G. Loomis, fragile?

[justfishin]

I know this is not going to be popular and sorry RW but, I have had five G. Loomis rods and sold them all. I just never cared for them and I had two break on the hookset in which is partially my fault because of my ridiculous hooksets, I admit. I was recently looking at a Loomis smallie rod to give them another try after everyone in here raves about them. I have been in some conversations lately where the guys around here are beating Loomis up because they don't hold up. Two good friends, and good fisherman, I might add, have broken their G's. A lot of the guys here are going back to http://www.gatorrods.com/. A real popular rod here. Have any of you had the same experiance with GL fragility?

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Wow a nice selection of Pistol grips too YAY

[roadwarrior]

No.

I suspect the rods broke due to some prior incident where they were nicked or cracked in some way.

[cart7t]

I have an All star Titanium 7' rod I use as a C-rig rod as well as occasional worming.  This thing is extremely rashy due to C-rig weights banging the rod sides over the years.  Due to the Titaniums being one of those higher end rods, I've expected this thing to crack on a hookset for the past year and a half that I've owned it. It hasn't,  it just keeps going and going and going.

While the Titaniums aren't available anymore, you can get the same rod from All Star in the Platinum series.  Same rod, just without the Titanium guides.  $150 from Cabela's.  Great rods, very, very sensitive.

[justfishin]

Yes, I am already a big Team Allstar user. Same with Gator Rods. I am certainly not knocking G. Loomis rods either. I am looking at one now. I just feel they are a little too fragile for me. I have gotten the same response from other guys I fish with here, as well. Maybe the walls are so much thinner or something, thus their lightness. I like the feel of them and they are certainly sensitive but, they just don't hold up, for me personally. I have a Gator Rod that is my Spook, Spittin Image and Husky Jerk rod thats all scratched up from the trebles and they don't break. I had a similar fragile issue with a War Eagle rod I owned once. Have a good year guys.

[flechero]

It just depends on how you treat your gear. I had a 784 IMX for over 15 years as my #1 rod... I had an 844 IMX for over 15 years as my #2 rod... I had a 785 IMX as my #3 rod for over 15 years... I had other brands and model just as long and didn't break any of them.

I tournament fished a little and guided about 40% of the weekends for two summers. I don't do anything special, but when I put a rod into or take a rod out of a rodbox, I stop if I feel resistance. I don't leave them laying across the deck where I'll step on them. Most importantly of all I don't use hook keepers, EVER. (ok sometimes on a fly rod only) I use the reel to hold back hooks and weights from hitting the blank. It is easy and takes NO MORE time to use this little bit of caution.  (except the few seconds to slip a rod sock on them if going long distance in the bed of a p/u truck.)

Think of the IMX/GLX blanks as corvettes and the Gator/All Star blanks as a steel bodied car. Both will hold up to almost anything until you screw up and hit something.  And just like the real thing, a vette will damage more with a smaller impact. As with most things in life, you give up something to gain another.

These blanks have thinner walls, which make them more susceptible to damage from weights, hooks, abraision and other impacts. The material itself is tougher but there is a greater reduction of material than there is an increase of strength. Higher modulous is stiffer so if they built it with a thick wall, you would be talking about musky blanks in bass tapers. ...lol

[dave]

I have owned Gators in the past.  They are good rods.  I would like to see them (maybe the newer ones have them) with exposed reel seats.  Dumas spines them himself.  He told me they are built off of St.Croix Premier blanks but,  you won't find them to be the same as the Premiers.  I know that Ken Penrod and his guides here in Southern Maryland use Gator Rods.  Do you know Mike (Pappy) Jones?  He is (I think) the Gator rep up in your area.

[justfishin]

Yea Dave, in my area R. Capaso used to be the dealer and now its a guy named Zack. He is a good friend and I get them at cost. Gators sure are decent rods. Ken and some of the other guides have been using them for years. I wish they had the blank exposed as well. My Tenn handled ones are great. They run stiffer than their rating. For instance if you want a M 6'6" it feels more like a MH when you get one in your hand. I really like them in M for smallies. Thanks.

