish...My main goal is to have every line class covered between 4 to 80 lbs but I`m also trying to be practical and do it within a reasonable budget that I can afford...After watching this video its convinced me to buy the Shimano Saragosa 25000 to cover my 80lb class line...For me, spending $400 for that reel is money well spent especially considering how much it will be used in every given season....If I were a pro and used it every day I`d buy the Stella but I don`t think it make sense for me to buy a $1200 reel that`s not going to be used a whole lot in a given season....Keep up the great work and tight lines!
You have pointed out what i think a must have option ( pinion bearing support) , just baught 4500 n fished it today n caught 23 trevally of defferent sizes the fist 5 or so i felt the handle is really tight under load but afterwards things became more smoother n i hope it'd stay this way! Actually two bearing should have been included in this almost high end reel, one for pinion n the other line roller both going to give smoother operation under load . Everything else about this reel is just on spot . Unless penn listen carefully they might lose their customers loyality.. I have stella 6000 sw n when i think about this slammer 3 45000 i can say easily they just need the final touch @ great QC
Dhofar sam I just bought the Slammer 5500 and I believe it has the line roller bearing now. I also have the Stella SW 6000 and 4000. Both are definitely smoother but I never expected the Penn to compete. It’s gonna be an abused workhorse! 👍🏼
Can u just put a thin nylon shim in there?
I would put a stainless steel 0.2mm there. The ss is harder than the aluminum in the frame and the brass in the pinion. If polished and oiled it should be supper smooth and easily replaceable in every service.
centrifugal forces that to lift when rotating , try to rotate open and you see that goes up 0.5 milimeters. . when stops ...yes scratch a little
hello hello easy penn slammer İİİ 3500 machine and I think there is a problem I'm throwing pictures I wonder if you give this information to my original, thank you
Don’t remove rotor and take side plate off then you will see that pinion is little bit above
Besides this is rare and most strong and durable pinion support in three points
Two bearings plus xship supported with bushing
The damage was done with the rotor in place and it does lift it off. It is supported in 2 places as per PENN engineers stating alliging 3 bores with true tolerances is too much money to mass produce.
Tackle Advisors
It’s supported in three points ,with two bearings ,one above and one under anti-revers plus one support for pinion base with none bearings .
Pinion doesn’t stick to the pinion base in the frame when rotor is assembled .
Is it the same for the 10500?
You would think Penn would put a third bearing there being that the reel seems otherwise overbuilt. Slammers have a reputation for being workhorse reels. Not digging this design though.
Im a big fan of penn fishing but i definitely see ur point. Not good at all. Although ive landed a lot of nice fish with that reel.
Hi my brand new slammer has geary feeling I checked the side plate screws they are tight
Mines Geary as well its 4500 size. I think its the harder gears.?
Just checked side plate on slammer 3 and penn fierce 111 and they were all loose. even a new one.
oh man wish i didnt see this review...i have three slammer 3's (2x 4500 and one 6000) ...but i've been using them for some time and they seem to work fine..no issues (yet). only thing i can complain about is that they are a little stiff to turn and the drag...even on its loosest setting is still little tight. i've that the seals contribute to the stiffness when turning the handle..is this true? whats up with the drag?
The Tightness may be due to all the seals. I've seen tons and tons of comments from guys who own it stating the same thing. Difficult to turn. Oddly enough....I know a few of those guys fish Van Staals. which are very tight.....So it may be something in addition to that. The one I have is a little tight..but not VS tight. The tightness of the drag has to do with the large seals. That was very noticeable. And when i took apart the drag stack....found exactly that
thank you for the great info...!!! your videos are awesome..
Thanks man! Appreciate it!
Tackle Advisors, do you know if the Penn Torque II has this similar design?
I think the larger sizes get additional support if i remmeber correctly.
I hope you`re right..I would love to buy a Slammer 3 but I share your concern. I wouldn`t be as concerned if I were just using it for Blues and Stripers but I`ll be using it for Tuna, AJs, Blacktips and Wahoo...I don`t think it will be an issue in the short term but I can definitely see that wearing eventually...I tried to find a video on the Torque II and I couldn`t find anything that had the reel completely apart but I`m going to get more information on it..I will share it with your channel when I find out.
wonder how to conflict 2 will hold up being a graphite frame or whatever the hell it is ?
