Bearing Comparison 2025
Jeff H reply :
Has anyone here done a "head to head" bearing comparison? ABEC 5 vs ABEC 5 Lightning vs ABEC 7 OS?
Right now I have 4 identical reels ready to go. The test subjects are my HSTA's...
ALL spool bearings have shields and seals removed. They've been cleaned and lubed with one drop of Shimano oil each.
1) Stock factory issue
2) Boca ABEC 5 stainless
3) Boca ABEC 5 Lightning
4) Boca ABEC 7 OS
Until I actually get to use them I won't judge. I don't know just what spinning the spools would/should tell me at this point, but I've done it anyway just to do it. It seems the ceramic balls might start up easier but they don't spin much longer, if at all. It's really very close. I have never fished either OS or Lightning but I do have a couple older Shimano's with stainless ABEC 5 in them and I KNOW they "break in" after a bit of use and they are a noticeable improvement over stock. Do the Lightning and OS models do the same?
To be honest, the stock bearings are not at all bad once cleaned and relubed but they are not on the same playground until they get cleaned. The ABEC 5 are, in my opinion, definitely worth the upgrade cost and they do get a little better yet after some use. Just based on what I'm seeing now (which really means nothing until I fish them) I don't need to go beyond ABEC 5's. I can't wait to get them out under a load and see what happens in conditions that really matter. How do you guys think this will end up?
Siebert Outdoors reply :
Please let me know what you find.
Jeff H reply :
I will Mike, but it's going to be awhile yet before I can actually get out and fish. We are having a pretty harsh winter this year and you can see what it does to a guys mind!
Zimobass reply :
Without going into any technical detail, or boring you with "stories", those ABEC 5 bearings will be the best on the water. Sure that the more costly ones will spin and zing longer on your workbench, but I normally fish on the front deck of a bass boat !!! 
rippin-lips reply :
I'm sure Trey or DVT will chime in at some point. They each have tons of experience and will be able to provide some great info I'm sure.
Tywithay reply :
I have 3 Tatula's with OS7, and 1 with ceramic lightning. I noticed a difference over the stock bearings for sure, which were cleaned with the shields removed. Winter set in too fast to get a good feel for the upgraded bearings. The great thaw is coming so I'll know soon enough.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Spool spinning demos and videos are too over rated for words. Cleaning stock bearings and properly lubing them is the single most efficient performance improvement you can make. If and when bearings go bad and need to be changed anyway, why not upgrade them to a better ABEC rating (5-7) and maybe a better material as in ceramic hybrid. I sell ABEC7 OSC Bocas primarily to reel enthusiasts. This is the same mentality as folks who want a high performance exhaust etc on a muscle car or motorcycle. In that vein, it's counter productive to spend money on a high speed bearing like the OSC and them slow it down with oil. If longevity is the primary concern, use a ABEC5 SS bearing clean and lightly oiled. The price is more driven by the ABEC rating than material, so what you'll find is that the ABEC5 Lightening is where you'll get the best performance/cost. There is no reason that a bearing can not be run open which aids cleaning and oiling. Also, the size of "1 drop" of oil can make a difference so comparing the spin of any oiled bearing really doesn't tell you anything. The benefits of improved free spool, regardless of how it's achieved, depends on the casting ability of the angler. I like a free spool for short accurate casting personally. As far as distance casting goes, a bait of a given weight, density and profile will only store a certain amount of energy and fly just so far whether it's attached to a line and reel or nothing at all.
OnthePotomac reply :
The Shimano rep on other sites known as Bantam1 has long advocated that anything over ABEC 5 is completely unnecessary for enhanced reel performance since baitcast reels do not reach the level of RPM's requiring anything more.
Tywithay reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 10:56 PM, G3Boats said:The Shimano rep on other sites known as Bantam1 has long advocated that anything over ABEC 5 is completely unnecessary for enhanced reel performance since baitcast reels do not reach the level of RPM's requiring anything more.
