Baitcaster Gear Ratio and Retrieve Smoothness

[Happybeerbuzz]

I only started using baitcasting reels in the past year or so.  Since starting, I have only owned and used 7+:1 gear ratio reels.  I figured that I would just wind slower if I wanted to slow down my retrieve.  Recently I bought 6.3:1 gear ratio Fuego CT with the mindset that with certain techniques, it would be easier to even slow down more.  This morning I was throwing a 1/2 ounce lipless crankbait, and the retrieve was noticeably smoother vs higher gear ratio reels that cost more like my Tatula CT.  Is the smoothness associated with increased torque just something I have been ignorant of, or is it just because of the new reel?  

[OnthePotomac]

Gear ratio and smoothness should be unrelated.  There may be a difference in reel models, even in the same brand.

[LCG]

Does the tatula ct need a cleaning or lubrication? 

[Happybeerbuzz]

1 hour ago, Luke G. said:

Does the tatula ct need a cleaning or lubrication? 

I did a maintenance cleaning on it about a month or so ago.  I take the spool, clean with alcohol and put a drop of oil on the bearings.  I don't open up my reals and mess with the gears.  That's beyond my comfort level. 

[papajoe222]

I doubt the difference in gears would make any, if at all, difference in felt smoothness. Often times where a reel is assembled makes a difference in new reels as one place will use excessive amounts of grease for the sole purpose of making the reel feel smoother to the purchaser, while another uses it sparingly. 

[burrows]

Some ppl don’t see much of a difference when cranking with a 7 gear ratio reel as opposed to a 6 gear, to me the difference is significant. I think you just realized this and it is easier and smoother to crank because it’s a lower gear ratio I very much doubt their anything wrong with your high speed reel what your feeling is the difference in speed and resistance your theory of why you feel a difference is correct in my opinion.

[jbrew73]

I strongly  believe slower reels are smoother and gears also last longer.  This is based on personal experience with 3 reel brands and it was confirmed by a major reel representative.

  The pinion on higher ratio reels has less teeth/less surface area and considering the added torque required to say deep crank with a 8:1 reel, that would equal more stress on less teeth.

[J Francho]

33 minutes ago, jbrew73 said:

The pinion on higher ratio reels has less teeth/less surface area

That is definitely not *always* true.  There's more to it than that.  For instance, on the OG Zillion, the pinions are very close in teeth count and as the ratio increases, so does the size of the main gear.  Same for several mid to high level Shimanos.

[BobP]

I think the difference is much less on more modern design reels that use larger diameter gears.  On my old green Curados, the 5:1 geared reels were much much smoother than the 6.2:1 reels.  On my later Daiwa Tatulas, I can’t tell any difference.  They’re all smooth.  A lot of engineering goes into reel gears:  diameter, cut angles, metal composition, tolerances, etc.  it’s hard to single out a single “smoothness factor”.  But my gut says lower ratio gears tend to be smoother, all other factors held equal (which they seldom are).  But the difference has to take a back seat to line take up speed in my view.

[Fishydishy]

Can any reel experts confirm slow gear ratio reels are smoother?

 

I have a 6.2:1 and a 8.1:1 curado mgl 150. The 6.2:1 is definitely smoother than the 8.1:1. The difference is very noticeable. I don’t want to believe the 8.1:1 is a lemon 

[J Francho]

Gear ratio has zero to do with perceived smoothness. It could be a lot of things, but I'd start with a deep clean and rune from someone like DVT Mike. 

[Fishydishy]

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Gear ratio has zero to do with perceived smoothness. It could be a lot of things, but I'd start with a deep clean and rune from someone like DVT Mike. 

Both reels are relatively new though. 

[Tail Slap]

5 hours ago, Fishydishy said:

Both reels are relatively new though. 

Then it can be precision of mating surfaces, pitch, tolerences, material (alloy) coatings etc.  

[jblocker42]

The lower gear ratio Tatula CT’s have seemed smoother than the higher grlear ratio ones I’ve owned. The higher geared ones seemed to be noisy on retrieve

[Fishydishy]

43 minutes ago, jblocker42 said:

The lower gear ratio Tatula CT’s have seemed smoother than the higher grlear ratio ones I’ve owned. The higher geared ones seemed to be noisy on retrieve

Maybe I should say the high speed curado is nosier, which makes it less smooth to me. The low speed reel does feel quieter/smoother and gives me an overall better feel. 

[GRiver]

8 hours ago, J Francho said:

Gear ratio has zero to do with perceived smoothness. It could be a lot of things, but I'd start with a deep clean and rune from someone like DVT Mike. 

I agree I’ve have new reels gunked up with stiff grease. 

[Tatulatard]

We talking about effort or smoothness?  A high gear ratio reel like a 7:1 cranking on a high resistance bait will be more difficult to retrieve and take more effort than on a slower gear ratio.  I do notice that I feel the gears mesh more on a high gear ratio moving a high resistance bait and that also makes it feel less smooth than a slower gear ratio on similar reels. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Gear ratio and smoothness are unrelated for the most part. The perceived difference in feel could be caused by any number of environmental, mechanical or design causes. It’s impossible to diagnose sight unseen. 

[FrnkNsteen]

I don't know that I can say gear ratio directly impacts smoothness, because mechanically there isn't any mechanical reasoning I can apply, but....

 

I do have to say that as a general rule, my 5 and 6 spd reels are smoother reeling than my 7 and 8 speed reels, and tend to stay that way.

 

I've got near 40 setups of various manufacturers (BPS, Abu, Lews, Daiwa, Shimano) and collectively the slower reels are smoother with a few exceptions.