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PENN SSVi: First Look

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johndtuttle

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Heya Boyos,

 

Well Looky here! Fresh off of ICAST 2018 PENN was gracious enough to send out an SSVi 4500 for our perusal and dissection:

 

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This is the replacement for the workhorse SSV introduced some 6 years as a long awaited revival of the Spinfisher series of reels that PENN has been producing for decades.

 

PENN introduced in the Slammer III reel the idea of independent labs testing and certifying the amount of water resistance/proofness a reel actually had and chose a manufacturing standard called the Ingress Protection (IP) rating. This is what it looks like in chart form:

 

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The idea being that there is a progression that is easily understandable in degrees of water resistance and waterproofness that is real and verifiable with independent testing. This goes much beyond ideas like "sealed" or "dunkable" that are really vague. "Sealed" means nothing other than seals are present, just what they hold back and for how long is unknown. "Dunkable" means to the fisherman that the reel can be cranked underwater (at a normal in your hands depth) for some amount of time time...But in both cases we can see that just how much water or how deep and for how long is really the important idea for the user. The IP standard puts some actual numbers and pressures to those levels of protection and it would be great if all reel makers used this standard. Then we would have real information about their claims.

 

Since the introduction of truly sealed reels the budget fisherman has seen great improvements in sealing and PENN follows suit with with the SSVi. It is rated to the IPX5 standard which is sealed against jets of water (rain, spray, hoses) the most common sources of water entering the reel.

 

This starts off with seals at the top and bottom of the drag stack:

 

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Sealing of the Main Shaft and Rotor to protect the Pinion Assembly:

 

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The Body is sealed of course, at the handle and around the edges and with sealed bearings throughout the reel:

 

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Its nice too that PENN has gone to retaining the bearings with these screws. It reduced side to side slop and holds close tolerances in the gears longer, I believe.

 

Black anodized machined aluminum Main Gear in the SSVi 4500 with brass pinion. The SSVi doesn't have the extra slow oscillation that the Clash has, just a standard (and proven) sort:

 

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The handle, like the old SSV is the simple peened on paddle in the 4500. The idea is simply works with little maintenance for the life of the reel:

 

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Removable auto bail trip if you want to go manual:

 

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The Line Roller assembly is a simple affair. One sealed bearing and one bushing:

 

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And rather than an under-spool bearing the SSVi uses a simple bushing with seals. This seems to simplify the sealing and is proven over decades in the "Z" series to be simple and reliable at these modest drags (20# in the 4500):

 

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Cheers. I'll try and update the thread as requested.

Edited by johndtuttle
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4 hours ago, ThrowinPlugs said:

Figures after i just bought a slammer 3..... looks nice!

 

You won't regret it. Slammer III is Beast Mode with a huge drag and beefy frame.

 

The SSVi is more of a lighter weight "counter point" to the Slammer III.

 

As above, its like a better sealed Clash, tiny bit heavier (makes sense ie room for seals) and with a few less features (and less $$$ ie ~$159 for the SSVi 4500).

Edited by johndtuttle
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Tackle Advisors has been strangely silent during the 2018 Icast previews.

I check my subscriptions daily and my only favorite Elias V is showing up.

And your right scoob,he looks 10 years younger since his big move.

Edited by olvart
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Just now, olvart said:

Tackle Advisors has been strangely silent during the 2018 Icast previews.

I check my subscriptions daily and my only favorite Elias V is showing up.

LOL....

Not to side track...I just as of yesterday completed building a new Film studio.....And about 10 mins ago got all the lighting dialed in the way I like it....actually about 10 mins after I posted those pics above......true Front back, left right above below 600 watts of 90 cri led power!!!  

((((   I HATE SHADOWS   ))))

If Elias doesn't get a Spinfisher from Josh...I'll probably send him one of mine.

Penn sent me the Trio of new Spinfishers.  Was actually taken by surprise seeing a box from pure fishing at my door yesteday afternoon.

You can see all the odd glares.....in the pic below...took a few hours to adjust it to get it just right lol

 

trio.jpg

"Panacheless is no way to go through life"

Tims

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4 mins ago, johndtuttle said:

 

Thanks.

 

Yea, some day I have to get one with real "macro" lense capability for close up sharpness. 

 

And a studio lol.

 

4 mins ago, scoobydoo said:

LOL....

Not to side track...I just as of yesterday completed building a new Film studio.....And about 10 mins ago got all the lighting dialed in the way I like it....actually about 10 mins after I posted those pics above......true Front back, left right above below 600 watts of 90 cri led power!!!  

((((   I HATE SHADOWS   ))))

If Elias doesn't get a Spinfisher from Josh...I'll probably send him one of mine.

Penn sent me the Trio of new Spinfishers.  Was actually taken by surprise seeing a box from pure fishing at my door yesteday afternoon.

You can see all the odd glares.....in the pic below...took a few hours to adjust it to get it just right lol

 

trio.jpg

Wow,have to put my Costa’s on to look at it.

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Been testing a 5500 starting a week or so before Icast. Besides not being fond of the handle material, which is supposedly is a direct replacement with the slammer knob if I wanted, has nothing but good things to say. Good line lay, sufficient torque, feels solid, and smooth drag. Need more time for a solid opinion but am really impressed by the reel and lineup so far and looks to be a winner in that price range. Testing a 3500 as well.

 

One thing to note is that after the 5500 the next sizes up go to brass (maybe bronze) instead of aluminum. 

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1 hour ago, dennysnook said:

Been testing a 5500 starting a week or so before Icast. Besides not being fond of the handle material, which is supposedly is a direct replacement with the slammer knob if I wanted, has nothing but good things to say. Good line lay, sufficient torque, feels solid, and smooth drag. Need more time for a solid opinion but am really impressed by the reel and lineup so far and looks to be a winner in that price range. Testing a 3500 as well.

 

One thing to note is that after the 5500 the next sizes up go to brass (maybe bronze) instead of aluminum. 

I was a bit disappointed in the fact the handle was riveted on (the LC 6500 is screwed on)....and the knob on the 4500 has some all around slop to it....in a  reel that has some serious pimp smacking potential in it's price range.

I mean really.......if it turns out to not be a dud....why buy a saltist...

 

 

Good to see it's holding up.   Let me know when you have the chance to send yours up  and if you want me to send something to hold you over.

 

It's worth mentioning the 4500 held exactly 300 yards of 30lb spiderwire....which is between .32 and .27 MM 

Spool states 230 meters of .30 and 250 of 30lb braid...

"Panacheless is no way to go through life"

Tims

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