Well UPS just dropped off my Fathers Day gift from my son & Daughter, It's an Abu Garcia Pro Max PMAX2-L.  Within minutes I had it spooled up with some 60 lb braid and on a rod....   Am I excited?  H yes, I can't wait to try it out but can't get on the water today, so I put on a practice lure and I'm heading out to the back yard.

 

The first thing I noticed while setting up the reel is the line cross-over problem because of the stationary spool line guide.  With the rod tip at 10 or 11 o'clock while adjusting the mechanical break the lure fall is uneven and will stop if the cross-over is at too much of an angle.  The level-wind release function did away with that problem 30 years ago, why did they drop that feature?  Probably so they can charge more when they reintroduce the feature as a new design to the younger generation.

The last several reels I purchased had been all Shimano's.

 

I won a Sliver Max this year. The reel is nice and smooth and casts well. I purchased a couple of Citia G's last year. I found the Silver Max is smoother than Citica G. The price is less than a half of Citica, the reel is a good deal. I'll see how long it will last.

traveler, back in the day, i had an ultra mag XL and the ultra mag II. they had been relegated to catfishing duties.i accidentally left them behind on the marina one night years ago and didn't discover they were missing until a couple of weeks later. believe me, i was NOT upset about it! modern low-pro reels, even cheap ones, are IMHO so far superior.

Aren't we lucky to have so much to choose from?  I find nothing superior at all about any modern low-pro.  Especially when targeting something more robust than the anemic bass.  Guess I'm lucky the old ones hold up so well.

I get confused with too much choice.......even in the cereal aisle at the market lol.

I grew up learning and using round B/C when I lived in Michigan, once I got turned on to spinning it's always been my choice.  Never owning a low profile b/c I can't comment on quality, but have little desire to use one especially if on a rod with no foregrip.  I've read numerous posts about braid digging in and the conventional wisdom is using heavier braided lines and stout rods, another major turn off for me.  I mainly open water fish, I prefer to bass fish that way too, I do believe there is a spinning set up to match whatever I'm going to do with more bang for my buck.  Not wanting to sway anyone away from using them but I haven't discovered why I would need one, even fishing Florida slop for bass and snakeheads, open water is not always available.

I have a Orra S30 that is my third backup.  I got it for xmas a few years ago.  Anyways the bail arm broke on the spring side and i ordered a new one.  upon looking at the schematics on Abu website I realized I was missing a few other parts.  Before I order them does anyone own this reel?  If so could you send me a picture of the parts numbered 22,23,24 and 37 of the schemtic below?  The sketches are crewd and the places that have these parts with pictures are rather confusing.  I would really appreciate it.  I think some of these parts dropped on the garage floor when I disassembled because I found some the next day but not sure if they go to that reel or not.