I'm considering purchasing one. Anybody have experience with them? Positive or negative comments?

Thanks for the input.

My uncle just bought one and that reel is sweet the orange color is sweet its very smooth , to be honest i cant tell any difference from my sahara which cost 30 bucks more.. For 50 bucks its a steal  8-)

I caught a 2500 size on sale for 25 bucks. At first, yes it's a wonderful reel. After having it 6 months; I'm not really that impressed. First thing, the little plastic dilly that helps hold the hand on broke. So I had to tighten down the handle, and now I can't change sides. It has also lot quite a bit of its smoothness. I'd take a Flooger trion over it any day.

I picked up a pair of Sonora 2500s last year for $15 each when my local Walmart was redecorating. Mounted them on 6' Abu Garcia Conolon Premiers that I picked up at the same WM for about $28 each, and gave them to my two oldest boys (7 & 10).

I had an opportunity to use one of these combos for about a week last summer and was rather impressed. I don't know how long they'll last, but so far they're working great.

Take the $50 you would spend on that reel, put it in a jar and wait till the amount in the jar reaches $100.  Then go buy a Symetre.

Take the $50 you would spend on that reel, put it in a jar and wait till the amount in the jar reaches $100. Then go buy a Symetre.

x2

Take the $50 you would spend on that reel, put it in a jar and wait till the amount in the jar reaches $100. Then go buy a Symetre.

x2

X3.

Also the Sharah is a good reel..runs about 80.00..

I also have theSondona, but prefer the Sharah.

My uncle just bought one and that reel is sweet the orange color is sweet its very smooth , to be honest i cant tell any difference from my sahara which cost 30 bucks more.. For 50 bucks its a steal 8-)

The difference is a graphite frame on the Sonora vs. an aluminum frame on the Sahara.  The Sahara also has shielded anti-rust bearings. It is a great value at $75.  With reasonable care and maintenance, it will last longer than you will need it to.  Any spinning reel falling lower in the product line-up than the Sahara should not be considered, in my opinion, due to the fact that they are graphite framed.

Take the $50 you would spend on that reel, put it in a jar and wait till the amount in the jar reaches $100. Then go buy a Symetre.

x2

Hmmm..I have a Solitice that was given to me last Christmas. A little cleaning, and lube, and a ton of use..and it still works like new.

Is should mention, that reel is used a minimum of 4 times a week..

My uncle just bought one and that reel is sweet the orange color is sweet its very smooth , to be honest i cant tell any difference from my sahara which cost 30 bucks more.. For 50 bucks its a steal 8-)

The difference is a graphite frame on the Sonora vs. an aluminum frame on the Sahara. The Sahara also has shielded anti-rust bearings. It is a great value at $75. With reasonable care and maintenance, it will last longer than you will need it to. Any spinning reel falling lower in the product line-up than the Sahara should not be considered, in my opinion, due to the fact that they are graphite framed.

The difference is a graphite frame on the Sonora vs. an aluminum frame on the Sahara. The Sahara also has shielded anti-rust bearings. It is a great value at $75. With reasonable care and maintenance, it will last longer than you will need it to. Any spinning reel falling lower in the product line-up than the Sahara should not be considered, in my opinion, due to the fact that they are graphite framed.

I agree that one should opt for an aluminum-framed reel over a graphite-framed reel whenever possible, however, I'd be willing to bet that at least 99% of the folks following this discussion will never have a catastrophic frame failure while using a graphite-framed reel. For the average weekend fisherman who makes it out to the lake once or twice a month, a graphite spinning reel from a reputable manufacturer will last many years.

Hammer, I am not surprised you haven't had problems, I am sure it is a fine reel. I would not have one in my boat, though.

Like Stasher says, the vast, vast majority will not have a catastrophic failure with graphite reels.

Metal is more rigid than graphite. It is not necessarily stronger, however- meaning the graphite will take a blow, flex and rebound to shape, where the metal will be bent.

The thing is, flexing happens all the time- reeling in, fighting fish, etc. With graphite frames, the stresses placed on the reel, over time, can cause the gears, shafts and bearings to get slightly out of alignment. This results in a reel that may make funny noises and feel slightly loose. It may happen and it may not. For me, the $30 extra to avoid the possibility is worth it.