LOL....yeah..Penn reels suffer enough issues as is. I don't think i'd spend any money on a reel with a name synonomous with "problem"
I felt like an idiot when i bought a battle 2 yesterday.....Just opening the box it literally smells like shit. That grease they use just smells like chinese export goods...never liked penn grease.
Holy crap..I thought that was like a 120$ reel...not 150 to 200 LMAO....I just took apart the new daiwa tatula this afternoon.....How is that thing even in the same ball park. The main gear in the new tatula and ballistic is one of the sweetest looking gears i've ever seen.
So , penn is no better than a alibaba reel , now !?! lmfao
I'm getting my Mother a new inshore reel. She retires today. Probably gonna go get a daiwa. I'm not buying another stradic fk , that needs bushings and drag washers replaced right out of the box.
Just picked up the slammer 6500 high speed and theres a good amount of play in the pinion/ the spool has movement of about 2mm is there anything i can do to support the bottom to stop the wobble? Maybe just a gel washer on the base? I fish landbased for tuna and spanish and cant afford gear failure on the hook ups , thanks guys
What you described is exactly what I bring up in the review I'm putting out Friday.. Best reel ever in the price range on paper.. But they can't get out of their own way with the shit quality control... Call Penn or exchange it that's what I'd do
thats it im disappointed i handled one in the shop and it was solid as , this one makes a metallic scrape too when cranked hard just annoying when you spool 500m of braid onto it...
There is supposed to be a plastic bushing below the pinion the must have forgotten yours my 9500 has one
Sorry mine is the 3
Did Penn upgrade this bad design on the newer upgraded series of Penn Slammers ?
Thanks, Gerry from San Diego, CA
It's not a bad design. It works damn well.
Hi! I would like to ask. I thinking about 100 USD reels. Penn battle 2, fierce 2, spinfisher. Daiwa BG. Shimano nasci or Sahara All 5000 size. Which is the best choice? Thanks John.
I think with the street price right now on the spinfisher....amzn.to/2ko1kRh
can't beat it. Otherwise I like the bg. The battle 2 and fierce are junk.
Thank you very much! What do you think about Shimano nasci?
battle 2 isn't that bad , it all depends on how much you go fishing , if you go 20 times a year that reel will last you forever if you take care of it if you go over 100 times a year and take care of it you will get a couple years out of it before some issues come up
Hi! Thank you the answer. I hesitate Penn spinfisher, Shimano ultegra (made Malaysia), Daiwa BG 4000or 4500 because inside different construction.
Flanged bronze bushing would have been an easy way to increase durability in that area. That said, there isn't a lot of rearward force on a pinion gear under a load fighting fish so it will probably be a non issue...but I do see what you are questioning for sure.
Bingo! 100% correct. Especially at this price point! Wouldn't even have to go that far. Rulon would have sufficed if the teeth of the pinion at it's base didn't grind into it. The rearward force isn't what would be the concern. When line is pulled tight off the roller. It's going to try to lift that side of the rotor. And the pinion will want to slightly lean due to the slop in the bearings. So it would push laterally at the base.
Daiwa just slaps a flimsy little shim there on their cheaper reels to keep what is shown here form ocurring. ANd most of the time it's bent a bit in the shape of a C almost like a paper thin belleville ((still can't figure out if that's on purpose...lol)
That said it's not the end of the world. It'll last. But the potential is there for an issue.
I suppose they felt like the double bearing would limit the play up and down but obviously it didn't, or...even more likely they just said "good enough" and let it go as is. I use old Abu Cardinal C3 and C4 reels primarily. They would have been near perfect with aluminum spools but the quality of the gears and drag setup is actually superior to most modern reels in all honesty. Sell that new one and put the Penn back in service 😀
Penn can mill the support out more and put a small bearing there . Problem solved
facts! i agree. you are the man.
Your brake downs are A+. Highly recomended. Great review
Over built is always good, make sure it reliable.
