Goose52

Rods: All Star, BPS, Berkley, Daiwa, Fenwick, Loomis, Gander Mountain, Garcia, Heddon, Phenix, Sears, Shakespeare, Shimano, St. Croix Reels: Abu, Academy, Ardent, BPS, Daiwa, Garcia-Mitchell, Lido, Mitchell, Pflueger, Sears, Shakespeare, Shimano, Zebco

Many of the folks on the board, including me, have favorable opinions of the H2O hardbaits. My 9.5lb LMB PB was caught on an H20 "Rattlin' T" lipless crank.

Thanks John - I see the 84mm (well - the 42mm radius) in the product listing. Interesting that it's called a "power handle"...as compared to the 70mm "regular handle"... I was on that web site yesterday too - downloading the schematic for the CQ200 - should have thought to look up the product description...duh!

Spool it up and fish it. PX-Rs look much better with line on them and a bass in the photo...

If anyone out there has the previous model (year 2000) Shimano Conquest 200, do you know the handle length? I suspect it's probably 84mm but need it confirmed. Thanks !

Japan's prefectures are more like our states. A long time ago, I lived for over a year in Yamaguchi prefecture.

Everyone has their own priorities. In my case, I've caught six bass just since this thread started...

Might sound strange, but the styling on this Stella as shown in this photo, with the swept lines on the frame and rotor, the swept porting on the spool, etc., make me think it could be some sort of interstellar spacecraft from a Star Trek episode - with cloaking turned off of course... Anyway - if you have soft water still - time to get some fish slime on that reel...

He's referring to a scale (could be electronic or mechanical balance beam) marketed for people that handload ammunition. The scale is used mostly to weigh propellant charges but is also used to determine bullet weight, cartridge case weight, etc. Nothing special about the scales other than they are targeted to the handloading crowd, will always weigh in a unit of measure called a "grain," and will measure down to .1 grain (1/70000 oz). Many of the electronic handloading scales will also weigh in other units of measure as well (grams, oz, etc.).

I went to the Loomis web site and indeed the spinnerbait rod is a closer color match than the CBR series. But I've already got two MH rods with 18.5 IPT reels on them (Calcutta 50XTs) so I have that slow-rolling spinnerbait/chatterbait application covered. Rod selection is something I'll think about over the winter (and that's when the bait monkey gains maximum strength!). I appreciate all Ambassadeurs, but I have to admit that I just don't care much for actually using the 5000-size reel - just too big for me. But the 1500/2500 size - much more fun and they hold all the line you need for most bass applications. Too bad they never made a recessed reel foot version of the 1500s/2500s - there is so much distance between the spool and reel foot. It would palm crazy small if that distance was reduced.

Thanks! Yeah - this burgundy finish on the sideplates looks good and the black frame conceals water staining and grime. The gold frame on the teal 2500CDL shows EVERYTHING and I feel compelled to pull the spool and wipe the frame down after every use. Now, for the burgundy reel, what rod? A Loomis CBR would probably work........but I think it will end up having to "time-share" on a BPS Crankin' Stick. I got plenty of room for more reels...but am having a really hard time to find space for more rods!

Another Ambassadeur 2500 followed me home. This is a Burgundy 2500C and was a 1992 JDM release. So, it joins the (left to right) 5000, 1500C, 2500CDL, Morrum ZX3600. I think this should be enough Ambassadeurs for a while... The burgundy, black, and chrome finish is a bit more practical than the teal and gold finish of the 2500CDL. WooHoo! High Speed 5.3 gears. The 1500C has a High Speed sticker on it as well and has 4.7 gears - in this case high speed means faster than, say, 3.8 gearing. The 4.7 gears in the 1500C and 2500CDL give 16 IPT. The 5.3 gears in this 2500C give a whopping 18.5 IPT - practically a burner... 18.5 IPT is a good cold-water cranking ratio. Had it on the water today and made a LOT of casts with plugs from 3/8 to 5/8oz. Amazing the range you can get with a reel that has a non-disengaging level wind. Unfortunately, no trophy fish to show for the effort - only this dink that's not much bigger than the Norman NXS crank that it bit. Still, I have to give the reel my usual highest rating - seems to work - reels in fish... (I know - it's a tiny fish......................but at least it's a bass!)

