I am done with Abu Garcia. Again.

[NavyVet1204]

A bit lengthy, but I needed to vent. So my apologizes. 

 

 

The wife and I just got back from the local park from fishing for the evening and while there I couldn’t get my Revo ALX to dial in to save my life. It had been very temperamental since I got it in December as an anniversary gift, but nothing like this. I started with 832 braid(top water) and every single cast was a bird nest that was just shy of catastrophic, but was salvaged. The final bird nest was bad enough that I pulled it all off and spooled on some Seaguar red label and it did the same thing only about every third cast until it got so bad that it couldn’t be saved on the last cast. Needless to say I was not a happy camper leaving the park.This is my second back to back Abu bc that has been nothing but trouble from the start and I’m not spending another dime on them. It could just be my luck of the draw with duds or something, but I cannot afford to keep buying their reels with this result. 
 

I know how to dial a bc reel in for the bait/weight etc. This reel is just a turd period. Every Abu spinning reel I have and have ever owned has been perfect for years with little maintenance so I’m not bashing the name as a whole in their products, but I am very disappointed especially after my last Revo SX crapped out last year mid season. 
 

Im sticking with Lews and Daiwa from here on out. 

[rtwvumtneer6]

I wouldn't qualify myself as "experienced" with Abu, but the one I own and the few I have used have all been corky.  That being said, when I did find the sweet spot, they worked great.   May as well glue your dials and knobs in place once you find it. 

 

I.e. I bought a Revo X (4th Gen?) after seeing how my buddies older generations held up.  I can loosen the spool tension as much as I want, but the the magnets have to be 2 clicks from Max or it'll be a frustrating day.  Wind, lure weight, cast, pitch, etc. you can throw out the variables.  That's where it works and that's where it stays.  

 

No experience with the other brands you mentioned but hope you find a brand you're confident with!

[torm]

I have the revo alx also and yes I've experienced this. That thing for some reason will not cast right if you don't keep it at max breaking. Put it at max and I'm casting alright, not perfect but alright. Dial it down ONE and I'm backlashing.

[NavyVet1204]

16 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

I wouldn't qualify myself as "experienced" with Abu, but the one I own and the few I have used have all been corky.  That being said, when I did find the sweet spot, they worked great.   May as well glue your dials and knobs in place once you find it. 

 

I.e. I bought a Revo X (4th Gen?) after seeing how my buddies older generations held up.  I can loosen the spool tension as much as I want, but the the magnets have to be 2 clicks from Max or it'll be a frustrating day.  Wind, lure weight, cast, pitch, etc. you can throw out the variables.  That's where it works and that's where it stays.  

 

No experience with the other brands you mentioned but hope you find a brand you're confident with!

My lews are noisy, but they are very reliable and consistent. My Daiwa tatula 100 is pure bliss to use no matter what type of lure or # line. I am wanting to pick up either a KastKing or shimano next for a frog rig, but at this point Diawa is looking rock steady for a future purchase to fill that role.

[new2BC4bass]

Man!  What a bummer.  Venting is good for the soul.  Or else mine is already black. 

 

My first Revo was a Gen1 STXL which is still a fine reel.  Picked up a Gen1 and Gen2 Premier.  Haven't used the Gen2 yet, but got to say I like the STX better than the more expensive Premier.....the little that I have used the Premier so far.

 

BTW, my posts are generally longer than that even without venting.  You are among friends here so let it all out. 

[NavyVet1204]

19 minutes ago, torm said:

I have the revo alx also and yes I've experienced this. That thing for some reason will not cast right if you don't keep it at max breaking. Put it at max and I'm casting alright, not perfect but alright. Dial it down ONE and I'm backlashing.

Man I’m telling you that thing had me pulling my hair out. I never went further than maybe 3/4 of the way full on the brake because I felt it was my thumb control or the lack thereof. 

[MidwestBassAttack]

Sounds like the Gen4 STX I had...very temperamental at best.

