bearings in reels??

[32eml24]

Looking at one of the sales posted and landbigfish.com and found some really cool lookin quantum casting reels for 50 bucks or less, some of them don't have many bearings.  this really cool lookin black and red one has only 1 forward, 1 reverse bearing.  my question is does more bearings mean better durability or just smoother?? what kind of bearings, ball bearings? would i be stupid to try one of these 45 dollar reels with 2 bearings?

[Team houston]

There was a very good article in either the FLW mag or Bassmaster, I think FLW( someone help me on that) anyway it had an article all about bearings in reels. Very informative. One tip older guys give younger guys. "you get what you pay for"

[REEL_MAN]

The number of bearings is important BUT location of the bearings is more important. You need to have three bearings on the spool minimum, 1 on each side of the spool and one out on the end under the spool tension cap. Reels that advertise "continuous anti-rev" also called the oneway bearing, it gives great support to the main drive gear on one end, but you should have a bearing at the frame on the drive shaft. Bearings on the level wind and in the handle are nice but not as necessary as the spool and drive shaft. Another thing to look at, is what is the frame material? A composit frame doesn't stay stable, with moisture it will move and cause gears to misalign (bearings won't help), you need to stick with a aluminum frame, it will hold gears in alignment and the bearings will help.
After you get your reels the first thing you will need to do is lubricate them. Many times when you purchase a new reel it has been sitting in a warehouse over a year. Doesn't take much (just a very very small drop on each bearing). If you run a bearing dry (remember the spool can spin up to 20,000 RPM) it can be destroyed and they aren't cheap.
Hope this helps, just because it sounds like a good deal it mat not be, do some research.

REELMAN

[KLAKE]

Really depends.

Quality of bearings can vary allot. Lower end reels may have plenty of bearings, and yet not be as smooth as a similarly designed reel, with higher quality bearings.

Three bearings on the spool, at least these days, doesn't tell us alot either. BPS sells reels that will clearance for 40 bucks that have three (some of those BPS reels are actually pretty quality reels but that's a different discussion)

Also, keep in mind that reels with the highest bearing count, are counting bearings in the handle knobs too.
Four bearings right in the handle, and not the reel.

If the reel has a few important features, it should last....What I look for as mentioned is frame construction, and availability of parts. Drag washers, and pawl parts. If you have those things most reels can be upgraded and modified to a phenomenal level of performance. And most times these upgrades are really not that expensive.

IMO, new reels should be pulled apart, and cleaned, then put into service. It's not always practical to do so, and you won't ruin the reel, but it will certainly perform better than out of the box.

My favorite oil is Quantum's hot sauce. It isn't the lowest viscosity oil (lower visc.=less rolling resistance in the bearing=faster spinning bearing) but it is still good oil. And the best feature is that it maintains it's viscosity over a MUCH wider range of temperatures than even the much more expensive rocket fuel lubes.

Grease=Cal's drag grease, even for drag's that are dry from the factory, and for the gear system.


I don't really have any kind of business, but I do clean/tune/modify reels on the side in the winter....If anyone is interested.

[32eml24]

thanks for all the advice.  sounds like i wont be buying a 2 bearing reel any time soon... surprises me quantum would sell one being that its a very reputable company.  this past year i used 3 quantum bursts and they stood up to a ton of fish in a variety of conditions and i'm very pleased with them, only downside is that a 7 to 1 gear ratio isnt ideal for all situations.  ill keep looking, thanks for saving my money
Ethan

[KLAKE]

If you are looking for a good deal, pick up one of the BPS Pro Qualifier reels. Especially since I'm sure they will go on sale this spring.


I can pull apart one of those and a Abu Revo, mix up the parts and then assemble.
Every part interchanges.

[REEL_MAN]

I worked as a reel designer for Zebco/Quantum for a number of years but if you look in my rod locker today all you will find are Shimano. Shimano has been the bench mark for over twenty years. Even though there are several good manufactures They always compare themselves to Shimano. Why would you not use the one that is the benchmark??
You also need evaluate what are you wanting? Distance or control,what I mean by control is accuracy. If you throw 150 ft but miss the target what did you accomplish, there is only so much time in a tx.  Most reels come with grade 5 bearings, going to a grade 7 is great. My reels have both where it counts no need to spend money where it doesn't mean anything.
Now as for the "Hot sauce" If you are planning on cleaning you reels yearly hot sauce isn't bad But if your like a lot of anglers they fish the reels till they fail. Hot Sauce will get very stiff and then becomes a nightmare to get out especially BEARINGS. I won't sell it in the shop because I've had to many fishermen (neglected reel maintenance) with problems due to the sauce.
Hope this helps, just remember if you keep your reels cleaned and lubed they will last you many years.

REELMAN
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[FishermanJohn]

I fish both Quantum and Shimano spinning and baitcasting reels.  Both companies make excellent reels from the mid-range prices on up.  My suggestion to you is DON'T SKIMP on a reel, especially a baitcaster.

Like stated, it's not just how many bearings, but where they are and what quality the company uses.   Also look at what the frame is made out of - a solid metal frame will hold the the gears/bearings/etc in a tighter precision than a composite which can deform easier. Look for a reel that has no backplay in the handle, and a smooth, continuous drag.

Lastly I lube all my reels as soon as I get them out of the box and at the beginning and end of every season.  For the last 5 years I have used Quantum Hot Sauce and felt that it functioned well.  This spring and fall I switched to Ardent Reel Butter and I feel that it has worked quite well.

Here's a quick photo tutorial of reel maintenance:
http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/how-clean-reel

TackleTour has an article containing more than you ever wanted to know on bearings:
http://www.tackletour.com/articlebearings101.html

[5poundhooker]

Fishermanjohn is correct about not skimping I would never spend less than $100 on any reel unless it was on a closeout of a model that was discontinuing. If you want it to be a quality reel especially a casting reel you have got to buy a good metal framed and handle side-plate at least is preferable. The only reel i have bought to date with composite graphite(plastic) side-plates is a Shimano Chronarch 50e(or Curado e-series) which may be the exception to the rule. These are great little reels, my first Shimano casting reel truth be told. Bearing count is important, but if they are cheap bearings in a cheap reel you are not going to be happy with the results. Spool bearings are most important in a casting reel, because the quality ones will allow you to pitch easier and cast much farther than cheap spool bearings. I have Boca Orange seal ceramic hybrids in all of mine. They make a huge difference throwing lighter baits and for pitching. The kind of anti-backlash system is a very important thing to consider also. If you are serious about bass fishing or other species you will find what systems suit you and what do not. I am not a one reel company guy I have more Quantums than anything else mostly because the affordability is there and you can super-tune them fairly cheap and it is what my Dad started me out using many years ago. Daiwa and some of the higher end Shimanos can cost you from $400-$1000 for their top tier reels, those just are not in my budget. I do have reels from all three and like all of them. Any way bearings are very important on both spinning and casting reels, all you need to know about them is in the tackletour.com article that Fishermanjohn put on his comment.