@@andreasspyrou7688 it’s funny you say that because I bought a slammer 4 6500 first time I used it there was a problem with the drag so I upgraded to the slammer 4 dx 6500 and that reel felt like I was using a reel from the 60s it was tight under load the drag knob always needed to be re oiled every outing to be smooth so I sold that reel and bought a saltist mq 14000 used it a few times and have no issue
I've bought Penn Spinfisher IV 2500 and a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 at the same time. I fished them both equally off a jetski and gave them the same after use rinse. The shimano stradic had to go for repairs (under warrantee) then it died the following season and is now in a landfill somewhere. The Penn Spinfisher is still perfect and hasn't even had a service yet. I was so impressed with Penn Spinfisher that I went out and bought 3 different sizes of the next model up (Penn Slammer). I've been so impressed with them that I've now sold my Daiwa Saltist 4000 LTD and Shimano Saragosa to get a Penn Authority. I fish a lot here in New Zealand and I like Shimano, I have Talica 8ii and I've even just bought a Beastmaster 9000A electric, but when it comes to spinning reels, I now only fish Penn IPX rated reels. I also had a Shimano Stella 2500 FE which cost me over $500 in servicing in 3 years!! WTF. Sold it! I'm told it was an older fresh water reel, but never again. I'd rather have a slammer than a stella
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
2500 Reel size is for my 5 year old daughter. My spinning reels start from 4000 size to 6000 , 12000, 14000. ALL Shimano. One of them, Shimano Thunnus 12000 Ci4, the years are passing and no need of service. Small spinning reels have the double or more of possibility to require a service. Is common sense!
Appreciate your takedown review. Always had Penns and got my slammer 4s for like 149 each on black friday but am only loyal to quality so if they fail me will be quick to find something better. Thank you for honest opinions on everything it helps future buys
I like all three penn, shimano, and dawia. I've caught 100lb fish on all of them. I love shimano drag clicker I love that penn comes with carbon fiber drag and I love how daiwa makes low gear ratio reels small and lightweight 👍🏼
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
It's a good time to be a spinning reel fan afterall. They have come a long way since the early years and mid end reels have become very good. Daiwa Shimano and Penn all make decent reels.
About the back up anti reverse on this slammer 4: honestly it doesn't matter much, sure, if you fish a 6500 with 20lb braid and just 5-10lb of drag it will help, but it will fail VERY quickly and I mean within just a part of a serious fight at heavy drag, a heavy duty reel like this with a ton of drag needs a stainless steel dog that engages in a stainless steel rachet anti reverse mounted on the pinion like in big Gosas, Stella's as well as medium and big Saltigas and Certate SW.
Love the narration about all the hidden bits and features you don't see just by picking up a reel in a store. I do wish the lighting was better though, it's very hard to see in some shots and dark in many others.
I've used a penn slammer , and saragosa before but found your page just about 2 weeks ago.love the content and I've been looking around for a strong big game reel and these reviews were very key in my search for purchasing a new reel
@@andreasspyrou7688 Μονο Saragosa φιλε ,τα penn μεγαλη αποτυχια , μετα απο λιγα ψαρεματα δουλευουν λες και κοβουν πιπερι ,ειχα το 3500 και το 5500 και το conflict τα πουλησα ολα ,μακρια...
Nice review, but you skipped the seal they added in this model. You lifted the whole assembly out at 15:05 where if you separated the pieces you would see the two plates with the hydrophobic coating. It's a pretty innovative way of sealing without adding spinning resistance.
Great video bro. Penn seems to be upping their game even in the lower model. I recently tore down a pursuit 4 and was surprised at the upgrades. The down side to penn is that they are heavy 😂😂😂
I actually like the folding handle. Yes I don't store it with it dangling, but when I go on trips, I usually have my reels in a bag together and prefer the dangling over the actual removal of the handle. Only bc I don't want dust or dirt to get in the exposed hole. Just easier for me to travel with and so far, I haven't had any issues with them, as they are weaker to a solid handle.
I am a penn, shimano, and an okuma guy now, I like my Vanford for finesse fishing for lighter stuff but you can go wrong with the old as dirt slammer 2: 760 live liner for very heavy live bait fishing. I recently caught a 55.5 pound blue catfish in a tournament with my 760 LL, pulled it in like nothing, I have also started using okuma Coronado cdx’s as well would very strongly recommend the reels I’ve mentioned
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Can confirm the backup drag on the 5500. Should be about the same construction as the 6500 body and geartrain wise just with a smaller spool! Killer reviews, love the disassembly as I’m also a gearhead and the construction/engineering perspective is important to me!
Used Penn slammer III 8500 hs for 2 seasons of tunas fishing, I'm a believer, n ordered 10500 size today. It's a bit heavier than others competitors, but I will see how it works, the last slammer 3 caught over 4 dozen of tunas , some serious size n sharks as well. Still performing perfect with all my neglects and abusiveness, mim going out in 5 hours with the same reel for some more tunas again
BTW, Penn rules the east coast, and I have 2 Penn pursuits and, living in Wisconsin they don't get much ocean time, but they work really good with no problems. My dad caught a 33in muskie, and there under 100$
Awesome review, after watching the video in its entirety I am happy I went with the Saragosa. A $380 piece of equipment and they can't put a $2 bushing between some of those metal on metal parts imo is cheaping out. I have a Penn Battle II that hasn't been really tested yet and looking to get both of these on the water to see the difference between the two. The Battle I'll use for smaller fish obviously but I wanted something that I could take on a boat so I went with the Saragosa. As a previous mechanic anytime I hear metal on metal I cringe, sooner or later that will fail.
