[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Unless you are a maintenance fiend or only fish once in a while, Penn 500 reel do not last. They do not hold up well to kayak fishing. I killed a ton of them before I switched.
Yes I used them for years fishing the boats and they were fine but they do not hold up to kayak fishing on a regular basis. I am not great at cleaning and maintaining the reels, more often than not the rods stay in the truck from trip to trip, My Shimanos just seem to do better than the Penns ever did for me. The main gear would turn into a corroded mess in very short order. At least that is my experience with them.