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Drennan twistlock won't lock!

Steve Reed said:
I have a relatively new Drennan twistlock 3m landing net pole. Just recently it has stopped locking. I have taken it apart and cleaned the inside of the tube but no luck. I suspect that I am not the first to have this problem. Any ideas anyone?

Cheers.

Steve
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I've had this problem too, too it back to the tackle shop and they said sometimes the screw thread on the plastic bit on the end breaks and it wont lock properly. Apparently it happens if you over tighten it.
I only tighten it loosley now and have had no more problems (touch wood).
 
Contact Drennan.

I emailed them with the problem and received a prompt reply from a guy called Sean Trafford. He told me to phone the office when i had my handle with me, i did and he sent me a replacement bung for free - my old one had become worn and my handle wouldn't tighten. I had tried everything - from attaching electrical tape to roughing up the edges of the bung so it would offer some resistance when twisted but to no avail. I attached the new bung and problem fixed, no new handle needed which saved me the £45 quid (or whatever it costs nowadays)

Great and prompt service form Drennan. Just have to remember not to tighten the handle too much.
 
Here we go again !!! I really rate Drennan gear and own a lot of their products but for the life of me I cannot understand why this issue has not been rectified years ago ! Regardless of how good the aftersales service is, this should not be happening on a regular basis and the current locking mechanism replaced for something a little more fit for purpose when in the hands of a brutish Barbel angler. Hence I went for the Gardner handle which has a more robust system altogether.
 
Quite right Dave - but I guess retooling/mould making is expensive. Make it more robust, increase the contact surface area are things that instantly spring to mind.
I also went for the Gardner as a replacement for the Drennan. Two or more years later and no real problems.
Cheers
Bob
 
Yes but I have had mine 4 or 5 years and i go fishing 3/4 times a week so it's had a lot of use so for me what drennan have done was a positive.
 
Ben, nobodys knocking Drennan gear generally as they make some very sound stuff. However, on such a popular item, this problem has existed for years without an attempt at rectifying it. Regardless of free replacements being sent out when it goes wrong this should not have to be the case. Do a search on it on any major forums and you will find it is an issue that comes up time and again.The problem is not just a one off and a solution should be sought on a product that is otherwise considered a quality item.
 
Dave,

I am quite aware of that - i don't need to look as i have seen it mentioned on here lots of times and other forums. I was merely adding my experience and suggesting a possible avenue of rectification for someone who has suffered same problem as me. Merely voicing an opinion.

You are right though, it is a clear and well recognised problem and i hope Drennan are working to resolve the problem.
 
I think Drennan have revisited the design as I received this mail when the female thread came away from my Twistlock:-

"....On the last couple of batches we’ve had in, the carbon around the threaded section has been reinforced. I will send you one of these."

Seems okay now but I prefer my Gardner.

Dave
 
I've just realised my 'widget' was jammed at the end of the pole near the cap and the whole thing had detached from the inner pole! On closer inspection it seems the end of the pole has split!
It may be possible to chop a bit off and still fit a new widget?
I'm tempted just to get a new handle and use that as a spare though!
 
David Maddison said:
I've just realised my 'widget' was jammed at the end of the pole near the cap and the whole thing had detached from the inner pole! On closer inspection it seems the end of the pole has split!
It may be possible to chop a bit off and still fit a new widget?
I'm tempted just to get a new handle and use that as a spare though!
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David,
Some seasons ago some clumsy sod (not me) trod on my pole while I was unhooking a Barbel, right in the middle, I didn’t realise there was a problem ‘till it would lock. I put 15 inches of shrink tube round it and it holds the damage tight enough for it to function normally. Been like that now for at least five seasons.
Regards
Bill
 
I've just got it working again 😃. Superglue held the widget in place just fine where end of section was split, but it now locks when I turn it the other way now! 😆. (Note to self..'Do not overtighten')
 
I own both the Drennan Twistlock and the Gardner and much prefer using the Drennan as its lighter

ok people knock it but Im GUESSING ? if they beefed up the locking mechanism for ham fisted people it would make it heavier and that would spoil it for me

​

 
Gerry Giles said:
I own both the Drennan Twistlock and the Gardner and much prefer using the Drennan as its lighter

ok people knock it but Im GUESSING ? if they beefed up the locking mechanism for ham fisted people it would make it heavier and that would spoil it for me

​

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I prefer it to the Gardner also Gerry. Lighter, slightly slimmer and nicer finished too. The problem is as said many times people both over tighten them and don’t do anything to maintain them.
I take mine apart probably once every couple of months and push a few wet wipes through it to clean it out, I give the collet a good clean up and a bit of grease on the steel thread to prevent corrosion. It’s a 10 minute job and falls under the preventive maintenance bracket in my opinion.

I reckon I’ve had mine now probably 8 years and it’s never let me down in the slightest. I’ve got a spare collet which was given to me when I bought it yet I’ve never needed to change it as of yet.
IMHO there simply isn’t a better pole out there for specialist anglers. Mine lands absolutely everything I catch from 1/2 pound Rudd to 20lb pike and I’d have no problem sticking it out to net a big cat should that situation ever arise
 
Much prefer the Drennan despite all of the above, been using them since they first came onto the market. Had minor issues particularly if the inner gets too wet or the widget loosens. A quick wipe down and a turn or two usually sorts it. I've got through more outer poles though, at least two have been trampled by inquisitive cattle and one was smashed, together with the inner, when I eventually persuaded a Loddon bull to clear off. The shattering was more like a rifle shot which finally got him to move! Having bought a couple of replacements over the years, I've kept the old serviceable parts for spares and so far haven't had cause to use them!
 
Neil Maidment said:
Much prefer the Drennan despite all of the above, been using them since they first came onto the market. Had minor issues particularly if the inner gets too wet or the widget loosens. A quick wipe down and a turn or two usually sorts it. I've got through more outer poles though, at least two have been trampled by inquisitive cattle and one was smashed, together with the inner, when I eventually persuaded a Loddon bull to clear off. The shattering was more like a rifle shot which finally got him to move! Having bought a couple of replacements over the years, I've kept the old serviceable parts for spares and so far haven't had cause to use them!
Click to expand...
One of my favourite purchases over the years, if you treat the mechanism with due care it will serve you well. Much better than anything else on the market imo.
 
Since this thread started, I've bought a Gardner Specialist and a Lone Angler handle to try against the Drennan. For the decidedly mixed fishing I do, the Drennan wins hands down.

The Lone Angler was certainly robust but way too heavy for me. It was moved on in fairly short order. The Gardner was similarly weighty but not as robust as that weight might suggest. I actually managed to crack the carbon in normal use. If they found a way to lighten the locking bit and reduce the diameter of the pole, I may have liked it more.

The original Drennan I wrote about in 2011 is still going strong. I'm still using the replacement widget that had to be fitted due to my own cack handedness. It has been washed down/out regularly and the four faces of the widget get built up with nail varnish when necessary. A few years back, seeing how much carbon dust I was washing out when cleaning the handle, I bought a new hot spare. As yet, I've not had to use the new one.

As said previously, if you are prepared to do what little is necessary to maintain them, they last just fine. If you believe that a landing net handle should be a totally maintenance free item, you might be better served with something else.
 
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