Definitely remember my 6500hs coming undone that day, on a dink tuna while ebing no less. (16:40) Penn fixed it under warranty, easy day. Unfortunately the side plates coming loose has been an ongoing issue, I think exacerbated from the high speed weighted jigging handle. The regular 6500’s don’t seem to have as much of a problem, but I check the screws quite often and find them loose a lot. I’m curious if the slammer 4’s have the same issue. Anyways I have 9 slammer 3’s and they get fished hard on the charter boats every weekend, going strong with just routine servicing. Love the slammers series!!!
Absolutely fantastic review I now have a much better understanding of my slammer working conditions,my slammer continues be be faultless after 5 years of salt water fishing , I recently opened it up after my Alaska summer , I was worried that i hadn’t really serviced since new, well to my surprise it was as new inside perfect..very impressive..shall I upgrade to authority, I don’t think I NEED to but I might like to choose to, all brass seems to doing just fine on the slammer thanks for thx insight and education
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Hello, you are the best. Thank you for your wonderful videos, all of them are useful and educational. My opinion on reels in general is that all brands could make only one single model that could last forever year in and year out... but the true is: they put price tag on fisherman's fishing sessions by making their reels last for a certain period of time, and that is what I call it pricing your activity, example Peen lower grade reels can last so many times per fishing session but the next upgraded version will last a bit more. this is the case with all of them. See Daiwa makes so you can't even service their reels anymore. I have Saltiga, Stella, as well as Penn spin fisher V in sizes 20000, Okuma cheap one as well as expensive one, all of them but every time I look at them it's kind of annoying, it is kind of like these manufactures are asking me or anybody who wants to go fishing: okay, how many times fishing??? and that is exactly how many times their reel can last, and it has been designed very carefully in that way....one time fishing? two times fishing?? or three times fishing??? or maybe perhaps few times fishing per year????. You get my point? It is the same with all manufactures these days. Once up on a time you could buy a Penn reel as well as Abu Garcia reel and it could be passed on to your next loved one, but it is not the case anymore. Anyway, like I said you are the best and I really love your vocabulary as well as contains of your videos. Thank you. And lastly to make Shimano and Penn more irritated, I am hoping both of these Companies really deserve you such a nice person that spend your valuable time on their products. Amen.
The only question I have with the stainless steel version is how bad does/will it gall up? Granted if you keep it greased up well, it shouldn't be a problem.
On the point of a folding handle , that is very useful if you are surf launching kayak fishing and you normally have to fold the handles in to get them in the hull ,as rods and hooks are not the best if the surf wants to dish out what surf dishes up, also on the side plate screw coming loose ,,, ? all spin reels have the option of left and right handle mount , the load from the handle is transferred through the bearings and into the sideplate,enter stage left gear case ORING, the design should be that the dowels on the side plate bottom out allowing for enough crush on the seal to stop water ,while allowing the plate to be fully in contact stopping flex ,keeping gears aligned, and holding the plate solid , The other is that the dowels do not bottom out and you screw the retaining screws down to full plate body contact ,,,hope you get my drift.
I'm a bigger guy and don't mind the added weight of the Penn. I'll take that extra weight for how solid the all aluminum body feel. The Slammer 3 & 4 have been good to me. It's not the Saltiga I go to in 8000 size and above but if does well. Going to try the authority.
I like the text on the reels because after about a week the box if there was one it is long gone Also I have a tendency to take my uncle’s reels and fish with them and the text is very helpful I am now considering buying a few of these
I believe that metal disc should be facing down, the one that makes the clicking metal sound. So yours seems to be upside-down... not sure if it makes any difference but, could be that the reason of you have that tight bail clearance that you showed. I've fully loosened the drag knob, just catching the first lap on the shaft tread, and still reasonable clearance to flip the bail open. Great video mate, thanks for that.
I'm at home with anything made by Penn, I have many, just got a pursuit 4 4000 lc which is super light weight. I also own a few Shimano's and they're great quality. I dnt think you can go wrong with either brand, it's about preference.
I love the reel reviews though they are very helpfull one more thing you will find is that most of those sealed bearings are bone dry when you flip the seals off, ONE of the main things on all spin reels is that highly neglected line roller ,personally i cant understand why they have never just integrated the line roller into a bearing, when you really take the time and study how spin reels work the only time the roller is not working is when the bail is open , the profile has to be small to match the oscillation ,but for the size of that roller its like having skateboard wheels on your boat trailer ,,,if you get my drift.
Never had a problem with backing screws on the side plate of my slammer 3 since I bought it way back 2019. Did 2 pms on it already and surprisingly it is a lot smoother 🤣
What is penn short with to compete shimano n daiwa is 1- using heavy cheap alum grade 2- low tolarence 3- lower QC 4- locomotive along with accute spool lip angle . Still i like them for the overall good quality vs price.
the spool shaft is made with some titanium coating like the slammer 3 and actually not the best material apprently. The shaft screw can be easily stripped overtime when adusting the drag knob. i had mine replaced twice within 3 years of use on my slammer 3 back in the days of fishing. I wish they made it in stainless steel. otherwise it is one of the top bang for buck reel. I was hoping for something new for the shaft on the slammer 4.
avec la vidéo, on a une idée de la qualité des toutes les pièces et de leur emplacement à l'intérieur du moilinet sans se risquer de l'ouvrir aveuglement la première fois. Avec mon Penn Slammer IV 4500 Hs c'est vraiment un bonheur d'avoir fait le bon choix de manier un tel bijou. minute 25.22 👍 Merci ! from Morrocco
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Because of this coming out I scored a slammer 3 6500hs for 150 new in box, looks like the 4 is a solid upgrade but I’m happy with the 3 so far as well. I really like the Daiwa reels I have and Shimano, Penn isn’t too far behind these days it seems.
