Super User J Francho Posted December 2, 2014 Super User Posted December 2, 2014 Either of you two guys think the Hawgtech's are noticeably better than OS7's? I'd say on par, both in durability and performance. OS7s are louder. Quote
War Eagle 44 Posted December 2, 2014 Posted December 2, 2014 I'd say on par, both in durability and performance. OS7s are louder. Thanks, I think I'll have to try them. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 2, 2014 Super User Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks, I think I'll have to try them. Let us know what you think. Quote
Hogsticker Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 The only bearings I've used I felt were worth it are from Hedgehog. The Zr bearings are fantastic for chucking lipless cranks a good distance, and the Air bearings are an improvement when tossing lighter jerk baits. Less effort required to achieve smoother, longer casts. Put that same reel in the hands of a proven, experienced reel tuner and the results are obvious. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 3, 2014 Super User Posted December 3, 2014 interesting, i got 2 sets of hawgtechs to try in reels i formally had boca's OS 7's in and the hawgtechs were noticeably louder and not as smooth...i also felt the OS7's performed overall better as well...i've been using bocas for many years with many sets and none were loud as the hawgs...thats just been my honest experience thus far... the ceramic upgrades besides some distance has also been with throwing lighter baits/weightless rigs, ceramics make a difference... I find different lubes have different effects, and it's not as straight forward as you think. The Bocas I have are in sub freezing only reels, and are dry. I've run several other brands dry, and the Bocas are the loudest. They aren't Orange Seals, though. They have steel shields. Perhaps that's the difference? Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted December 3, 2014 Super User Posted December 3, 2014 One word ... yes! Upgraded my Silver Max ... casts so much better! Quote
Super User aavery2 Posted December 3, 2014 Super User Posted December 3, 2014 I have mixed feelings on ceramics, I have several reels that have them installed on the spools and they perform well. What I can't swear is that they perform better than a very well cleaned and properly oiled SS bearing. In my use I believe the biggest difference that I can see/notice is when using lighter baits, somewhere around 1/4oz the ceramics seem to cast better and with less effort. When casting anything 3/8oz and up it seems that most any relatively clean and serviceable bearing performs well. 2 Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 It depends on the reel design and condition, but by and large I agree. Quote
Preytorien Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I just got Hawgtechs this past summer, and the biggest thing I noticed is that I can throw light lures (1/4oz or less) considerably farther. To me that's worth it, I can actually see a couple times that's caught me a few more fish. 1 Quote
desmobob Posted December 3, 2014 Posted December 3, 2014 I put Boca steel-shield ABEC 7s in a new Lew's Tournament Pro this summer and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I did a clean/flush/re-lube on that reel previous to installing the new bearings. I noticed the larger bearing (the one that stays on the spool shaft) felt rough. The other two bearings spun beautifully after being flushed and re-lubed with Hot Sauce, but that one bearing was definitely rough. The Boca replacements were all smooth as silk. I just tore down another new Tournament Pro not long ago and guess what? That same bearing was rough while the other two were very smooth. The reel casted noticeably better after the cleaning/flushing/re-lubing. I have a set of ceramics from Hawgtech en route, so I'll be able to make a comparison to the Bocas in my other Tournament Pro. Before I put them all in, I'm going to change just that large one, and see if I notice a difference.... Tight lines, Bob Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 4, 2014 Super User Posted December 4, 2014 New reels with rough bearings? Hmmm. Either the process to flush them isn't getting the job done or something's not right from the factory. Quote
desmobob Posted December 8, 2014 Posted December 8, 2014 New reels with rough bearings? Hmmm. Either the process to flush them isn't getting the job done or something's not right from the factory. In both my new Lew's Tournament Pros, the 5x11x4 spool bearing was rough and the two 3x10x4 bearings were perfect. The 5x11x4s weren't horrible, but they definitely weren't right, either. Maybe Lew's got a bad batch of that particular bearing size? All the bearings were soaked, then shaken, in naphtha, and then blasted thoroughly with aerosol brake cleaner. Tight lines, Bob Quote
