Inside The Academy H2O Xpress Menace 2

[Fishwhittler]

Just got one of the new Menace II baitcasters and figured I'd do a quick rundown and comparison between the Mettle and Menace. For reference, here's the original breakdown I did on the Mettle.

Side shot:

Top view:

Bottom (note the porting on the bottom of the Menace's reel foot):

Brake races (Menace on left, Mettle on right):

Before I could get inside I had to make a custom spanner to unscrew the handle nut. It's made out of a #8 finishing nail.

Drag star clicker:

Bearing under spool-tension knob—I was surprised to find that this bearing doesn't have a shield. Don't usually see that.

And, the clutch:

The clutch is identical to the one used in the Mettle. The Menace has a lower profile, a larger drive gear with a correspondingly larger gearbox, and the Menace is roughly 1/4" - 1/2" narrower thanks to the swept handle. The handle knobs are also a grippier material on the Menace, similar to the Shimano power knobs found on the Curado. They're much grippier than the Mettle's knobs.

The Menace is also silky smooth. The Mettle is smooth, but it doesn't match the Menace.

Like the Mettle, the Menace wasn't over-lubed when I took it apart. I did re-grease the drag with Cal's grease to help keep it from sticking (the drag is virtually the same as that on the Mettle), but other than that I left the clutch lubed as I found it. After application of Cal's grease, the drag is smooth though not particularly powerful—I'd estimate close to 8# on lockdown.

I did manage to mess up one of the spool bearings ( ) and I currently have a set of ABEC-7 stainless steel bearings on order from Big Green Fish. For now it's got one stock bearing and one replacement bearing, I think from a Pflueger President. Before I did anything to it it cast as well as the Mettle, which is to say it casts extremely well. The bearings Academy uses in these reels are very smooth and fast.

I'll probably upgrade the drag to Carbontex. That's one thing I wish they'd fix—a better secondary drag washer would help prevent the drag from sticking on startup. It's only a $1 part, though, so it's no biggie. Like I said, Cal's drag grease smooths out the drag and helps prevent sticking on startup.

The spool is different than the Mettle's spool and the two are not interchangeable. They use the same braking system, same spool shaft, even have the same spool diameter and width, but the spool shafts are set at different depths in the spool (hope that makes sense). From just holding the two in hand it felt like the Menace has a lighter spool.

There was one issue that caused a little concern: The spool pin became much looser after I removed it to clean the bearing. When I put it back in I could move it with my fingers, which I've never seen before. I put in a drop of thin superglue to keep it from sliding around and it's fine, but it is something to check. I've no idea if it's an isolated incident or not. But, I'd not hesitate to buy another Menace.

If the Menace holds up over the long haul, it's as much of a steal at $90 as the Mettle is at $50. Lighter, more comfortable to use, smoother, casts just as well, better knobs…can you tell I like the Menace? Sure, it's not perfect, but for the price it's an acceptable substitute.

The schematic for the Menace is the same as the one for the Mettle, Manic and apparently the Mystic as well, so the insides are the same. The Mystic and Manic are both on my short list, I think a 5.1:1 Manic for deep cranks, and maybe next year (hopefully sooner!) a Mystic for plastics, jigs and such.

I'll be fishing the Menace heavily this year and will report back if I find any problems.

Tight lines,

Ben

[Diggy]

Nice write up. I wish those mettles came in LH. Id buy a few when they hit 35

[PondBoss]

I just picked the new Menace up and just from pitching it around in the yard I can tell it's a winner.  Just like the Mettle, Menace1, and Mystic it's a  sure fire deal.  Just another great product at an affordable price.  Taking it out on the water tomorrow, hopefully put it to some use.

[MediumHeavy]

Great info, glad you got to pick one of these up and check out the insides. 

 

I'm definitely impressed with the quality of the Mettle for only $50, so I can only imagine the Menace 2 is pretty darn nice.

[ColdSVT]

nice review!. certainly a solid reel for the price!!!!

[Trailer]

What gear ratios do they offer in these two models?

[Fishwhittler]

What gear ratios do they offer in these two models?

 

The Mettle comes in 6.3:1, the Menace in 7.1:1.  All H2O Xpress baitcasters are RH-only.  The Mystic is 7.3:1 only, and the Manic is available in 5.4:1, 6.3:1, and 7.1:1.