This is true for distance casting with weight on the end of the line. However, I've found when using lighter baits the lower initial inertia needed to move a higher quality bearing can be beneficial.
TiNuts reply :
In my own "testing" I've found that cleaned and lightly oiled stock bearings in my revo3 sx cast pretty much just as far as new, dry, boca abec 07 orange seal bearings with the seals removed. I used the maximum weight rating of the rod I used. The only significant difference I could notice was the ease at which I could cast that distance. The bocas took noticeably less effort to cast that far which resulted in nice, smooth, controlled casts over the stock bearings, but again overall distance was close to the same. Trying swing it like I did with the stock bearings just ended up in backlash. I suppose someone better at casting than I am could possibly get a further distance than I could.
Tywithay reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 11:37 PM, TiNuts said:In my own "testing" I've found that cleaned and lightly oiled stock bearings in my revo3 sx cast pretty much just as far as new, dry, boca abec 07 orange seal bearings with the seals removed. I used the maximum weight rating of the rod I used. The only significant difference I could notice was the ease at which I could cast that distance. The bocas took noticeably less effort to cast that far which resulted in nice, smooth, controlled casts over the stock bearings, but again overall distance was close to the same. Trying swing it like I did with the stock bearings just ended up in backlash. I suppose someone better at casting than I am could possibly get a further distance than I could.
Ease of casting is the biggest gain anyone should see. Distance shouldn't really change a whole lot. A spool can only spin as fast as a spool can spin (say that 5 times fast). A standard bearing can spin faster than any cast could get it going. A higher quality bearing spins the same speed during a cast, it just achieves that speed easier because of the lack of friction.
21farms reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 10:00 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Spool spinning demos and videos are too over rated for words.
sure, but they tell you something. i mean, who wouldn't want bearings that spin longer rather than shorter?
On 2/13/2014 at 11:02 PM, Tywithay said:This is true for distance casting with weight on the end of the line. However, I've found when using lighter baits the lower initial inertia needed to move a higher quality bearing can be beneficial.
x2!
J Francho reply :
Bearing upgrades are WAY overrated. If you must "upgrade" I recommend getting ceramic hybrids freom Dawn at Smooth Drag. While you're at it, get a Carbontex Drag upgrade, some Cal's Grease, and a Tube of Oust. Money better spent than on bearings, assuming yuou have properly cleaned and lubed stock bearings.
K_Mac reply :
On 2/14/2014 at 12:57 AM, 21farms said:sure, but they tell you something. i mean, who wouldn't want bearings that spin longer rather than shorter?
LOL! Yes, they tell you that they will spin longer without a load, and when started in a manner that has no real relevance to an actual fishing situation. They simply do not tell you how the bearings will perform in the many conditions to which they will be exposed in common usage.
21farms reply :
On 2/14/2014 at 2:35 AM, K_Mac said:LOL! Yes, they tell you that they will spin longer without a load, and when started in a manner that has no real relevance to an actual fishing situation. They simply do not tell you how the bearings will perform in the many conditions to which they will be exposed in common usage.
heh-heh. yes, but spinning longer without a load means that they'll spin longer with a load too, right? i agree that spinning a spool with your finger doesn't tell you how it will fish but i'd still rather have a reel where the spool spins more effortlessly than not. to me, it's not any different that doing a mod to my car's engine and then having it dyno tested...let's say the dyno results show my mods added 20 horsepower...that doesn't tell me how the car will drive differently but i'd still rather have 20 extra horses than not.
.RM. reply :
On 2/14/2014 at 1:05 AM, J Francho said:Bearing upgrades are WAY overrated. If you must "upgrade" I recommend getting ceramic hybrids freom Dawn at Smooth Drag. While you're at it, get a Carbontex Drag upgrade, some Cal's Grease, and a Tube of Oust. Money better spent than on bearings, assuming yuou have properly cleaned and lubed stock bearings.
