Ceramic Bearings Upgrades

[zallen4]

I've wanted to "super tune" one of my reels for a little while. I've watched all the videos on youtube of people getting 20 second free spools with boca bearings. But is boca the only reputable place to buy decent abec7 bearings? I've found what look like similar bearings from japan on eBay for about half the price. Im not willing to sacrifice quality to save a few extra bucks but I'll save a dollar when i can get a similar product from a different site. Has anyone tried these bearings? Or does anyone know any other reputable bearing brands or retailers to consider?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'm a Boca dealer. All you need for a reel is ABEC5 for a reel. The sustained speeds aren't there to benefit from 7s. Of course there are other good brands but counterfeiting is a problem in the industry. Super Tuning has nothing to do with bearings. It's a process of polishing of internal parts. Lastly, Spool spin times are meaningless in the big picture.  I can get 30sec free spool from most reels with properly cleaning and lubrication. If you'd like advice on improving your specific reel, contact me and I'll tell you how to get the biggest bang for your buck. 

[FloridaFishinFool]

49 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I'm a Boca dealer. Of course there are other good brands but counterfeiting is a problem in the industry. 

I am curious how a manufacturer or business can counterfeit a ball bearing?

[gulfcaptain]

3 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

I am curious how a manufacturer or business can counterfeit a ball bearing?

 

Use lower quality bearings and package them as something else or label them as Boca Bearings when they really aren't but charge you that premium price.

[FloridaFishinFool]

I guess I am curious because Boca does not make any ball bearings- never have. Not a one of them! They buy most of their bearings from China and you can get non-Boca brand Chinese bearings on ebay for much less.

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

They misrepresent the ABEC rating not the brand. You don't need to own and operate a manufacturing facility to ensure quality and stand behind what you sell. Lews never made a reel but to say the Chinese reels on eBay are the same would be rediculous. Bearing upgrades are (or should be) largely an enthusiast endeavor which are rarely done on a shoestring budget. For a couple extra bucks per reel you can be sure you're getting what you think you're getting. 

[Jaheff]

I have ceramic hybrids in a few of my reels. They work great, but are really annoying in a Magnesium framed reel. kinda loud on casts, and that's with oil in them.

 

[HOG727]

I bought some ceramic bearings from Hawgtech and was really impressed with the whole transaction.    They make stuff to trick out your reel and I could tell they are really into it.  I was pleased with the increase in free spool for my old Pflueger President.  Can't wait to throw it .  The shipping was only $3.  

[tnt2671]

Hawgtech for sure!! awesome guys to deal with

[Molay1292]

Are the cages in the Hawgtech bearings still made of plastic?

[new2BC4bass]

16 hours ago, Jaheff said:

I have ceramic hybrids in a few of my reels. They work great, but are really annoying in a Magnesium framed reel. kinda loud on casts, and that's with oil in them.

 

 

Helios Air comes with ABEC5s.  Don't know if they are ceramic.  Bearings quieted down quite a bit after about a half our of use.  Picked up a set of ceramics for my Curado 51E from the flea market at half price because the seller didn't like the noise they made.  I actually like it, but I like mechanical stuff like the shutter tripping on my old 35mm camera. The bearing noise helps me with my casts.  I feel it helps me know when to thumb the spool.

[roadwarrior]

I may giving up ultimate performance, but I can't stand the noise. All my ceramic bearings are lightly oiled.

 

[HOG727]

Hawgtech bearings do have nylon races.  Their web-site says they are quieter and have better free spool characteristics.  

 

[Bass Turd]

So I'm a tool fool. I love watching my spool spin for minutes at a time (with no breaks or cast control on). I don't mind the sound of ceramic bearings. Now can I cast with a spool that spins this freely? Absolutely not. Can I cast five or ten feet farther? Maybe, probably... but I'm not measuring. What it does do is allow me to cast with less effort for a given distance. And that allows me to be more accurate.

[.ghoti.]

On January 18, 2016 at 7:51 AM, roadwarrior said:

I may giving up ultimate performance, but I can't stand the noise. All my ceramic bearings are lightly oiled.

 

 

Every ceramic bearing Ive ever aquired is gone. I believe my reels should be seen, not heard.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Spin times are irrelevant you tube fodder. Super Tuning has nothing to do with bearings, rather is a process of polishing friction areas that affect casting. Any thing "faster" is typically "louder". A lightly oiled quality ABEC5 SS bearing in a well maintained and tuned reel is the best bang for the buck performance wise. You'll have a free running manageable reel that's a pleasure to fish 

[WdyCrankbait]

Yep, DVT is 100% right!  He did a deep polish on my 200e5 & e7 and I could really reach some distance! 

Boca Bearings are great, but I think a good deep cleaning by DVT is sufficent.  The one benefit I did notice with my 50E that I had Bocas put into was precision of flipping.  I could repeatedly hit the same target with a lot more confidence.

[Bass Turd]

DVT,

I respect your opinion. Can you quantify what ball bearings come standard these days in modern offerings from Shimano, Lews, Diawa etc...? $150 -$200 price range? (I know lower price reels have bushings as bearings and not ball bearings.) Should anything be done to "New out of the box" reels? I hear they come packed with too much grease yada yada yada. Any truth to that?  Are the ABEC 5 SS bearings an upgrade? Thanks for your input.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don't believe on a whole that stock bearings are ABEC rated or they'd advertise the fact. That doesn't mean stock don't hold up performance or spec wise , just that they aren't rated as proof . Unless you're an enthusiast or tackle junky don't worry about it until something wears out and needs replacing. Simply flushing and lightly oiling stock bearings makes a big difference. Don't attempt removal of spool mounted bearings without a specialized tool. 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

55 minutes ago, Bass Turd said:

DVT,

I respect your opinion. Can you quantify what ball bearings come standard these days in modern offerings from Shimano, Lews, Diawa etc...? $150 -$200 price range? (I know lower price reels have bushings as bearings and not ball bearings.) Should anything be done to "New out of the box" reels? I hear they come packed with too much grease yada yada yada. Any truth to that?  Are the ABEC 5 SS bearings an upgrade? Thanks for your input.

Okuma Helios/Air/Komodo reel have ABEC 5 spool bearing stock.

[J Francho]

OEM may have their own specs that are more granular or just plain different than ABEC ratings.  ABEC scale is generally is more used for comparison for high RPM applications.  Anything ABEC 3 or better is fine for a reel.  And yeah, online retailers sometimes lie about what their selling - this isn't new news, lol.  Pretty sure companies like Boca, VBX, Hawgtech, Smooth Drags, and others wouldn't risk their reputation on unethical business practices.