I don't know...that Avail part might give another 2 or 3 feet casting distance...

I have a two-bearing 5152 cogwheel in my 1500C - no lightening. The ultimate cogwheel has to be this one - two bearings AND radically lightened: Avail Cogwheel

Thanks Mike ! On the Revo parts - there was a board member on here a number of years ago that interchanged many of the lockwork parts between a Revo S and a PQ with satisfactory results...

Thanks guys! These reels do fine down to about 1/4oz. Depending on the rod and line being used, they could perhaps go a bit below that. Theoretically, these reels are somewhat at a disadvantage at the lighter weight range due to their somewhat heavier spools than some other reels. The captive brake shoes & springs, and the cover plate, add weight to the spool compared to other designs. Parts? I can't speak for all BPS reels but parts for the PQ are only a phone call away: Outdoor World Rod & Reel Repair

Thanks for the kind words ChrisD46,,,

Thanks again guys. The PQ was on the water again today................lots of casts.................but no fish reeled in...

OK - I just ordered a custom 40mm handle for it..............................................................................

Thanks John! Yeah - they have those 6.0:1 gears - you get to 22 IPT with them - a more useful range. This reel will stay stock, but I still have that beater 1500 that may get some 6.0 juice one of these days...

My thanks to all that have replied. This was a best effort (and a long one) to try to quantify wear on a reel, using a standardized metric and leveraging my existing record keeping system. People often refer to reel longevity using terms like "years" or "seasons", but these terms have little true meaning since people fish at varying rates. I tried to put the maximum mileage on the reel that I could over the 5 year period, and use the recorded catch data to quantify the actual use on the reel over the long haul. Meanwhile, the test PQ was out again this morning - it still works; casts out, reels in fish. That would now be 1115 fish caught and 503 "catch days"...

