Daiwa Tatula Type R Upgrades And Modifications .

[Elwood aka Ted Striker.]

After purchasing my first baitcaster reel I'm wanting to get into them in a big way .

What upgrades and modifications can I buy and do to make it better, smoother, cast further, reduce weight and make it my own?

Look forward to hearing your views .

Cheers aye.

[Cgrinder]

This is a slippery slope, my friend. I think Daiwa cork knobs would be a nice touch. 

[wordfactories]

A type R as your first baitcast reel is pretty nice. 

 

I have read you can measure the spacers in the level-wind and replace them with bearings (http://www.daiwa.com/Documents/PartsDiagram/TATULA-R100H_100XS.pdf).

Also there are bushings in the handles that can be measured and replaced with bearings. Both of those will make the reel smoother.

I'm sure you could upgrade to ceramic, abec 7/9  bearings for more distance. 

 

This guy really seems to go at his Tatula.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GG8pWAdVwI - also has a video all about the drag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hz97HwNPic.

(I suggest you mute the sound on either of those)

 

Hedgehog Studio has an array of fancy parts too, including the wormshaft bearing kit and handle bearing kit, as well as standard bearing upgrades.

 

Some people like to clean all the lube out of stock bearings and use whatever their choice of high performance lubricant to achieve more distance as well. 

 

Personally I have a standard Tatula and I am very pleased with its performance and casting distance. I don't see it as needing anything. I'd put that money toward another rod/reel.

 

I have put Boca Ceramic hybrid bearings in some reels and been ambivalent about the improvement.. The Boca sets are better distance wise, but maybe not good enough for myself and what they cost.. Cleaning out stock bearings with solvent and re-lubing with Quantum Hotsauce (I'm sure just about any fancy pants reel oil is better than stock) helped out a few of my reels significantly.

 

Anyhow if you do do something cool, post back with your results. 

[WRB]

Catch big bass using your new reel it will become your best friend.

Tom

[Tywithay]

Hedgehog air bearings, JDM shallow spool, carbon handle. These are all nice additions. Color coordinate screws and knobs to match your rod as well.

[MrSwimJig]

Wouldn't do anything except replace the bushings in the level wind with bearings and add Daiwa cork knobs and a graphite handle.

[Montanaro]

Don't do anything to it.

Fish it, learn it. If you choose to stick with bait casting and feel the reel is lacking something then look for a modification.

[rippin-lips]

After purchasing my first baitcaster reel I'm wanting to get into them in a big way .

What upgrades and modifications can I buy and do to make it better, smoother, cast further, reduce weight and make it my own?

Look forward to hearing your views .

Cheers aye.

It's an extremely smooth reel right out of the box. There's not much to do in that department. I have a standard tatula that's 100% stock and I have a type R that has the bushings replaced in the worm gear and knobs. Also boca orange seal bearings for the spool. I honestly can't say that it's any smoother then the other one or has any more casting distance. I did that stuff because I like to tinker with things. It's your first baitcaster so as you get more experienced you'll get better at casting and gain distance through experience and time on the water. A carbon fiber handle will lighten it up but I'm not sure by how much. The same with the jdm shallow spool. The handle would also cover the cosmetic department. As mentioned hedgehog studios offers a bunch of cosmetic parts that will make it look different. Honestly I'd just fish it and enjoy it.

[J Francho]

The only things I'd do is replace the stock drag washers with Carbintex and add a Hawgtech handle.

[Crankinstein]

I'd say fish it for a little while and then decide if you want to do anything with it. I added some cork knobs, hedgehog bearings, and a few cosmetic changes to mine. Looking back I really didn't need anything beyond the knobs, I was already used to them and felt more comfortable with that style. The other stuff was the winter bait monkey on my back. Overall I like how it turned out though. Daiwa has so many aftermarket parts so its hard to resist sometimes.

