President Spinning Reel : No Longer Best Value ?

[ChrisD46]

After looking at the "new & improved" Pflueger President Spinning reel - I'm going to say it's no longer king at the $59 price point , in fact it's a bit disappointing : The new design feels cheapened - in order to get the same quality as before you have to step up to the $79 President XT . At the $59 price point I believe either the Lew's Mach 1 or the Quantum Throttle are a better bang for the buck . While the $79 President XT resembles the President that developed a cult following - the $79 price point also brings in stiffer competition in the form of the Daiwa Exceler and the Shimano Sahara as both are highly regarded . * Be smart and compare - this is not your Daddy's or even your older brother's Pflueger President spinning reel any longer ! ... Your thoughts and experiences ?

[Jagg]

Pretty vague on details. I've tried the 6900 President and like it a lot. The only reason I didn't bite on it when I was looking for some spinning reels is because I came across a good deal on the previous generation President XT's that came with the spare spool. The 6900 is still a boss reel for the money IMHO.

[Bluebasser86]

Haven't even looked at them, didn't know they changed. All my older Presidents are still going strong so I haven't had to. 

If I was going to buy another reel in the $75 range, it would most likely end up being another Okuma RTX. 

[Largemouth21]

I tried the Pflueger President Limited Edition, It wasnt great. Switching to Daiwa. I like the RG-AB

[fishnkamp]

I own 7 of the Presidents and they range from 10 years old to 1 1/2 years old. All of them have performed very well.  So far, I have not looked at a brand new one, so I will do that soon. I have observed guys talking them down lately because they picked one up in a store, handled it, and decided to get another brand. Nothing wrong with choosing another brand.  I have yet to see someone with a situation that they bought one, fished it and then changed to XXX brand instead because of a problem with the function of the President reel. I also own an Okuma RTX30 which I chose for its faster retrieve rate and a Shimano Symetre. Now I am reading that Shimano is having binding issues with the Symetre reels and it may not be just the Symetre line. Great! That is not what i was looking for on my wife's frog setup.   I do really like the RTX . It is super light and seems solidly built.  I have yet to handle a Daiwa Rg-AB but it would not surprise me if it was a nice reel. The way the Daiwa baitcasters perform for me I believe they would produce a good spinning reel.

[NYWayfarer]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Haven't even looked at them, didn't know they changed. All my older Presidents are still going strong so I haven't had to. 

 

 

Same here. Take care of your reels, especially the ones you like, and they will last forever.

 

My President and rear drag Trion reels are the old variety with the wooden knob. My Shimano Symetre is the old aluminum body version. Since they are not making these reels to the same standards I am doing everything I can to make them last other than retiring them.

[Fisher-O-men]

I recently bought an XT.  Lighter that the original.  Every bit as smooth.

[Loomis13]

Are you sure they changed the president? I know they released the XT but didn't think they also changed the president? I think the only reel they "upgraded" was the patriarch with the patriarch in the process.

[JustinJ]

The daiwa revros is hard to beat for $50. I never cared for the presidents 

[Sammies77]

They haven't changed the president in like 5 or 6 years, the previous model had a wooden knob. 

8 hours ago, Finesse Wayfarer said:

 

Same here. Take care of your reels, especially the ones you like, and they will last forever.

I totally disagree with that. Unless you fish only a few days a month, reels are going to wear out. The only reel I've had that lasted over 10 years without having to replace any parts is a daiwa ss1300. 

[bassguytom]

I use the Shimano Sedona Fe for my sons and guest on the boat. It's a great reel in that price range. 

[.ghoti.]

37 minutes ago, Sammies77 said:

They haven't changed the president in like 5 or 6 years, the previous model had a wooden knob. 

I totally disagree with that. Unless you fish only a few days a month, reels are going to wear out. The only reel I've had that lasted over 10 years without having to replace any parts is a daiwa ss1300. 

And I will respectfully disagree with you. I have several Td-Z, Fuego and Alphas reels from Diawa, all over ten years old, and all going strong. Buy good gear and maintain it. It will last.

[iceintheveins]

When did they change the President? I have only had one issue with one so far, and I have seven of them. Just give it an annual cleaning and lube (less is more for oil and grease), and it will last a very long time.

[Jaderose]

I hope this isn't true.  Not a big fan of spinning reels but I do love my President.  I don't use that much and I do take care of it.  I expect it to last a very long time

[fluna]

I was in BPS last week and I liked the supreme better than the rest. Wait until the fishing classic and get a trade in coupon for $15.00 off bringing down to $85. I have the Limited edition from last year love that. I tried some of the other ones out and just did not like the way they felt.

[Sammies77]

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

And I will respectfully disagree with you. I have several Td-Z, Fuego and Alphas reels from Diawa, all over ten years old, and all going strong. Buy good gear and maintain it. It will last.

Like I said, it depends on how much you fish. I have numerous reels over 10 years old that are going strong but I've replaced parts on them, gear sets, bearings, AR bearings etc. There's a huge differencebetween 10 years and a lifetime. 

[ww2farmer]

They have not changed the "regular" President in a couple years. I have several of the older "67" series, and the current "69" series, and they are both great. They have lasted me a long time, a couple of the 67 series ones are 10+ years old......I spend a lot of time on the water and find that the Presidents hold up just fine. Not bad for a $60 reel.

[iceintheveins]

I just bought a supreme this winter, haven't used it yet but it will join seven Presidents in my repertoire.

[JustJames]

I might make a mistake here, was thinking of getting my bro in law president for catfish fishing but instead got him shimano nexave 4000 FD on sale for 30 bucks. Will see how long this reel last.

[NYWayfarer]

13 hours ago, Sammies77 said:

I totally disagree with that. Unless you fish only a few days a month, reels are going to wear out. The only reel I've had that lasted over 10 years without having to replace any parts is a daiwa ss1300. 

 

Sorry for the exaggeration, nothing lasts forever. If you read the rest of my post I wrote that I am doing everything I can to make my reels last as long as possible, not forever.

 

I don't fish everyday. If I am lucky I have a dozen outings a month in the spring, same in summer and fall. Hibernation in the winter so my reels will last much longer than an everyday fisherman. Even longer if the everyday fisherman beats up his stuff.

 

No one can argue that if you grease and oil your reels, store them properly when not in use, don't throw them to the ground, beat or abuse them they will not need to be replaced with a newer, hopefully not inferior model.

[MJinMN]

I also think the Daiwa RG-AB is probably the best deal out there right now, on sale for $49 in-store at my Cabela's.  It's as smooth as reels costing two and three times as much, although you can definitely find lighter reels if that is your priority.

[FishingTheNorth]

If there is this so called "new pflueger president " i cannot comment much. However, the latest model i purchased is by far one of the best spinning reels ever... especially under 100$ anyways