Maddog,
I think your RIGHT! I looked into this this weekend and..I have to say I didn't know there was an A and a B reel. I have an old spool on a new reel! wtf? Why would they do this to me?
Redlite...You are also right. IMO the handles on both my 4500's got stiff and I did everything under the sun to lube and free them. One was so bad I could not fish with it. I am not the only one either. I brought them in to the reel guy here and he said ...you need new handles...It happens to everyone, you cant fix these. Also they raised the price to where it is something like 26 bucks for the handle set.
huh? He told me there has been talk to increase them again to something like 40 bucks for the handle.
Why don't they fix the design? I love the handle on the stellas and would pay 40 bucks for that but not that junk they have on there now.
I don't understand reel manufactures....they increased the price on penn parts too this year. Make them better.
I have to say one thing about the higher end stuff...yeah they are expensive up front....but they take care of you in the service department. My buddy sent in a old stella that was having problems...they fed-exd him a brand new reel in the new design overnight...no charge. He had used this reel for many YEARS without EVER doing anything to it. I though he was in for a major repair bill replacing half the stuff inside. He got a new on (better then his old reel..FOR FREE!)
My reels worked fine but I send them in anyway and they replaced a lot of things making them basically brand new at no charge and gave me coupons for future free services. I have to say they are going beyond the call of duty IMO with excellent service. This year I will package my baitrunners in there and see what happens