X2 ... The truth.....
new2BC4bass reply :
I don't see anymore distance using upgraded bearings with normal bass weight lures (normal for me). I do see a good improvement in how easy it is to cast lures below 1/4 oz. Only way I can throw light lures with my stock Sol is to cast for the moon. Otherwise backlash city. Purchased used. DVT cleaned it. My upgraded Sol allows me to cast with minimum effort and not backlash. I've also found (for me) that I can use fewer brakes with my upgraded reels. Kind of counter-intuitive, but that is how it works for me.
K_Mac reply :
On 2/14/2014 at 3:05 AM, 21farms said:heh-heh. yes, but spinning longer without a load means that they'll spin longer with a load too, right? i agree that spinning a spool with your finger doesn't tell you how it will fish but i'd still rather have a reel where the spool spins more effortlessly than not. to me, it's not any different that doing a mod to my car's engine and then having it dyno tested...let's say the dyno results show my mods added 20 horsepower...that doesn't tell me how the car will drive differently but i'd still rather have 20 extra horses than not.
"spinning longer without a load means they will spin longer with a load" sounds right, but it is not necessarily true. How a bearing performs under the load applied during actual use is the only measure that matters.
Adding 20 horsepower to your cars engine will produce measurable differences in performance. It may not make much difference in the way it drives though. Adding bearings to your reel based only on how they long they spin is not the equivalent of adding horsepower.to your engine. It is more like adding premium gas to an engine not designed for it. The higher octane will add horsepower, right?
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
I know what you're saying. I've posted before that it is cool to visually see a difference. What's misleading about these vidoes and experiments is that they aren't progressive. A stock bearing should be compared to a stock bearing that's been flushed and lubed correctly. That's where you'll see the biggest difference. Upgrading to an ABEC5 will be slightly better, a dry ceramic hybrid will be a hair better than that and an ABEC7 will be better than that but almost imperceptable. The difference between the flushed stockers and any of the rest is slight and "on the water" any advantage depends on the caster. The way I look at all this is from an enthusiast point of view. A stock 600cc sport bike will do 168mph off the showroom floor, yet almost everyone puts a high performance exhaust on. Why? Because they like the idea of maybe doing 180mhp if they wanted to (of could). From a practical standpoint it doesn't make any sense. If you're an entusiast it doesn't make any sense NOT to tune. Different strokes for different folks.
Jeff H reply :
I'm not a distance caster. I don't care about gaining any distance. I would like it if I could gain some ease on the cast though, even more so on the pitch.
So, some questions.....
It seems the general concensus suggests running the hybrids dry, correct? Is this what most guys do? I thought it fair if they were all prepped the same but if it is recommended to run them dry I'll pull them and do it.
I've been removing shields to clean them, and just said to heck with putting them back in (not even possible with some). I've thought there was a very small improvement in doing so, but it is hardly worth mentioning. Am I wrong?
Nobody commented on "break in". I am quite certain those in my Curado improved after a period of use. Again, slight but was noticeable. Common or am I imposing a placebo effect on myself?
Now comments....
Appreciate all the responses from you guys! Enjoying these experienced opinions. I am mostly being pointed right where I wanted to go with this.
It seems that all I read about is 7OS. OS this, OS that, gotta have OS. I don't want to go there unless the results are eye popping and what I'm absorbing here says, for the most part, it's not going to be that.
I'm going to start out by fishing them for a month or so, then I'll do my objective comparisons after cleaning again. They will all get the same line, fished on identical rods and throwing the same baits. I figure that's fair enough.
Jeff H reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 3:36 PM, Tywithay said:I have 3 Tatula's with OS7, and 1 with ceramic lightning. I noticed a difference over the stock bearings for sure, which were cleaned with the shields removed. Winter set in too fast to get a good feel for the upgraded bearings. The great thaw is coming so I'll know soon enough.
