Buying used rods and reels

[BassSam5]

I’m interested in buying used rods and reels off eBay and other platforms but I’m skeptical. Do you have experience buying used gear off of eBay?

[LegendaryBassin]

I'd recommend not buying used gear as most companies the warranty is to only the original owner. IMO buy new and buy the best you can afford

[LCG]

I have been able to find very good deals buying used equipment. However, I only buy in person, not on ebay. People that own mid to high end gear tend to take care of their stuff in my experience. 

[BigAngus752]

I do not buy used from eBay.  I do buy new from eBay but only from a select few sellers (and I've saved hundreds of dollars and never had a problem).  I also buy used from the flea market forum on Bass Resource and have been 100% satisfied with every purchase.  

[FishTank]

No to the rods and as far as reels go, it would depend on which one it is.  If it is something that I know I could get parts for, then I would consider it.  I also don't consider the outside condition a big deal, if the inside is well taken care of. 

 

Another thing to consider is if you look for sales of older models when they get discontinued, I often find great deals that are better than what I can find used ebay >for instance I got a new Revo Toro Beast for $200 back in April. 

[GReb]

My experiences buying used have been good. It’s usually equipment someone bought and never used so it’s basically brand new OR equipment from real fisherman who take care of their stuff. I’ve enjoyed several good deals from both. 

[Further North]

I've bought tons of used gear on E-Bay, no problems so far.

 

Use restraint, and if something is too good to be true...there's usually a reason.

 

Fly fishing gear in particular seems to get sold at a fraction of new. An easy 75% of my fly gear...and I've got 30 rods rigged...are E-Bay buys, bit rods and reels.

 

I've also bought some gear set ups used...it tends to be "more used" than the fly fishing gear, but I've not been disappointed yet.

[king fisher]

I have bought lots of used equipment off of Ebay.  I have had mostly good experiences.  What does surprise me is the number of people trying to sell used rod's, reels, even lures for the same  price you can buy new on sale..  I wont pay more than 60% of what a rod or reel would cost new.  If the seller is honest I get a good deal, if not I hope to make up for the loss on the next purchase.  I saw a travel rod a couple of weeks ago, price was good, rod looked new, still had the case.  Price was high but was the exact rod I had been looking for quite awhile.  Was about to purchase, then noticed all the pictures only had two pieces of a three piece rod. Another time I could tell by the guide wraps that a two piece rod did not have matching pieces.  I look on Ebay everyday and enjoy trying to find deals.  If you don't have fun looking, than I would wouldn't waste my time and buy new.  Good deals are rare and take lots of time finding.

[PourMyOwn]

I've bought a few used rods off of Ebay, and have been happy. 

 

I do agree that much of it is priced at 90% of retail, which is ridiculous. 

[new2BC4bass]

I've purchased a lot of used rods and reels over the years.  No used rods from ebay, but a couple used reels from places like Japan Tackle.  Have gotten some great deals on new...discontinued...rods off ebay.  I have about reached the point where I will only purchase new rods Online.  Much easier to get a replacement on a rod broken in shipment.  I have 3 broken rods in my basement that I ate the price of.  Luckily none were expensive (all less than $100).

 

I've only received one reel that needed repair before I could use it.  Also the original spool didn't come with it (and wasn't mentioned in the ad).  This from a reputable seller.  He may have made it right, but I sent it out for repair and upgrading/tuning.  Great reel now, but probably the most $$ I have invested in a reel.  One reel had a plastic piece on the thumb bar broken upon arrival.  Piece was in the box.   $5 to replace.  This is out of about 55 used reels purchased over the last 10 years.

 

 

[BassCats]

I buy most of my reels used on this forum. Since I don’t buy high end rods I usually buy them when on sale, or get the last of the older model when they update.

[JustJames]

I buy used rods and reels all the time, eBay or not as long as the seller got at least 95% rating. Yes sometime you got lemon but that happen when you wanna pay a deep discount. The problem buying from eBay is the seller mostly not the one who used the rods/reels themselves so they don’t really know how the inside or how they’ve been used.

[Randy Price]

12 hours ago, LCG said:

I have been able to find very good deals buying used equipment. However, I only buy in person, not on ebay. People that own mid to high end gear tend to take care of their stuff in my experience. 

This has been my experience too.  Several years ago I did purchase a Shimano Calcutta TE 250 DC from ebay.  The seller said it was "new in box" but after I received it and examined it I could tell it was VERY slightly used.  Should have been described as "Like new in box".  I kept it but was disappointed at how the seller described the condition.

