Does anybody use a Pflueger President XT Spinning Reel ?

[Tatsu Dave]

Getting ready to buy one from TW and wondered if they are the way I should go. Budget dictates that this is my price range other suggestions welcome. Thanks

[MN Fisher]

I've got a President XT Limited Edition in size 30 on my Fury 703. It's been a solid reel for weightless plastics, shaky heads and light finesse jigs.

[ironbjorn]

It's been my experience with the regular Pflueger President that they aren't what they used to be, so much so that I would, and actually did for my lady, get a Trion for essentially the exact same reel at a lower cost. Turns out the Trion is outlasting the last President we have in this household.

 

At that price range I would strongly suggest a Shimano Sahara (I bought my first and only from user ATA in the spring and its been wonderful) or Daiwa Legalis (I own 2 of the bronze-ish black ones; it looks like they've been revamped and now have blue accents; these have been outstanding).

[DitchPanda]

Ill echo was @ironbjorn said they don't seem to be as good as they once were. I have 4-5 presidents that are all 5-10 years old in sizes 25-35 that are still going strong. That said my buddy picked me up a president xt a few years ago and it has always been kinda sluggish. Even with routine maintenance it's just not that smooth. To me the sub $100 spinning reel category is owned by Daiwa. The pflueger xt is $85 bucks and I see 4 or 5 Daiwa options I would choose over the pflueger. Heck the Revros is as cheap as the standard president and a far superior reel to both IMO.

[Tatsu Dave]

34 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I've got a President XT Limited Edition in size 30 on my Fury 703. It's been a solid reel for weightless plastics, shaky heads and light finesse jigs.

Thats the size I want actually, and everything you mention above is what I will be throwin'  Thanks

[Finessegenics]

I have a president XT and I definitely feel like it’s an upgrade over the president. It’s a lot less clunky. The reason I went the president XT over the similarly priced competition is because of the weight. Now, I know weight is not everything and it might sound ridiculous to some of you but the difference between a 7.6 oz president xt and say an 8.8 oz Sahara is night and day for me.  I’ll even concede that the Sahara or a Revros is smoother than the president xt (I’ve tried a buddy’s Revros). Still, the lighter reel makes my setups feel that much better to me. I always used to feel like my lighter spinning setups were “bottom heavy”. I tried a 2500 Sedona on my mojo 6’10 ml and the balance of the setup felt funky. Once I moved the president XT 30 on there, I felt a lot more comfortable with it. Just a preference thing for me. 

[DogBone_384]

Yes, I have two 30's.  Excellent reel for the $$.  I also have a few Supreme XTs, which I prefer.  The Supreme's are lighter and smoother.  If $150 is in your budget, I recommend upgrading, but if not, the President XT is a good choice.

 

Good luck picking your reel.

[Tatsu Dave]

7 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

The reason I went the president XT over the similarly priced competition is because of the weight. Now, I know weight is not everything and it might sound ridiculous to some of you but the difference between a 7.6 oz president xt and say an 8.8 oz Sahara is night and day for me.  I’ll even concede that the Sahara or a Revros is smoother than the president xt (I’ve tried a buddy’s Revros). Still, the lighter reel makes my setups feel that much better to me. I always used to feel like my lighter spinning setups were “bottom heavy”. I tried a 2500 Sedona on my mojo 6’10 ml and the balance of the setup felt funky. Once I moved the president XT 30 on there, I felt a lot more comfortable with it. Just a preference thing for me. 

For me this is about weight - spool size - and Gear Ratio (#1) The Ardent Bolt and President XT are perfect in this respect. I have a couple Ardents so no need to ask about them. The XT looks like a good choice at this point but that 3 year warranty of Ardents looks good also. Will do it pretty quick either way, I need a reel. Probably no chance of a TW sale before fall : (

[throttleplate]

i use a president xt and a supreme, i bought them for the weight factor being lighter than other brands.

I abuse my reels by accidently dunking them in water when i wader fish. I also abuse the heck out of them by reeling against the drag when i have a big fish on and dragging me into the weeds.

 

The supreme is a year old as is the xt. The supreme was giving me problems last week with a sticking reeling in problem where i had to nudge the handle to get it to turn so i tore it down 100% and found no problems in the gears.

 

After all that hard against the drag reeling all gears look excellant. I did find a loose screw on the crosswind lever that attatches to the long rod that pushes the spool up and down so maybe that was a problem as the pinion gear looked good as well and thats what rotates the spool. I dont know but will test it out this week after i lube it up and put it back together.

 

I actually like the president xt better just because it has a cork handle and it feels easier to grab and reel in with but the supreme is a better build internally which i have found out while tearing it down. I will buy another president xt as a 3rd reel whenever i can find one on sale.

[Bigassbass]

I bought a President 25 love it, use it for panfish, bought a President XT and sent it back, it's not as smooth as the smaller reel and it has a lot of slack in the take up.  You couldn't give me one, I'll take a Shimano or Daiwa any reel, any day.  I'll keep the little President reel and wear it out but I'll never buy another one.  Buy a Shimano Sahara, Sedona, or  any of the Shimano reels beat Pflugher any day.  Academy sells some nice reels way under 100 bucks!

