Penn Spinfisher V Product Review.doc

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Penn Spinfisher V Product ReviewPenn's Spinfisher V must be one of the most anticipated pieces of fishing equipment in the entire history. Long before it actually

went on sale last year specifications were released, features discussed, action clips posted online, and show appearances drew

widespread interest. Probably the most remarable of all were the videos released by Penn of the reel being reeled underwater and

catching big !una, and since the price ranged from "#$% for the &%% to only "(%% for the mammoth #%%%, the face of fishing world

seemed about to change dramatically.

!he Spinfisher comes in two styles, regular and live liner. !he regular model comes in $ si)e classes, each class comprises two

reels sharing the same frame but with different spool capacities. !he smallest is the &%%*$%% class, then the %%*+%% class, the

%%*-%% class, and finally the %%*#%%% class. / originally wanted to review either the %% or #%%%, but since their release ept

being postponed / decided to review the -%%. 0ll those reels basically share the same construction and features with a fewe1ceptions, such as si)es from %% up having a bacup mechanical anti2reverse, and si)es %% and #%%% having a main shaft

that e1tends all the way through the body to a rear support in Penn's classic style.

0 few shots


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http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1532888/


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3hat comes with it


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!he reel comes with a parts diagram, a manual, and a small bag with e1tra spool shims to ad4ust the line lay shape on the spool. /t

doesn't come with a reel bag, and /'m thanful for that since reels in this price range usually come with a bag that's basically a

pathetic rag good for absolutely nothing, so thans Penn for not insulting us with that5

!he reel is advertised as weighing (. o) 6-&+ grams7


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8ut my faithful scale says otherwise. .& o) is -- grams. / have rarely seen a reel maer that doesn't claim lower weights than

actual ones, so /'m not faulting them for following this time honoured tradition of the industry. /n the above photo you can see

Penn's new feature, the rubber ring on the spool to eep braid from slipping. 3ell, /'ve tested most non2slip systems out there and

had entire spool fillings slips when they didn't wor, but finally this is one system that actually wors. !he ring is wide enough for

the not to stay on it, then the few following coils of line are clinched by the ring strongly enough to create a hold as reliable as

mono bacing

!he drag


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!he Spinfisher V has a sealed drag system, with the top stac protected by a seal mounted on the drag nob 6red arrow7, and the


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bottom drag unit protected by two seals, one of which is pointed by the blue arrow in the photo above.


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!he blue arrow in this photo points the second seal of the bottom drag unit, the green arrow points the very durable and audible

drag clicer, and the red arrows point the two large drag washers of the bottom unit. 3ell, calling the Spinfisher's drag

9outstanding9 would be an understatement. !his bottom portion has the same arrangement as the one in the (%%- big Stellas with

eyed washers utilising both sides of the second washer for braing. !his produces the drag output of three washers using only

two, and Penn's proven drag material 4ust shines. !he spool starts smoothly, eeps going steadily, and due to the si)e and location

of the washers the system wors stress2free and / didn't e1perience any heat build up during my test trips for a total of nearly +%hours of fishing.


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!he top stac has a single metal washer and a single brae disc that functions more as a spacer than a drag. Virtually all the

braing force comes from the bottom drag unit.


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!he drag pressure of the Spinfisher V has a very slow progression due to the e1tremely small threads pitch on the shaft 6red arrow7.


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!hat means that you have to turn it more times than needed on other reels in order to increase the drag pressure by the same

amount. :on't now what to mae of that. /t's not really an issue, but it's quite unusual and it taes a lot of getting used to, then you

need some mental resetting when changing to another reel after fishing the Spinfisher for a while.


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8efore we leave the spool, / must mention that the Spinfisher V lays line remarably even. / don't thin /'ve seen such a beautiful

line lay on any reel in this price range or even considerably higher. Penn have perfected the oscillation cycle and the result is very

pleasant. !he photo above is with the 4ig (% feet down lest you thin / was underfilling the spool

!he handle


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!he handle has a mounted seal 6red arrow7 to eep water out of the body where the handle goes in.


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!he nob is of a good quality, but unfortunately it's bolted 6red arrow7 and can't be taen apart for cleaning or proper lubrication.

!he protective cover though 6blue arrow7 fits tightly and is held by two screws in a much nicer arrangement than the !orque whose

cover is glued.


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!he opposite side is protected by a metal cap with a rubber seal 6green ;7, and there is a nifty little feature where a spring2loaded

bolt 6red arrow7 rises from the housing so that if the cap becomes loose the little bolt would slide into the hole in the cap 6blue

arrow7 to stop it from rotating more and falling off.

!he -%% is advertised as having &lb 6#.- acerel and 8onito trolling with around #(lbs 6?.


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!he rotor was swinging freely from side to side5 !he above photo shows the e1tent of the tilting, and here is a $ seconds video to

give you a better ide

/ thought that the rotor nut could have wored itself loose and removed the spool to chec


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8ut the nut was held in place by the locing plate unable to turn as shown in the photo above. / decided to retire the Spinfisher the

and continued the day with another reel and considered the testing finished

!aing the rotor off revealed the cause of the problem


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!he threads of the brass pinion failed under pressure and in the above photo you can see the broen metal between the threads

and on the right side of the photo you can see how the edges of the teeth were been broen off and flattened. !hat's one of the

most e1treme failures that /'ve seen on a reel. / don't now what else to say, so /'ll 4ust move on.


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Right behind the rotor is the mechanical bacup anti2reverse. !he dog 6blue arrow7 is pushed away as long as the pinion spins in

the correct direction, but if the one way clutch fails and the rotor began turning bacward, the dog would engage the teeth 6red

arrow7 cast in the bac of the rotor. !his feature is on reels si)e %% up only.