[NYWayfarer]

I would rather buy something new on sale than buy anything used.

 

The only items I would consider buying used are things that are not in production anymore.

[J Francho]

I buy used here on the Flea Market all the time.  Latest purchase was a JDM Zillion that picks up 41" per turn. 

[JustJames]

Sometime reels that I bought from forums not eBay, didn’t seem like owner ever taking care of the reel, a lot of dirty grease in worm gear and inside, a lot of moisture on drag or drag locked down etc. It is easy fix or cheap replacement, though if you know how to maintenance the reel.

If you don’t know how to care or clean the reel or if you only target budget - mid end reel, buy new when on sale or buy used but like new from reputable forum members.

 

[TBAG]

I've bought used rods/reels on here, craigslist, and locally at the bait/tackle store in town.

 

I've always had great luck and have gotten some real deals on some higher end stuff. I've not tried Ebay yet on used stuff but you should be protected by ebay/paypal.

[CountryboyinDC]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Latest purchase was a JDM Zillion that picks up 41" per turn.

That is a fast retrieve!

I use eBay all the time, mostly for buying, but sometimes for selling stuff too.  I think everything I've bought has been new, and as described.  The sellers are a ton better at shipping in a hurry than a lot of other online retailers most of the time.

[the reel ess]

You can buy mid-to-high quality used reels off Ebay all day. But they'll usually have a worn out cast control or drag. Many of them are trade-ins that a tackle shop is trying to recoup some on. If you're reel-savvy, you can fix it and make out pretty cheap. Sometimes, you can take out the cast control washer, flip it and replace. Or you can send to BPS reel and rod repair and they'll usually fix it for the min fee of $19.99, especially if it's their brand. They have parts for almost any reel ever mass produced.

 

I've done it with two reels and they never were "like new". I still ahve one and I use it only with heavy lures because it has a tendency to "professioanlly overrun." But used reels might be better than you can afford new. I eventually settled into the $100-130 range for new reels that will last for years to come. I just added 1 a year until I had a stable of 5. Most are Lew's Tournament MB.

[ReedFish]

If you are a "DIY" guy, buying reels off eBay is a good way to build your arsenal for cheap.  As mentioned a lot of people use their equipment, but never take the time or $$$ to take care of their reels.  When they aren't performing perfectly anymore they sell them.  A tear-down with the proper oil and grease and the reel may be as good as new.  

 

I personally do not buy used rods...you just can't "fix" a rod that has been abused.

[greentrout]

check out garage and estate sales ... especially in nice neighborhoods ... might be pleasantly surprised with what you find ...

 

good fishing ...

[The Bassman]

13 minutes ago, ReedFish said:

If you are a "DIY" guy, buying reels off eBay is a good way to build your arsenal for cheap.  As mentioned a lot of people use their equipment, but never take the time or $$$ to take care of their reels.  When they aren't performing perfectly anymore they sell them.  A tear-down with the proper oil and grease and the reel may be as good as new.  

 

I personally do not buy used rods...you just can't "fix" a rod that has been abused.

One of my favorite reels is a Curado 100B from e-bay that was all gummed up and slow. After a little TLC and some mods I think I've got the best 100B on the planet. Looks perfect as there was no rash or nicks.

[redmeansdistortion]

16 hours ago, ReedFish said:

If you are a "DIY" guy, buying reels off eBay is a good way to build your arsenal for cheap.

I've bought most of my reels used from eBay.  The majority needed nothing more than a good cleaning and lube to perform well.  That said, I did get a few that were cobbled together and had some incorrect parts inside or even missing parts.  If you're a DIYer, used reels can be a great value but every so often issues do crop up.  I don't advise buying used if you aren't familiar with reel repair and tuning, but even then there's a plethora of YouTube videos out there that are a big help if you're up to the task.

[fishwizzard]

I think most of my reels have been bought used.  Never had a mechanical issue, but I either buy them from forums from people who seem like they take care of their gear or from Japanese sellers on ebay.  The japanese reels are usually cosmetically rough but mechanically perfect.  

 

I also buy a lot of used rods, but am more picky about them.  

[MickD]

Reels no problem IF you shop only from Ebay sellers with 99% favorable ratings.  AND if their return policy is agreeable.  I have bought a few used reels, and no problems.  Look the pics over carefully.

 

Rods are another issue since many fishermen don't understand how easy it is to damage a rod by knocking it into the gunwale or shock it in some other way, so they may not even know themselves that the rod is compromised.  Better to simply wait for the sales and buy new.