You should have a look at Spinfishers VI 7500 and bigger, really not much different to the Slammers but way cheaper. Same sealing apart from at the line roller, and no power handle but I prefer no bearings in the handle. Big bronze gears and big drag numbers, super smooth after some use. The drag in the Spinfisher completely destroys the Spheros drag, not even comparable really. I've tested both side by side.
Great video Ryan keep up the good work. Great review on the Penn slammer 4. I'm a Daiwa guy myself. Penn still is a long ways before they can match Daiwa smoothness.
All of these reels are smooth. It's going from super smooth to ridiculously smooth. I don't see how spinning a handle without any force against it matters at all. When you're reeling against a lure or against a fish the difference is incredibly negligible.
Recived my penn slammer 4 3500 and .... the line on the spool is concentrated on the bottom, try to remove the plastic shims but no joy, i sent the reel back.
the only penn I've ever had get destroyed was a old 6/0 senator the got smoked by a 800lb plus Maco that ate my fish i had coming up. i fish 5-6 days a week and their spinning reels have been reliable ... been thinking of trying other brands but my penns just keep fishing on
I believe the part you are calling back up anti-reverse, actually holds the rotor in place when casting, preventing the rotor from spinning and closing the bail mid-cast.
My bell hit my spool like that bc I have my drag very lose for sharks and it dose that bc I flip the bell then titened the drag so the shark fills no presher then I can hook set it
I'm one of those odd balls. I am a Penn and Shimano guy. Penn is great for budget friendly to mid grade stuff and Shimano for the mid to high end stuff. Can't go wrong if you stick to that formula.
Honestly, I like all three I own mostly penn cause that’s what I’m familiar with but they all definitely have there pluses and minuses just depends on your preference
I Always like to open up, and clean and re-grease or and oil my reel components As needed. Once you understand the basic mechanics of a reel, it's nothing too complex. However, i Have always worked as a tool and Die Machinist, so mechanically inclination comes natural to me.. lol
I guess I'm a weirdo, but I do unscrew my handles and let them fold in when carrying them in a backpack for travel or to consolidate them in storage boxes.
As again another banger of a video I noticed that if that’s the actual orientation of the clicker cup it’s flipped from the slammer iii my slammer the cup is flipped the other way so maybe that will help with the noise it makes I also have noticed on my slammer the side plate screws backing out and I’ve caught it before anything happened otherwise tank of a reel I treat my slammer like a van staal
Right on the outside is the weakest link of Penn reels. The bail arm. It looks to be the same as the Slammer 2. I've see many a broken Penn bail arms I wonder if they know about it.
Penn is doing stuff that Shimano forgot about years ago. They have still have a long way to go to come close to Shimano's level of smoothness and power. Not to mention the weight factor too
The penn has a Aluminum Rotar and sideplate, the saragosa has a plastic rotar and sideplate. Even the twinpowers have plastic sideplates. Shimano sacrifices a lot for smoothness, they use a coating on their aluminum main gears, that makes it really smooth at first but as it wears off it gets rougher. The talicas use brass gears, its all just for smoothness so they feel best in the shop. They are made to sell, not last.
And in terms of power, they have the same torque, and you can actually put more pressure on the slammers due to the full metal body. The penn has higher drag outputs. Not sure what you mean.
@@fieshyfish while I agree that Shimano should have full metal reels at any price point and that only Stainless steel and I f you need more smoothness about equally strong marine bronze belong into leverdrags, the slammer doesn't have the Torque the f the gosa, maybe similar max weight you can crank but under, let's say 50% of that load the gosa cranks much better. My opinion is that plastic shouldn't be used for parts that are under pressure in any reel over 100$, only exception would be carbon fiber infused plastic like Daiwas Zaion or Shimano's Ci4+, which still is only good for light to medium duty reels, in a heavy duty reel, even though this materials work, they just flex too much and are to chunky for my taste, so much that it's just not fun anymore to fish the reel, that's why I really hope there's gonna be 5000/6000 Saltigas released soon cause the Certate SW is a great reel, but the rotor is too big for what I like, the Certate SW 5000 is about the maximum where Zaion still has it's place. But still, I do use Shimano's plastic reels and if there won't be a 6000 Saltiga the Certate SW will do, as well as my Slammer III are still workin', but if I can I will always reach for reel like the Saltiga 2020 or the old Stella's, with an all metal construction, smoothness and crankin' power, or of course to my Makaira and HXW Raptor leverdrags, and then there's the Everol 20/0 when I shoot for monsters off the shore...
That is factually not true. Shimano is very good at selling you on silly things that don't really matter and when you just go material by material it's a very different story. When you remove the marketing nonsense and simply look at the basics, your comment doesn't make any sense.
So number 1 is saragosa and in case you can’t find it, get yourself a slammer. I think that penn still have to get 1 step further in rotor sealing which is an expensive task.
Hi Ryan, thanks for another informative video. I was looking at the specs for this reel and was thinking about getting the 5500 but after comparing the price and weight i kinda lean towards the 6500 which is only 2 oz heavier at the same price. in what scenario can 5500 be more advantageous over the 6500? thanks in advance
Most reel manufacturers use a brass alloy gear which is much stronger and not pure brass. I am not too sure about Penn gears. Daiwa now manufactures their new Saltiga gear with a proprietary duralumin. Actually having both main and pinion gears in stainless steel in my opinion is a bad idea. If your gears are not greased properly they eventually bind and seize.
