Hey guys.  New here so I apologize if it's been asked.  Just wanted some feedback from people more experienced than myself...which is just about everyone to be honest.  Anyway, I was looking for an affordable rod and where I live the only option is Walmart.  I picked up this rod (Lew's Hank Parker 6'-10" spinning rod) for $45.  I rigged it up and took it down the street and it feels great.  Very light weight and just in general I really liked the feel of it.  That said, I am wondering if anyone else has tried it out.  I guess my only concern is it holding up and not breaking on me.  Thoughts?

There's been a couple of guys who report that this rod works well. I have handled one, but never fished one myself. Save your receipt and if it breaks or just doesn't work out, take it back.

I’ve got a bunch of them and the only one that has broken was because I slammed it in a car door. For the price they’re a really good rod. 

@Ohnooze Although I don’t have the spinning rod I have 2 of the casting versions in 6’-10” although one is a Carbon Fire (Dicks sporting goods exclusive) with the only difference being a Wynn grip vs EVA. The Carbon Fire was used quite often when I first got back into and more importantly bass fishing and I still have it and still love it.

I had one, fished it a lot, and caught tons of fish with it.

 

Considering the price it’s one of my favorite rods.  I did eventually break it but that was due to my own clumsiness rather than a defect with the rod.

Pretty much any rod made these days, even cheap ones, shouldn't break on you unless you do something wrong.  Of course, there's the occasional instance of one having a manufacturer's defect.  I did have a middle grade rod break on me once due to that.  But it broke the second time I used it, and I replaced it with an identical one that's lasted me 5 years now, without any problem.  So that was just a random, one-off thing, that could happen with any rod brand out there. 

 

Generally speaking, the cheaper rods tend to be more durable than the more expensive ones.  High end rods are designed to be more sensitive, which means they're usually thinner and more fragile.  Cheaper rods, especially fiberglass rods like the old Ugly Sticks, then to be thicker, heavier, and more durable.  In the world of fishing rods, you pay for sensitivity, not durability.  But even those more delicate, high end rods shouldn't break on you unless you do something wrong, like high stick a big fish or slam it in your car door. 

 

Besides, anything Lew's should be quality.  They're not a top of the line brand, but they're a well respected one that you can trust wouldn't put their name on anything that was complete junk. 

It's probably the best finesse spinning rod that's widely available and under $50.  It's a shaky head, drop shot, weightless senko ect type of rod.  I don't know how much it weighs but it feels incredible in hand in terms of tip floatiness or "balance" for the price.  If you treat it like you should it won't break.  If you hoist fish up onto the bank with the rod or bend the tip swinging fish to you then expect to break the tip off.  That'll happen to a $500 handed that way so at $50 it's not as an expensive a lesson. 

 

If you want a brute of a rod for heavy cover fishing and boat flipping then the Hank Parker MH is the rod to get.   It's not a MH at all and is built like a 7' H flipping stick.  I own a number of these Walmart rods paired to Aliexpress reels as well as numerous high end rods paired to Daiwa reels.  I can tell you what's worth buying there and what to pass on from Walmart.  For a quick list:

 

Recommend:

 

Lews HP 6'10" M (spinning finesse)

Lews HP 7' MH (6" senko, 3/8 to 1/2 oz jig and t-rigs and 1oz punching)

Berkley LR 7' MH (single hook and treble hook moving baits from 1/2 oz to 1.25 oz)

Abu Vengance 7'6" H (swing head jigs and 1oz+ super deep cranks)

 

 

 

 

Some great replies here.  Thanks guys....feeling better about the rod.  Will be getting used a good bit this weekend with the awesome weather coming up.