As an owner of an Abel, and a fan of cheap reels, if I didn't get my point across clearly (and I didn't), these guys are right.
Its an overpriced piece of fishing jewelery. My normal PA reels are $20 1495s, my Abel BG2 is a fine backup to them. I do not need the level of quality it brings because I don't pursue big stripers, salmon, or steelhead.
I'll be taking mine to FL with me. It might be used. We'll see how the $20 Medalist holds up first, though. If I didn't have an Abel, any number of other reasonably priced reels would've worked.
As for the reel itself, like I said, its solid. Its heavy, will take any punishment you throw at it except a bulk winding machine, and requires little maintenance (back off the drag, the occasional lube for the cork). Its got a terriffic, heavy click to retrieve although the older reels were stupidly silent drag (some people might prefer this). The drag is pretty wide ranging, and has little to no start up inertia. If you back it all the way off, it'll spin on its axis all day long with no effort, FWIW?
The downside is the drawbar system seems downright archaic to more modern disc drags I've seen. Changing the spool requires removing the entire center screw and its attendant little fiddly bits, which is a reciepe for failure on a stream I bet.
Not that it matters, with the costs involved with these things, a spare spool is only for the well heeled. These are the sorts of people who can probably justify trips and destinations which this reel is suited to.
From what I understand, the lightest two series, the click only Trout and Abel Creeks, are adjustable (within the confines of click only, of course) with tools. This is also probably a major draw back, although I can't think of any time I've adjusted my clicking reels from all to anything less. Then, that might be my taste in clickers.