Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I stripped down the reel upon receiving it. This is what I found. The reel is all non-corrosive metal, very little plastic in this reel. It has simple locomotive gearing and is mostly well designed and made. The reel was missing the washers to the three side plate screws. This caused the reel to be harder to crank than it should. Backing off the screws freed up the reel. The reel is now very easy turning and smooth. I put in an order for the washers. I could return it, but its no big deal. Penn puts their blue grease everywhere in this reel. This is generally a good thing. I however removed it from the drive shaft and line bushing and replaced with Penn reel oil. The reel now is easier to turn than it was out of the box. Non-sealed saltwater reels should be easy to take apart and put back together because if you dunk one that is what you will be doing. This is for the most part true of the 2500 Battle. There are no side plate screws hidden under the rotor. You therefore can take off the side plate for service and inspection without taking off the rotor. The screws don’t get boogered up with standard screwdrivers and are easy to take off. However, Penn departed from their easy to service design philosophy on the roller bearing and anti-reverse switch. It’s like they were an after thought. The roller (anti-reverse) bearing is a 10-piece affair that will come apart in your hand when you take it out. Penn added an anti-reverse switch on this smaller model. To activate the A/R, it relies on a tiny spring that looks like it belongs in a watch. Penn really dropped the ball IMO on the design of the roller bearing assembly and anti reverse switch. They are way too difficult to put back together and if the spring corrodes and breaks you have no anti-reverse. The 3000 and up models don’t have an anti reverse switch and look to have a one-piece roller bearing. The reel has a plate to keep the rotor nut from coming loose. The plate is held in with one screw. Penn put two screw holes in the rotor to screw the plate in to. You pick whichever one you need. This extra hole goes uncovered and is an entry point for saltwater to get under the rotor. Come no Penn, what were you all thinking? The reel has a screw in handle. I like this better than a pin type handle that you insert into the reel and screw down with a retaining cap on the other side of the body. The reel feels very solid when you turn the handle with very little play. The Battle has a bushing for the line roller, no bearing here. I prefer this design as it is more reliable and easier to service. This is an area where they saved cost with no decrease in performance. Ditto the reel handle, no bearings here either, again one less bearing to replace from saltwater intrusion. I personally think bearings on the line roller and handle are a sales gimmick with no advantage in a small reel. I like this reel allot. It is all metal and has sealed bearings for less than $100 shipped. However, if you are going to service and repair your reels yourself, can live without the anti-reverse switch and don’t mind a little more weight, I would get the 3000. The 3000 doesn’t have that multi-piece roller bearing and anti-reverse switch. I will keep this reel for my kid’s rod, but will buy 3000 sizes for my other inshore rods. I took off a star for the multi-piece roller bearing assembly and an anti-reverse switch with a tiny spring.