FIFTH REPORT IN THE TEST SERIES (October 26, 2013): The test reel for the PQ 5-Year Challenge hit its fourth service anniversary on October 26 (today). I cleaned the reel this morning, fished it mid-day, and wrote this report in the afternoon. Background: Briefly, the 5-Year Challenge resulted from some board members expressing the opinion that the PQ reel was a “one-season” reel (it would be completely worn out after a "season"), and certainly wouldn’t stay in an angler’s arsenal for as long as 5 years. The subject reel is being used to test those opinions. Other threads in this series: BPS Pro Qualifier BC Reel – 5 Year Challenge – Interim Report (12-7-2011) BPS Pro Qualifier BC Reel – 5-Year Challenge – A Speed-Bump On The Road To Paradise BPS Pro Qualifier BC Reel – 5-Year Challenge – Three Years In BPS Pro Qualifier BC Reel – 5-Year Challenge – Time To Pay The Piper! Current Statistics (based on documented catch data and assumptions as discussed in the 12-7-2011 thread): Reel placed into service: 26 Oct. 2009 Months of service as of this report: 48 Number of “catch days” (days when fish were caught with this reel): 373 Number of fish caught: 786 Biggest fish caught: 48.6 lb grass carp Biggest bass caught: 9.5 lb LMB Number of cycles (casts & retrieves): 39,000+ (see note) Note: Number of cycles is based on catch data, not on total days/hours of use. The reel was used many days where no fish were caught, especially during the winter months. I fish this reel nearly every day and actual number of use days probably easily exceeds 600-700. Actual number of cycles could easily be in excess of 60,000. Frankly, it is getting difficult to calculate the number of accrued cycles on this reel due to the significant number of days where it is fished, but no fish are caught – resulting in thousands of uncounted cycles. Significant Events In the Last Year: On January 25, 2013, I filed an interim report to detail a parts replacement necessary due to damage to the level wind system caused by debris lodging in the worm shaft (See the “Time To Pay The Piper” thread linked above). Otherwise the reel has been mostly trouble-free for the past year (see the "When Plastic Trumps Aluminum" section below). The biggest fish caught with the reel during the past year was this 34 pound grass carp: The biggest bass caught with the reel in the last year was this 6.08lb LMB: Special mention goes to the smallest fish ever caught with this reel, landed just a few days ago: a 1 7/16” minnow! It was a tough fight but I managed to land the fish (And how the heck that treble drilled the minnow right through the eyes I'll never know.) Previous Maintenance/Repairs: December 2010 – Annual cleaning. December 2011 – Annual cleaning. Replacement of line guide pawl at about 26 months of use. Interesting factoid – the pawl had probably made at least 320,000 passes across the worm shaft at the time of replacement. July 2012 – Repairs / cleaning (see the "A Speed-Bump On The Road To Paradise" thread linked above): Repair 1 – debris jammed the line guide pawl causing the pawl to create a burr on the worm shaft. Filed off the burr and thoroughly cleaned the reel. Repair 2 – centrifugal brake wear – replaced the palm-side sideplate assembly. January 2013 - Repair / cleaning / upgrade (see the "Time To Pay The Piper" thread linked above): Repair – replaced the worm shaft, line guide pawl, and two idler gears. Upgrade – replaced the stock drag washers with Carbontex washers. October 2013 – Annual cleaning. Current Condition: The condition of the internal parts of the reel are about the same as previously reported – some wear on the clutch return pawl that doesn’t affect function, and the centrifugal brake shoes have considerable wear (as reported in the "Speed-Bump" thread). Otherwise, things are looking pretty good inside. Externally, the reel has a bit more minor rash on the top of the reel, very little on the sides. Spool bearings are getting increasingly noisy but spin well when cleaned. If you are familiar with the whine made by Shimano Digital Control reels during a cast…that’s sorta the noise I hear when I cast this PQ – you get the audio experience of a DC reel without the high cost… Otherwise, the reel is fishable, but it’s readily apparent that you are not fishing with a new, tight reel. As I mention with every report, this reel has not been babied, and has often been rode hard and put away wet. In winter, the reel is frequently rode hard and put away frozen, with ice still in the line guide when taking the rod out of the trunk of the car. I still believe that much of the centrifugal brake wear that I reported back in July 2012 may have been a result of cold-weather service (air temps down to below freezing) - causing some of the grit and congealed oil film on the brake drum to become particularly abrasive - accelerating wear on the brass drum. When Plastic Trumps Aluminum: Earlier this year, I noticed the clutch bar (thumb bar) getting a little loose. My initial thought was that the bar had cracked on the inside surface (it’s a plastic part) and that the nylon(?) shims on each side of the clutch bar were probably worn. I added a clutch bar and a set of shims to a parts order without disassembling the reel to determine the actual cause for the looseness. When the parts came in, I stripped the reel and quickly found the actual cause – wear to the aluminum frame caused by the action of the clutch bar. I went ahead and installed the new parts but they did little to tighten up the bar so I am not reporting them as necessary parts replacements. In the photo below, note the vertical grooves (indicated by the red arrows) cut in the frame by the “legs” on the bottom of the clutch bar - this entire area of the frame should be completely flat. As mentioned, the clutch bar is is a plastic part but it does have some sort of plating on it. That plating, with perhaps the addition of grit and grime under the bar, were enough to actually groove the aluminum frame. Thus, plastic trumps aluminum in this case. This is the causal factor for the loose clutch bar and potentially could be a source of an eventual frame crack. I checked my other 5 PQs and this wear (to a lessor degree) is present - the severity based on the amount of use of the reel. Summary: After 48 months of use, where are we at? Parts replacements: Parts replaced due to wear: (necessary) 1 line guide pawl, (optional) original drag washers Parts replaced due to damage caused by debris: (necessary) worm shaft, line guide pawl, (optional) idler gears Parts replaced (probably) due to my failure to maintain: palm-side sideplate assembly (to replace the brake drum) Parts ordered and installed but did not fix the problem: clutch bar and shims Lessons learned: Keep the brake drum CLEAN and appy lube to the drum to prevent premature wear. Accept that the dual-braking system (DBS), along with its advantages, has some disadvantages - added complexity and potential wear to parts that are not readily replaceable - like the brake shoes. Closing: That's it. Hopefully, I won't have another report until the reel hits its fifth service anniversary and I issue a final report in October 2014. Will this PQ last another year? Stay tuned and we’ll find out...

