penn slammer vs. shimano spheros
 

as the new season arrives i've been debating on which reel to purchase. i currently own a broken slammer (salt water rotted all the internal components). i'm interested in purchasing a reasonably priced reel ($100- 130). i totally abuse my reels and dunk them frequently but do not want to go all out with the vs.

any insight or recommendations? also does anybody know if the spheros comes with an extra spool?

i plan to use this reel with a 9 foot daiwa rated 1-3 oz.

I've fished a Spheros 8000 hard for three season.No problems.

It doesn't come with a spare and the spares ain't cheap.But it is a damn good reel for the price.

Look at the Shimano Stradic.....Great reel in that Price range.

Stradic is a good reel but won't survive what he wants to do with it (nothing in that price range will). Choosing between the two listed above, I'd go with the Shimano and accept that you can't dunk it and that if you do dunk it you have to clean it right away.

As a treatment for any reel --- carry a spray bottle of salt away in your gear. When done fishin for the day or nite simply spray the gear down. It will save the components at least til you can wash them properly.:fishslap:

Dude, GO SHOCK YOURSELF AND GET A VS YOU CHEAP BASTAGE!

I would find out if you can get a spare spool for the Spheros first and if you can go with that.

However if you go with the slammer you can just get the spool that you currently have cleaned up and you'll have a back up already.

Personally I would buy the Spheros and a spare spool for it.

Tell your fiance that she got a diamond and is getting a wedding, so you get a vs200 - hey, it worked for me :heybaby:

She still wins out on the deal, but you might as well get a great reel as part of the deal

That's true...No good for the dunkin'

I got a slammer for x-mas, I've heard they are pretty tough reels, what did you do to it to kill it? I have a 6500SS that held up to some dunkings and such this year that I cleaned after ever use and it is tip-top shape.

I used a slammer for a season, it's now my backup reel. It's probably one of the best in that price range.
I just got tired (we'll actually the wife got tired of watching me) break down the reel every 2 weeks or so. I am VERY tough on my stuff. I got a VS last year. It was the best purchase I have made in a long time.

Penn 704 or 706 if it's actually going to get submerged but you'll have to clean it out from time to time. Pack it full of grease. Shimano Spheros will also take it better then most but it to will have to be cleaned occasionally and it's not quite as easy to take apart as a Z. Best part about the Spheros is the customer service; if you send it back at the end of the year mangled the worst that will happen is they will charge you $20 or $30 and send you a rebuilt reel. All these reels are a good value and will serve you well for years with good maintenance. The Penn's I mentioned will be a bit heavy for most 9 footers though. Maybe even a used 710 ?

I know you said you didn't want a one, but for true peace of mind when it comes to submersion step up to a VS. Your description of abusing your reels and dunking them definitely makes you a candidate for one. Rinse it off every once in a while and otherwise don't worry about it at all. The Saltiga has it's supporters too but I don't have much experience with that reel. Be sure to check the math as to how many reels you replace over a decade and suddenly the VS doesn't seem so expensive if you fish hard and kill reels. 10 years is a very conservative lifespan for a VS, for most people it's a lifetime reel. Few reels have as long a service life. Even if $$ spent over a decade are equal, it's tough to put a price on never having to open your reels or think twice about dunking it. IMO, for true regular submersion, it's the only reel out there.

yep Z's
The 710 can still be had and might fit better depending on the line capacity you need.

double post, somehow, so I deleted it. :bsod:

Can you still get parts for a 704 (drag washers, etc) though.

I know the shocker at one point was considering the a 710(He know's where he can get one for a nice price). If he bought that reel would he be able to get the same maintenance as he could through Penn as he would with the 704 considering that it's out of production.

Also, was there ever a manual conversion kit for the 710?

thanks for all the posts guys

to answer rockport24's question. i rinsed the reel over the sink after each outing and broke down my reel every sunday for a full wash. no packing of grease. there were 3 times last year when i let it go for a couple weeks. after doing that for 3 years it just fell apart. i was brushing the guts with a brass brush one day and a few of the parts fell apart like peanut brittle.

maybe i'll play up the vs/ sympathy story to the fututre wife. my birthday is this april too. :wiggle:

seems like the spheros may be the way to go and just pay the extra for spool. the guts of the spheros are the same as the slammer i believe. easy maitenence.

I saw a 2006 Penn catalog that still lists the 704 so it seems to be in production at least for now.

we'll have to talk more about the 710. will it be a good compliment to the rod.

take into consideration the .22 long barrel revovler i may be getting with spare cylinder that holds .22 rifle loads for hunting small game.

.22 revolver vs. van staal

Somehow I think she would feel more comfortable with you having a nice fishing reel instead of another gun.

Mayber you should give Penn a call about the 710. 215-229-9415
I think that would match up nicely with your rod.

I spoke to a rep at Penn(got nuthin better to do at work right now)and she said that they could provide parts or service for the 704, 706, 710, and 712 and that service would continue to be available to anyone who owns those reels.

Forgot to ask if that can be converted to a manual bail.

I meant to ask if you can still get parts for the the 710, not 704. If you can, I may buy the 710 before he gets a chance.

I was thinking the same thing. LOL

you guys are brutal. it's tough being the little guy.:rocketem:

Found a spare spool for a Spheros 8000 on the net.

RD 7574 Shimano RD 7574 SPOOL ASSEMBLY $159.96USD

At that price he ain't selling to many of them!Talk about a misprint!

I now have my 8000 Spheros in the shop for the second season in a row for a new spool. The arbors on all 3 spools are terribly corroded. Not tarnished but corupted where the aluminmun is completely oxidized. They have replaced them but I still get no answer as to why it keeps happenning. And no I don't fish in an acid lake:jester: but I do get a lot of line of the spool on each drift.

wtf

This may be to late, but it is my understanding that at shimano 6500 baitrunner spool will fit a SP 5, 6 or 8000 model FA. I have seen them for sale for $32.00!

spheros
 

I bought a spheros 4000 for my son this xmas so I have no running time on it yet. We mainly fish boat so I'm not to worried till I saw the post on corroding spools.

FYI, while at Buckos, asked about a spare spool, it was almost half the cost of the reel.

And it comes with a spare spool that doesn't oxidize nearly as quickly ;) And they're still Japanese made. People say they don't like getting dunked, but my wife's 8000 has held up pretty well going on 3 years now.

$100 to $110 for a Spheros and another $50 for the spool, or $135-$160 for a Stradic that comes with a spare spool. Your choice. Unless you need the extra capacity (and weight) of a Spheros 12000 or 16000, seems like a no-brainer to me :huh:

Personally, I think the Stradic is Shimano's most underrated reel. Why anyone would pay twice as much for a Sustain is beyond me :doh: