Reel could be smoother.

[E-DOG]

I bought a brand new pflueger president in the 20 size yesterday at my local sportsman's warehouse and feel like it should be more smooth. I can live with how it feels at the moment but the reviews i read all said that the reel was butter smooth. it makes a bit of noise when cranking and am wondering if mine has a dry bearing or something wrong with it. maybe I have to add more lube to the handle and spool. or maybe i just need to fish with it and see if it gets broken in. I don't know. how could I get it to be more smooth? I am not experienced with maintenance on reels so tell me what you all think

[Choporoz]

If noticeably not smooth, I'd go back to the store before you do anything to it. I have reels smoother than my President, but you describe a reel that may not be quite right.  Store should have others you can compare it to.

[Darren.]

As well, you could have gotten an open box model.

I know at Bass Pro, the fishing manager let me try

several models as the first Stradic I tried was not

smooth...this was years ago.

 

Still, point is, sometimes floor models get put back in

boxes and, returns can be resold if "nothing wrong with

reel"...

 

Agree with @Choporoz, see if you can return for another.

[Mobasser]

Agree with the above. Take your reel back and exchange it for a new one

[E-DOG]

5 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Agree with the above. Take your reel back and exchange it for a new one

Yeah but there is a problem, I looked at another thread that said to lubricate your reel as soon as you buy it. I did and I don't think I can return it because it voids the warranty I think. so I  think  I screwed up

[grub_man]

E-DOG,

 

How did the reel feel before you re-lubed it?  Was it fine when you tested it in the store before bringing it home?  What kind of noise is it making?  Do you just feel the gears meshing more than you like?  Does it have an audible squeak/squeal?

 

The reason that some recommend tearing down a reel and re-lubing it before use is because the factory tends to be a bit overgenerous with the lube, and that can keep a reel, particularly a casting reel from reaching peak performance, particularly if the spool bearing have too much oil or a higher viscosity oil than the owner prefers.

 

Reels generally require a light coating of grease where gears mesh and parts slide past one another.  If you look inside a factory lubed reel, there will often be globs of extra lube here and there that don't do anything after they get squeezed out of their primary locations.  Spool bearings on casting reels require only a drop of very light oil.  With other bearings, you can use a drop or two of the same oil as the spool bearings or something with a little more viscosity.

 

Factories tend to over-lube the reel knowing that most anglers won't take the time to properly care for their equipment. This buys a bit more time before re-lubing is needed, but not a lot.  If you keep them lightly lubed, then more regular maintenance will be required.  An extremely heavily used reel or one used in brackish or saltwater might require attention 2 or 3 times per year, whereas a very lightly used reel may require maintenance only once every couple of years provided that you keep them in clean dry storage areas.

 

If you take the reel back, odds are that they will not open the reel to see if you re-lubed it.  But if it was in good shape before you gave it attention, then give it another going over to make sure everything is exactly the way it should be.  It's pretty easy to small washers or other small parts out of place that can have an adversely affect the reel.

 

Personally, it might be a good investment to hold onto the reel and use it as a way to learn how to properly lube and maintain your reels.

[Choporoz]

14 minutes ago, grub_man said:

  It's pretty easy to small washers or other small parts out of place that can have an adversely affect the reel.

 

No kidding there - I haven't seen it on Pfluegers, but some Daiwas and I think Mitchells have small plastic pieces attached to a shaft on the cap opposite the handle - pieces that can splinter and cause internal issues - trust me on this one

[E-DOG]

the reel is spinning BTW and it always felt like how it feels now. I didn't get to play with it in the store but I did toy with the president's on the display table and they felt great. maybe I shouldn't exchange it and instead fish it this weekend and try to break it in to see if the noise goes away. when I reel it sounds like a whirring noise coming from the bearings or it could be the gears meshing like you said. I don't know. and I don't know how to fully strip it down either. I only delved into the spool and the handle and lubricated the  parts that were demonstrated on a yt video. I just hate the darn noise it irks me.

side note: I lubed it with some shimago bantam oil that came with my curado K

maybe I should get different lubricant and try it? i don't know I'm gonna take it back and hopefully they don't care or check if it was re lubed.

On 7/11/2018 at 10:50 AM, grub_man said:

E-DOG,

 

How did the reel feel before you re-lubed it?  Was it fine when you tested it in the store before bringing it home?  What kind of noise is it making?  Do you just feel the gears meshing more than you like?  Does it have an audible squeak/squeal?

 

The reason that some recommend tearing down a reel and re-lubing it before use is because the factory tends to be a bit overgenerous with the lube, and that can keep a reel, particularly a casting reel from reaching peak performance, particularly if the spool bearing have too much oil or a higher viscosity oil than the owner prefers.

 

Reels generally require a light coating of grease where gears mesh and parts slide past one another.  If you look inside a factory lubed reel, there will often be globs of extra lube here and there that don't do anything after they get squeezed out of their primary locations.  Spool bearings on casting reels require only a drop of very light oil.  With other bearings, you can use a drop or two of the same oil as the spool bearings or something with a little more viscosity.

 

Factories tend to over-lube the reel knowing that most anglers won't take the time to properly care for their equipment. This buys a bit more time before re-lubing is needed, but not a lot.  If you keep them lightly lubed, then more regular maintenance will be required.  An extremely heavily used reel or one used in brackish or saltwater might require attention 2 or 3 times per year, whereas a very lightly used reel may require maintenance only once every couple of years provided that you keep them in clean dry storage areas.

 

If you take the reel back, odds are that they will not open the reel to see if you re-lubed it.  But if it was in good shape before you gave it attention, then give it another going over to make sure everything is exactly the way it should be.  It's pretty easy to small washers or other small parts out of place that can have an adversely affect the reel.

 

Personally, it might be a good investment to hold onto the reel and use it as a way to learn how to properly lube and maintain your 

[Log Catcher]

I would take it back and exchange it. I have a bait caster that seemed a little rough and noisy when I got it. I have used it for two or three years now and it hasn't gotten any better. Taking it apart to clean and lube it doesn't help it much.

[E-DOG]

2 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I would take it back and exchange it. I have a bait caster that seemed a little rough and noisy when I got it. I have used it for two or three years now and it hasn't gotten any better. Taking it apart to clean and lube it doesn't help it much.

Im leaving in like 2 hours to exchange it. I would rather just exchange it anyways because it's a bit rough and hasn't got any use yet

[Log Catcher]

1 minute ago, E-DOG said:

Im leaving in like 2 hours to exchange it. I would rather just exchange it anyways because it's a bit rough and hasn't got any use yet

I should have taken mine back. I bought it a Bass Pro during their big spring sale. I didn't want to drive 90 miles back to the store to return it. I have caught a lot of fish on it. It just isn't as smooth as it should be.

[grub_man]

Take it back, and NEVER leave the store with a reel that you haven't taken out of the box and looked over yourself.  Minor issues happen with reels, but you shouldn't have one that feels lesser than the display model that you handled.

 

Shimano's reel oil is quite good, and I wouldn't worry about using it on a couple of minor things like you did.

[E-DOG]

10 minutes ago, grub_man said:

Take it back, and NEVER leave the store with a reel that you haven't taken out of the box and looked over yourself.  Minor issues happen with reels, but you shouldn't have one that feels lesser than the display model that you handled.

 

Shimano's reel oil is quite good, and I wouldn't worry about using it on a couple of minor things like you did.

hey, thanks for your reply earlier it helped me make my decision.

[volzfan59]

Grub_man is right, always try a reel out while in store. While still at BPS, I can't tell you how many times that I let a customer see a reel to purchase, only for it to not be smooth, make noise, etc. I had this happen with all brands. Take it back if possible.

 

[E-DOG]

Just now, volzfan59 said:

Grub_man is right, always try a reel out while in store. While still at BPS, I can't tell you how many times that I let a customer see a reel to purchase, only for it to not be smooth, make noise, etc. I had this happen with all brands. Take it back if possible.

 

yeah I am

[Black Hawk Basser]

I swear that they use vasoline to lube reels out of the factory.  I always clean them and apply Quantum Hot Sauce.

[CrankFate]

16 hours ago, E-DOG said:

when I reel it sounds like a whirring noise coming from the bearings or it could be the gears meshing like you said. I don't know.

 

I just hate the darn noise it irks me.

Someone could’ve bought it stole the bearings and returned it. Or there’s a defective bearing. Or someone bought it, tore it down, and improperly reassembled it.  Or it could’ve been assembled improperly at the factory. Or it could just be defective. I’ve gotten reels that I believe fit into all of these categories. Bring it back. This is where the big stores are best, they usually take it back no questions asked.

[J Francho]

On 7/11/2018 at 12:26 PM, E-DOG said:

Yeah but there is a problem, I looked at another thread that said to lubricate your reel as soon as you buy it. I did and I don't think I can return it because it voids the warranty I think. so I  think  I screwed up

Nonsense.  Take it back.

[EGbassing]

7 hours ago, J Francho said:

Nonsense.  Take it back.

Agreed 

[Mbirdsley]

I also have a size 20 President on my trout/panfish rod and I love it.  If it is not smooth out of the box take it back somthing is wrong with it. Every company let’s one bad one slip out the doors I know this for a fact because, I do QC/QA for a living.  Like another poster stated it might not be phluegers fault and somebody may have returned it that way. Save the head ache short and long term and exchange it. 

[E-DOG]

12 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

I also have a size 20 President on my trout/panfish rod and I love it.  If it is not smooth out of the box take it back somthing is wrong with it. Every company let’s one bad one slip out the doors I know this for a fact because, I do QC/QA for a living.  Like another poster stated it might not be phluegers fault and somebody may have returned it that way. Save the head ache short and long term and exchange it. 

I took it back yesterday and got another. it is smoother and quieter than the other one but I can hear still some light noise coming from it. I don't think it is anything to fret about. I'm taking it out to a lake here in redding CA tomorrow to fish it. I'm never going to EVER buy another reel from sportsman's warehouse though because the staff don't know much about reels or anything. wish me luck with this reel and if this one has problems in the future I'm going to throw in the towel and buy a daiwa RG or something else.

[TylerT123]

12 hours ago, E-DOG said:

 I'm never going to EVER buy another reel from sportsman's warehouse though because the staff don't know much about reels or anything.

That’s odd, the Sportsman’s Warehouse that I went to had great customer service and they knew a lot about their fishing stock. They steered me away from the Lew’s that I was going to buy and introduced me into my Curado K. 

[E-DOG]

3 hours ago, TylerT123 said:

That’s odd, the Sportsman’s Warehouse that I went to had great customer service and they knew a lot about their fishing stock. They steered me away from the Lew’s that I was going to buy and introduced me into my Curado K. 

yeah the lady really had no clue what she was doing. tried to reel backwards twice and didn't know the names of anything. she thought the reel wasn't smooth because the line was on backwards. smh

[TylerT123]

3 hours ago, E-DOG said:

yeah the lady really had no clue what she was doing. tried to reel backwards twice and didn't know the names of anything. she thought the reel wasn't smooth because the line was on backwards. smh

Woah, I guess it’s the luck of the draw, everyone I talked to were avid fishermen.