[justfishin]

Flechero, its more my fault than G. Loomis that I break them. They are thinner walled. I have a real nasty habit of my hooksets being ridiculous. Its one habit I worked on and could never break. How the other guys broke theirs, I don't know. I would love to break that habit. What is it " Can't teach a old dog new tricks ". I rarely miss a bite but, the rod better be up to my hookset,lol.

[grimlin]

I won't pay over $120 for a rod...simply because i'm hard on my hooksets as well...

It's getting about that time i'm gonna need another rod.

[Micro]

I have an All star Titanium 7' rod I use as a C-rig rod as well as occasional worming. This thing is extremely rashy due to C-rig weights banging the rod sides over the years. Due to the Titaniums being one of those higher end rods, I've expected this thing to crack on a hookset for the past year and a half that I've owned it. It hasn't, it just keeps going and going and going.

While the Titaniums aren't available anymore, you can get the same rod from All Star in the Platinum series. Same rod, just without the Titanium guides. $150 from Cabela's. Great rods, very, very sensitive.

I'm a big fan of All Star rods.  

The team All Star Big Boy rods have the Fuji Gold Cermet titanium rings.  They are as hard as SiC guides.  

I have a All Star American classic rod for carolina rigs.  It get's used hard.  It's got all sorts of little abrasions and knick marks ont he blank nd it just keep soldiering on.

[TournyFish001]

broke one- the handle came a part from the blank used it solidly for 3 years- paid $20 shipping and a week later a brand new one came in the mail- great rods but from time to time any rod can brake.  take the best care of them you can and when in the event of a brake- spend the $20 send it in and get a new rod, plain and simple

[acar555]

I have had the same experience with G Loomis breaking.  I have owned 2, a GLX and IMX and both broke.  I didn't treat them any different than any other rod I have ever owned and they broke.  I have never broken an other brand of rod while fishing weather it be any of my St. Croix or Heliums.  I have noticed while looking at rods that the Loomis's don't have the guides placed on the spine.  I don't know if this makes them more prone to breaking or not, but I don't use Loomis's anymore.  There are too many better options at lower costs these days.

[Micro]

The team All Star Big Boy rods have the Fuji Gold Cermet titanium rings. They are as hard as SiC guides.

That is incorrect info, All Star used (until last year) American Tackle guides with gold colored inserts. HUGE difference. About $100/set difference.

http://www.allstarrods.com/as_teambigboys.html

I'm not sure if you are issuing a blanket statement, or referring only to the Big Boys series. But all of my All Star roads have Fuji guides, even the ones I've owned for years.

BTW, I'm sure rod builders like All Star get pretty good discounts on guides.  

[David P]

What is the warranty like on the Loomis rods. I was just about to order a GLX MBR844 and wanted to know what it was before I get such an expensive rod.

[Micro]

It's like this, Flechero.

1) AFAIK, Fuji doesn't currently make a guide with gold insert that ISN'T the gold cermet.  There certainly isn't one in there current line-up.

2) Gold Cermet rings are aluminum oxide rings - with a titanium nitride finish.

3) I'm not the only one that believes AS puts gold cermet rings on rods - Outdoor Life does, too (#3).  And at $109 at that.    http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/gear/comparison/0,20341,casting_rods,00.html

4) Companies like All Star are going to pay a fraction of the retail price you and I will pay for guides.

Forgive me if I don't just give in an agree with you.  I know you "toured the factory" and all.   I may be wrong, but the evidence thusfar says I'm right.  

[cbfishalot]

First off I must say Im a St Croix guy.  I have nothing bad to say about G loomis and from what  I heard from friends that fish them there a great rod.  When you step up to a higher end rods G loomis, St Croix, ect. you gain sensitivity and the graphite is more fragile.  If you look in the back of the G loomis cataloge Gary Loomis says I COULD MAKE A ROD THAT WON'T BREAK BUT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO FISH WITH IT.  My point is that the top of the line rods will break.  Choose one that  has a good warranty.

[Micro]

Dude, your "facts" are wrong. One question though- Why does All Star say they use Aluminum Oxide? Why would they claim to use guides that cost them a couple pennies and they actually use the most expensive guide ever made? Who wouldn't advertise that? And why would you believe an outdoor life writer over the company who builds the rod?