PitchinJigz Posted December 8, 2014 Posted December 8, 2014 To be straight up with you, no I do not think they are worth it. You're better off getting Hawgtech ABEC7 bearings for $8 than Boca ABEC7 bearings for $25... They're basically all hype, the bocas. They sell them off to reel tuners/ cleaners to get advertisement and add a bunch of YouTubers to their "pro staff" to get a bunch of advertisement. It's all just a marketing scheme from Boca. Hawgtechs will do just as well. Quote
thehooligan Posted December 8, 2014 Posted December 8, 2014 To be straight up with you, no I do not think they are worth it. You're better off getting Hawgtech ABEC7 bearings for $8 than Boca ABEC7 bearings for $25... They're basically all hype, the bocas. They sell them off to reel tuners/ cleaners to get advertisement and add a bunch of YouTubers to their "pro staff" to get a bunch of advertisement. It's all just a marketing scheme from Boca. Hawgtechs will do just as well. Thats a pretty bold statement on bearings man. Boca orange seals are great bearings and definitely worth the money. Just sounds a little funny to me having such an opinion on bearings after reading all your posts in the lews/shimano thread you started... Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 8, 2014 Super User Posted December 8, 2014 It's true, though. Especially this part..... They sell them off to reel tuners/ cleaners to get advertisement and add a bunch of YouTubers to their "pro staff" to get a bunch of advertisement. They're fine bearings. Way overpriced. Quote
thehooligan Posted December 8, 2014 Posted December 8, 2014 I primarily throw finesse baits with my casting gear these days, but out of all the bearings ive used, best build quality and performance would go in this order... 1. IXA 2. Hedgehog 3. Boca OS 4. Hawgtech Quote
Super User aavery2 Posted December 8, 2014 Super User Posted December 8, 2014 I primarily throw finesse baits with my casting gear these days, but out of all the bearings ive used, best build quality and performance would go in this order... 1. IXA 2. Hedgehog 3. Boca OS 4. Hawgtech Curious if you have tried the ZPI bearings and they didn't make the cut, or just have not had the chance to try them. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 8, 2014 Super User Posted December 8, 2014 We're just talking about them, off board... I have some very high end ZPI bearings in my TD-X HSDLs. They're pretty good. They were expensive. I've never used the IXA, so I'd say #1. Quote
thehooligan Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 Curious if you have tried the ZPI bearings and they didn't make the cut, or just have not had the chance to try them. Haven't tried them yet, but after a lot of research I'd put them right up there with ixa & hedgehogs... Quote
Super User Maxximus Redneckus Posted December 10, 2014 Super User Posted December 10, 2014 Only when using light line and lures.stock bearings in any reel will suffice for normal fishing. Quote
Super User Jeff H Posted December 10, 2014 Super User Posted December 10, 2014 I am going to try some Hawg Tech bearings next. I've had decent luck with Boca Lightnings (ABEC 5 hybrids) too. But....I've experienced some inconsistency with them, so I'm going to try Hawg Tech and see how they work in one of my TD-Z's. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted December 10, 2014 Posted December 10, 2014 You'll get an occasional dud with any bearing line, but Boca will replace them. Are you using Orange Seals? If so it's the seal that rubs. They are not truly "No contact". I run them open if not using ABEC5 shielded. Quote
Super User Jeff H Posted December 11, 2014 Super User Posted December 11, 2014 Mike, No orange seals. Lightning 5's were the ones that were inconsistent. I intend to talk to somebody there next time I order, and make sure they either don't sell me any lemons or will exchange them if they do. The ones I've had that work right have been great, and I see no reason to buy OS7's. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted December 11, 2014 Posted December 11, 2014 ABEC 7 rating is overkill for the sustained speeds a reel sees. It's purely an enthusiast decision when I do use them. I also rinse every bearing before installation regardless of where they come from. It doesn't take much in the way an oil smudge or dust particle to affect a tight tolerance bearing. Quote
desmobob Posted December 12, 2014 Posted December 12, 2014 I am going to try some Hawg Tech bearings next. I've had decent luck with Boca Lightnings (ABEC 5 hybrids) too. But....I've experienced some inconsistency with them, so I'm going to try Hawg Tech and see how they work in one of my TD-Z's. I just put a set of HawgTech bearings in one of my Lew's Tournament Pro reels. I have Boca ABEC7s in a different Lew's TP. I can tell no difference in smoothness, free spool, or sound. It's not exactly a fair comparison though, as the Bocas have been fished heavily for 4-5 months and the HawgTechs are brand new. It will be about four months before I get to actually fish the reels side by side. (Winter sucks!) My initial impression is that at half the price, the HawgTechs seem like the logical choice. Time will tell. Or maybe not... Tight lines, Bob Quote
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