Reels

[cndbasshunter]

thems be some beautys for sure!
quick question for ya gear junkies
where do you order your carbon handles,cork knobs and bearings from?
I have a fleet of curado e7s i am thinking about sooping up

I get most of my stuff from Semper-Fi, tackle tour, and other online stores.

[BradGuenette]

Chevy hawgtech has a decent handle with cork knobs, they have a new version out which is much more streamline then the previous model that others had complained about. There is also Hedgehog where you can order parts for your reels. You will be hard pressed to find a better price then hawgtech though.

I would think the Chronarch e7 handles would be the same as the Curados.
http://www.hedgehog-studio.co.jp/page/32

https://www.hawgtech.com/category/hawg-handle

[ah_long]

I would personally stay away from Semper-fi

If you want a handle that would take a beating, Hawg Tech is your best choice. My only gripe is the bland styling.

[ah_long]

First off,
If so, how do you like it? It is something I have been toying with buying lately, I just seem to like the stock colour better. And does the clear side plate flex at all?

In regards to the Alphas Ito, I would like to share some insights. I hope cndbasshunter won't mind

1. the finish will oxidize. It's not the end of the world, but it takes time to polish it out with a dremel and metal polish
2. The non handle side plate doesn't affect the flex of the reel. Graphite/Plastic side plates are common on many reels.
3. The lexan side plate is prone to yellowing and cracking.

If you want to purchase this reel, make sure you check the condition of the side plates and the clear nose piece. Don't worry too much about the oxidization!

Since it's an alphas platform, there's an abundance of parts for repair and mods. It's a very nice platform to be introduced to the Darkside!

[TheMaverick]

Chevy,

Here's a start....

Knobs
http://www.japantackle.com/Tuning_parts ... _Knobs.htm

Handles
https://www.hawgtech.com/
http://www.japantackle.com/Tuning_parts ... himano.htm

Bearings
http://www.bocabearings.com/
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Boca_Bea ... BOCAS.html

[cndbasshunter]

I would personally stay away from Semper-fi

If you want a handle that would take a beating, Hawg Tech is your best choice. My only gripe is the bland styling.

I ordered 8 of the hawgtech handles and they are built like a tanks. Just wish they weren't so bulky and switch to a normal retainer and nut.

I talked to Benson and his newer Semper-Fi stuff is better than his previous supplier. One thing good abt semper-fi is you can customize colors.

[Jimmy_1]

Ok I have a question also.

With all these after market reel part suppliers is it conceivable you can beef up an older or cheaper reel by buying better components?
Or is it just less expensive to buy the better reel to begin with?

[biggs]

Speaking of Alphas, they are fantastic little reels. The gear ratio can be a little slow for some techniques but you can change out the gear set from the PX-R which will fit no problem, I put the 6.8 gears into my Purple Alphas. I was going to switch out the handle on my Type-F Alphas but I actually like the look of the stock handle with corks.

[cndbasshunter]

Speaking of Alphas, they are fantastic little reels. The gear ratio can be a little slow for some techniques but you can change out the gear set from the PX-R which will fit no problem, I put the 6.8 gears into my Purple Alphas. I was going to switch out the handle on my Type-F Alphas but I actually like the look of the stock handle with corks.

I installed most of the PX-R parts in my Alphas too. You can get them from Tackle Trap.

Here is what i did to the Alphas...
6.8:1 gears, worm shaft, line guide, cast control, drag, bearings, drag star, and handle/knobs.

[cndbasshunter]

Ok I have a question also.

With all these after market reel part suppliers is it conceivable you can beef up an older or cheaper reel by buying better components?
Or is it just less expensive to buy the better reel to begin with?

i wouldnt call it beef up, i would call it performance increase. The best two upgrades for performance are bearings and carbontex drag. Not all reels needs this, the stock drag on the Steez EX is great as is, so are the Abu reels. As for bearings, some stock reels like the PX-R and Abu Premier are pretty damn good as is. Most other changes are cosmetics only. If you want to further increase the performance you can look into spools that can allow you to cast lighter lures.

[ah_long]

In regards to bearings, I find that the Hedgehog Air bearings give a more significant increase to performance over Bocas.

[cndbasshunter]

In regards to bearings, I find that the Hedgehog Air bearings give a more significant increase to performance over Bocas.

I tried the ZR bearings and like them, more quiet compared to OS but not sure abt performance as i've only put them in my TD-Z for a month. Want to try the AIR but they are double the price! LOL....

[StarTzar]

After four years of use, I upgraded the bearings in my Gen 2 ABU premiers. I used BOCA orange seal bearings.
There was a very slight difference in performance.
The bearings that are in the ABU premiers must be very good quality.

[StarTzar]

I tried the ZR bearings and like them, more quiet compared to OS but not sure abt performance as i've only put them in my TD-Z for a month. Want to try the AIR but they are double the price! LOL....

Gear head sarcasm.

[lape0019]

I put orange seals in a revo s and noticed a difference. It takes a able lot less for ego get the spool moving.

The best performance upgrade you can do is the spool bearings. After that, the next best thing is a good cleaning and light re-lube. Tht factory cakes the reels full of grease where it doesn't need to be so if done properly, you should see a big difference.

There are a lot of articles about super tuning as well which is basically polishing areas to reduce friction. A lot of people say it is worth it, I just have never done it.

Adam