[jbsoonerfan]

If you are really looking for some enthusiast advice, I would suggest you check out another site with a forum. I'm not sure if I can say the name. There are some guys there that have some awesome set ups. I am not sure if any of them actually fish, but they could sure tell you the best way to blow a few grand.

 

If catching fish is a priority, then this is a really good site for actually learning about fishing.

[WRB]

I own 3 Tatula R-100XS reels and haven't had to do anything with these reels other than tune the spool weights to my liking. They look great out of the box, black with red accents, light weight oversize handle with rubber cushioned pads. Drag is exceptionally smooth at all settings, gears and cranking very smooth.

Fish it before you fool with it, casts extremely well, strong frame and handles big bass easily.

So far I have been T-rigs and jigs because that's how I fish most of the time, making long casts.

The XS 8.1-1 high speed for jigs and T-rigs flies in the face of logic and I have pooh-poohed this in the past. Because my presentations are often cast over 90' to 120'+, the high speed recovers about 26" to 28" per handle turn at those distances which is a big advantage when hook setting using the reel and rod sweep technique I use. It also helps in controlling the bass at a distance because of keep line pressure easier. Haven't caught any DD bass yet this year, a lot 6 to 7 lb bass without any issues.

Tom

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Performance enhancing upgrades on a cost/benefit basis:

 

1. Deep Cleaning w/ bearing flush & proper lube

2. Carbontex Drag

3. Super Tune (does not apply to your reel design)

4. Bearing upgrade - ABEC 5 ceramic hybrid are about as fast as you need in a reel, ABEC7 if you're an enthusiast looking to really trick things out. A true ABEC9 is overkill and very expensive. Beware of anyone offering these. 

5. level-wind upgrade replacing bushings with bearings

6. After market spools - expensive and don't add much except for in finesse applications which spinning tackle can handle more economically and arguably better.

7. Handle swaps/added bearings

8. Anodized/custom trim parts

 

The value in replacing bushings with bearings is debatable. There are some pretty nice reels without bearings in the level wind and handles.

[davidgs]

I've got a Tatula Type R... and while happy with the reel out of the box, I felt some improvements could be made.  There are a small number of changes that have affected the overall smoothness of the reel.  Here's what I ended up doing for performance sake.

 

1. Remove the 2 worm gear bushings and replace with bearings (they don't have to be super expensive... $2.50 steels are fine).

2. Remove the 2 knobs and replace the single bushings with bearings (again - don't go super expensive).  When you screw them back in, don't overtighten.

3. Lube ALL bearings with a ulta low viscosity oil designed for precision bearings.

4. Grease the grooves of the main gear, clutch gear, and lower edges of the Pinion yoke (makes engaging the freespool smoother and requires less force)

 

Total cost.. bearings (4) = $10, lube = $8, grease = $6... $24.

 

Makes a big difference in the end... reel feels like it has tighter tolerances, and is smoother on both cast and retrieve.  Pretty close to the Steexz at this point, which for a total of under $200 is great.

 

Hope this helps others considering this reel.

 

Regards,

David

[Montanaro]

I can confirm that cleaning and greasing the tatula makes a big difference.

My tatula is smoother and faster than my tdz now!

[new2BC4bass]

Like Mike said, a deep cleaning with bearing flush and proper lube is going to give you the most for your money.  I had a new $400 plus reel (not my cost) that was very dry inside.  Some come packed with grease.  Some reels benefit a lot from adding a Carbontex Drag.  Some not so much.  Generally speaking I don't see a lot of change in casting distance with upgraded bearings.  What I do notice from a tune and upgraded bearings is that I can use less brakes.

 

I feel you made a great choice for your first baitcast reel.  TT felt the extra $50 over the standard Tatula wasn't worth it.  Personally the finish alone is worth it to me.  I didn't pay $50 extra either.  I also got the 8.1:1 which isn't available in the standard.  If not careful, you could wind up with several more Type Rs.