How do you take off the cover plate on this reel?
SImple 3 screw tear down
I'll have the full tear down and review out this wee. Spectacular reel altogether
Tackle Advisors after the three screws I find that their is another gear that won’t let me take off the plate. The main shaft is in the way of this gear. I’ll have to wait for the video I guess.
The reel Slammer III has the same rubber seal side plate as the 5500 V. What I've done to remove the plate is loosen the crank arm a little but leave it on the reel and remove the screws from the side plate and bottom peace and shake the crank arm a little from side to side and the plate will come free from the housing unscrew the crank arm counter clockwise and remove it from the reel take the side plate off of the reel with your fingers.
As others have said, you really don't have to concern about that bushing fit on the pinion. The wear around the bottom should not be from when it was all together and tightened up. The gear should float above it slightly so that only the inner ring is inside the bushing, not resting on it. Under heavy load, the gear would be rubbing harder against the shaft, but the broad/thick shaft which is secured well at its bottom end, provides the pinion the steadiness that is very likely comparable to the play from the tolerances of ball bearings. Penn has always done this and it's never been a problem, ever! If you are putting that much pressure on the pinion, so much as to flex the steel shaft that supports its, you'd have long ago bent the handle off before even coming NEAR what that pinion can tolerate. Consider the entire drive train all at once under torque and you'll realize it's a non-issue. It's a good design.
I believe they have changed it on the later slammer 3s there is a video on you tube service you slamer 3 9500 and we he take it apart have a good look at the pinion gear it shorter and doesn't even go into the 3rd spot any more
As luck would find it I now work with the gent who designed this reel and we spoke about it. You are indeed correct. and the reel in question was literally a combination of oddities resulting my focus at that point. Hence the head scratcher in the title.
Is it the same in slammer 3 6500 size and above ?
Unfortunately,Yes! : (
The USA spinning reels that Penn once crafted like the original Slammer 460 & 550SS & 5500SS reals were built with the same metal on metal design as you see with the new Penn reels except the spool shaft and crosswind block in those USA reels rode on a grooved track going inside the housing riding straight up and down into a hole of a brass nipple located at the bottom of the housing, and that was an efficient design that keep those reels stable & smooth. I think it's to late for Penn to go back to the old USA internal design that made their reels a better product. However, Penn should take note and look at spinning reels that are internally designed by todays modern standards and learn something from there competition, one of them being the inexpensive but well crafted smooth and newly designed Daiwa BG that's internally built with ball bearing and rod support and build a smooth spinning reel and not a coffee grinder.
czcams.com/video/LHuJ-nPEDQk/video.html
Watched the video in the morning and got me worried cause my 9500 feels funcky, like half handle turn feels smooth and other half rough and whatnot. Open it this afternoon, guts is different & pinion not exactly like yours but it had the same wear throw the frame like you show at 1:09. Can't say I'm disappointed because I never liked it & find it too heavy and not very smooth. Put it back again and will sell for something else. Too bad cause it been dunked twice and never seen any water in it.
Hi Robert, any chance you can take a pic? And send it to my tackleadvisorsinitiative@gmail.com or TackleAdvisors facebook . I'm trying to accumulate a log of people with certain issues. And picture says a thousand words!
And at least in the schematic it shows the 9500 having a sleeve that runs at the base of the pinion. Not sure if that is correct or not as I've never had one open.
Yes & no. There is a small sleeve or collar right but its like sunk in and doesn't stop metal contact. Don't think I will open it again soon but if I do will send you a pic
Gotcha..Thanks man! There should be one at the top that keeps the spool shaft from rubbing against the inside of the pinion under load.
And at the base of the pinion the schematic just shows a collar that simply sleeves the base of the pinion so it turns on that and not the frame support. But it isn't a flanged collar/ bushing so the pinon teeth can still rub.
Sound right?
There is no base for the pinion like yours. The collar is inside the frame support, like sunk in it does not stop contact between pinion and frame. I think its added there for the spool shaft. I use your names for the parts cause I don't know what names to use and maybe we call it different things. Hope this helps.