[NavyVet1204]

1 minute ago, new2BC4bass said:

Man!  What a bummer.  Venting is good for the soul.  Or else mine is already black. 

 

My first Revo was a Gen1 STXL which is still a fine reel.  Picked up a Gen1 and Gen2 Premier.  Haven't used the Gen2 yet, but got to say I like the STX better than the more expensive Premier.....the little that I have used the Premier so far.

 

BTW, my posts are generally longer than that even without venting.  You are among friends here so let it all out. 

Thanks friend. My wife got me the reel for our anniversary because I picked it out and she wanted the Mach Crush combo. I should’ve picked the same combo because that lews reel is really darn good and she smokes me with it every single time. I do occasionally make an excuse to use hers.

[Mobasser]

The only ABU reels I've got are old. 2 4600c casting, and one Cardinal 4 spinning. One 4600c is 24 yrs old. These have been great reels. I still run one 4600c, but have moved on to Shimano for spinning, and Lews and Qauntum for casting. I havnt fished any of the newer ABUs. 

[MiceNReets]

I find abus to be hit or miss.   My Revo x and Revo s were flawless and fun to use.  My Revo STX and premier were frustrating to say the least.  Every 3-4 casts and I’d keep getting birdnests and then spend the next bunch of casts trying to get it sorted out.  Get 3-4 more good casts and 20 more trying to get the kinks out.   I find their lower end reels more of a joy to use.  I was eying the ALX.  Dunno anymore.  I also have an MGX2 new in box that I haven’t taken out yet.  ??‍♂️ 

[NavyVet1204]

8 minutes ago, MiceNReets said:

I find abus to be hit or miss.   My Revo x and Revo s were flawless and fun to use.  My Revo STX and premier were frustrating to say the least.  Every 3-4 casts and I’d keep getting birdnests and then spend the next bunch of casts trying to get it sorted out.  Get 3-4 more good casts and 20 more trying to get the kinks out.   I find their lower end reels more of a joy to use.  I was eying the ALX.  Dunno anymore.  I also have an MGX2 new in box that I haven’t taken out yet.  ??‍♂️ 

Your not missing anything on the ALX. At this point I would recommend a Walmart combo before I would that thing lol

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The Lews and Revos are built in the same factories and share parts and tooling. You won’t see any big difference between their comparable models. I never cared for the mag only brake system but their centrifugal and dual brake reels cast fine. 

[FishTank]

I have the ALX and have had a few odd issues but overall it's fun to fish and actually one of my favorites after I worked out a few things.  So here is what I found with this reel......  

 

Braid and anything above 12lb FC> not a good idea

Windy Days > not the best time for this reel

8lb or 10lb FC (Invizx or Trilene XL 100% FC)> Perfection....  I can cast a weightless Senko forever on this line

Drag> Not as much as it states but good enough

Parts> Same as many Lew's reels

Ideal Rod> Med. Fast and definitely not a heavy rod

Ideal Baits > Senkos and Ned Rig

Ideal Break Setting> 3-4 clicks down from max breaking and really no more.  This is were I set it and forget it. 

 

I would consider this reel sort of a "Not Quite" bait finesse reel. 

 

Also, I have the same love and hate relationship with Abu reels.  I have had 2 (maybe 3) STX's, a Premier, and a Rocket (fished it 15min) that got returned but I also have a Revo Wench and a Revo Toro Beast and have enjoyed them. 

 

 

 

[JustJames]

I found that after I add all magnet, the reel performed very good, better than my Daiwa reel. I can cast weightless baby brush hog with the reel no problem.

Now what lb test is your braid line?

If you want magnet let me know I have xtra.

[Darth-Baiter]

My Revo SX is maxed out at the brake.  But it flings stuff far. Really far.  I dont pretend to understand.   It was given to me. My first cast almost broke my heart. I’d never buy one. 
 