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/ was ama)ed by how powerful the rotor brae was. 3hen you open the bail to mae a cast the brae engages and the rotor will not

move no matter how hard you swing. !he part responsible for that is the brae ring 6red ;7. @f course now / now that the brae

stopped woring earlier because the rotor was tilting, not because of a problem with the brae ring. !he red arrow in the photo

above points the pinion assembly absence any sealing, and the yellow ; mars the auto bail trip rail which is an integral pat of the

fame and can't be removed. !his is not an optimal design. !he rotor brae is VARB powerful, so closing the bail by turning the

handle requires a lot of force and that puts undue stress on the gears and the handle threads. Bou don't put an auto2trip in a reel

that has such a strong rotor brae. / have some future plans to modifying the reel and upgrading parts when / have time, and one o

the things /'ll do will be filing off that rail.


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!he gearbo1 has a seal 6blue arrow7 that goes around its entire perimeter


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S ill f d f l d i id h b / ' b h d d / h d il h l d i i d h


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Still, few drop of water accumulated inside the gearbo1. /t's about three drops and / had to tilt the reel and tap it in order to get the

to where / can see them, but it's still water inside what was advertised as a sealed reel. !his is a capture from Penn's sit

/t says 9water tight design9 and that you can 9dun the reel in the surf9 and not worry about water getting inside the gearbo1. !his

issue has been discussed before when reports and photos of water inside the reel appeared, and a lot of lame word play then

centred around giving the words 9water tight9 some fictitious meanings. /f you enter 9water tight9 in google this comes up
http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1532909/http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1532910/


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!hat's the Anglish language speaing, not meC 9water tight9 D 9closely sealed9 and 9waterproof9, and the spinfisher is neither5

@ther than the documented reports, / had this happening to a %% that / briefly used last year as well. !he bottom line is that theSpinfisher V reels are advertised as being waterproof when they are not. Period. >y reel was never underwater by the way. / used it

e1clusively from boat and gave it the normal quic rinsing after each trip, maing sure / tightened the drag nob and the body cap

first. !he worst water e1posure that the reel saw was this
http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1532910/http://www.stripersonline.com/content/type/61/id/1532911/


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8eing strapped to the gunnel of a speedboat that didn't have a rod holder. =ranted there was a lot of spray, but that shouldn't be a

problem for a reel whose maer says that it can be 9duned in the surf9.

!he drive gear


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/t's cast Einc alloy but / never draw conclusions about a gear's performance based on materials @nly real life fishing and use


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/t s cast Einc alloy, but / never draw conclusions about a gear s performance based on materials. @nly real life fishing and use

shows what's good and what's not. 0s seen in the photo above the teeth show wear across the area of the tooth that gets the most

contact with the pinion. !here is no chipping or dents or scuffs, 4ust clean wear. !he wear rate is alright but not special. Relative to

the use it's been through /'d say that the gear wears about the same as the gear of the discontinued Slammer. !here is nothing

scientific about this and it's 4ust my personal evaluation based on observations of the reels that /'ve used over the years, so tae it

for what it's worth.


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!he pinion rides on two ball bearings, one directly 6blue ;7 and one inside a collar 6red ;7, and between them is the anti2reverse

clutch 6green ;7.


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Floseup on the clutch, pretty basic but it wors fine. /t squeas a lot though and oiling it maes the noise go for a while but it


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Floseup on the clutch, pretty basic but it wors fine. /t squeas a lot though and oiling it maes the noise go for a while but it

comes bac.


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!he pinion teeth show wear as well, but the drive gear was the sacrificial one taing most of the wear. Bou do feel the play in the


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p , g g p y

handle minutely increasing with use.


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!he traverse bloc has a metal roller on it's side 6red arrow7 for a low friciton operation under load. !he roller on my reel was not


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6 7 p y

turning, and it felt rough when / rotated it with my fingers. / don't now if it came lie that or stopped woring with use, but it's not

big deal anyway since the static roller is still very smooth and slides on the rail without rubbing

!he oscillation gear is a different story though


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!he gear rubs against the body and its bac shows rubbing mars caused by the outer gear hub 6red arrows7, and a slight recess


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that has been dug by the friction with the base of the inner hub 6blue arrows7. 0ll this added friciton contributes to the gradual loss

of smoothness, which wasn't good to begin with.


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!he bail mechanism is simple and reliable


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0nd finally, the line roller. /t runs on a ball bearing of a good quality and gave no problems whatsoever.

@bviously the reel disappointed me on more than one level. /t can't be water tight when there is an open passage for water through


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the pinion assembly and to a lesser degree around the main shaft, both having no seals, and the parts are not strong enough to

handle the advertised drag rating. Gishing companies mae rubbish claims all the time and virtually everyone is guiltyC Shimano

claim that the Sustain G= and Stradic GH have a 9floating shaft9 when in fact they don't, E8 publish grossly reduced weights for

their reels, and :aiwa mae all inds of rubbish claims about the properties of their alloys and composites. / thin Penn got carried

away as well and e1aggerated the reel's capabilities. !he Spinfisher V is made to a price point and wishing that they would upgrade

the gears and add seals and bearings would be unrealistic, so it's much simpler to see it for what it really isC a beefed up Slammerthat is water resistant and has a few nice upgrades such as the roc solid casting brae, brilliant drag, a top notch line lay, and a

finish that stood well to my abuse including hooing 4igs on the stem.

Iope you have en4oyed this

Fheers

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