# H2O lifetime warranty



## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

I have been talking to alot of people that own the H2O and almost nobody knows that they come with a lifetime warranty thru academy. If the bearing go bad or you have any problems with it just simply take it back and academy will give you a brand new one in the box. I have personally sent two people up there with their reels and they called me the next day saying they got a brand new reel. Just thought I would share for the ones that didn't know this.


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## justin83 (Apr 26, 2010)

Thank You very much!!! i had no idea, one of mine went bad going to take it to academy this weekend


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

*Tks, me three....*

I had the drag stop being adjustable....was getting ready to tear it apart, now wont have to!

Later
R3F


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## 24Buds (Dec 5, 2008)

time to buy another one then!


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## tguff (Nov 10, 2010)

*H2O Returns*

I can confirm this. I returned one at Academy in Lake Jackson due to problems. I received a new one with no hassle.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

win win for everyone with these reel..


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## Jasmillertime (Mar 23, 2010)

i wonder if they exchange it, if they would respool it for you too?


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## 24Buds (Dec 5, 2008)

Jasmillertime said:


> i wonder if they exchange it, if they would respool it for you too?


 don't get too greedy LOL.


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## illusion express (Aug 24, 2009)

Sounds like a H20 reel on an Allstar rod would be hard to beat.Thanks for the heads up.


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## Jasmillertime (Mar 23, 2010)

didn't they have a deal that if you bought a reel from them they would spool it for you for free? or has that deal been gone for a while?


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## HTownBoi281 (May 13, 2006)

well then im DEFINITELY gonna look into H2O reels now


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## Dampy (Oct 3, 2011)

I just wish they would make the Mettle with Left hand retrieve


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

They still spool them for free when you purchase a reel. They will spool it with H20 line..


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

Jasmillertime said:


> didn't they have a deal that if you bought a reel from them they would spool it for you for free? or has that deal been gone for a while?


Yes.I had the brake plate come off while fishing atop a poling platform and bounce it's way into the drink.Most know how hard it is to get that off in the first place.I went up there expecting to get the part and they were like noway bring it in and we will exchange it for a new one.


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## Jasmillertime (Mar 23, 2010)

i used that h2o line once. would not recommend it. i visit the one by the house enough, i bet i can talk one of the guys i know there into some big game


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

illusion express said:


> Sounds like a H20 reel on an Allstar rod would be hard to beat.Thanks for the heads up.


That's the setup I have right now and it works like a charm. When I found out about the lifetime warranty I bought two of them instead of the curado, just makes more sense to me to buy the H2O cheaper and have it replaced for free than to buy the curado for more money and have to pay for repairs.


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## smooth move (Dec 10, 2007)

a lot of the guides use them for that reason. no one abuses their equipment more than guides who fish almost daily. it's much easier on them to replace than to clean and rebuild. when the H2O's are new and operating well, they're awful hard to beat.


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

that is actually who told me about them, when i went to academy i went for tthe curado but there was a guide standing there and he told me about the lifetime warranty and he said those are what he uses for the customers who dont have their own rods. i was impressed to find that out.


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## smooth move (Dec 10, 2007)

most of the established guides will give you any info they can except coordinates. good guys. remember who he was? if you do, you should book a trip with him. you'll learn more in one trip with him than 100 on your own. when you consider fuel/bait/beer ratio to the expense of a guided trip, no comparisome.


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## Dry Fly (Jul 23, 2011)

The reason I bought one! The retreive doesn't feel quite as smooth as my Curados, but you can't beat that warranty.


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

Now are you guys returning these with reciepts? Asking because I have a couple layin around in my room that have been retired for not working properly..even with very good post-fishing cleans that I would love to have brand new, but have no clue where the reciepts are...


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## Crow's Nest (Dec 4, 2009)

topwatrout said:


> Now are you guys returning these with reciepts? Asking because I have a couple layin around in my room that have been retired for not working properly..even with very good post-fishing cleans that I would love to have brand new, but have no clue where the reciepts are...


Academy is the only place you can buy them. Should not require a reciept.

I would be interested in knowing if they replace yours if they are just worn out as opposed to being broken or defective?


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

the guide told me he brings them back for return after about 5 or 6 trips to get them replaced, so i wouldnt think that being worn out would be a problem. if they get to a point where they are not in good working condition then technicaly they are broke , right? life time warranty should replace them.


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## Crow's Nest (Dec 4, 2009)

Hopefully that is the case.


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

if you take it back and they replace it then let us know if they replace worn out reels too.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Looked at them a while back. 

Did anyone fig out how to take one apart? We were looking at a new one but could not fig out how. Sounds like they need to be lubed with high quality lube before the first trip to extend the life. 

Do most of you do the after trip maintenance on a regular basis?

Does not seem that these reels have been on the market that long. 

How long did it take you to wear out one of these reels? Sounds like a lot of you have had problems or worn out reels.


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## jeff.w (Jan 22, 2006)

I used to have several of them. Academy was always good about exchanging them if I had a problem with one. Receipt or no receipt. I too had a brake plate come off of mine while reeling in a fish. I took it back to Academy without the brake plate on the reel, or even the original box or receipt, and they exchanged it no problem.


