Penn 515 Mag 2 Vs ABU 6500 C3 CT Mag-Elite

[MRG2000]

I have been an avid ABU user for many years ,but a recent switch to reel down and a bit of casting tuition ,to get some more distance for the summer ray season ,brought to light a couple of issue with the 6500`s. To get the best out of the 6500 ,its needs to be tuned , end floats need to be set and endlessly checked ,spool balance can be an issue ,the mag slider is easily altered by accident when casting reel down,and the real nasty ,its so so easy to knock the reel in gear midcast,with "interesting" results.

So time to find a decent alternative. I have a Shimano Torium 14 ,cracking reel but no mags ,on centrifugal brakes ,runs as smooth as silk ,but with a constantly engaged pinion ,not the longest of casting reels and fairly heavy. After a bit of musing ,and John purchasing a Penn525 ,i decided to plump for a pair of Penn 515 Mag 2`s. They are getting rave reviews and after speaking to a couple of other people who already have them ,and are very impressed. 6 bearings ,fully floating spool ,dial up mag brakes and 6;1 retrieve ,they sound good.

Generally the 2 reels are similar in size if anything ,the Penn is a tiny bit smaller



The ABU has the easily altered slider on the top,Penn used a very neat Dial on the side out of the way,witha very positive click adjustment.



Spool release ,the good old click in of the abu ,deactivated by turning the handle ( Mid Cast ) ,with a lever on the Penn, impossible to engage when casting



Light weight drill handle 5.3;1 retrieve for ABU ,Larger handle 6;1 retrieve for the Penn



Line capacity is comparable ,spooled the 15lb mono from one of my ABU`s straight on to the Penn ,exactly the same capacity, happy days .Nice touch is a knurled section in the middle of the spool to grip the monoinitially ,and some funky level rings on the spool sides at 3 differant levels

Took one over the field for a try out, couple of lobs with the mags on and its easy to get the feel of how good the mags are in comparison to the 6500. The dial is full mags clockwise and none full anti clockwise. even fresh out of the box ,with the mags backed of to 4 160 yds , i can see me likeing these reels a lot ,once they are loosened up . Off fishing on the weekend so will add what it performs like in real action later on, one nigle , lots of grease ouseing out on to the spool ,so a good clean out of the excess factory stuff needed before fishing ....

The 6500 is a fantastic reel ,despite its niggles ,but i think Penn have just moved the bar up a few notches when it comes to castings reels ,that fish well

[lazy hooker]

Welcome to the dark side....penn

i bought one to try and love it...i will get another now and may go for the smaller one too....its feels lighter than a 6500 too so will feel good on a bass rod!!

love to see how much you get for your 6500 on here now mind!!!! cuckoo will be salivating at the prospect of getting thenm for £25 each!!

[dovorian]

I never had an abu but have a daiwa millionare and a sl20sh and I think my penn 515 is the best of the lot.
I cleaned the blue grease from the bearings and the gears and used yellow rocket fuel in the bearings and some high performance synthetic grease on the gears. Its much alot quieter now on the retrieve and casts very smooth.
I have used it on rough ground with 30lb straight through and it copes well. In the future im going to invest in some 80lb braid for rough ground.
I wish I could afford another one. Brilliant little reel!
J

[MRG2000]

Well do the PEEN`s fish as well as they look ??? OH YES THEY DO !!

I`ve fished with a pair for nearly a month now ,casting is a joy ,the mags work faultlessly , just took a few casts with bait to get the setting . The retrieve is smooth, @ 6:1 makes reeling in from distance easy ,no aching hands from winding like mad , a few quick winds ,gets the lead up over the snags too.

Can they handle reasonable fish ? definatly ,had several rays to 6 1/2lb and a 10 1/2 lb conger so far , handles them with ease .My fishing buddy John has had a cracking 11 1/2lb ray too on his 525 mag 2 .

These reels in my humble opinion are worth every penny , PENN have definatly upped the bar when it comes to the ultimate beach reels available