I do run most of my reels heavily braked.  Not maxed.  
 

I’ll use the abu until it goes away broken. 

[GreenPig]

Only Abu I'd buy again is a Revo Toro Beast 60. My ALX can be squirrelly and my Revo SX spinning anti reverse fails at 40 degrees or below and I've tried everything to correct it. My Revo Winch has never been a long distance caster even with ceramic bearings which is kinda needed for deep cranking.

[ATA]

3 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Only Abu I'd buy again is a Revo Toro Beast 60.

I had redo Toro Beast T2 61 and got problem in it after couple trips, sent twice and they couldn't fix it and they send me back a used T3 which I am using fo Large swimbaits.

See the video I record and sent to Abu aria after first time they claim to fix it, BTW it takes 3 months to do that, So I am really done with them long time ago and I only use Shimano reels.

 

I highly suggest to don't buy Abu, it is like gamble. You might win.

[GreenPig]

3 minutes ago, ATA said:

I had redo Toro Beast T2 61 and got problem in it after couple trips, sent twice and they couldn't fix it and they send me back a used T3 which I am using fo Large swimbaits.

See the video I record and sent to Abu aria after first time they claim to fix it, BTW it takes 3 months to do that, So I am really done with them long time ago and I only use Shimano reels.

 

My Toro Beast has been slinging big baits for 4 years(full teardown annually) and holding it's own against my Tranx 400. What exactly is that reel doing in the above video?

[ATA]

Just now, GreenPig said:

My Toro Beast has been slinging big baits for 4 years(full teardown annually) and holding it's own against my Tranx 400. What exactly is that reel doing in the above video?

That one was toro T2 brand new I bought and have something loose in it, Like bearing or something, So when you are using it, It will have that sound. Now I have T3 and I hope this one works like what you said.

This is the T3 that they replace for me. 

7 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

My Toro Beast has been slinging big baits for 4 years(full teardown annually) and holding it's own against my Tranx 400. What exactly is that reel doing in the above video?

What is your TORO? T2 or T3?

[NavyVet1204]

7 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

The Lews and Revos are built in the same factories and share parts and tooling. You won’t see any big difference between their comparable models. I never cared for the mag only brake system but their centrifugal and dual brake reels cast fine. 

Yes sir I understand that they are made with the similarities among each other which leads me to believe that I keep getting the duds. There’s still something left in there that wants badly to believe that it’s just my own error that keeps causing this, however, researching online has shown that I am one of many that have had either my exact issue or very similar with this reel. If it were just a $50 reel, I wouldn’t have made this thread however it’s is an expensive reel(for me) at $250MSRP and shouldn’t be this difficult at that price point.

7 hours ago, FishTank said:

I have the ALX and have had a few odd issues but overall it's fun to fish and actually one of my favorites after I worked out a few things.  So here is what I found with this reel......  

 

Braid and anything above 12lb FC> not a good idea

Windy Days > not the best time for this reel

8lb or 10lb FC (Invizx or Trilene XL 100% FC)> Perfection....  I can cast a weightless Senko forever on this line

Drag> Not as much as it states but good enough

Parts> Same as many Lew's reels

Ideal Rod> Med. Fast and definitely not a heavy rod

Ideal Baits > Senkos and Ned Rig

Ideal Break Setting> 3-4 clicks down from max breaking and really no more.  This is were I set it and forget it. 

 

I would consider this reel sort of a "Not Quite" bait finesse reel. 

 

Also, I have the same love and hate relationship with Abu reels.  I have had 2 (maybe 3) STX's, a Premier, and a Rocket (fished it 15min) that got returned but I also have a Revo Wench and a Revo Toro Beast and have enjoyed them. 

 

 

 

It was 30lb braid which I will admit is light for a bait caster. When I respooled with FC it was 12lb. No wind at all and I had a whopper plopper tied on at first and then swapped to a shallow crank bait with the FC. I had planned on using this reel for a dedicated shakey head setup when I first got it and I paired it with an Abu Vendetta rod M/F 6’9” but that too only yielded a lot of the same issues with that technique. 

