How Often

[FrankN209]

How often do you oil your reel bearings? I know this a broad question and how much use of the reel. I go out about 2x a week and fish for a few hours.

[jimmyjoe]

  I use TSI321. I oil casting reels about every 6 weeks. On spinning reels, I either grease what I can or use transmission oil, and I use that about every 3 months. I fish 6 days a week, ice-out to ice-up. Hope this helps.    jj

 

   p.s.   A guy told me years ago that there's not a single place on a spinning reel that should be oiled; all wear points and bearings should be greased. I don't know whether or not that's still true.  ??  

[FrankN209]

I use the Alchemy Ultra Light Oil. Maybe i need to use it more frequent because it is ultra light?

[jimmyjoe]

   On a baitcaster, no. It's probably fine. I wouldn't use it on a spinning reel.

 

   Here are the major qualities of oils manufactured for lubrication purposes. 

   https://www.theengineerspost.com/properties-of-lubricants/

   Although this is for engine oils, the same basic properties apply to fishing reel oils. Note #16 and #17; adhesion and film strength. Those two, along with lubricity, determine the utility AND LONGEVITY of oils. They are not totally disjunct from viscosity, but they're somewhat independent of it.

   So ..... oils can be made to be almost anything we need them to be, for whatever purposes we decide to use them. If you want to use them to lubricate fishing reels, best to get fishing reel oil. It's made for just that.      jj

[diehardbassfishing]

The equally important question is -  HOW do you oil your bearings.

The only 100% effective way to flush and oil your bearings is to remove one of the bearing shields.

 

 

Karl

 

 

[garroyo130]

32 minutes ago, diehardbassfishing said:

The equally important question is -  HOW do you oil your bearings.

The only 100% effective way to flush and oil your bearings is to remove one of the bearing shields.

 

 

Karl

 

 

Good advice ... this would mainly apply to the first cleaning and subsequent annual cleanings. Once the factory grease is cleaned out, adding oil is sufficient until annual maintenance. 

 

To answer the OP only my spool bearings have oil and they get re-oiled with TSI 321 about every 2 months or so. I fish about as often as you do.

 

All other bearings have grease and it gets replaced yearly.

[Guitarfish]

TS 321 has no problem seeping into shielded bearings.  I have never intentionally removed a shield. 

 

But I just replaced a bearing in one of my salt water reels because it was a bit noisy.  I may pull a shield to see if I can clean it out.  May be able to flush it and relube it.  I have another new spare but it will be a good test on the old one.