FOURTH REPORT IN THE TEST SERIES (January 25, 2013): The test reel for the PQ 5-Year Challenge became inoperative on January 7 due to the line guide pawl jamming on a worn worm shaft, requiring parts replacement and thus prompting this special report. This event was directly related to the original damage to the worm shaft that occured on July 3, 2012, and was reported in an earlier thread. See the "Time to Pay the Piper" section below. I ordered the parts and installed them today. While the reel was apart, I also performed a quick cleaning and finally upgraded the drag stack with Carbontex washers. Background: This previous thread detailed the background of the PQ 5-Year Challenge: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/94972-bps-pro-qualifier-bc-reel-%E2%80%93-5-year-challenge-%E2%80%93-interim-report/ Briefly, the challenge resulted from some board members expressing the opinion that the PQ reel was a “one-season” reel, and certainly wouldn’t stay in an angler’s arsenal for as long as 5 years. The subject reel is being used to test those opinions. Current Statistics (based on documented catch data and assumptions as discussed in the earlier thread): Reel placed into service: 26 Oct. 2009 Months of service as of this report: 39 Number of “catch days” (days when fish were caught with this reel): 300 Number of fish caught: 636 Biggest fish caught: 48.6 lb grass carp Biggest bass caught: 9.5 lb LMB Number of cycles (casts & retrieves): 32,000+ (see note) Note: Number of cycles is based on catch data, not on total days/hours of use. The reel was used many days where no fish were caught, especially during the winter months. Actual number of use days probably easily exceeds 500. Actual number of cycles could easily be in excess of 45,000-50,000. Significant Events Since the Last Report: Since the last report on October 26 (see this thread: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/109086-bps-pro-qualifier-bc-reel-–-5-year-challenge-–-three-years-in/ ), the reel has been fished every single day (minus 3 days I was out of town). The good news is that I have had soft water so far this winter; the bad news is that there has been no lipless crank bite and that's what this reel is used for. So, in over 70 times on the water since the last report, the reel only brought in a whopping 6 fish... However, each time on the water is a minumum of 50 casts, and probably averaging about 75 casts. Since usage on the reel is calculated on metrics related to fish caught, this winter has produced, so far, at least 5,000 casts that are "undocumented" cycles. Previous Maintenance/Repairs: December 2010 – Annual cleaning. December 2011 – Annual cleaning. Replacement of line guide pawl at about 26 months of use. Interesting factoid – the pawl had probably made at least 320,000 passes across the worm shaft at the time of replacement. July 2012 – Repairs: (documented in this thread: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/104414-bps-pro-qualifier-bc-reel-%e2%80%93-5-year-challenge-%e2%80%93-a-speed-bump-on-the-road-to-paradise/ ) Repair 1 – debris jammed the line guide pawl causing the pawl to create a burr on the worm shaft. Filed off the burr and thoroughly cleaned the reel. Repair 2 – centrifugal brake wear – replaced the palm-side sideplate assembly as reported in the July 5th thread linked above. January 2013 - Repair / cleaning / upgrade Repair – replaced the worn shaft, line guide pawl, and two idler gears Upgrade – replaced the stock drag washers with Carbontex washers Current Condition: The condition of the internal parts of the reel are about the same as previously reported. Externally, the reel has some minor rash on the top of the reel, very little on the sides. Spool bearings are still a bit noisy but spin well when cleaned. I had earlier reported that the reel felt a bit “loose” as compared to a new PQ but that has been dimished somewhat with the new Carbontex drag stack. As I mention with every report, this reel has not been babied, and has often been rode hard and put away wet. This winter, as in previous winters, the reel is frequently rode hard and put away frozen, with ice still in the line guide when taking the rod out of the trunk of the car. I still believe that much of the centrifugal brake wear that I reported back in July 2012 may have been a result of cold-weather service (air temps down to below freezing) - causing some of the grit and congealed oil film on the brake drum to become particularly abrasive - accelerating wear on the brass drum. On the last report, I mentioned that the anti-reverse bearing was slipping a bit from time-to-time. I removed excess lube from the AR bearing today and the AR system is working much better. I still need to properly flush/clean the bearing at some point in the future. Time to Pay the Piper: Back in July 2012, when debris jammed the line guide pawl causing the pawl to create a burr on the worm shaft - I performed a repair by using a jewelers file to remove the burr. Removal of the burr also removed the plating from that area of the worm shaft, creating a soft spot. I should have immediately ordered a new worm shaft then, but frugal as I am, I delayed ordering the part. The worm shaft wear quickly accelerated and a jam again occured on January 7, 2013. At this time, the worm shaft was officially toast, and the jam also chipped the line guide pawl. This pawl had only been in service for 13 months and probably had at least another year of service life left so that part was toast prematurely. The worn worm shaft The chipped/damaged line guide pawl: As long as I was ordering parts, I decided to also replace the nylon idler gears on the worm shaft and crank shaft since those gears slip and get a bit bunged-up when the line guide pawl jams. The idler gears probably didn't have to be replaced, but they are very inexpensive so I added them to the order. So, the parts used to finally complete the repair were: Worm shaft (a kit that also includes a bushing, washer, and e-clip) - $6.50 Line guide pawl - $2.10 2 idler gears - $1.05 each An inexpensive repair, and parts are readily available and only a phone call away. The replacement parts - nifty that the worm shaft comes with the bushing, washer, and clip: Upgrade: After over 600 fish, including carp in the 40-50 pound class, the stock drag washers were starting to get pretty thin. So, I finally installed the Carbontex drag washers. A smoother drag, and the increased thickness of the drag stack has taken some of the loose feeling out of the drivetrain. Summary: After 39 months of use, where are we at? Parts replacements: Parts replaced due to wear: 1 line guide pawl, original drag washers Parts replaced due to damage caused by debris: (necessary) worm shaft, line guide pawl, (optional) idler gears Parts replaced (probably) due to my failure to maintain: palm-side sideplate assembly (to replace the brake drum) Lessons learned: Keep the brake drum CLEAN and appy lube to the drum to prevent premature wear. Accept that the DBS system, along with its advantages, has some disadvantages - added complexity and potential wear to parts that are not readily replaceable - like the brake shoes. That's it. Hopefully, I won't have another report until the reel hits its fourth service anniversay this coming October. Stay tuned - another 21 months remain in the challenge...