[NavyVet1204]

6 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

My Revo SX is maxed out at the brake.  But it flings stuff far. Really far.  I dont pretend to understand.   It was given to me. My first cast almost broke my heart. I’d never buy one. 
 

I do run most of my reels heavily braked.  Not maxed.  
 

I’ll use the abu until it goes away broken. 

That’s just it. I’ve had two Revo SX’s and the last one got returned the day after purchase due to the side plate coming off every cast. The original SX is a true work horse for me and it serves as my Jig/swim bait setup with no issues. The only lure I have not gotten wet with that rig is a Ned. Everything else has been flawless with it and I’ll go so far as to call it my “glock” of fishing reels. The brake adjustment on mine hasn’t been changed since day one from about five clicks in. Never a problem.

[Biglittle8]

I have a cheap Silver Max that casts like a dream. I had it spooled with 15 lb braid, but now have Yo-Zuri hybrid 12lb on it. Once I got it dialed in, it's been reliable. I think my brake setting is just above 1/2 way. I use it every time I fish.  Who knows??

[NavyVet1204]

4 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

ALX have a linear mag brake only.  These brakes can't be cast super hard or they will underbrake at the beginning of thr cast and bringing the mag dial up makes it over brake at the end of the cast.  Also if they have weak magnets then you will have a very hard time with then unless you use smooth and more gentle casting strokes.  Moral of the story: learn what you like ans don't like in braking systems and do your homework before buying a reel.  It snore than I'll just stick with X brand.  Daiwa also has linear mag brake reels like this with their stupid 80 reels.

That’s just it, I started casting softly to begin with and gradually went a little harder and then back softly trying to determine if it was in fact the reel or if I was the reason for the problem. I will take your advice on the brake research and go from there next time.

[bulldog1935]

12 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

I found that after I add all magnet, the reel performed very good, better than my Daiwa reel. I can cast weightless baby brush hog with the reel no problem.

Now what lb test is your braid line?

If you want magnet let me know I have xtra.

 

4 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

ALX have a linear mag brake only.  These brakes can't be cast super hard or they will underbrake at the beginning of thr cast and bringing the mag dial up makes it over brake at the end of the cast.  Also if they have weak magnets then you will have a very hard time with then unless you use smooth and more gentle casting strokes.  Moral of the story: learn what you like ans don't like in braking systems and do your homework before buying a reel.  It snore than I'll just stick with X brand.  Daiwa also has linear mag brake reels like this with their stupid 80 reels.

I definitely wouldn't throw the reel away (unlike my shelved Lew's Custom Inshore with it's way-too-heavy mag + centrifugal combo spool add-on).  

But you do need to analyze what's going on with your backlash.  

Adding to the two excellent posts above,  I've found linear mag brakes are best for smooth distance casting, and do their best work preventing mid-cast wind backlash.  

 

Here's the short version:  

There are 3 types of backlash, and 4 types of brakes.  

• The first is spool start-up overshoot.  Centrifugal brakes deal with this the best.  
• The second is wind backlash, which occurs in the middle of your cast as your lure is approaching its highest vertical point, and gravity is slowing it - mag brakes work best here - the same for wind and light lures.  
• The last backlash is over-run after your lure hits the water - thumbs take care of this.  
• The fourth brake type is spool tension, which is a constant load on the spool.  While spool tension can brake all 3 types of backlash, it costs the most cast distance.  

Here's the long version, that I first wrote for a friend on another forum about using braid (20-lb 832) with linear mag brake Super Duty

 

[NavyVet1204]

@bulldog1935

 

I will take your advice on what you’ve responded with and I’ll also add 50lb braid over the 30lb that I initially had on the spool. I am not going to toss the reel just yet. I will give it a fair trial both ways before I deem it unusable.