I am thinking of going with a Pinnacle Platinum for a first time baitcaster for my son.  He is constantly using mine.  Most of my baitcasters are either BPS pro qualifiers or Shimanos.

My question is: this rod will be used for everything from spinnerbaits to crankin and everything in between.  In my experience with some "starter reels" in the past their breaking systems have actually made it harder to cast and prevent backlash due to lower end materials etc.   

How does the Pinnacle Platinum stand up to say a BPS pro qualifier?  I really like the look and feel of the reel.  Thanks for the feedback everyone.

The platinum series reel is a great starter reel. You will not have any problems with the magnetic brake system. Although the BPS PQ has dual brakes so its hard to compare the 2. I had a platinum series for about 2 years and then the plastic thumb piece broke off, (same happened to a fiend of mine) and i still used it for another year after that. But for the price ,it gave me exactly what i wanted and i got 2+ years of great service out of it.

Great starter, reel going on two years and I have not had a problem. I still use it to this day but my revo does most of the work! other wise great reel for the money.

I just bought one a few weeks ago and it has instantly become one of my favorites. It casts super smooth and have almost zero problem with backlashes. A few professional overruns but no birds nests. Just make sure he sets the spool tension properly and he'll have no problems.

So far so good. I have had a few backlashes with it but with any reel that doesn't have a dual braking system that is to be expected. I have been fairly impressed with its smoothness. I will keep you posted.