Right out of the box, the reel feels solid and durable with a nice, substantial weight. Looking over the parts list, it seems like about 90% of the components are metal, aside from the drag knob, handle, and reverse switch. Retrieve is fairly smooth and quiet. I’d suggest manually closing it by hand after casting to help with longevity. It’s not a “high-end performance” reel, but for the price it’s a great deal and a solid build.