THIRD REPORT IN THE TEST SERIES (October 26, 2012): The test reel for the PQ 5-Year Challenge hit its third service anniversary on October 26 (today). The bite is dropping off a bit here on the plateau but the reel did manage to bring in one 14" bass today to celebrate the anniversary. Background: This previous thread detailed the background of the PQ 5-Year Challenge: http://www.bassresou...interim-report/ Briefly, the challenge resulted from some board members expressing the opinion that the PQ reel was a “one-season” reel, and certainly wouldn’t stay in an angler’s arsenal for as long as 5 years. The subject reel is being used to test those opinions. Current Statistics (based on documented catch data and assumptions as discussed in the earlier thread): Reel placed into service: 26 Oct. 2009 Months of service as of this report: 36 Number of “catch days” (days when fish were caught with this reel): 294 Number of fish caught: 630 Biggest fish caught: 48.6 lb grass carp Biggest bass caught: 9.5 lb LMB Number of cycles (casts & retrieves): 31,000+ (see note) Note: Number of cycles is based on catch data, not on total days/hours of use. The reel was used many days where no fish were caught, especially during the winter months. Actual number of use days probably easily exceeds 400. Actual number of cycles could easily be in excess of 40,000-45,000. Significant Events Since the Last Report: The last report on this reel was on July 5, 2012, to report a repair to the centrifugal braking system - see this thread: http://www.bassresou...ad-to-paradise/ Since the last report, the reel has brought in another 117 fish - the most noteworthy being my new PB LMB of 9.54lbs. Another grass carp was foul hooked and landed - this one was 45 pounds. Since this reel is on my primary lipless crank rod, it will be seeing quite a bit of use through the late fall and winter - as long as I have soft water. Since a lot of fishing is done in winter...but not very much catching, there will again be quite a few "undocumented" cycles that will be accrued by this reel over the next few months... The 9.54lb LMB: The 45lb grass carp: Previous Maintenance/Repairs: December 2010 – Annual cleaning. December 2011 – Annual cleaning. Replacement of line guide pawl at about 26 months of use. Interesting factoid – the pawl had probably made at least 320,000 passes across the worm shaft at the time of replacement. July 2012 – Repairs: Repair 1 - debris jammed the line guide pawl causing the pawl to create a burr on the worm shaft. Filed off the burr and thoroughly cleaned the reel. Repair 2 – centrifugal brake wear – replaced the palm-side sideplate assembly as reported in the July 5th thread linked above. Current Condition: The condition of the internal parts of the reel was reported in the July 5th thread. Externally, the reel has some minor rash on the top of the reel. Since the side-plate assembly on the palm-side of the reel was replaced in July, the cosmetics in that area appear nearly new. The spool bearings are noisier than when new but are still serviceable. The reel continues to feel a bit “loose” as compared to a new PQ but this is a subjective perception and I can’t attribute it to any particular causal factor other than "high-mileage." As I mention with every report, this reel has not been babied, and has often been rode hard and put away wet. Indeed, in winter, the reel is frequently rode hard and put away frozen, with ice still in the line guide when taking the rod out of the trunk of the car! I still believe that much of the centrifugal brake wear that I reported back in July may have been a result of cold-weather service (air temps down to below freezing) - causing some of the grit and congealed oil film on the brake drum to become particularly abrasive - accelerating wear on the brass drum. The only operational issue of note at present is that the anti-reverse bearing slips a bit from time-to-time: I'm hoping that will be resolved when the reel is cleaned/serviced over the winter...and not that the AR bearing is wearing out. Added Maintenance: BPS does not show the inside of the brake drum as a lubrication point; I believe that this is a BIG mistake. I now try to remember to clean and lube the brake drum whenever I remove the side plate. The wear to the brass brake drum, and the captive brake shoes in the spool, are my only areas of concern on this reel and I believe are the weak link in the overall durability of the reel. Closing: This reel continues to provide excellent service for a reel at its price point. I own six PQs, some bought new on sale, some bought used. My average cost per reel is $64. I have already, in my opinion, received more than that in value/use and it’s all bonus here on out. In regards to the long-term durability of a PQ, my use data could be compared to your fishing activity. I have used the reel somewhere between 300 and 400 days and reeled in 630 fish. For some anglers, that might be many years of use - for other anglers, that might be only one "season." And, there is still lots of life left in the reel. More to come – 5 years is a long time… P.S.: So, people keep telling me that the PQ is a "one-season wonder" - it will just fall into pieces after the first season, its parts will tremble and disassemble when confronted by a whopper, it's drag washers will melt when pulled by a smelt... I think not...

