Secondhand Reel Service- A Qualitative Analysis

MarshRat

MarshRat

Steelhead
Thought it would be interesting to share about my personal perspective on company communication and customer service related to fly reels, after reading threads regarding rod manufacturers and turnaround time for fixing/replacing damaged rods.

All of my reel models were purchased secondhand and were no longer in production. All communication was via email directly to the company, no fly shops were involved.



Abel (Super Series 8)

Drag knob threads wore down and were slipping on draw bar, drag could not be engaged. Additionally, the clicker spring unseated itself. Faults were presumably wear/tear, but not directly related to any specific misuse or negligence on my part. Service department quoted high part replacement cost, and did not accept fault or admit any mechanical failure.



Islander (Islander No 2)

Clicker spring corroded/snapped. Equal combination of use in harsh elements and equipment wear/tear. Prompt communication from service department, fair part replacement cost, bonus points for delivering parts quickly.



Ross (Gunnison G-4 -pre 1998)

Drag/bearing assembly seized completely- presumably from saltwater exposure despite diligent disassembly and rinsing after each use. Prompt communication from service department, brand new drag assembly delivered free of charge- no questions asked.



Hatch (Finatic- generation 1)

Contacted service department to ask if they still offered an update to generation 2 drag system (with a charge). Auto reply stating that “the phone and this email address will not be closely monitored”. No response.


No conclusions to be made other than the fact that company support can vary greatly.
 
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Sorta' related as it pertains to service and repair of reels: I read the other day that Bill Archuleta has closed his reel repair business. I read that his wife died and he is retiring. This is sad news to me because he has reapaired or serviced three Hardy reels for me over the years. He is well known in fly fishing circles for his quality work, timely service, and reasonable prices.
 
Salmo_g said:
Sorta' related as it pertains to service and repair of reels: I read the other day that Bill Archuleta has closed his reel repair business. I read that his wife died and he is retiring. This is sad news to me because he has reapaired or serviced three Hardy reels for me over the years. He is well known in fly fishing circles for his quality work, timely service, and reasonable prices.
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+1 for Archuleta. He's kept my big JW Young spey reels in good shape.
 
MarshRat said:
Thought it would be interesting to share about my personal perspective on company communication and customer service related to fly reels, after reading threads regarding rod manufacturers and turnaround time for fixing/replacing damaged rods.

All of my reel models were purchased secondhand and were no longer in production. All communication was via email directly to the company, no fly shops were involved.



Abel (Super Series 8)

Drag knob threads wore down and were slipping on draw bar, drag could not be engaged. Additionally, the clicker spring unseated itself. Faults were presumably wear/tear, but not directly related to any specific misuse or negligence on my part. Service department quoted high part replacement cost, and did not accept fault or admit any mechanical failure.



Islander (Islander No 2)

Clicker spring corroded/snapped. Equal combination of use in harsh elements and equipment wear/tear. Prompt communication from service department, fair part replacement cost, bonus points for delivering parts quickly.



Ross (Gunnison G-4 -pre 1998)

Drag/bearing assembly seized completely- presumably from saltwater exposure despite diligent disassembly and rinsing after each use. Prompt communication from service department, brand new drag assembly delivered free of charge- no questions asked.



Hatch (Finatic- generation 1)

Contacted service department to ask if they still offered an update to generation 2 drag system (with a charge). Auto reply stating that “the phone and this email address will not be closely monitored”. No response.


No conclusions to be made other than the fact that company support can vary greatly.
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Interesting that you got different service from Abel and Ross, considering they're owned by the same company.
For Hatch, don't email, just send it in with a Warranty. They still service Gen 1/2 (I sent one in last winter). It'll take 2-3 months and MOST LIKELY will only charge you return shipping ($20).
 
