[lite-liner]

Looks like I made the right descision after all. please tell us what you were
hooked up to/ how much drag, etc. when the failure occured
that main gear looks like stainless in the photo. what led you to beleive it was a cast part?
-Brian

 

[lite-liner]

Thanks for the pics. looks like the broken main gear is made
of cast iron or aluminum. Need a magnet to be sure
although in a situation like yours I beleive
it would have stripped the gears on cast aluminum.
Nonetheless, it is a machined part, but doesnt look like
even decent steel, let alone stainless the break is too grainy
for stainless. probably cast iron.
Thank God I bought the Cabo 80pts instead.
How you likin that purple Avet?
-Brian

 

[lite-liner]

I’m looking at the pictures of the “broken Fin-nor” and I’m kind of curious of how the reel was broken. Looking at the reel and breaking down my own fin-nor I know now how it was broken….. A typical case of reel abuse, the part the guy failed to mention has nothing to do with the drag on the reel what so ever…. It is the reel handle that broke… and for that to break you have to apply a ridiculous amount of pressure to the handle while the bail was in a position where it could not be turned easily. Example if I am fighting a fish I would normally pull the rod tip up and reel in the slack as I drop the rod tip… I would never crank against a fighting fish…. That appears to have happened here. I do not contest that fin-nor may have had a problem with some of their reels but if we are going to give an item bad press then we should do it rightfully…. My only complaint with the reel is the weight. I have used this reel for Tuna, Wahoo… and the big others…once again you will need a arm for 0S95… as the weight of the others are pretty much in line with the staple. I think for the price, this reel offers performance at a unbeatable price. That my 2 cents

MrBig I thought since you're new here I would point out a couple things.

#1.) it's amazing that after looking at a few pic's you can determine
it was angler error in the breakage of the reel, regardless of the
highly-known shortcomings of this reel, and especially w/out fully
realizing the caliber of offshore anglers that frequent this board.

#2.) Even if the reel is getting a bad rap, it's probably not the most
intellegent to call out another angler's abilities with your 1st post


For the record, there have Been many,many complaints on this reel, from
boards here in the US, and Australia, Japan, Indonesia, etc. Patrick is the
first one that I've seen that actually posted pics of the failure.
Yes, "Skull-dragging" is a practice that directs the torsional load right
into the gear-case. sometimes it cannot be avoided, as was posted earlier.
The only other reel I see fail like this w/ any regularity(main gear)
is the Penn SSM series, and that is due to a sintered-metal gear. Even
when replacing that gear w/ Penn's solid brass replacement, it still breaks.
(right, Bristow?) the metallurgy of that main gear (Fin-Nor)is a problem.
there are many other "weaker links" in the gear-case that should break
first. ( like the threaded handle-stem, or the traverse block, or the pinion.
NOT the main gear.
If the Fin-Nor OS-95 is your choice, and it's working for you, (there's actually a couple others,too) Great! it really comes down to confidence in your equipment. After seeing what I've seen, I have no confidence in that reel.
Oh, Yeah. I don't see Stella's, Saltiga's, Van Staal's, Accurates, Cabo's,
Zeebas', or thunnus's breaking main gears.........

Have a great day & welcome to 360tuna
tight lines
-Brian

 

[lite-liner]

File Photo,

that looks like a Calstar west-coast 6455xxh. good to know, being as that's
what I chunk/troll with. I still wouldn't "rail" it, though.
-B

 

[lite-liner]

Tony (tngbmt on this board) took his OS-95 out to Venice last Oct, for
it's maiden trip. 5-7 casts out of the box, and the bail arm breaks, and falls off. even if the reels only cost $10, there's no warranty that can replace a
ruined charter trip. I will say that my Quantum Cabo PTS reels are about
the same price and are far lighter, smoother, and better built in the critical
areas than the Fin-Nor. I guess the reason I hate them so much is because
they pumped the product big-time, then no reports, because nobody was buying them. I was almost sold on them, & damn-near made myself the guinea-pig, until I saw Shanker's problem, then others who had bought one had problems, then Tony's deal in Venice.
Not to say that if Fin-Nor would go back & :
1.) lighten it in non-critical areas (body)
2.) strengthen it in Critical areas (gears)
3.) let the reel prove itself instead of hyping junk
-I may still buy one. ONE. but not until I see a higher % of good reviews than bad

if you'll search on this board, I have started many threads on possible
alternatives to the Hi-$$ Stellas. I love the Stella, just cant afford one.
I may have found it in the Quantum Cabo PTs, but only
time and pulling fish will tell
tight lines
-Brian