Anyone bought one of their reels yet and tried it out? What’d y’all think? Looking for a new reel to try.
CWeavz5
Held one about an hour ago at AA. Was fairly impressed. Curious to see who all is giving them a try so far…
I got the Salty. It is heavy by comparison to most comparable bait cast reels. The construction materials used confirmed the weight increase - closer to the weight of older reels like the 200B or 200D Curados. I bought it for the durability aspects. I service several bait casters, of various makes, and all are very good when new and live longer maintained. However, todays reels are not manufactured to be consumer durable like bait casters 20-25 years ago. Yes there have been some fantastic advancements but longevity is not the same.
The Bates has a lot more metal to it. The drive shaft gear and adjoining gear driving the pawl are metal in the Salty and main gear is brass - unlike many using aluminum and plastic (cheaper and lighter). Stripped down these reels appear to utilize the best systems from various makes/models. There is no game changing technology I can see, only the most reliable systems. The bearing are pretty much stock bearings and sized like most bait casters and will give the same life cycle as any other depending on use and care. Again the most notable aspect is the use of metal vs. plastics - such as tension cap, star drag, pawl cap, and side plates.
A carbon drag washers is also standard which most have switch to these days. The oversized handle is nice. The cork paddles are OK. Magenetic brake system is no advancement in technology but if is reliable that is all that matters to me - I usually set it and forget it. The machine screws that hold the unit together are also a great idea - especially if you do not service often and they get locked up - better chance of coming loose with a hex key than stripping out a screw head.
The size and style is right there with modern bait cast reels - not too big and it looks good. I am interested to see how the anodized finish holds up. Especially when put in an ultrasonic cleaner. For me I wanted something that was well made and built to last - these reels look to be that. In fairness I just put it on a rod and have not "field" tested other than the back yard..... If a light weight rig is your desire this will not be for you. If your tired of too much plastic then maybe this reel is for you.
The Bates has a lot more metal to it. The drive shaft gear and adjoining gear driving the pawl are metal in the Salty and main gear is brass - unlike many using aluminum and plastic (cheaper and lighter). Stripped down these reels appear to utilize the best systems from various makes/models. There is no game changing technology I can see, only the most reliable systems. The bearing are pretty much stock bearings and sized like most bait casters and will give the same life cycle as any other depending on use and care. Again the most notable aspect is the use of metal vs. plastics - such as tension cap, star drag, pawl cap, and side plates.
A carbon drag washers is also standard which most have switch to these days. The oversized handle is nice. The cork paddles are OK. Magenetic brake system is no advancement in technology but if is reliable that is all that matters to me - I usually set it and forget it. The machine screws that hold the unit together are also a great idea - especially if you do not service often and they get locked up - better chance of coming loose with a hex key than stripping out a screw head.
The size and style is right there with modern bait cast reels - not too big and it looks good. I am interested to see how the anodized finish holds up. Especially when put in an ultrasonic cleaner. For me I wanted something that was well made and built to last - these reels look to be that. In fairness I just put it on a rod and have not "field" tested other than the back yard..... If a light weight rig is your desire this will not be for you. If your tired of too much plastic then maybe this reel is for you.
They're supposed to be coming out with a new reel that comparible to the Aldebaran in weight. It's supposed to be around 2-3 months out. I'll check them out when the light one comes out.
Late,
Cox
Late,
Cox
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