The problem Tony describes is a surprising one to me, as I've been using Paterson reels and tanks since about 1970 and of the 3,400+ rolls of B&W film I've developed so far, I cannot recall ever having a roll screwed up because of the little ball bearings sticking. I've acquired 27 of the reels over this period, and have been using most of the reels for at least 20 years (I pretty much retired my original 5 old style two piece reels when I got some of the three piece (two spiral halves plus the rotating male post) reels) and have never done anything but be sure to rinse off the photo flo before letting them air dry. I've discovered other ways to get film crunched on loading (square corners on the leading edge of the film, any dampness in the reel, putting any side pressure on the reel when loading thin 120 film or any 220 film, etc.) but I've never experienced the problem described.(posted 9397 days ago)For me, the benefit of being able to fill an 8 reel Paterson tank with developer or stop in the time it would take to fill a 2 reel steel tank far outweighs the theoretical disadvantage of outside-in loading of the film reels. I also use regularly the plug-in hose for washing when there is more than one reel in a tank. In addition, on those few occasions when I use my steel tank, I usually end up with what I assume are undeveloped areas along the film edge (they're kind of pinkish and opaque and usually extend up to but not beyond the sprocket holes), a situation I never see with the Paterson equipment. (I admit my steel reels are generic, not Hewes.)
These comments may not apply if you're developing color film - I have no idea what that chemistry involves. Or, it may just be that you have a bad reel or two, in which case replacement may be simpler than repair. But if you like the Paterson system otherwise, I'd not give up on it just because you got a couple of bad reels.
Cheers, Kip