Reel induced migraine

J
JeannaJigs
So somehow the bail assembly on my reel broke in December. I do not know what exactly happened, all I know is I went to cast, and looked down and the bail was just kinda hanging there. Tried to fix it myself, no dice. Dropped it off at 2 brother's to get it repaired because I had a gift certificate and didn't want to buy a new reel since this one was $100. Sure it has been used and abused for a few years, but I figured it'd be better to fix it than go out and buy a new reel. Perhaps that thought was wrong. I dropped my reel off the first week of December...It's still there. I have been harassing the shop, and have given up because it's not their fault. I contacted the manufacturer and the part is "not available" I asked if it would ever be available, the guy said "I don't know". I'm thinking it won't be. The reel in question is a Quantum Catalyst, the part that broke is #28

It's been my go-to steelhead reel and i really, really loved it...caught a lot of fish with it so I'm sad to let go of it.

I'm thinking I should quit buying expensive gear and just get a cheap reel that is expendable each season then I can abuse the crap out of it and not care if it breaks, because the cost of repair is the same as the cost of a new reel.

That being said, I'm looking for input on a new reel . I'm writing my quantum off (unless someone has some miraculous suggestion as to how I get magical part #28 for it). If I get it back fixed, hey, bonus. Not counting on it though.

Really don't want to spend a lot of money on a reel, but now I have three reels that are not cooperating. One has seen the salt a few too many times so it makes this horrific grinding sound, no matter how well I've cleaned it and greased the bearings. It's destined to fail and probably will very soon..the other has a crappy drag that's cost me a few fish and the third is held hostage alone and sad on a workbench at a tackle shop. So I need a spinning reel that will get the job done for some winter steel that will work decently for not a lot of money...

Open to any and all suggestions
 
T
Thuggin4Life
Thats bs i got parts from penn for a 15+ year old reel. one retiler didn't have one part so i went straight to the source. someone is slipping in the parts department over there. bad for buisness. its like what if powersterring pump when out and all of a sudden they told you yeah we make em but were aren't making them so thats why you can't find one. bs i'de kill someone for that kinda escxuse "don't no when we will have one" make one its your job.
 
Raincatcher
Raincatcher
Checking my parts inventory...

Checking my parts inventory...

Jeanna;
I know how you feel since it's one of my favorites also. I will check my "inventory" and see if I have any parts. I tend to take broken things apart and save the parts "just in case". It looks like you need what I call the seat...Anyone else have the same weird habit? Think you might have #28?
 
Fish-On Fred
Fish-On Fred
Raincatcher said:
Jeanna;
I know how you feel since it's one of my favorites also. I will check my "inventory" and see if I have any parts. I tend to take broken things apart and save the parts "just in case". It looks like you need what I call the seat...Anyone else have the same weird habit? Think you might have #28?

Check with Olliedamons.com. This shop is in Portland. Good Luck.....Fred
 
J
JeannaJigs
Raincatcher said:
Jeanna;
I know how you feel since it's one of my favorites also. I will check my "inventory" and see if I have any parts. I tend to take broken things apart and save the parts "just in case". It looks like you need what I call the seat...Anyone else have the same weird habit? Think you might have #28?

That would be awesome if you had it. Somewhere out there, there has to be the part I need, I just don't know where lol. I have broken trout reels that I've kept around because I might someday fix them lol...I never will, but, ya know...can't just toss them. lol.
 
T
Thuggin4Life
Funny how its theonly part they don't have and after reading there speal they should have it.... "... our products to be built of the highest standards in the fishing tackle industry. Our engineers pride themselves on designing the most durable products in the world....We realize that situations may arise which require certain types of repair work in order to keep your Quantum reel working for you at its highest level of performance, and will make every effort to correct any problems you may encounter....we have made the process of ordering parts online a snap....We appreciate your business and will make every effort to satisfy your requests..."
 
J
JeannaJigs
The above statement is true. An exception is made for the poor souls trying to acquire part #28 for the 2006 model of the quantum catalyst PTI40.
 
T
Thuggin4Life
Do they still make the reel? If so Buy one from them switch the parts and send it back and tell em how disatified you are with there product. And how it broke first trip out after a few cast's ruining your day being the only reel with you and how far you traveled to the river.
 
J
JeannaJigs
Thuggin4Life said:
Do they still make the reel? If so Buy one from them switch the parts and send it back and tell em how disatified you are with there product. And how it broke first trip out after a few cast's ruining your day being the only reel with you and how far you traveled to the river.

Wouldn't work, the new model has an orange body instead of blue, and it's now $150! I don't have $150 lying around since my phone went in the river saturday, gotta get a new phone instead. I might just call them again and say hey, i still have the receipt for this reel, I still have the original box for this reel, I don't want a new reel, I just want the part...figure out a way to make it right.
 
J
JeannaJigs
I saw that one at walmart last night. Hate walmart but I had to stop in there to get an oil filter and the miniscule fishing department is right next to the oil filters. Convenient how that works out. Looks pretty decent for the money. Thanks :)
 
H
Hawk
Yep, fer the price she is a reel good reel...

:lol::lol::lol:
 
S
steelhead_stalkers
Its an ok reel. You can buy a shimano on ebay for the same price that is a lot smoother with a better drag. Some good deals to be had there!
 
J
JeannaJigs
Yeah I don't do business on ebay anymore though, so not an option unfortunately, and locally...pretty limited on selection. Bimart doesn't have hardly anything but okuma reels.
 
J
JeannaJigs
Well I called around today at work while on lunch and none of the service centers have the part. I swear it does not exist. I have also spent a lot of time scouring the internet tonight. I just sent a borderline hostile, yet polite and to the point email to Quantum since I don't have a phone at the moment and can't call them (It drowned in the river Saturday). We will see what their response is, if any. I don't get it...it's not an old reel. I can get every single part for my old quantum that's more than 15 years old, but I can't get my new reel pieced back together? It's just backwards.
 
T
Thuggin4Life
Did you make sure to tell them that you are a quantum cutomer when it comes to reels and don't do any bussiness with there competitors and you are thinking about switching over to the other side of the fence.
 
J
JeannaJigs
Yep. I love their reels but I made it known that I was thinkin' about crossing over to the darkside. I doubt a company of that size cares that a customer is dissatisfied, but maybe. I really love the reel and have had no issues with the company prior to this, but boy it's frustrating when you spend that much money.
 
T
Thuggin4Life
You have to let em know how much money you would spend for the rest of your life and all the frends that will be hearing about it and not buying from them and the fact that you are spreading the word via internet and builting up an army of people who are going to boycott them. say a video of a guy who wrote apple when his ibook broke and they wouldn't fix it so he smashed it and filmed it and put it online and they gave him a new one so he would take the video down.
 
J
JeannaJigs
Lol not that desperate. I just am at a loss without my reel :( I have had another quantum since I was a kid that is still kicking but is on it's way out because of hardcore abuse, and I have a few quantum trout reels, and they've been around a good 10 years and are awesome...so they do put out a good product. I'm just amazed that I can't get this one single part, on a newer reel. I would still recommend a quantum reel if someone asked me for my input, I'm just dissapointed in parts availability at the moment
 
T
Thuggin4Life
don't tell them that.
 

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