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## BigWW79 (Jul 12, 2011)

They still spool them for free when you purchase a reel. They will spool it with H20 line..

If you take your own line in with you they will spool it for you, no charge!


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## Jasmillertime (Mar 23, 2010)

for $10 more you can now get them with camo. they have the rods to match them also. would be great to have when sitting in a duck blind and its slow.


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## PasadenaMan (Dec 5, 2007)

Thanks!


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## keithlake (Dec 8, 2009)

Beaumont academy said no problem also, lifetime for any problems


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

Going there now with my reels..will let y'all know when I get back.


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

Just got them returned with no questions asked. The man also informed me that the insides are practically the exact same as a curado, at least that's what the guides have told him. Whether or not I put some of these parts in my curados is unlikely though. 

Thanks for the insight.


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

I'm really glad that this info has helped some people out and if I happen to come across any more little bits of usefull info , yall will be the first to know.
tight lines guyus(and girls)


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

C.Hern5972 said:


> win win for everyone with these reel..


Not for those of us who fish correctly, ie lefty.


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## big_zugie (Mar 14, 2006)

So wait your sayin g that this reel is the same quality of a curado but yet your returning them after a couple weeks. Lol


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## jmachou (Aug 31, 2011)

who said they are the same quality?


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

Not at all big zugie. I never said once they were, the man at academy hinted at it. In addition to that at the end of my post I hinted at the fact that although he said that, I will unlikely be putting their parts into my curado..


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## big_zugie (Mar 14, 2006)

Understood. That's like someone saying a citica and a core are the basically the same ha.


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## Bay Bass (Sep 4, 2011)

H20 reels are not shimano. Academy sales reps are mostly clueless.


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## topwatrout (Aug 25, 2009)

I agree. Anyways, awesome deal, I have many shimanos but for the price( 25$ when I bought mine) these reels are tough to beat for the short run, or a loaner reel.


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## keithlake (Dec 8, 2009)

I have 2 that are 1 year old , I get to 3 times a week, and I rinse rod and reel after each trip , no problems yet


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## fastfreddymustangs (Jul 8, 2011)

Took mine back today and no questions asked. They gave me a new one.
Thanks for the info.


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## ed1220 (Nov 10, 2013)

I know this is a old thread but do you guys know if academy still exchanges these reels? I have the camo one that the side plate is stuck on to where i cant take it off to clean and grease the inside. I tried the academy in katy and talked to 2 customer service reps on the phone and none of them knew about this warranty. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Buy a good reel and keep it clean and you won't have to keep returning them. 
If you get a flat tire do you get a new vehicle? Just sayin...

http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Buy a good reel and keep it clean and you won't have to keep returning them.
> If you get a flat tire do you get a new vehicle? Just sayin...
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


This thread is why the oridinal H20 Mettle is no longer is manufactured, LOL!


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## ed1220 (Nov 10, 2013)

I understand you get what you pay for but i just couldnt see myself buying a 100+ dollar reel especially since its my first baitcast. I appreciate your input and hopefully im able to get a good reel sometime this year. Thanks


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## NOCREEK (Jan 18, 2012)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Buy a good reel and keep it clean and you won't have to keep returning them.
> If you get a flat tire do you get a new vehicle? Just sayin...
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


Amen and Amen! These are a couple 16 year old greenies and an old Chronarch that are my every trip go to reels, normal care and maintenance are all I've done. The back one is a BPS Johnny Morris not near as old and you have to baby it in the saltwater! I get attached to my reels, something about having Ol reliable I guess.








But after all that sentiment, it would be nice to have a couple of those for back ups or loaners for sure.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

There will be always a "cost" later.


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## touchstone (May 14, 2006)

Ed- Just take it back to Academy and tell them it broke and you'd like a new one and you stand a very good chance of getting one. As an FYI, I thought the reels were designed under licenses from Pure Fishing and are very similar in many aspects to some of the Lew's, Revo's and some others. I have some higher end reels but I also have some H2O Mettles and haven't had any problems with them.


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## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

These were the $25 Christmas special reels, I know a couple of guys that would buy 4 or 5 and chunk one when it would go bad.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

I wonder if the same goes with the rods? I bought one of my sons a 6.8 ethos rod last January for his birthday. Now my oldest one wants one but I told him to wait until June for his birthday!!! Lifetime warranty sounds like a deal breaker


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## redneck91 (May 19, 2012)

As long as it's the same model rod or reel, you'll be okay. They clearanced the "old" mettles so it'll be rare to find one in store. Academy released a new model last black Friday, which is slimmer and lighter, for 59.99. If you try and return an old model you'll most likely be told they can only give you store credit for them, which is 9.98.. Just FYI.


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## tex angler (Jul 9, 2017)

*warranty*

Just to let you know that Acadamy is still honoring the lifetime warranty on the h2oxpreess matel reel. while casting the left side of my reel came off and landed in the lake. I took the reel in to the Acadamy in Cedar Park and they gave me an exact new reel in a box with no hassle at all.


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