The only thing wrong with the Gold BG one is the Stainless Steel pinion gear and to much grease . I swap it out to the original Black BG Brass pinion Gear and it's fine.
So if you buy it from Mike T (who will swap the pinnion for you) you are all set. If you buy it at the department store in maine , the think won't work after about a month or so!
The pinion gear used to be solid brass the new ones are a 2 pc alloy that sometimes seperate..
I have used mine for some locked drag fishin an have had no problems wit it.i winched back a 30 lb fish in a good current wit no place to go sideways..But when I found out about the gear i retired the reel.No room for error in my fishin tackle.Next trip to mass I will bother Mike for the part...Maybee bring some old sideplates so he can do the swapout thing for me...He He He .