I have been looking at the Ardent Apex Elite & Grand and was wondering if anyone has used them? Are they good, do they hold up and how would you compare them to like a Revo SX? 

any info is appreciated. Thanks

Look at one in person before you buy it....I'll bet you won't buy it. 

Oh really? That stinks, the reason I was considering is our bass club gets them 50% off since they're one of our sponsors. So are they cheaply made? 

1 hour ago, Philipspe said:

Oh really? That stinks, the reason I was considering is our bass club gets them 50% off since they're one of our sponsors. So are they cheaply made? 

They don't get great reviews and they're really ugly looking honestly.

If you get them %50 off no harm in trying one and seeing how you like it. You may have a better experience than others. 

That being said I have the Apex Grand paired w/ a 7'3 Micro Magic Pro. It does cast far but Ardent's quality control isn't the best and I'm not a huge fan of the internal breaking system. On the plus side there's a 3 yr warranty.

The reviews for them are good at TW. 

7 hours ago, PitchinJigz said:

They don't get great reviews and they're really ugly looking honestly.

I don't get the ugly part. They look like any other reel to me. At 50% discount,  go for it

Hootie

11 hours ago, WdyCrankbait said:

The reviews for them are good at TW. 

Don't always trust the TW reviews. A lot of manufacturers make their sponsored anglers post positive reviews on there to help sell the product. 

I recommended you check it out in person. I would not buy ardent reels I feel that they are cheaply made cheap components and ugly 

The new versions of the apex aren't that bad honestly.  I have 3 of the grands and at half off I would get them 

Thanks for all the input, I'm going to check one out in person first and go from there. Thanks again everyone 

7 hours ago, *Hootie said:

I don't get the ugly part. They look like any other reel to me. At 50% discount,  go for it

Hootie

Pretty ugly.

A buddy got one of the made in US models before Ardent was sold off.  It broke 4 different times. Each time Ardent quickly replaced it but each replacement broke.  Every time it was a different issue.  Of course now under a new owner the quick customer service might also be a thing of the past.

I think we're talking about the newer ones here. They don't look bad cosemeticly. Now that Denny brauer on the other hand looks hideous.

Looks aint nothing.  99% of the country would expect the USA made reels to outshine the Chinese mainland reels.  They may, from what folks are saying. The point I meant to convey was durability was iffy when the first owner developed the product. Now that its a doyo/banax/fox clone, who knows.

I have a red original c400 and it's never broke, once sent it to dvt for cleaning and he said it was like a curado on the inside.  Now the edge series received bad reviews, but the original 400/600/1000 series was ok.

Would have been nice if they had done the proper engineering and offered a reliable design. If they had I would have been a customer. I'll stick with Lews. 

I like my Ardents. I have a few grands and an elite. They cast as far as the Lews and Revos I've owned. For 50% off, I'd go hold one first and then buy one if you like it.

I was looking at the Apex Elite and the Grand models, my buddy just got the Apex Elite so I'm going to check it out. The good thing I can with these models is they look to have carbon handle and EVA knobs which I really like.

39 minutes ago, Philipspe said:

I was looking at the Apex Elite and the Grand models, my buddy just got the Apex Elite so I'm going to check it out. The good thing I can with these models is they look to have carbon handle and EVA knobs which I really like.

Personally, I really like mine. You have to try it for yourself and let that be the factor.  

I have three of the originals and I enjoy them all. I had a handle knob come come off and they replaced it quickly. No other problems. Long casting reels. At 50% I would be all over the high end models.

On 2/21/2016 at 11:27 PM, Philipspe said:

Oh really? That stinks, the reason I was considering is our bass club gets them 50% off since they're one of our sponsors. So are they cheaply made? 

The NY Bass Nation is also sponsored by them.  I picked up 2 of the new C-Force Spinning reels to upgrade what I had.   They look slick.  Hoping they work as well when I actually get them out on the water.

Yeah, online those reels look awesome! Thought about trying one myself.

at the end of 2013/beginning of 2014, ardent switched from american design and production to chinese. the entire reel lineup changed dramatically as a result of the move so you can't really compare the pre-2014 models with current models. to me, their profiles looks suspiciously like many of the BPS house brand reels.

I realize this is 2 yrs old, I have owned my Elite for 2yrs now. It's the smoothest casting, best reel I've ever owned. Fixing  to buy another one. I don't have the resources to have a bunch of rods and reels, so adding another is a big investment for me. But I've been really happy with my Ardent. Never had to do anything but clean and lube. I fish 2-6 days a week and the Elite is always my go-to reel.

 

I just wish I could find a rod that works as well for me at this price range. BTW Ardent Outdoors has a Sale going on now. Might try one of their rods. I just don't like the split handle design.