Hi Ryan! Appreciate your reviews! Was wondering if you have got the chance to use the Penn Authority yet? I am looking at buying a couple Spinning reals for Off Shore kayak fishing. The reals are going to be pretty heavily exposed to Salt water. Considering Saragossa's, penn slammer, Penn authority
I’ve been using an authority 4500 pretty heavily, it’s a little “Geary” compared to the other two based on the stainless gears, but it’s been a solid reel. It’s much better sealed at the line roller than the slammer. I can’t say it’s objectively a better value than the gosa (especially at the price point right now) Personally for kayaking I’d still go with the gosa just b/c there’s always a chance at losing a rod on a yak. And losing a $300 reel doesn’t hurt as much as a $500 reel.
Im still trying to kill my 2012 penn spinfisher 10500. After all those years catching fish I open it up last week and blue pen greese inside. Reel got dunked many times. I live in the caribbean we have no fishing season. The paint at bottom of the spool seems to be swelling though. Working perfect otherwise. Might get a slammer in a 6 or 8000 for jigging.
aluminum handle ... rubber seal ... completely hollow ... opens with a coin ... i see what you did penn. thank you for thinking not just of the fisherman, but the fishermans friend too :)
I love Daiwa but I would be sure you could get that tool to take apart the MQ if you plan on maintaining that reel. The regular Saltist or BG are easy to maintain. I know I have many BGs. The Saltist is really the same reel but is better sealed and is more expensive
Penn needs to step up one major area... increase size of main gear! Brass is cool and all, but hard to beat superior geometry. Seeing all these oversized gears in Daiwas and Shimanos makes it hard for me to consider buying a Penn
No question about it but we also have to consider the difference in price. In the Slammer's defense, the Stella is made in Japan and for the same size reel costs 3 times more than the Slammer. Personally for me, I think the Slammer is a darn good reel for it's price!
Never had a problem with the slammers. Built like a tank with the drag to back it up. Yes they have some weight then again some guys lotion their hands. Pair with St Croix rods and not much gets away
I get everyone saying their heavy, but mine weighs close to the same as my shimano. To be clear a 6000 shimano and a 6500 penn is not a correct comparison. A 10,000 shimano and a 6500 penn is a fair comparison on size and line capacity. There may be an ounce or two difference in either but I can’t tell which one is heavier one day from the next. I like them both. Saragosa and penn slammer 4 dx…I have 4 penn U.S. made senators and 10 fathom 25’s for tournament fishing and never had a problem. But I like a lot of shimano’s to.
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
@markgrotto7852 Hey Mark. It's probably going to come down to a process of elimination. Proper line size for the real, pressure while applying, and not to overfill. The brand of line shouldn't matter, but I use nomad braid 15lb on my 2500
I have two slammer 3’s and was thinking about getting 4’s seems like I’ll be upgrading the weight of any reel has never bothered me even after casting tanks swimbaits all day
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
This vs saltist mq vs gosa
Coming soon to a YT Channel near you 👀
@@RyanMorie very much looking forward to it. Love the reel comparisons. The Saltiga vs Stella vs van staal. Brilliant 👌👌
@@RyanMorie we need that video yessss
Penn Slammer 100%, I had a Goza, no.... to .... no... do a favor to yourself and get a slammer. It will give you the safty you need !
@@andreasspyrou7688 it’s funny you say that because I bought a slammer 4 6500 first time I used it there was a problem with the drag so I upgraded to the slammer 4 dx 6500 and that reel felt like I was using a reel from the 60s it was tight under load the drag knob always needed to be re oiled every outing to be smooth so I sold that reel and bought a saltist mq 14000 used it a few times and have no issue
Dude… killer video! I truly appreciate you taking the time for your reel reviews.
Thank you!
I've bought Penn Spinfisher IV 2500 and a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 at the same time. I fished them both equally off a jetski and gave them the same after use rinse. The shimano stradic had to go for repairs (under warrantee) then it died the following season and is now in a landfill somewhere. The Penn Spinfisher is still perfect and hasn't even had a service yet. I was so impressed with Penn Spinfisher that I went out and bought 3 different sizes of the next model up (Penn Slammer). I've been so impressed with them that I've now sold my Daiwa Saltist 4000 LTD and Shimano Saragosa to get a Penn Authority. I fish a lot here in New Zealand and I like Shimano, I have Talica 8ii and I've even just bought a Beastmaster 9000A electric, but when it comes to spinning reels, I now only fish Penn IPX rated reels.
I also had a Shimano Stella 2500 FE which cost me over $500 in servicing in 3 years!! WTF. Sold it! I'm told it was an older fresh water reel, but never again. I'd rather have a slammer than a stella
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
2500 Reel size is for my 5 year old daughter. My spinning reels start from 4000 size to 6000 , 12000, 14000. ALL Shimano. One of them, Shimano Thunnus 12000 Ci4, the years are passing and no need of service. Small spinning reels have the double or more of possibility to require a service. Is common sense!
Best reel reviews on TH-cam I’m excited to see the comparison video. Keep up the good work man
Thanks for watching!
Appreciate your takedown review. Always had Penns and got my slammer 4s for like 149 each on black friday but am only loyal to quality so if they fail me will be quick to find something better. Thank you for honest opinions on everything it helps future buys
I like all three penn, shimano, and dawia. I've caught 100lb fish on all of them. I love shimano drag clicker I love that penn comes with carbon fiber drag and I love how daiwa makes low gear ratio reels small and lightweight 👍🏼
For offshore penn for me, anything light I’ll use shimano but I’m yet to have the money for a shimano
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
It's a good time to be a spinning reel fan afterall. They have come a long way since the early years and mid end reels have become very good. Daiwa Shimano and Penn all make decent reels.