Lol wouldn't that brass start to eat through the metal too?
Or the other way around, but yeah ...
Well yeah that too. Brasd is pretty tough though and heavy so figure the body is made of a lighter material like aluminum.
I have opened my reel today to see, w.t.f. And I'm not very experienced in this. First thing I saw was exactly this dum pinion socket. You are 100%wright. I have 4500 and it's noisy from day one like old VW beatle. I can feel and hear the friction when under load of heavy lure. It's pissing me off to the point that, if I can't fix it then 5kg hammer will be used immediately.
And I'll go back to daiwa.
Because if they put a bushing it would not ever break as mine did now a 300$ real should not break in 2 years it should never break wear out period it's completely for job security if they don't break they don't sell you more
definitely agree with u on this
So does the 10500 have a bearing or shim there to protect it ??? Cheers mate
@@jacksonswift9453 u can check in the schematics
Hmmmmmmmmmm interesting
Добрый день случайно посмотрел ваше видео за катушку:penn slammer® iii,что можете сказать за новый: slammer® iv 4 2021 года вроде они дополнили еще подшипник в этот узел,если в курсе напишите!)Подписался на ваш канал,много интересного и познавательного!!!Привет из России!!!
Sir Can you show how to repair lock plz.
Looks like the pinion gear could better be supported by a nylon sealer (ring) ?
Bearing
le 9800 III est idem ?
I believe the two largest sizes have a bushing added for support at that location.
Seems like it would make it rougher also
Shimano fan
Folks, STAY as FAR away from the PENN Slammer3 as possible. For a "made in USA" product and a fairly high price tag PENN should be absolutely embarrassed at the quality/functionality of this reel. I purchased a 5500 and it failed out of the box. It had a hearing problem and the handle was almost impossible to turn. Secondly, the drag on mine( and most I would imagine) is really BAD. I fish a tight drag and to go from a tight drag to a moderately loose drag it took almost 12 full complete turns of the knob to achieve. Not only is 12 turns WAY to much but the knob was 2-3 spins away from coming off the bail completely. This was to achieve a light drag setting not a completely loose drag. All around very bad. If you can't purchase a higher quality reel ( I got a Van Staal VR150) then go with the PENN Clash because it is a much better reel than this hunk of junk. Tight lines.
I meant to write it had a "gearing" issue. Not hearing!
My Slammer3 says made in China the as my Vanstaal X series 250 the gears are CNC cut in the USA and have no issues the same as my Torque 5 bls with bronze gears and hardened stainless pinion gear thats built in Philadelphia
All Penn reels are made in China except the Torque & International reels.Van Staal reels are manufactured in China. It comes down to this it's not where the reel is manufactured it's how it's manufactured. And I've been using the new Penn product line of spinning reels for the past 8 years and comparing notes with all I've been reading and I can agree with everyone's comments and what it comes down to is that Penn just doesn't know how to build a good spinning reel worth using there's no such thing as a smooth Penn spinning reel the gears create play in them in a short period of time and make a buzzing and grinding unpleasant vibrating feeling when you crank the reel this includes their CNC gears built into the Clash, Slammer III & the CFTII series reels. Penn Brand Management advertises these reels as smooth, I'd like to know what Penn Brand Management defines as smooth, I don't think they fish much or they're using Daiwa & Shimano spinning reels, and it 's obvious it's not just me but it's everyone's remarks I've been read about Penn reels for the past 9 years and I've taken note of how dissatisfied people are of Penn spinning reels all this is based on fact to date and from my experience with Penn reels, and Penn doesn't get it they don't make a good reel, and like everyone's remakes are based on using this poorly made product,,,,,, the fact is they're other choses out in the market with better value to be had.....
Ur underestimating cast aluminum's strength
Hey Wayne. Not at all. Actually I'm not really all that concerned with that part failing. I'm concerned with it wearing and causing friction under load over time. Since the pinion already wore through the surface coating and has started wearing against the aluminum. For whatever reason pure fishing doesn't like putting anything at that location on the majority of their reels. Which is part of the reason why other companies retain that like new feeling for more than a season. Where low end penns and others do not. It's a 200 - 300$ reel and it's competition all offer better pinion support.