I haven't heard it from a company that builds rods.  I've heard it from you.   The difference is hard to understate.  

Seriously, the only evidence you provided that would be reputable comes from All Star and it says you are wrong.

There is a picture of a gold cermet ring on the web page.  There isn't a gold aluminum oxide in the Fuji line-up as far as I know.  If you can point out a Fuji branded GOLD aluminum oxide ring, then we have something to haggle over.  

So as I see it, I have been through the factory, and build areas, spoken to the build and production staff, seen the guides and inventory and read the company provided literature... all say I'm right so "Forgive me if I don't just give in an agree with you."

You've been the factory, thus you are an expert.  Well gee whiz, next time you want to know about beer chemistry, ask me - I've been on the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour.  

Touring a factory hardly makes you an expert.   I already know your original assertion that All Star didn't use Fuji guide until last year is wrong, since I've had All Star rods longer than that, and they ALL have Fuji guides.   And I'm hardly inclined to discount an ourtdoor magazine for the assertions of some guy on an internet fishing website.  

And one more thing- according to Fuji, Gold Cermets are NOT plated. Unless Fuji is also putting out bogus literature.

I didn't say they were plated, I said they were coated with titanium nitride- which is unlike saying that are not gold cermet thru and thru.  

[W1-10]

You guys should just throw hands  . Although, the witty banter is entertaining.

sorry your post got hijacked justfishin. It looks like the only thing more fragile than your Gloomis is an ego.

[David P]

Someone answer my question ;D

What kind of warranty do the GLX rods have, and does the IMX warranty differ from the GLX?

Thanks ;D

I'm going to be ordering a GLX within the next few days but after seeing this thread I want to know about the warranty.

thanks

[MitchIsFishin]

Hey Brokejew, the GLX will have the same warranty as their other rods - limited lifetime.  

[flechero]

Sorry Mods, for my part of the thread hijack, I deleted my other responses that were off topic.

The GLX rods carry the same warranty as the IMX. It is probably the second best written warranty on earth and the service to back it up is even better than the written version.

Just to clarify this whole ridiculous debate on All Star guides:

Two picture comparisons....

Look closely at the link you provided:

http://www.allstarrods.com/as_teambigboys.html

The pic of the new rods clearly show dark colored inserts. Not gold cermets. I say the close up of the guide is an old pic, not changed when they went to aluminum oxide.

No look at the 2 styles of gold cermet casting guides:

http://shop.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Gold-Cermet/TILNGG-Titanium-Gold-Cermet-Casting-Guide

http://shop.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Gold-Cermet/TINGG-Spin-Cast-Guides

Notice 2 things... neither are polished chrome finish like the All Star Pic and neither match the All Star pic. (click the guide for a close up pic.)

______________________________________________________________________________

And the trump card:

I called All Star this morning. According to their customer service (Melissa) the guides used on Big Boy rods are in fact Aluminum Oxide.

No hard feelings, just the facts.

[dave]

Just to touch on one item someone posted,  Neither Loomis or St.Croix spine their rods.  I called both to confirm when I heard that because I didn't believe it.  One of them said that they didn't think it was necessary.  They use the natural curve of the graphite to place guides.

[New Bass Man]

Brokejew,

Why don't you call G-Loomis and ask about the warranty if you're concerned.  I honestly don't think the GLX warranty is any different than the others.  

Follow this link to G-Loomis warranty page.

http://www.gloomis.com/publish/content/gloomis/en/g__loomis_homepage/customerservice/warrantyinformation.html

I can tell you this.  I broke one my IMX rods Friday, so I just used the expeditor service and it is fantastic.  Quick and no hassel.  

[FishTank]

I saw the subject, "G. Loomis, fragile?"

Personal opinion, NO.....

I have had a coulpe for two years now.  I know that's not a very long time but I fish them often and hard.  I have broken 4 rods in the past two years, none of a them were a Loomis.  

The G. Loomis rods I own have been rock solid.  If I had to complain about something, it would be the cork.  I think for the money it could be of better quality.  I look at this way, when you buy a G. Loomis rod, it's for life (minus $50).