About the back up anti reverse on this slammer 4: honestly it doesn't matter much, sure, if you fish a 6500 with 20lb braid and just 5-10lb of drag it will help, but it will fail VERY quickly and I mean within just a part of a serious fight at heavy drag, a heavy duty reel like this with a ton of drag needs a stainless steel dog that engages in a stainless steel rachet anti reverse mounted on the pinion like in big Gosas, Stella's as well as medium and big Saltigas and Certate SW.
Thank you for mentioning the lowest drag setting, crucial for me and exactly what I needed to know .
I agree with you about the gear smoothness, all my Penns with brass gears have smoothed out over use. They become butter smooth after wearing in.
Love the narration about all the hidden bits and features you don't see just by picking up a reel in a store. I do wish the lighting was better though, it's very hard to see in some shots and dark in many others.
That's awesome that they realized the drag. Love the Slammer but the need for another setup for live bait is pain. Great review!!
I've used a penn slammer , and saragosa before but found your page just about 2 weeks ago.love the content and I've been looking around for a strong big game reel and these reviews were very key in my search for purchasing a new reel
Happy to hear it! Good luck!
Hi ! What reel would you chose out of the two Penn slammer 4 or Saragosa ?
@@andreasspyrou7688 Μονο Saragosa φιλε ,τα penn μεγαλη αποτυχια , μετα απο λιγα ψαρεματα δουλευουν λες και κοβουν πιπερι ,ειχα το 3500 και το 5500 και το conflict τα πουλησα ολα ,μακρια...
Nice review, but you skipped the seal they added in this model. You lifted the whole assembly out at 15:05 where if you separated the pieces you would see the two plates with the hydrophobic coating. It's a pretty innovative way of sealing without adding spinning resistance.
Great video bro. Penn seems to be upping their game even in the lower model. I recently tore down a pursuit 4 and was surprised at the upgrades. The down side to penn is that they are heavy 😂😂😂
I actually like the folding handle. Yes I don't store it with it dangling, but when I go on trips, I usually have my reels in a bag together and prefer the dangling over the actual removal of the handle. Only bc I don't want dust or dirt to get in the exposed hole. Just easier for me to travel with and so far, I haven't had any issues with them, as they are weaker to a solid handle.
I am a penn, shimano, and an okuma guy now, I like my Vanford for finesse fishing for lighter stuff but you can go wrong with the old as dirt slammer 2: 760 live liner for very heavy live bait fishing. I recently caught a 55.5 pound blue catfish in a tournament with my 760 LL, pulled it in like nothing, I have also started using okuma Coronado cdx’s as well would very strongly recommend the reels I’ve mentioned
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Can confirm the backup drag on the 5500. Should be about the same construction as the 6500 body and geartrain wise just with a smaller spool! Killer reviews, love the disassembly as I’m also a gearhead and the construction/engineering perspective is important to me!
Used Penn slammer III 8500 hs for 2 seasons of tunas fishing, I'm a believer, n ordered 10500 size today. It's a bit heavier than others competitors, but I will see how it works, the last slammer 3 caught over 4 dozen of tunas , some serious size n sharks as well. Still performing perfect with all my neglects and abusiveness, mim going out in 5 hours with the same reel for some more tunas again
Great review Ryan. I have never been a big Penn fan boy but will check out thanks
Awesome reviews mr Morie! I really enjoy them!
I wanna watch a 21 twin power sw review as well! 😅
love my old slammer three im glad to see that they fixed the high starting drag and made more usable drag like you said
Truth. I've never seen a reel with so much drag with the knob completely off.
I was also surprised by lack if soft drag setting on my slammer 3,some fishing like trolling for squid is impossiblle
@@tonchido i agree i have had some tarpon shake the hook out because of that
BTW, Penn rules the east coast, and I have 2 Penn pursuits and, living in Wisconsin they don't get much ocean time, but they work really good with no problems. My dad caught a 33in muskie, and there under 100$
Awesome review, after watching the video in its entirety I am happy I went with the Saragosa. A $380 piece of equipment and they can't put a $2 bushing between some of those metal on metal parts imo is cheaping out. I have a Penn Battle II that hasn't been really tested yet and looking to get both of these on the water to see the difference between the two. The Battle I'll use for smaller fish obviously but I wanted something that I could take on a boat so I went with the Saragosa.
As a previous mechanic anytime I hear metal on metal I cringe, sooner or later that will fail.
nice vid Ryan! I always enjoy these
Definitely remember my 6500hs coming undone that day, on a dink tuna while ebing no less. (16:40)
Penn fixed it under warranty, easy day.
Unfortunately the side plates coming loose has been an ongoing issue, I think exacerbated from the high speed weighted jigging handle. The regular 6500’s don’t seem to have as much of a problem, but I check the screws quite often and find them loose a lot. I’m curious if the slammer 4’s have the same issue.
Anyways I have 9 slammer 3’s and they get fished hard on the charter boats every weekend, going strong with just routine servicing. Love the slammers series!!!
Absolutely fantastic review I now have a much better understanding of my slammer working conditions,my slammer continues be be faultless after 5 years of salt water fishing , I recently opened it up after my Alaska summer , I was worried that i hadn’t really serviced since new, well to my surprise it was as new inside perfect..very impressive..shall I upgrade to authority, I don’t think I NEED to but I might like to choose to, all brass seems to doing just fine on the slammer thanks for thx insight and education
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Best part of the penn 4 is I got my penn 3 for $100 off!