Tackle Advisors a 10 thousandths Teflon nylon delryn shim ithink would take care of this
Tackle Advisors u gave me a idea ..I'll turn a delryn bushing & cut the pinion myself if I buy this reel ,but I can use a piece of shim stock first
What size reel? If you want I can send measurements for this reel when I pop it open to do the real and full review. And if you have the stock. Cut it send it and I'll test it. Just because this reel has a few head scratchers doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile or very good reel. Pretty much every reel has a couple. Some worse than others.
Tackle Advisors send me the sizes on this reel I'm thinking 5 or 10 thousandths stainless steel shim or nylon I'll see what I can find in work Monday
Remember, Shimano is only reel company which also products and majors in bike industry. Others are just like a baby in front of him. Tiny as cell.
Not going to pop your fansboy baloon but making a bike has nothing to do with making fishing reels and daiwa did fishing reels earlier than shimano. That’s why some of the design element is borrowed from daiwa, in fact almost all modern reel incorporate daiwa design for example in the arching rotor design. Just look at the blocky rotor of older stella, the newer stellas are using daiwa’s arching “air rotor” rotor design
You didn't know why they designed it like that, then got an answer from Penn themselves explaining why. But most people watching this will still think it's bad design because they won't see the explanation. Probably a good idea to remove this video since you didn't know what you were talking about when you made it.
While Tunanorth is a gentleman of the highest regard. It's still a design that needed improvement. The factory is not incapable of alligning 3 bores......they do so often.
@@TackleAdvisors but there is nothing wrong with this design though. In normal conditions the pinion never touches that bottom support. It's just there in case of failure of the bearings supporting the pinion gear. It's actually great because there is a backup pinion support. I wonder how many people saw this video or just the title and decided not to buy Penn, when in fact the design is great.
This is PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE.
I really love and use PENNs, but it seems that PENNs arent good as they where.
A technical solution like this is unacceptable and demonstrates technological ingenuity and therefore low quality product.
I bought a PENN Slammer 8500, but now I am sad after watching this video.
Well... I guess I'll go throw my 10500 in the trash and buy a Stella or Dogfight or something. *sigh*
ils ont leurs lots de soucis aussi et 3 fois plus cher rien n est parfait meme saltiga a 1200 euros
Blood Beast the slammer is a great reel without a doubt. you can’t compare the quality and longevity to an elite reel though
No pennn slammer is amazing
PLEASE DO A TEAR DOWN OF THE DIAWA BG! Bought a 3000, cause I heard how great this reel is, fished a day with some decent wind gusts, had the rod in a sand spike 3 feet off the ground, and it is now grinding and hard to reel. I heard that there is a big difference in the small and large sizes. Knowing for a fact that this reel never touched the water or sand directly, I calling this reel #1 b.s. and after pulling it apart, and seeing the cheap internals, plastic and die cast crap. And like Alan hawk said, a nightmare to service. It's a throw away reel. And these jokers comparing it to a stradic! Out of their mind! Or don't know a dam thing about reels, or never serviced them in their life. I know you have made good comments about the bigger BG, so please show me how to service this small p.o.s. A video comparing the smaller and bigger versions. Ok I feel better now.
The bg is an all around great reel. Solid with a very good gear train. Cast Zinc while not a great gear material. If cut well will wear well over time. I'll be doing a tear down shortly on it.
Keep in mind though it's a mass produced product. I look at it like this I returned 2 out of the box stella fi's until I found one not defective out of the box. Now 1 of those two needs parts replaced and it's very geary. the other now needs servicing. And those are the best reels on the planet. I've had SHimnao thunnus reels whos baitrunner feature never reingaged fished the same way you are. And had a zbass literally fall apart on a fish....literally the rotor almost came off an had to use a leatherman while on a 120lb tuna. So every reel can fail at any time just do to it being mass produced. I dont know of a 100$ modern reel at 100$ that is better than the BG. It's not a hard reel to open up at all. Just a c clip on the one side of the gear and everyting else is standard.
