Do you use a new reel right out of the box? 2025

pauldconyers reply :

If you buy a new higher end reel do you spool it up and use it right out of the box or feel you need to lube up any particular parts or other tasks on it?

Scott F reply :

My motto is, “If it ain’t broke....don’t fix it. I don’t monkey with them until after I’ve used them for a while.

riverbasser reply :

New reels are normally over greased. If I buy a reel that's not butter smooth from the start it gets taken back.

jimmyjoe reply :

On 6/10/2019 at 7:26 AM, Scott F said:

My motto is, “If it ain’t broke....don’t fix it". I don’t monkey with them until after I’ve used them for a while.

Exactly the way I feel. Never done me wrong yet. jj

mrpao reply :

Sometimes the new reels are under greased. I've had a few lately that I had to add more oil to get them to smooth out.

dodgeguy reply :

I always oil bearings and level wind

Gorris317 reply :

I use mine out of the box in case there is an issue so it can be returned if needed.

flyfisher reply :

all i do is add line and a rod and have at it...

NYWayfarer reply :

Using a reel right out of the box is the best way to determine if it has any issues.

Issues could be as small as a drop of oil or grease in the right place to being a lemon that was missed in quality control (every company has them)

I don’t mess with a reel until it has a few sessions under the belt.

CountryboyinDC reply :

If we're talking baitcaster, I use it once, and then take the spool bearings off and soak them in isopropanol or acetone. I dry them out, put them back with just a drop of spool bearing oil. Some of the reels come with grease on the spool bearings, and you can't expect to cast far with the spool bearings lubed like that. Everything else I leave until annual maintenance.

Glaucus reply :

1. Buy reel

2. Take out of box

3. Put on rod

4. Spool up

5. Set brakes, spool tension, and drag

6. Catch a fish

If I have to do anything else something probably ain't right and it probably got exchanged

Manly Studson reply :

On 6/10/2019 at 10:42 AM, Glaucus said:

1. Buy reel

2. Take out of box

3. Put on rod

4. Spool up

5. Set brakes, spool tension, and drag

6. Catch a fish

If I have to do anything else something probably ain't right and it probably got exchanged

Same here.

CrankFate reply :

I usually open it and grease/oil to my liking. Possibly add carbontex drags and new ball bearings. Maybe even lightly polish the spool shaft or other things.

LxVE Bassin reply :

I don’t touch anything I just fish them. I’m not versed on the mechanical side of reels so I wouldn’t be able to tell if anything was wrong inter ally for the most part.

GreenPig reply :

Before I mount a baitcasting reel on a rod the spool bearings get a ultrasonic cleaning then oiled with a single drop of Rem oil.

jbsoonerfan reply :

On 6/10/2019 at 8:13 AM, mrpao said:

Sometimes the new reels are under greased. I've had a few lately that I had to add more oil to get them to smooth out.

On 6/10/2019 at 7:31 AM, riverbasser said:

New reels are normally over greased. If I buy a reel that's not butter smooth from the start it gets taken back.

This says it all. Most people have no clue what they are dealing with.

redmeansdistortion reply :

On 6/10/2019 at 10:57 AM, CrankFate said:

I usually open it and grease/oil to my liking. Possibly add carbontex drags and new ball bearings. Maybe even lightly polish the spool shaft or other things.

Same here. Plus I like to tinker and the disassembly, cleaning, lube, and reassembly process familiarizes me with the reel.

Catt reply :

Any product I buy if the first thing I have to do is pull maintenance on it before I can use it.

I guarantee ya I will not buy it ????

greentrout reply :

right out of the box ... never a problem ...

good fishing ...

MN Fisher reply :

All but one of my reels went from box to rod to lake. All have been butter smooth.

The one exception is the Pres-25, which was a gift from a member here...so I don't know what he did to it before shipping it to me.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

I dont bother doing anything to the reel during the return period. I have returned/exchanged a fair number of reels.

Yumeya reply :

the delivery wait in long enough, I want to fish new gear as soon as I get it, line it up and go...

I have a Daiwa Certate LT that should be here Monday, I have the line and rod waiting so I

can get right to it haha.

ike8120 reply :

Look it over, reel it few times then spool it with line, then go fishing.

Sam reply :

Of course. We all do.

But after one outing I take the new reel to Wayne Knabe in Powhatan County so he can put some of his secret formula grease in it after wiping out the factory grease.

Wayne's grease is great and your reels will purr like a kitten.

I take my reels to Wayne every two to three years for a grease update.

Wayne says that some reels stay on the retailer's shelf for a long time and it is better to replace the old grease with new grease.

FishTank reply :

I would say that normally any reel I buy new out of the box is good to go but this past year's buying spree has changed my thoughts on that.

Between this year and last fall I have picked up a Curado K, Curado DC, a Bantam, a Abu Garcia ALF, a Abu Garcia Winch, and a Daiwa Steez. They all were either under lubed/dry or over lubed. I spent 10 or 15 minutes with each one and cleaned and lubed them. It made a made a huge difference in the Bantam and the Steez, a noticeable difference in the Winch and the ALF and a marginal difference in the K and DC. I think going forward I will just take a few extra minutes on a new reel to make sure it is done right.

Pickle_Power reply :

I recently got a President XT 25 size that I feel is way tougher to turn than it should be. I will have to see what's up with it. But other than that, I don't think I've ever had any issues with reels out of the box.

GeekFisher reply :

On 6/14/2019 at 10:26 PM, Pickle_Power said:

I recently got a President XT 25 size that I feel is way tougher to turn than it should be. I will have to see what's up with it. But other than that, I don't think I've ever had any issues with reels out of the box.

My President Limited size 25 wasnt as smooth as expected out of the box as well...

As for other reels, I used to just fish them (mostly Shimano) but since I started to buy Chinese stuff (Kastking, Piscifun etc) I took the habit of relubing them before first use, they perform way better this way !

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Do you use a new reel right out of the box? 2025

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