Browning Citori spinning reel...opinions?

[USMCGrunt]

Has anybody ever used a Browning Citori spinning reel?  What's your opinion of them?  Worth the money or is the price mainly in the Browning name?  Thanks.

[Micro]

If you haven't bought one, don't.

A few years ago the blue Browning Citori was essentially a Pflueger reel. Made in Korea, nicely made, smooth, with a good drag and quality components. It was a fantastic reel. I ended up giving it to a young fisherman to start him out.

A year or so ago, I acquired one of the new Citoris. Darker blue, more blingy, and made in China. This thing was in no way similar to the old Citori. This thing was garbage. I decided to take it smallmouth fishing since my reels that do that get some abuse. However, this one didn't. Half way through the day, the reel got almost impossible to crank. I gave up on it and went to a back-up reel.

When I got home, I opened the reel up. I found that a little brass washer had gotten chewed up on the shaft and actually got drawn into the guts of the reel. I opened up the part that holds the anit-reverse and found metal shavings in the bearing.

So, if you can find one of the old ones on sale, they are great reels. I saw some for sale in my local BPS or like $39 (normally $99). Or just get a Pflueger.  But avoid the new Citoris like the plague. They are garbage unworthy of the Browning name.

Here is what the old ones looked like. Forgive the picture, the reel wasn't the subject...