I'd be most interested in hearing from you any differences you notice between the 2 hybrids. I am kind of hoping the Lightnings prove themselves as the smart choice.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
stock vs Bocas abec7os comparision
http://www.bocabearings.com/dropin.aspx?f=Do-BOCA-BEARINGS-really-make-a-difference.txt&utm_source=BB_site&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=BB_make_difference
Jeff H reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 10:00 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Spool spinning demos and videos are too over rated for words. Cleaning stock bearings and properly lubing them is the single most efficient performance improvement you can make. If and when bearings go bad and need to be changed anyway, why not upgrade them to a better ABEC rating (5-7) and maybe a better material as in ceramic hybrid. I sell ABEC7 OSC Bocas primarily to reel enthusiasts. This is the same mentality as folks who want a high performance exhaust etc on a muscle car or motorcycle. In that vein, it's counter productive to spend money on a high speed bearing like the OSC and them slow it down with oil. If longevity is the primary concern, use a ABEC5 SS bearing clean and lightly oiled. The price is more driven by the ABEC rating than material, so what you'll find is that the ABEC5 Lightening is where you'll get the best performance/cost. There is no reason that a bearing can not be run open which aids cleaning and oiling. Also, the size of "1 drop" of oil can make a difference so comparing the spin of any oiled bearing really doesn't tell you anything. The benefits of improved free spool, regardless of how it's achieved, depends on the casting ability of the angler. I like a free spool for short accurate casting personally. As far as distance casting goes, a bait of a given weight, density and profile will only store a certain amount of energy and fly just so far whether it's attached to a line and reel or nothing at all.
Bold: That is what I'd like to see happen. But, I rarely read any comments on them. It seems to always be the OS7's that I read about as being "the bomb". I thought some kind of objective comparison would satisfy my own mind. I sometimes feel that I have to put extensive effort into my pitches and I wonder if it throws me off a tad. If hybrids ease that even a little, I'm game.
Tywithay reply :
On 2/14/2014 at 12:06 PM, Jeff H said:I'd be most interested in hearing from you any differences you notice between the 2 hybrids. I am kind of hoping the Lightnings prove themselves as the smart choice.
We're finally getting some 60 degree weather this weekend and I intend on working them out. I don't know what the "break in" period is for the two. May not see real differences until I can get more time on them. I will definitely try to focus on the differences, if there are any. I can tell you without a doubt that the Ceramic Lightning (Abec5) are quite a bit louder than the OS7's. It makes sense though, given the slight difference in tolerances of the ball; a smoother ball should be quieter. Whether or not that affects performance remains to be seen.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
The thing I like about the Orange Seals is that they come off easy, I almost always chuck them and run them open. They're supposed to be non-contact but that's not always the case and rarely after being removed and replaced.
Capt.Bob reply :
I have said this before and after I Super tuned my new Team Lew's Pro reel, I should have stuck to what I tell my customers. Unless you are willing to put up with noisy reels, and don't want to maintain them,,,,,the orange seals are the least bang for the buck you can do to improve any reel!!! The lightning are just a not quite as good as OS, one is abec5, and one is abec 7, in a RC model race car or a dental drill you might have enough RPM's to benefit from them, they might show a little increase if you are a well seasoned caster and using very light lures that are not very wind resistant, and a featherweight spool made for quick startups with ultralight lures, and willing to run the noisy things dry! Most spools are made on the heavy side for the average lure to give better momentum once they get reving, and lures as DVT mentioned, enough wind resistance to keep up with the spool!! The very best (that I recamend) is a quality abec 5 SS bearing, properly lubed, and will probably find it cast as good as the Lightning’s when you use them side by side, they are silent, and yes the noise to me makes them "seem" smoother. I don't think you will see 3 yards difference, in any ceramic,,,,,, if you make no other modifications to your spool and don't run them dry. JMPO
I feel most would have a much better improvement in there equipment if they worried about improving the drag than the bearings,,,,,once they flush and properly lube them from the factory.
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