Hello, you are the best. Thank you for your wonderful videos, all of them are useful and educational. My opinion on reels in general is that all brands could make only one single model that could last forever year in and year out... but the true is: they put price tag on fisherman's fishing sessions by making their reels last for a certain period of time, and that is what I call it pricing your activity, example Peen lower grade reels can last so many times per fishing session but the next upgraded version will last a bit more. this is the case with all of them. See Daiwa makes so you can't even service their reels anymore. I have Saltiga, Stella, as well as Penn spin fisher V in sizes 20000, Okuma cheap one as well as expensive one, all of them but every time I look at them it's kind of annoying, it is kind of like these manufactures are asking me or anybody who wants to go fishing: okay, how many times fishing??? and that is exactly how many times their reel can last, and it has been designed very carefully in that way....one time fishing? two times fishing?? or three times fishing??? or maybe perhaps few times fishing per year????. You get my point? It is the same with all manufactures these days. Once up on a time you could buy a Penn reel as well as Abu Garcia reel and it could be passed on to your next loved one, but it is not the case anymore. Anyway, like I said you are the best and I really love your vocabulary as well as contains of your videos. Thank you. And lastly to make Shimano and Penn more irritated, I am hoping both of these Companies really deserve you such a nice person that spend your valuable time on their products. Amen.
The only question I have with the stainless steel version is how bad does/will it gall up? Granted if you keep it greased up well, it shouldn't be a problem.
Wow.. I still have my 650S, All metal beast
Amazing changes penn has made over the years. 💪
On the point of a folding handle , that is very useful if you are surf launching kayak fishing and you normally have to fold the handles in to get them in the hull ,as rods and hooks are not the best if the surf wants to dish out what surf dishes up, also on the side plate screw coming loose ,,, ? all spin reels have the option of left and right handle mount , the load from the handle is transferred through the bearings and into the sideplate,enter stage left gear case ORING, the design should be that the dowels on the side plate bottom out allowing for enough crush on the seal to stop water ,while allowing the plate to be fully in contact stopping flex ,keeping gears aligned, and holding the plate solid , The other is that the dowels do not bottom out and you screw the retaining screws down to full plate body contact ,,,hope you get my drift.
I'm a bigger guy and don't mind the added weight of the Penn. I'll take that extra weight for how solid the all aluminum body feel. The Slammer 3 & 4 have been good to me. It's not the Saltiga I go to in 8000 size and above but if does well. Going to try the authority.
I like the text on the reels because after about a week the box if there was one it is long gone
Also I have a tendency to take my uncle’s reels and fish with them and the text is very helpful
I am now considering buying a few of these
I believe that metal disc should be facing down, the one that makes the clicking metal sound. So yours seems to be upside-down... not sure if it makes any difference but, could be that the reason of you have that tight bail clearance that you showed. I've fully loosened the drag knob, just catching the first lap on the shaft tread, and still reasonable clearance to flip the bail open. Great video mate, thanks for that.
I'm at home with anything made by Penn, I have many, just got a pursuit 4 4000 lc which is super light weight. I also own a few Shimano's and they're great quality. I dnt think you can go wrong with either brand, it's about preference.
Good video Ryan, I’m a Saragosa & van staal guy but I was able to get a penn 6500 dx model online from tackle world shipped to me
Hope you like it!
I’ve been waiting for this review for months
Hahahaha hope I didn't disappoint you!
I love the reel reviews though they are very helpfull one more thing you will find is that most of those sealed bearings are bone dry when you flip the seals off, ONE of the main things on all spin reels is that highly neglected line roller ,personally i cant understand why they have never just integrated the line roller into a bearing, when you really take the time and study how spin reels work the only time the roller is not working is when the bail is open , the profile has to be small to match the oscillation ,but for the size of that roller its like having skateboard wheels on your boat trailer ,,,if you get my drift.
they are great reels my mate got 12 them and 4 penn slammer 4 dx 8500 they are great jig reels we have got 45kg GT on them no issues so far
Never had a problem with backing screws on the side plate of my slammer 3 since I bought it way back 2019. Did 2 pms on it already and surprisingly it is a lot smoother 🤣
Glad to hear it!
Have they fixed the bail screw loosening and falling out which the pen 950 is renowned for ? I’ve had it happen a few times on different pens
What is penn short with to compete shimano n daiwa is
1- using heavy cheap alum grade
2- low tolarence
3- lower QC
4- locomotive along with accute spool lip angle .
Still i like them for the overall good quality vs price.
Great video. I'll definitely go with the 7500
I’ve been using a Penn Slammer 5500 in the Fla keys for a year now it’s the best.
Ryan, great review brother.
Thanks for watching!
Even in penn lower model reel like the pursuit 4 have the backup anti reverse
Ryan would love to see you do a review on the new penn authority
Great review. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
the spool shaft is made with some titanium coating like the slammer 3 and actually not the best material apprently. The shaft screw can be easily stripped overtime when adusting the drag knob. i had mine replaced twice within 3 years of use on my slammer 3 back in the days of fishing. I wish they made it in stainless steel. otherwise it is one of the top bang for buck reel. I was hoping for something new for the shaft on the slammer 4.
Hola muy buena review!! Existen repuestos de guiahilos en el mercado para este modelo de carrete penn?
Can’t wait for comparison video
Look for it next month!
avec la vidéo, on a une idée de la qualité des toutes les pièces et de leur emplacement à l'intérieur du moilinet sans se risquer de l'ouvrir aveuglement la première fois.
Avec mon Penn Slammer IV 4500 Hs c'est vraiment un bonheur d'avoir fait le bon choix de manier un tel bijou.
minute 25.22 👍
Merci ! from Morrocco
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
Have one and very satisfied, thanks for sharing.
