Alpha Male Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 I am looking at trying out some upgraded bearings and wanted to hear some opinions on what you would get and why between boca, hawgtech, and hedgehog bearing. These would be put in a revo STX or premier. thanks Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Boca ABEC5 Ceramic Hybrid. As fast as a fishing reel can use, reasonably priced and backed by the company. FWIW, run them dry or save the hassle. Quote
jtesch Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 tried them all and Boca ABEC5 hybrids are as good as any, like the man said, run them dry Quote
Super User FishTank Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 I will be switching out several of mine soon and every time I research this subject, the same answer shows up.... Boca ABEC 5 Ceramics. Quote
Super User QUAKEnSHAKE Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Even regular bearings can handle any speed a spool achieves. Like these cheap ones rated up to 67000rpm, fishing spool not going to touch that speed. Might see for a split second 30000 equivalent then drop from there very quickly. https://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/0402127 I dont think upgrading bearings is about top speed but more efficiency and a more free flow. Quote
Super User Tywithay Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Even regular bearings can handle any speed a spool achieves. Like these cheap ones rated up to 67000rpm, fishing spool not going to touch that speed. Might see for a split second 30000 equivalent then drop from there very quickly. https://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/0402127 I dont think upgrading bearings is about top speed but more efficiency and a more free flow. Top speed doesn't really matter at all really. Most braking systems can't handle higher than 20,000-30,000 rpm anyway. The reason for using better rated bearings is for easier start up. The Abec7 bocas do start up more easily than the Abec5, in my experience; they're also much quieter. They allowed me to cast the same baits more easily. Tried it last summer with a couple Tatulas, with several different baits. Quote
fisherrw Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Boca ABEC5 Ceramic Hybrid. As fast as a fishing reel can use, reasonably priced and backed by the company. FWIW, run them dry or save the hassle. x2 Quote
Jaheff Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 I have two sets of Smooth Drag abec5 hybrid's in two my concept reels. I soaked them in TSI 321, it quieted them down, but didn't seem to take away the performance at all. It's only been a few hours on the water testing so far. The abec7 SS from BGF (which I think are Bocas bundled in a kit), are really performing better with the 321 in my Curado's and Okuma's .Hope I'm not just drinking the cool aid, but 321 seems to be the real deal so far. Quote
War Eagle 44 Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 I have Lightning 5's in five reels and Orange Seals in a couple others. There's very little difference IMHO, I don't find the 5's any louder than the 7's and their performance is about 90% of the 7's. It's totally up to you whether or not you feel the price increase between them is warranted. I still buy 7's every now and then but I'm totally happy with my 5's, I've never considered replacing them with 7's if that helps any. As a matter of fact I've actually started to gravitate back toward Shimano made SS bearings, I know this really doesn't have anything to do with your question but I only brought it up to mention the Abu brand bearings that Japan Tackle carries. They're suppose to be really good bearings. Might want to check them out. Quote
Super User smalljaw67 Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Sorry about jacking the thread but how long do ceramic ABEC5 bearings last if running them dry? I have yet to use ceramic or even hybrid bearings and I've heard of running them dry and also with a drop of oil and what is 321? Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 13, 2015 Super User Posted January 13, 2015 Highly recommended oil: http://www.tsi301.com/tsi321main.htm Mike at DVT did some work on a couple of my reels. The Boca ABEC5 Ceramic Hybrid Bearings were annoying to me running dry. I can't really tell what I have given up by adding a drop of oil, but I like them better. 2 Quote
WdyCrankbait Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 I had DVT (aka, The Reel Godfather, yes, I just knighted you with that name Mike) put in Boca Bearings and polish some bearings. To be honest, try getting your bearings polished by him. Bearing upgrades are not the silver bullet in my eyes. The reason I say this is well, I pulled out my 200E7 he polished my bearings in from the closet sitting since April, 2014 and the spool will free spool for about ten seconds. I suggest polish and use the proper lube, and the proper amount and call it a day. Quote
FloridaFishinFool Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 I've never heard of polishing bearings. Please explain??? And DVT does this??? I am aware of polishing certain internal parts to reduce friction, but bearing polishing??? This is new to me. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 He means Super Tuning. Polished spool shaft, inside pinion, tension spacers where appropriate. The stock bearings are flushed and lightly oiled and of course the rest of the reel gets deep cleaned. 1 Quote
Alpha Male Posted January 13, 2015 Author Posted January 13, 2015 all good information. I think i will go with some of the hawgtech bearing for now. out of curiousity has anyone used the hedgehog bearings? or their spool pin removal tool? Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Forgive me for stating the obvious, but have you flushed and lightly oiled the stock bearings? Even if you go ahead with a bearing swap I recommend taking the time to do this so you see the real difference between the bearings. 2 Quote
Alpha Male Posted January 14, 2015 Author Posted January 14, 2015 Forgive me for stating the obvious, but have you flushed and lightly oiled the stock bearings? Even if you go ahead with a bearing swap I recommend taking the time to do this so you see the real difference between the bearings. No worries. I have done a complete cleaning and overhaul of 3 of my reels (revo stx, lews tournament ss, and a bps pq) I haven't noticed any change in free spool time. I haven't been able to test them as it's a whopping -4° here right now. After using a hammer and punch to to move the pin I was looking online for a tool and that's where I found the hedgehog website. Their tool looks a lot better than any of the pliers I have seen so that's why I was looking at their bearings. Also what to you guys use to get the shield off the bearings? Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Some metal shields are removable and some aren't. If they have a small wire clip you can usually get them off with a needle or dental pick type tool. The Boca pliers work well. They are hinged to work as a press so they push straight down unlike the old fashioned flat nose ones. I have an extra pair new in the bubble wrap if you want them. The Hedgehawg tool looks like a design I had thought about but couldn't quite pull off. lol Quote
Alpha Male Posted January 14, 2015 Author Posted January 14, 2015 Some metal shields are removable and some aren't. If they have a small wire clip you can usually get them off with a needle or dental pick type tool. The Boca pliers work well. They are hinged to work as a press so they push straight down unlike the old fashioned flat nose ones. I have an extra pair new in the bubble wrap if you want them. The Hedgehawg tool looks like a design I had thought about but couldn't quite pull off. lol Thanks. I have just been using a small jewellery screwdriver to get under the shield and get it off. I have been using some silicon gun oil for the bearings. In all honesty I have not had any issues with casting (most of the time I can cast with 2 brakes on and the mag brakes off without the thumb) I just like to tinker. Gotta kill some time til ice out and I can go after some crappie. Quote
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