I have a Pflueger Trion reel. The first one that I got had a problem with the drag/spindle. The drag tension was very uneven when I pulled line off. Almost like the spindel was oval shaped.

I sent it back to Pflueger, and they replaced it with a new one. The new reel works great. I landed a 4 lb. carp with it, and had no problems at all. Great reels, especially for the price. One of the Orvis reels looks VERY similar to the Trion. But the Trion cost about $40 bucks less.

Sorry, it's no indepth analysis, but my two cents.