mcswny said:
Interesting that you got different service from Abel and Ross, considering they're owned by the same company.
For Hatch, don't email, just send it in with a Warranty. They still service Gen 1/2 (I sent one in last winter). It'll take 2-3 months and MOST LIKELY will only charge you return shipping ($20).
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Due to the fact Mayfly owns both Ross reels and the Abel brand, among other(s?) it is treated as a complete separate entity. Always been treated top shelf on their Ross reels and even received a free replacement line for an AirFlo line, another brand owned by Mayfly that became a two piece when connected to a bully.
IIRC, they also either owned the Charlton brand at one time or still do.
I believe it’s stated on their website in a couple of sections that they do not support the Abel warranty. It may have had something to do with Mayfly’s purchase of the Abel Reel company from Steve back in the teens. Not a big fan of the Abel reels myself but Steve Abel, Jack Charlton, Ted Juracsik, and others gave us reels that took S/W Flyfishing to another dimension. They made everybody in the reel business sit up and take notice and improve their products or fall by the wayside.
Edit:
Just for shits and giggles I went to the Mayfly website and on their site, highlighted by the Abel brand, at the bottom under “Warranty & Repairs” they have quite a list of warranty, repair, etc information.
So the original should have read Ross website rather than “their website”.
 
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MarshRat said:
Abel (Super Series 8)

Drag knob threads wore down and were slipping on draw bar, drag could not be engaged. Additionally, the clicker spring unseated itself. Faults were presumably wear/tear, but not directly related to any specific misuse or negligence on my part. Service department quoted high part replacement cost, and did not accept fault or admit any mechanical failure.
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Out of curiosity - what kind of costs are we talking?
 
Update- Hatch responding: “Due to exhaustion of parts, we do not offer upgrades from generation 1 to generation 2”

arcane said:
Out of curiosity - what kind of costs are we talking?
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Cost was gonna be $50 for the drag knob alone, not including replacement/repair of clicker spring. More than I want to spend on a secondhand reel.
 
Just another data point: A few years ago I drove off with a Galvin T6 on the roof of my car, and luckily saw it bounce down the road into the bushes behind me. It survived with a few extra scrapes and a bent foot plate. I contacted Galvin and they sent me a free replacement right away. Come to think of it; some time earlier, I lost the pawl retainer clip (presumably to overzealous washing) on another T6. They also replaced that part quickly and at no cost. Both reels purchased used.
 
Phil K said:
Just another data point: A few years ago I drove off with a Galvin T6 on the roof of my car, and luckily saw it bounce down the road into the bushes behind me. It survived with a few extra scrapes and a bent foot plate. I contacted Galvin and they sent me a free replacement right away. Come to think of it; some time earlier, I lost the pawl retainer clip (presumably to overzealous washing) on another T6. They also replaced that part quickly and at no cost. Both reels purchased used.
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Galvan hands down amazing support.
 
Earlier this year, I bought a Bauer CFX drag reel on an online marketplace and when I got it, it appeared to have been marinated in glacial silt for a while. The clutch cover wouldn't budge, and the clutch itself would slip. I sent it to Bauer/Winston in Montana, and got a call from the person doing the Bauer reel repairs after about a week, they had to replace the clutch (since it had basically been sandblasted) and had the reel sent back to me a few days later. I think I was out 70 bucks to have it repaired, and with the original price I paid, I feel like I still came out ahead. I think the repair price was fair to get another decade or two (or more) out of the reel.
 
Thanks for the responses, interesting to hear service stories from other reel brands. Nautilus is next on my list, order placed last night.
 
MarshRat said:
Thanks for the responses, interesting to hear service stories from other reel brands. Nautilus is next on my list, order placed last night.
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For a new reel or a repair? Which model?
 
It’s always better when you can talk to a person in repairs about your reel as opposed to leaving a messages or email. . Things just run a bit smoother with an exchange of words with the repairman. Imho. 😉

Not
Always possible tho.
 
Salmo_g said:
Sorta' related as it pertains to service and repair of reels: I read the other day that Bill Archuleta has closed his reel repair business. I read that his wife died and he is retiring. This is sad news to me because he has reapaired or serviced three Hardy reels for me over the years. He is well known in fly fishing circles for his quality work, timely service, and reasonable prices.
Click to expand...
Spoke with Bill a few weeks ago and he has retired. He did say he will still work on Lamson and one other reel I can't recall at the moment.
Getting on in years screws with your memory! :mad:
 
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