Because of this coming out I scored a slammer 3 6500hs for 150 new in box, looks like the 4 is a solid upgrade but I’m happy with the 3 so far as well. I really like the Daiwa reels I have and Shimano, Penn isn’t too far behind these days it seems.
Great information thanks
You should have a look at Spinfishers VI 7500 and bigger, really not much different to the Slammers but way cheaper. Same sealing apart from at the line roller, and no power handle but I prefer no bearings in the handle. Big bronze gears and big drag numbers, super smooth after some use. The drag in the Spinfisher completely destroys the Spheros drag, not even comparable really. I've tested both side by side.
Great video Ryan keep up the good work. Great review on the Penn slammer 4. I'm a Daiwa guy myself. Penn still is a long ways before they can match Daiwa smoothness.
I don't think anyone can touch the out of the box smoothness/free spinning of the Saltist MQ right now.
All of these reels are smooth. It's going from super smooth to ridiculously smooth. I don't see how spinning a handle without any force against it matters at all. When you're reeling against a lure or against a fish the difference is incredibly negligible.
Recived my penn slammer 4 3500 and .... the line on the spool is concentrated on the bottom, try to remove the plastic shims but no joy, i sent the reel back.
the only penn I've ever had get destroyed was a old 6/0 senator the got smoked by a 800lb plus Maco that ate my fish i had coming up. i fish 5-6 days a week and their spinning reels have been reliable ... been thinking of trying other brands but my penns just keep fishing on
I believe the part you are calling back up anti-reverse, actually holds the rotor in place when casting, preventing the rotor from spinning and closing the bail mid-cast.
no its back up ant reverse ,same on all akuma reels
No you're completely wrong. Back up anti-reverse and rotor brake are completely separate things.
My bell hit my spool like that bc I have my drag very lose for sharks and it dose that bc I flip the bell then titened the drag so the shark fills no presher then I can hook set it
When will they start putting a bearing on the bottom of the main shaft.
Hello,I'm looking to purchase a slammer,what rod do you recommend, and braid or mono,and which one,thank you.
Iam choosing to either buy saltist mq, slammer, or the gossa can some people tell m what they prefer please
I'm one of those odd balls. I am a Penn and Shimano guy. Penn is great for budget friendly to mid grade stuff and Shimano for the mid to high end stuff. Can't go wrong if you stick to that formula.
Honestly, I like all three I own mostly penn cause that’s what I’m familiar with but they all definitely have there pluses and minuses just depends on your preference
I appreciate you for always watching and commenting Elizabeth!
Bingo!
I Always like to open up, and clean and re-grease or and oil my reel components As needed. Once you understand the basic mechanics of a reel, it's nothing too complex. However, i Have always worked as a tool and Die Machinist, so mechanically inclination comes natural to me.. lol
Simple to some is complex to others for sure. The first reel I took apart when I was 13 was a legitimate disaster 🤣
what is the weight??? and how many cm is the winding in one turn…
I guess I'm a weirdo, but I do unscrew my handles and let them fold in when carrying them in a backpack for travel or to consolidate them in storage boxes.
As again another banger of a video I noticed that if that’s the actual orientation of the clicker cup it’s flipped from the slammer iii my slammer the cup is flipped the other way so maybe that will help with the noise it makes I also have noticed on my slammer the side plate screws backing out and I’ve caught it before anything happened otherwise tank of a reel I treat my slammer like a van staal
Thanks for the video Chris!
@@RyanMorie Anytime 🍻
Right on the outside is the weakest link of Penn reels. The bail arm. It looks to be the same as the Slammer 2. I've see many a broken Penn bail arms I wonder if they know about it.
Good & Honest Review
Crab Snaring from Shore. Monster Pole; Ugly Stik Bigwater10', 6-12 oz lures. Need affordable "Monster" Reel? Any ideas??
Penn is doing stuff that Shimano forgot about years ago. They have still have a long way to go to come close to Shimano's level of smoothness and power. Not to mention the weight factor too
The penn has a Aluminum Rotar and sideplate, the saragosa has a plastic rotar and sideplate. Even the twinpowers have plastic sideplates. Shimano sacrifices a lot for smoothness, they use a coating on their aluminum main gears, that makes it really smooth at first but as it wears off it gets rougher. The talicas use brass gears, its all just for smoothness so they feel best in the shop. They are made to sell, not last.
And in terms of power, they have the same torque, and you can actually put more pressure on the slammers due to the full metal body. The penn has higher drag outputs. Not sure what you mean.
@@fieshyfish while I agree that Shimano should have full metal reels at any price point and that only Stainless steel and I f you need more smoothness about equally strong marine bronze belong into leverdrags, the slammer doesn't have the Torque the f the gosa, maybe similar max weight you can crank but under, let's say 50% of that load the gosa cranks much better. My opinion is that plastic shouldn't be used for parts that are under pressure in any reel over 100$, only exception would be carbon fiber infused plastic like Daiwas Zaion or Shimano's Ci4+, which still is only good for light to medium duty reels, in a heavy duty reel, even though this materials work, they just flex too much and are to chunky for my taste, so much that it's just not fun anymore to fish the reel, that's why I really hope there's gonna be 5000/6000 Saltigas released soon cause the Certate SW is a great reel, but the rotor is too big for what I like, the Certate SW 5000 is about the maximum where Zaion still has it's place. But still, I do use Shimano's plastic reels and if there won't be a 6000 Saltiga the Certate SW will do, as well as my Slammer III are still workin', but if I can I will always reach for reel like the Saltiga 2020 or the old Stella's, with an all metal construction, smoothness and crankin' power, or of course to my Makaira and HXW Raptor leverdrags, and then there's the Everol 20/0 when I shoot for monsters off the shore...