SECOND REPORT IN THE TEST SERIES (July 5, 2012): The test reel for the PQ 5-Year Challenge became inoperative on July 3 due to some debris jamming the line guide pawl, requiring a repair and detailed cleaning; thus prompting this special report. During this repair, I also finally addressed the issue of centrifugal brake wear that had been getting gradually worse since this past winter (the “speed-bump” mentioned in the title of this thread – see below for details). Background: This previous thread detailed the background of the PQ 5-Year Challenge: http://www.bassresou...interim-report/ Briefly, the challenge resulted from some board members expressing the opinion that the PQ reel was a “one-season” reel, and certainly wouldn’t stay in an angler’s arsenal for as long as 5 years. The subject reel is being used to test those opinions. Current Statistics (based on documented catch data and assumptions as discussed in the earlier thread): Reel placed into service: 26 Oct. 2009 Months of service as of this report: 33 Number of “catch days” (days when fish were caught with this reel): 234 Number of fish caught: 513 Biggest fish caught: 48.6 lb grass carp Biggest bass caught: 8.4 lb LMB Number of cycles (casts & retrieves): 26,000+ (see note) Note: Number of cycles is based on catch data, not on total days/hours of use. The reel was used on a number of days where no fish were caught, especially during the winter months. Actual number of use days probably easily exceeds 300. Actual number of cycles could easily be in excess of 35,000. Previous Maintenance/Repairs: December 2010 – Annual cleaning. December 2011 – Annual cleaning. Replacement of line guide pawl at about 26 months of use. Interesting factoid – the pawl had probably made at least 320,000 passes across the worm shaft at the time of replacement. July 2012 – Repairs: Repair 1 - debris jammed the line guide pawl causing the pawl to create a burr on the worm shaft. Filed off the burr and thoroughly cleaned the reel. The problem is solved for now but I will probably order several worm shafts to have on hand in the event that I get more wear at the spot I filed on the worm shaft. Repair 2 – centrifugal brake wear – see the “Speed-Bump” section below. Current Condition: When disassembled for cleaning, parts were examined for wear. The clutch return pawl continues to show wear from impact of the clutch ratchet, but the wear is not on the surface that affects clutch release so it presents no problems at this time. The drag stack is still stock and serviceable (capable of dealing with near 50-pound fish) but the drag washers look/feel a bit thinner (however I did not “mike” them and compare to a newer PQ). The spool bearings are noisier than when new but are still serviceable. The reel is starting to feel a bit “loose” as compared to a new PQ but this is a subjective perception and I can’t attribute it to any particular causal factor. Exterior rash (dings, scratches) is minimal considering the amount of use. Exterior markings on the palming side of the reel were considerably worn at the time of the last report (December 2011) but have now been nearly completely worn away – see photos. This reel has not been babied, and has often been rode hard and put away wet. Indeed, this past winter the reel was frequently rode hard and put away frozen, with ice still in the line guide when taking the rod out of the trunk of the car! The “Speed-Bump” – Centrifugal Brake Wear: I call this the speed-bump since this is the first problem with the reel that is not attributable to expected wear or damage from ordinary use. On a low- to mid-price reel like the PQ, one might think that failure modes would occur in the bearings, the clutch system, soft/cheap parts, etc. I’m not sure that I had envisioned a problem with the braking system. Starting in the late winter, I