[Tatsu Dave]

The reel will come from TW, I buy about everything from them and have for a while. They are way easy to deal with and I don't have to talk to someone who knows nothing about what they sell like some places. The pflueger gets some bad reviews about developing tightness when turning the handle retrieving. Was wondering what members on here had experienced first hand using them. I don't really trust reviews much. Most posts here have been positive which is good. Thanks to everyone for good info and experiences. Dave

[MN Fisher]

21 minutes ago, Tatsu Dave said:

The pflueger gets some bad reviews about developing tightness when turning the handle retrieving. Was wondering what members on here had experienced first hand using them.

I've got a President-25 which is my finesse reel, and the President XT-30 which is on my Medium/Fast rig (as stated above)

 

Now the President is the older model, I think it was 2019 when they made a change and the quality seems to have suffered. The XT is the 2020 Limited edition and it's been solid with no problems at all. I've no experience with the 'handle tightness' issue others have stated, both reels have been smooth and easy to work.

[LrgmouthShad]

YES. Awesome reel. Get it. That’s it

[Bluebasser86]

I have one on my wacky rig rod. It's the last Pflueger reel I have that hanging onto a starting rotation spot. 

[Gigachad]

I have a President XT LE 30. I finally got a rod for it: 7’2” ML BPS Panfish Elite. I literally just got home from a creek after using it for the first time. It preformed pretty well (5 Bass 4”-13”).

[throttleplate]

i went to Pure Fishing, the pflueger website and emailed them a week ago for parts availability and never heard back.

I looked for parts on before mentioned parts places and alot of parts have been discontinued.

Are all reel manufacturers this way, hard to get simple repair parts for simple constructed reels?

[MN Fisher]

11 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

i went to Pure Fishing, the pflueger website and emailed them a week ago for parts availability and never heard back.

Sounds like my experience. I filled out the 'Contact Us' form on their site a couple months ago asking if the President XT was going to be the sole BC left in their line-up...couple weeks, no answer, so sent the question again...every two weeks I fill out the 'Contact Us' form - squeaky wheel and all that. All I've heard is crickets.

[MIbassyaker]

1 hour ago, throttleplate said:

i went to Pure Fishing, the pflueger website and emailed them a week ago for parts availability and never heard back.

I looked for parts on before mentioned parts places and alot of parts have been discontinued.

Are all reel manufacturers this way, hard to get simple repair parts for simple constructed reels?

 

Admittedly I haven't checked in the last couple years, but in the past when I needed Pflueger parts, I was able to find them at eReplacementParts.com.

 

I've always liked Pflueger for the price, and own (and still happily use) several-years-old models of the President, Supreme, Supreme XT, and Patriarch.  I haven't used any of the more recent ones though, so it's disappointing to hear they aren't what they used to be, if that's the case.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I can’t testify to the President being less of a reel, but the competition sure has gotten stiffer. 

[FishTank]

Parts availability, customer service and overall quality would make me look elsewhere at this time.  There are several reels in this price range that should fit the bill.  

[throttleplate]

2 hours ago, FishTank said:

Parts availability, customer service and overall quality would make me look elsewhere at this time.  There are several reels in this price range that should fit the bill.  

i may just hold off on buying another pfleuger reel as this finding parts for the supreme is just stupid.

I cant even buy the cap that covers the the handle insert hole which is worth probably .0001 of a cent.

The cap is made of cheap plastic and since i move my handle over every hr from side to side the threads have stripped.

 

How hard is it to find parts for daiwa or shimano?

 

[FishTank]

1 hour ago, throttleplate said:

i may just hold off on buying another pfleuger reel as this finding parts for the supreme is just stupid.

I cant even buy the cap that covers the the handle insert hole which is worth probably .0001 of a cent.

The cap is made of cheap plastic and since i move my handle over every hr from side to side the threads have stripped.

 

How hard is it to find parts for daiwa or shimano?

 

 

Depending on the reel.....  It's pretty easy. There are definitely more outlets.  All you need is a part number and some patience.  The last time I ordered from Shimano, it took about 2 weeks but I have heard it might take longer.  

[Tatsu Dave]

I want to thank all for responding, you gave me what I wanted, info to use. I have done more research and believe the Daiwa Exceler might be my best choice for what I want. Gotta wait a couple days for them to come in but in no real hurry. Thanks again this site is the best!  Dave

[Tatsu Dave]

Hmmmmmm........guess I should have added this last post, the exceler and a second choice the legalis both kept waiting to come in. I on the other hand am not waiting as my season tick's away, I took a deep breath and ordered 2 president xt Pfleuger's and couldn't be happier. No binding or problems in any way, would suggest blue loctite to make sure the cork knob stays tight not super glue. When you need to take it apart to lube bearings you will see why. Another level up from what I've been fishing, smooth drag, 6:2-1, and light as a feather (7.6oz). Plus the cork knob matches my sierra rod.....

[Bubba 460]

I have two  Pflueger Presidents that are nearly 40 years old and still work. I have retired them as they are beat to death. I have two Pflueger Supremes and two Patriarchs (each 12 years and still great ).  All are spinning reels and have two bait casters as well. I have not owned a  Pflueger XT but almost bought one a month ago and still might. I have no complaints with the Pflueger spinning reels I have bought and for the money they did what was expected for a reel of that class. I have used them for over 50 years. For the $50-$60 price range of the President it hard to beat ~ IMHO.