Tackle Advisors I completely agree with you on mass production, just seems like some companies have a smaller percent of problems like shimano. My stradic fi 6000 takes everything I throw at it. But please show both bigger and smaller models, cause I hear there is a difference. I counting on your honest review, heard that even Alan s review was bias. Barely mentioning the negatives of the reel. Keep up the great videos, so I can keep learning. Thanx
You're are correct. There are companies out there that have poor quality control. It's funny when I hear companies that claim their defect or return rate is well below the norm. Yet I hear nothing but issues online. Penn and st croix are two. Massive issues with St Croix reel seats coming unglued and breakages. Yet their claims can be true because of the bas and trout rod sales dwarf the surf. So the percentage barely shows up on the radar.
I can assure you having know alan for a decade. Just spoke with him a few mins ago. He has the same biases that I have. He asked me an odd question after a helluva pat on the back (which i wasn't going for I had asked him if he came accross this in the larger slammers)...What my "end goal was" And I think the answer applies to the bias we share. We want to see progress. Not cost saving alternatives without cost savings to the angler. We want to see appropriately priced products that match the manufacturing technology levels we have. If you look at the bg....Thread in handle, oversized gear teeth with massive contact area. And cut very accurately. Hiqh quality clutch, high quality bearings, Metal where it counts most. Perfect line lay, thread in handle, a rotor design that can shed weight but not strength. Compare that to the Nasci, Battle 2, Abu, Okuma, etc.
That said...it sucks bawls that ya god a dud :)
In regards to negatives being left out. At the 100$ price point. Nothing really comes to mind that was left out. Now when you get to the saltist on the other hand at over double the price being a mag sealed bg with some fluff.......The fun in the sun that the BG enjoys...goes out the window. Especially when every reel in the price range steps up to serious sealing, gearing, drags, and tosses in their snazzy mid level trickle down bells and whistles. The saltist (which is in the mail on it's way in the 5k size falls flat)
And thanks a ton! Trying my best to keep up with the mountain of projects that's ahead :)
Tackle Advisors i would like to let you and Alan know, I greatly appreciate the reviews. The information I learn from them help me save money and make the best decisions for my fishing needs. Example, your review on the Penn 706z compared to the new star. Been looking for the most durable inlet setup possible, (leaning towards a lami/vs combo) after seeing the LAMI deadlift videos, and casting with the vs recently. And I have come to realize I need gear that cost more then 100$. But I still feel I didn't receive a dud, the reel was smooth as butter till it saw sand and a little bit of wind. Feel like that light rotor has some huge draw backs, cuts and grooves for sand to go everywhere and a huge pain in the ass to clean and get out . It's not just the BG going that route either. All the companies like Penn are putting holes all over their reels to try to be the lightest reel out there, and it is allowing sand and water into the reel even easier. For a few ounces? like alan said, lieing about the actual weight of the reel. I do feel that certain places require the lightest reel out there, with a century surf machine to match, but those places are few, but I live 20 mins away from that place, horrible. But my Diawa Ballistic Pro (incredible rod for the money) is getting me where I need to be, and giving me the most memorable experiences. Recently that is what I have realized, spending more money on better gear is worth it, or gear that gets the job done and is reliable and I do hope that your reviews help the companies make better decisions on manufacturing. So don't take my comments the wrong way, do appreciate your time, will keep sending your videos to others who are interested in getting the most honest reviews. Be looking forward to the BG videos , so I can get this thing back together. Just different then shimano. Always try to keep a open mind, to learn.
so all penns are junk? i thought they were good and lasted long, at least for inshore game. i also have the daiwa bg, ultegra, battle 2, clash as well. ive seen countless vids of other peoples 200-300 dollar reels locking up, having issues, etc as well. which is why i never thought about spending that much. i thought he slammer was different. im not buying the whole sealed thing, im buying it so i dont need to buy another reel for the next 10 year or so. id like to buy durability and quality.
mogtrader8 penn is good, and their service is even better. grab a penn.
Peen sgula 400.😊
Dont care I still like mine regardless of the all knowing tackle advisors opinion