Abu 6500 vs Penn 525 mag2?

[Firbolg]

Looking to get my first multiplier, looking for a multi purpose reel, but would like to get distance casting down, for when its needed at certain marks. Torn between the Abu 6500 range and the Penn 525mag2. What do you think?

[sandblaster]

if fishing clean ground you can't beat the abus however when the tough gets going on rough ground the the penn is a superior reel with larger gears and way faster retreive -an all round stronger reel .the abu mags do cast beautifully though -hope this helps.personaly i use an abu mag elite on clean ground and a daiwa slosh 20 on the rough stuff the slosh isn't a mag reel though! so not one to be starting off with but it does cast well but not as well as the reels you mention.

[willie bendit]

pretty much agree with the above...525 is a great reel for haulin' and dragging,abus require a lot more t.l.c...get one with brass end plates,avoid the red high speed...dont think I've ever seen anybody using a 525 in the reel down position,the gear housing on the side of the reel might effect the balance ....but what the fcuk would I know.

[Preston]

I started with the abus and their great but If its rough ground they struggle but for casting their great.Ive a 515 mag2 and love it .Its a bit faster than the abus so you need to watch the mag setting but apart from that love it for both rough and clean ground.

[roger de dodger]

the 525 can be made more learner friendly by putting red rocket fuel in the bearings to be honest the new abus arnt what they used to be some improvements and some steps backwards, one of the old abu,s to learn on then when you master it and are sure you like multies splash out on a new 525!alot of lads think a multi will improve their casting distance in fact a few casting lessons is a better investment! multies do however look and sound much better

[roooster]

id have to go with the abu mag elite,the green one,its a great reel to start off with & not as soft as people make out...iv been using them for years over various type of ground & never had any problems with them once there well looked after.i like a slower retrieve reel too when hauling fish,dont tend to lose as many fish as some of the higher speed reels,especilly the bigger fish

[ste c]

abus are great reels to start off with the 525 mag 2 is much better over rough ground though more pulling/cranking power from it

[Firbolg]

Thanks for the advice lads, will take it on board, ill hopefully have a reel for my next session, hopefully there'll be no magpies, ha

[Determined Dan]

You can also use the 525 for boat fishing I've seen a few lads using them .

[Preston]

Thanks for the advice lads, will take it on board, ill hopefully have a reel for my next session, hopefully there'll be no magpies, ha

Best to use it in daylight first and in a quiet spot because its surprising how easy it is to get a crack off or birdie starting out. A thumb guard helps too or if you dont fancy that be sure to have your leader knot to one side of the spool

[MAC]

pretty much agree with the above...525 is a great reel for haulin' and dragging,abus require a lot more t.l.c...get one with brass end plates,avoid the red high speed...dont think I've ever seen anybody using a 525 in the reel down position,the gear housing on the side of the reel might effect the balance ....but what the fcuk would I know.

I fish the 525 reel down all the time The best all rounder out there and it is a lot tougher that the 6500... Start off with a 525 or two as they will cover you for more types of fishing.

[The Austrian]

Last year I purchased 2 of the new Penn 525 Mag 2 Reels. The recent improvements make it even better than the original.
The features that caught my eye are the knurled strip in the centre of the spool to give the knot a better grip; this stops the line slipping under pressure.

The side of the spool has three scribed lines, primarily to let you know how much line is left, or an indication of how far you’ve cast.
The forged aluminium spool is on a ‘live’ spindle, allowing it to ‘free-float’ during a cast; this causes less drag and increased performance.

One day I had a light tailwind so I set the mags near minimum and let fly, with no line lift at all. Another day with a stiff headwind I had to dial up more mag braking to tame the spool revs and once I’d found the best setting I could cast very hard into the wind without any problem.

I was always a fan of the original 525 and now, after several sessions with the new version, I’m really impressed. The whole reel has been engineered to be lighter and stronger than the original model.

I also fish it always in the reel down position unless I use it as boat reel.
There is a 515 model available too, which is basically the same reel only lighter, comes with a narrower spool and lesser line capacity.

[wicklow91]

i would go with the 525 got one as my first multi its great!

[Firbolg]

I picked up the 525mag2 and tried it out last night, nice piece of kit, easy to use, responsive and solid feel. No nests, a little bit of line overrun, plenty of practice ahead to get the distance though. Thanks for all the advice

[The Austrian]

Good choice man, you wont regret it! Just don't overfill the spool, which is the main cause for imbalance and overruns. And make sure your line is distributed evenly on the spool, really essential for smooth casts.

[pete]

I've a few abu 6500's, lovely reel to look at and nice light piece of kit. Fell for the good looks more than anything. Unfortunately I've found them nightmarish to look after, had one get dunked in the surf when the rod fell of the rod rest. Simply packed up and had to strip it down and wash completely. Have seen the bodies become pitted through corrosion where they join the frame and I look after my reels. Have lost faith with ABU a bit to be honest. If you like tinkering with reels and tuning them then have seen guys get the best out of these reels, if you don't i'd go for the penn.

Have two of the 525's, and whilst maybe not an out and out casting reel have found them robust, hassle free casters and generally a pleasant reel to use. No complaints.

[Eoin]

have both reels and both are very good. the penn can take more abuse.