noticed that centrifugal braking capability was gradually diminishing. I usually use 1 or 2 centrifugal brakes and minimal magnetic for tossing 5/8 oz lipless cranks. I was having to add more and more magnetic braking; as time went on, I added a 3rd centrifugal brake. At that point, I finally got around to examining the reel with a magnifying glass. I was surprised to see a groove cut into the brake drum, and considerable wear on the brake shoes. In the nearly 2.5 years of use, I had probably not been attentive enough on the condition of the brake drum – assuring that it was clean anytime I removed the side cover. So, I can’t say if the wear at this point is endemic in all PQs, or was caused by my failure to properly clean the reel. See next photos for brake drum and brake shoe wear. Brake drum wear - note groove in the drum on the left: Brake shoe wear - worn shoe on left - new shoe on right: Several months ago, I ordered replacement parts to address the brake wear issue. And yes Virginia, you can get parts for PQs…or the next higher assemblies. In the schematic below, I needed part number 87 to replace the worn brake drum. That part is not available separately; you have to purchase a complete cover assembly (parts 79-90). Cost was a reasonable $14 and you get a new bearing as part of the deal; this also addresses the cosmetic wear of the markings on the cover. I inquired about getting some new brake shoes (part 75) – but those are not available separately and the next higher assembly is (gulp) the spool assembly. I passed on those. This is the penalty you pay for the DBS system. Other centrifugal (only) braking systems have readily replaceable brake shoes – but the captive shoes on this design, made necessary by the addition of the magnetic braking system, are a wear point that is not conveniently serviced. At some point, the brake shoes in this PQ will become worn to the point that they are ineffective, at which time I will cannibalize some brake shoes out of my lower-mileage PQs. When the reel locked up several days ago and repair was necessary, I finally installed the new side cover. While the brake shoes have considerable wear, the brake drum inside-diameter is small and precise enough for the brakes to still be effective. A test run yesterday showed that I am back to needing only 1 or 2 centrifugal brakes for my usual 5/8oz lipless crank, with minimal magnetic and spool tension. After repair: Added Maintenance: BPS does not show the inside of the brake drum as a lubrication point. However, Shimano does show that as a lubrication point for their reels. I will now be paying attention to keeping the brake drum clean, and I will be adding a thin coat of lube to the brake drum surface (when I get to it – remember – rode hard and put away wet…. ) Closing: Despite the required repair to the braking system, I’m still very pleased with my PQs. I have six of them, some bought new on sale, some bought used. My average cost per reel is $64. I have already, in my opinion, received more than that in value/use and it’s all bonus here on out. In regards to the long-term durability of a PQ, my use data could be compared to your fishing activity. If you fish the same reel, for several hours a day, every day of the year, then indeed this PQ might have only lasted one “season” before requiring repair. However, if you are a once-a-week angler, for the 9 months a year that you have soft water, then this PQ would have lasted you over 7 years of fishing before repair. AND, I still don’t know if the repair was necessary as a result of my failure to maintain, or whether this wear occurs to all PQs. My other 5 PQs show some minimal wear in the drums, but then none have the amount of use of this reel. More to come – 5 years is a long time… (If you've read all the way down here - you must be a real PQ fan... )