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Drennan Twistlock Handle ...again !!!

What a lot of great advice!

I will request a new locking bush from Drennan and give it all a good clean - I may well give Tom's advice a go and apply of a couple of coats of nail varnish on the existing bush while I'm waiting for the new bush.
It may be worth it to ask for locking bush in your local tackle shop
You can get them in mine for £5
 
I have two of these and find that most of the problems come l,e locking up comes from over tightening and as time goes on the taper locking mechanism wears and the top of the thread allows it to jam tight on the upper pole, I found the solution was to trim about an eight of an inch off the top of the widget so to allow the widget to travel further up the thread so it opens a little wider and not allowing it to jam on the upper section , when cleaning tie a small weight on a peice of string with a small piece of rag on the other end and pull through the bottom section to clean , take off the widget and add a very small drop of three in one on the metal thread just big enough so as not to leak onto the outer mechanism reassemble and away you go, it's important to clean on a regular basis but I stress to not over tighten when setting up only a slight twist is needed
 
Another trick which I picked up from this forum a few years ago is after cleaning as described in previous posts push a tight fitting piece of silicone tubing over the metal point and then trim to fit. This opens the original locking bush a fraction so that it fits a bit tighter in the outer handle. It can sometimes be a bit of a struggle getting the inner pole back into the outer tube but it seems to work and I have just repaired a couple of handles this morning.
This should last a season or two before replacing the tubing.
 
Another trick which I picked up from this forum a few years ago is after cleaning as described in previous posts push a tight fitting piece of silicone tubing over the metal point and then trim to fit. This opens the original locking bush a fraction so that it fits a bit tighter in the outer handle. It can sometimes be a bit of a struggle getting the inner pole back into the outer tube but it seems to work and I have just repaired a couple of handles this morning.
This should last a season or two before replacing the tubing.
I would avoid this Mike
With the collet opened further causing the inner section to be tighter to the outside section, you run the risk of wearing the inside carbon of the outer section much faster when extending and retracing. Same deal if you build the collets up with varnish to increase the contact area at which it grips.

If the metal taper is goosed then fair enough you have nothing to lose but if it’s the collet that’s no good I’d just contact drennan for replacement
 
Once clean and dried, I spray a bit of TF2 spray on a cloth and wipe over the retractable section. Keeps it nice and smooth running. Would probably work for the collet too.
 
Once clean and dried, I spray a bit of TF2 spray on a cloth and wipe over the retractable section. Keeps it nice and smooth running. Would probably work for the collet too.
I saw yours the other week it looked like the apprentices overalls. Hardly a mark on it. 😂
I was half tempted to do a switch 😂😂😂
 
This is my first "Super Specialist Twistlock" handle. The next incarnation has a plain inner pole rather than the taped diamond pattern that matches the outer pole. The latest incarnation doesn't seem to have "Super" as part of the graphics (despite one of the pictures on the Drennan website suggesting it does).

Mine was well worn over five years back. The outer pole is getting rather thin (from internal wear) in places. I bought a hot spare ages ago which has the plain inner pole, but still has "Super" in the graphics. I've never tried to remove the graphics on the old handle, it simply down to lots of use.
Drennan Super Specialist Twistlock.jpg
 
This is my first "Super Specialist Twistlock" handle. The next incarnation has a plain inner pole rather than the taped diamond pattern that matches the outer pole. The latest incarnation doesn't seem to have "Super" as part of the graphics (despite one of the pictures on the Drennan website suggesting it does).

Mine was well worn over five years back. The outer pole is getting rather thin (from internal wear) in places. I bought a hot spare ages ago which has the plain inner pole, but still has "Super" in the graphics. I've never tried to remove the graphics on the old handle, it simply down to lots of use.
View attachment 32794
Brilliant poles mine was the same version had it 11 years but I gave it away before to a member on here while it still had some life in it
The newer ones I’ve had 2 years now and they are every bit as good. I particularly like the frosted finish right at the back for grip and the graphics stay on better/look nicer than that great big green splurge that went across the old ones. Must admit it didn’t take long for “super” to disappear off mine and I don’t particularly catch more fish than average Joe. They ain’t treated that well to be fair until they get home and a few wet wipes pushed through them.
Sand is the worst thing that they can come across
 
I emailed them and 48 hours later, 3 spares arrived 👍🏻

Ditto, but I only asked for one.

Although cleaning is always a good thing, the issue with mine was that the female thread inside the plastic collet had stripped, so you could attach and remove it from the metal part it attaches to, without having to unscrew it.

The only explanation I can think of for this is over-tightening... which I will no longer be doing, now that I know better!

I know the thread is imbued with criticism of the product, but everything I've read is 'user error', certainly was in my case. For anyone that feels otherwise, Drennan redeem themselves with their customer service. More than can be said (in my experience) for Ko.... F.... Sp.... etc.
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Quite by chance I got talking to a Drennan rep today outside a local tackle shop and mentioned the plastic thingys
He immediately went to his boot and gave me a couple - great service
He said over tightening is the issue just a quarter turn is required
Someone on here recommended giving a good clean down with WD40 leaving some lubricant on the inner pole
I took this advice and it works brilliantly
 
Yes, looks like a slim rivet/pin holding the mechanism on!

The lock/unlock twist direction is also the wrong way round!

I'm guessing that you mean you can't get at the widget?

1) Undo the cap at the butt of the handle.
Twistlock 1.jpg

Twistlock 2.jpg


2) Unlock the mechanism so that the inner pole will slide.

3) Push the inner pole down towards the butt.
Twistlock 3.jpg


4) Remove the widget by unscrewing it from the metal thread.
Twistlock 4.jpg


5) If required for cleaning, remove the inner pole as if you were extending the handle. Just keep going past the maximum extension markings.
Twistlock 5.jpg
 
No Chris. I can get at the widget from both ends of the outer pole, ie, I can remove the butt cap and remove it from the back or simply slide it out of the front without removing the butt cap.

I'll take a pic, the top one (which I remembered as being black but I must have remembered the very end as being black) is obviously the locking collet which is locked in place by the cap with the rivet (rusty pin) at the the top and I can't see any way to remove it without punching or drilling it out and making the rest up as I go along.

The second pic shows the arrows for lock/unlock, I have to twist the inner pole in the direction indicated so I have to twist the ouer pole in the opposite direction that is printed on it.

Next time I see you on Kiplin I'll show you, I use it almost exclusively now.

20241121_221111.jpg
20241121_221308.jpg
 
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