Delaware Valley Tackle

Joy sauce grease is junk it gums up. The oil is ok but nothing special. Don't like the red dye stains. Any light oil will work on bearings. Seeing machine oil, R.E.M. Oil or 3in1 are readily available. Oust, yellow rocket fuel and boca lightning are good choices if you want to spend more. Tsi 321 301 is nice but pricy and more than you can use in a lifetime. Oiling ceramics is counter productive. If you don't like the sound stick with good ss

Shaving weight and maintaining or lowering price points comes at a cost. These are fine reels but expectations on them especially in the smoothness department are sometimes unrealistic. I can say for certain if that's the case here without seeing it but something to keep in mind.

No new reel should require anything right out of the box. Fish them hard for a season and deal with any warranty issues then have them deep cleaned

That's a good knot but there is no one knot that's best for all applications(as with lines, rods, lures etc)

Ok kidding aside unless this was the first time you used the rod it got dinged at some point. An inadvertent smack on a cleat or flipping jig is all it takes. Damage imperceptible to the naked eye can cause failure later on.

They're not stained and actually not cork. They're cork dust and filler material glued and pressed

No

The traits that make cork good handle material keeps it from absorbing stain. Cork can be painted but whether it rubs off depends on the type and quality of the paint job.

I've been down the bearing road already. Just goes to show they're as much st a loss as the rest of us. It's just a design result. Live with it or move on.

Contact Daiwa and ask for a new spool assembly.

I've had a number of new Shimano's through the shop that feel less smooth than expected. There are all kinds of theories as to the cause but it's somewhat of a puzzle. I haven't found anything obviously defective, worn or broken in any of them. As of now I'm of the opinion that the light weight and fine gear teeth transmit some feel. Smoothness comes from mass (think D series) but the weight is a turn off for some.

Naphtha works well but it's nasty stuff. acetone is a better choice. My favorite is perfect solution but that's probably overkill for a reel or two.

Thank you for inviting me to participate in your project. It was a fun change of pace. Enjoy the results !

The models referenced use oscillating gear instead of a worm gear. If the gears are not aligned properly it may be part of the problem.

A spool change won't affect either of those.

On paper the Shimano is the better design due mainly to bearing supported pinion. On the water performance is pretty comparable. Longevity wise Shimano probably has an edge especially if maintenance is marginal. Neither is junk by any means.

As far as I'm concerned they're interchangeable

By drag star I assume you mean the knob. If the knob setting doesn't hold that would be where I concentrate.

PM sent. I've been unsuccessful contacting that company on an unrelated matter. Hopefully you'll have better luck. You're sure when you pull line the spool is turning correct?

I agree with accuracy being the biggest advantage of improved free spool but there are other equally effective methods beside bearings to accomplish that

I agree with getting a rod with a little more power. Problem is mh is subjective and varies between brands. You want a stout mh like a st croix or a hvy from another line. Look for a lure rating of 3/8-1oz or there about

Can you share any details on the reel and what led up to this problem?

On some reels the nose piece blocks the pawl cap so you may have to open the reel to even do that. Service is <$20 for members. Shipping and parts are extra. There are videos on you tube etc but take each with a grain of salt. Trial and error are a big part of learning reels.

You pretty much answered your own question. The LH feels better and more natural ho for it.

Flipping switches are a useless feature and mechanical weak point imo.