That is factually not true. Shimano is very good at selling you on silly things that don't really matter and when you just go material by material it's a very different story. When you remove the marketing nonsense and simply look at the basics, your comment doesn't make any sense.
So number 1 is saragosa and in case you can’t find it, get yourself a slammer. I think that penn still have to get 1 step further in rotor sealing which is an expensive task.
Will you be doing a review on the DX model?
Hi Ryan, thanks for another informative video. I was looking at the specs for this reel and was thinking about getting the 5500 but after comparing the price and weight i kinda lean towards the 6500 which is only 2 oz heavier at the same price. in what scenario can 5500 be more advantageous over the 6500? thanks in advance
Essential only line capacity
Most reel manufacturers use a brass alloy gear which is much stronger and not pure brass. I am not too sure about Penn gears. Daiwa now manufactures their new Saltiga gear with a proprietary duralumin. Actually having both main and pinion gears in stainless steel in my opinion is a bad idea. If your gears are not greased properly they eventually bind and seize.
Hi Ryan! Appreciate your reviews! Was wondering if you have got the chance to use the Penn Authority yet? I am looking at buying a couple Spinning reals for Off Shore kayak fishing. The reals are going to be pretty heavily exposed to Salt water. Considering Saragossa's, penn slammer, Penn authority
I’ve been using an authority 4500 pretty heavily, it’s a little “Geary” compared to the other two based on the stainless gears, but it’s been a solid reel. It’s much better sealed at the line roller than the slammer. I can’t say it’s objectively a better value than the gosa (especially at the price point right now) Personally for kayaking I’d still go with the gosa just b/c there’s always a chance at losing a rod on a yak. And losing a $300 reel doesn’t hurt as much as a $500 reel.
@@RyanMorie Thanks for the advice! Appreciate it 🙌
I would like to know which is the strongest Penn reel (not conventional reels) max drag force, thanks
Both the slammer and the torque max at 60 lb drag, the torque has faster gear ratios but its double what the slammer runs.
how much line does a penn slammer 4 holds?
Im still trying to kill my 2012 penn spinfisher 10500. After all those years catching fish I open it up last week and blue pen greese inside. Reel got dunked many times. I live in the caribbean we have no fishing season. The paint at bottom of the spool seems to be swelling though. Working perfect otherwise. Might get a slammer in a 6 or 8000 for jigging.
love my penn slammer 3
aluminum handle ... rubber seal ... completely hollow ... opens with a coin ... i see what you did penn. thank you for thinking not just of the fisherman, but the fishermans friend too :)
Hey I’m looking to start a new arsenal of fishing rods what reel do u recommend daiwa saltist mq or shimano saragosa swa
I love Daiwa but I would be sure you could get that tool to take apart the MQ if you plan on maintaining that reel. The regular Saltist or BG are easy to maintain. I know I have many BGs. The Saltist is really the same reel but is better sealed and is more expensive
I have a pean reel frozen up on me never go back on it I like how looks but never go buy one because of what happened to my reel frozen up on me
Is the clicker plate backwards?
For300 bucks what is warranty and do they have customer service or just lip service
A new line roller bearing is litterally less $2 just keep them on hand and swap them when you clean the reel.
What is the best gear ratio with a 15:32 4500?
What best reel penn or gosa or mq?
What size is this slammer if you dont mind me asking
Penn needs to step up one major area... increase size of main gear! Brass is cool and all, but hard to beat superior geometry. Seeing all these oversized gears in Daiwas and Shimanos makes it hard for me to consider buying a Penn
I would definitely agree a larger main gear would make more sense!
No question about it but we also have to consider the difference in price. In the Slammer's defense, the Stella is made in Japan and for the same size reel costs 3 times more than the Slammer. Personally for me, I think the Slammer is a darn good reel for it's price!
I agree. I have stella for 10 years and there are no reel that can match with durability and strength.
When are you taking apart that vs250? 👀
Never had a problem with the slammers. Built like a tank with the drag to back it up. Yes they have some weight then again some guys lotion their hands. Pair with St Croix rods and not much gets away
I get everyone saying their heavy, but mine weighs close to the same as my shimano. To be clear a 6000 shimano and a 6500 penn is not a correct comparison. A 10,000 shimano and a 6500 penn is a fair comparison on size and line capacity. There may be an ounce or two difference in either but I can’t tell which one is heavier one day from the next. I like them both. Saragosa and penn slammer 4 dx…I have 4 penn U.S. made senators and 10 fathom 25’s for tournament fishing and never had a problem. But I like a lot of shimano’s to.
Weighing the 6500 next to my 10k gosa they were virtually identical.
When you see the reel-foot break without warning on one of these reels you might re-think how strong they really are.
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
@markgrotto7852 Hey Mark. It's probably going to come down to a process of elimination. Proper line size for the real, pressure while applying, and not to overfill. The brand of line shouldn't matter, but I use nomad braid 15lb on my 2500
Wow I want to have it
I have two slammer 3’s and was thinking about getting 4’s seems like I’ll be upgrading the weight of any reel has never bothered me even after casting tanks swimbaits all day
I have the 2500 standard slammer with 15 lb braid and it’s notorious for making wind knots. I have Shimanos too and they NEVER have wind knots. I love the concept that Penn has but it does not seem to work. Wish I could make it work. I’ve already removed a lot of line. Help?
The new slammers are great reels but saltist mq looks better imo
I like my old classic Penns, still use my 706 for kings. But Penns are clunky and behind the ball with other companies still.