Are the penn mag 525 2 still good and worth getting or is it worth just getting a penn mag 525 mk1 of ebay for £90. I have heard people saying it will be bad because it is made in china but then and again people have said they have it and there is no difference or it is good. But any way tell me what you think and if you have one and if they are still just as good and worth getting.
Bigpoppa2000
My penn mag 2 is fine bud i have one 525 and 2 abus c3 high speed mags both good reels i live in gosport and fish hampshire beaches both reels are more than capable of doing the job
Hi,
it seems very common to slag off the "new" Penn mag2's (525&515) and praise the older 525's ... but tbh i have a pair of 525 mag2's and never had any issue with them : very reliable, strong and trouble free : they are my go-to reels for anything except out&out distance on clean ground (have a pair of Daiwa 7ht mag for that). I used to have a pair of older 525 supermags but i sold them after a while as i prefered the newer ones which i found a lot smoother. I've heard though the quality of the mag2's can vary depending on different (Chinese) makers .... maybee i was lucky with mine's
Gert
it seems very common to slag off the "new" Penn mag2's (525&515) and praise the older 525's ... but tbh i have a pair of 525 mag2's and never had any issue with them : very reliable, strong and trouble free : they are my go-to reels for anything except out&out distance on clean ground (have a pair of Daiwa 7ht mag for that). I used to have a pair of older 525 supermags but i sold them after a while as i prefered the newer ones which i found a lot smoother. I've heard though the quality of the mag2's can vary depending on different (Chinese) makers .... maybee i was lucky with mine's
Gert
I have a pair of 515,s and 525,s approx. 4 years old now and all fine , use them all winter and quite a lot in summer and no problems , remove bearings and flush out and new oil etc about twice a year , I find them great and so far no problems.
Some of them are okay but when you get a bad one they are really bad .... I have had some real dogs sent in for repair that really should have been sent straight back to the shop. The common issues are very rough sounding (and feeling) gears and wobbly drive ..... the latter is usually down to atrocious moulding quality on the gearbox side plate .. the hole for the one way bearing will be so bad that the bearing wobbles about freely within its housing.
My advice if you go for one is to check it over very carefully when you first purchase it ... any nasty noises or wobble in the drive, then throw it straight back where it came from and get a replacement or refund. If you are getting it from a shop its easier to do the check over the counter .... if it sounds like a bag of spanners don't accept the "it will bed in" explanation because my experience with them is that rough sounding examples don't improve with use.
My advice if you go for one is to check it over very carefully when you first purchase it ... any nasty noises or wobble in the drive, then throw it straight back where it came from and get a replacement or refund. If you are getting it from a shop its easier to do the check over the counter .... if it sounds like a bag of spanners don't accept the "it will bed in" explanation because my experience with them is that rough sounding examples don't improve with use.
Just to add if you are after a Mk1 Penn ... you will do much better than £90 for a used one if you look around I think.
i am going to be targeting smooth hounds and rays from the shore and would like to get some distance but the reel needs to handle a bit of rough ground and cast fine with heavier line and leaders and i fish around Hampshire. what reel's could you suggest over the penn mag 525 2 or the fathom 15 or abu garcia 6500 c3 ct mag hi speed or something similar?
second hand penn 525 mk1 go for £40-£80 around my locality ,the highest price being for shop con reel which looks like new in box ,As forhow bad mkll are I think if well looked after and not fishing rough ground should be ok ,but Ive seen lots of handles snap in them and seen them give up the ghost on rocks winding a wrasse and codling in and a large cod looked like gears went but I prefer the mag system and lighter weight of them over mkl if I had the choice id buy a new mkll or maybe wait for the penn 525mag lll
The Fathom will cast as far as the 525 as same reel in essence but alloy frame/plates etc similar spools
but to me why have fried chicken when you can have fillet steak for same price?
I fish with someone that swore by Saltist 20's now using fathoms now has a shed load 10 plus just got a pair of veals 12's hes getting 200 yards ish on measure as had a practice.
They will handle most venues far more capable than a 65 will ever be.
But your choice you asked many have given you decent advice as if you get a 65 you will soon need something more substantial if going for Rays/hounds etc your ok on the shallow/cleaner beaches but get into likes of Solent/Isle of wigit/Selsey when the weeds running plus places like Chesil with the deep surf in the gutter to get anything through backwash your 65 is soon going to be screaming for mammie like a pig being spit roasted by a heard of elephants! the clutch etc isn't up to it.
on the east coast or fishing light there ok
the main problem with the 525mk2's is too much variation in quality PF have four factories making them the tolerances can be quite shocking if have bits from one and others from another as been said gears but others have line wrapping round spool as gets down side plate plus others have had bearings issues with moulding not right.
I have mk1 525's easy to rebuild reliable have some fathoms coming to add to them tried mk2's didn't like the weight between them is negligible plus once on a rod never notice/feel anyway.
but to me why have fried chicken when you can have fillet steak for same price?
I fish with someone that swore by Saltist 20's now using fathoms now has a shed load 10 plus just got a pair of veals 12's hes getting 200 yards ish on measure as had a practice.
They will handle most venues far more capable than a 65 will ever be.
But your choice you asked many have given you decent advice as if you get a 65 you will soon need something more substantial if going for Rays/hounds etc your ok on the shallow/cleaner beaches but get into likes of Solent/Isle of wigit/Selsey when the weeds running plus places like Chesil with the deep surf in the gutter to get anything through backwash your 65 is soon going to be screaming for mammie like a pig being spit roasted by a heard of elephants! the clutch etc isn't up to it.
on the east coast or fishing light there ok
the main problem with the 525mk2's is too much variation in quality PF have four factories making them the tolerances can be quite shocking if have bits from one and others from another as been said gears but others have line wrapping round spool as gets down side plate plus others have had bearings issues with moulding not right.
I have mk1 525's easy to rebuild reliable have some fathoms coming to add to them tried mk2's didn't like the weight between them is negligible plus once on a rod never notice/feel anyway.
Ok i think i will stay away from the mag 2s and try the fathom 15 only thing is that it doesent have a mag system and i cant really afford to add one or get one with it magged at the moment. Will a fathom 15 without the mags be a problem or will it cast the same and make barely a difference.
Everyone has a opinion hope you choose well and you're happy with your choice good luck happy hunting
G
Have fathoms 12's and 515's fathom 12's have fibre blocks. have had no problems with either reels. both have been up to the job ( Raying )
Use 4 525mag 2s, run faultless. Sold all my older models off, the last 2 Super mags I bought were awful!
I have used 12 and 15 size fathoms and 525 mk2's for quite some time now.
the 525mk2 is a good casting reel and I really like its mag brakes BUT it does not feel well made.
i.e. it feels rough and wobbly when reeling in, the tolerances are awful.
even 0.38mm line is caught between frame and spool quite regularly,
so i have never used any line thinner than this on this reel which I feel is quite a limitation.
the fathoms are so much better, the only downside is they lack a mag brake, which can easily be fitted.
if I had to decide between a 525mk2 vs. a fathom, I wouldn't hesitate for a second and go for the fathom without even thinkingabout it even if the fathom was way more expensive.
the 525mk2 is a good casting reel and I really like its mag brakes BUT it does not feel well made.
i.e. it feels rough and wobbly when reeling in, the tolerances are awful.
even 0.38mm line is caught between frame and spool quite regularly,
so i have never used any line thinner than this on this reel which I feel is quite a limitation.
the fathoms are so much better, the only downside is they lack a mag brake, which can easily be fitted.
if I had to decide between a 525mk2 vs. a fathom, I wouldn't hesitate for a second and go for the fathom without even thinkingabout it even if the fathom was way more expensive.
i static magged a fathom 15 and wrote something about it on WSF [but I don't seem to be able to find the post].
the reel is my training reel, so i put as much magnets in it as i could to reduce freespool as much as possible.
leads don't fly any farther than approx 75 to 100m metres which means more casting, less cranking.
the reel is my training reel, so i put as much magnets in it as i could to reduce freespool as much as possible.
leads don't fly any farther than approx 75 to 100m metres which means more casting, less cranking.
You have no worries really, I have just taken my 525 Mag 2 apart and there is no noticeable paint wearing on either end of the spool. The reel has only been used 3 or 4 times admittedly but on one of those times it landed half a dozen ray to 9lb 12 so I reckon it will last the distance.
The thing to do is check yours when you get it to see if it sounds like a bag of nails, if so send it back. Then check it regularly within the first year and send it back if it looks like the spool is running unevenly. You don't even have to strip the reel just undo the 4 screws on the mag side end plate pull the spindle slightly out and you can check both spool edges in situ.
Mine will be out of warranty about now but I am happy with it so far and if it ever does start wearing from beach casting it can go in the boat box as a light multiplier for uptide and downtiding.
idea stolen from - i guess- peter thain ... but it does work ... less tiring reeling in = more casting. good stuff.
nice to her how the reel moans when the lines flies off ... it just doesn't want to give out any line at all ... ;-)
Cant comment on the 525 mag2 reels as dont own one. Had a 525 supermag few years ago and tbh was a bit on the lively side with 18lb line on it and ended up loading it with thicker line.
I do however now have a 515 mag2, essentially the same reel as the new 525 mag2, just a narrower cage spool and spindle.
15lb line (plus leader), bearings oiled up with red rocket fuel, it casts silently. Is very fast with the mags low, and will result in a birds nest if misstimed though
Retreive wise, still silent. No grinding, no wear of the spool, no issues with the gears wearing over the few years ive had it. Has reeled in god knows how many huge rafts of weed, the sort that with an akios/abu style 6500 sized reel youd have to pump the rod to get it all in. Takes it in its stride.
Did however have to tinker with the magnet holder and file the back down a touch with a nail file as it sat a little high and if the magnets were on full, would ever so slightly rub on the spool side.
Undoubtedly QC issues at pure fishing, just like other mass producing companies/factories in china, as there probably are some absolute dogsh*t reels doing the rounds now by all accounts. Dont mean theyre all the same though.
Wont be parting with it all that soon
(Unless someone has a tf gear smag 65 they fancy doing a trade with hint hint lol)
I do however now have a 515 mag2, essentially the same reel as the new 525 mag2, just a narrower cage spool and spindle.
15lb line (plus leader), bearings oiled up with red rocket fuel, it casts silently. Is very fast with the mags low, and will result in a birds nest if misstimed though
Retreive wise, still silent. No grinding, no wear of the spool, no issues with the gears wearing over the few years ive had it. Has reeled in god knows how many huge rafts of weed, the sort that with an akios/abu style 6500 sized reel youd have to pump the rod to get it all in. Takes it in its stride.
Did however have to tinker with the magnet holder and file the back down a touch with a nail file as it sat a little high and if the magnets were on full, would ever so slightly rub on the spool side.
Undoubtedly QC issues at pure fishing, just like other mass producing companies/factories in china, as there probably are some absolute dogsh*t reels doing the rounds now by all accounts. Dont mean theyre all the same though.
Wont be parting with it all that soon
(Unless someone has a tf gear smag 65 they fancy doing a trade with hint hint
lol)-
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