I don’t like Abu...

[Scott804]

I have a REVO IKE reel and it is a good reel. Solid and I got a good deal, I wail on it pretty hard throwing buzzbaits and it has held up. However it is surely no Shimano. I am going to give Lew's higher end reels a try soon, but as of right now I can't say I would buy another Abu, mostly because they just really aren't anything special. They do have some cool reels, I just can't see myself buying them over Shimano or Daiwa consistently. But the REVO Rocket, Winch, and Toro Beast reels are all pretty cool. 

[Blaine Donders]

I have several Revo4 STX’s. They work just fine. Geary feeling in retrieve, but cast great. 
 

I have mostly Daiwa and some Shimano’s as well. 
 

Do I think they are worth $200 when you can get a new model SV-TW for that money? Not so much. I got deals on all mine. The Daiwa feels better in every way to me except the ergos and castability. The Abu even does good with lighter baits.

 

I haven’t used mine hard enough yet, as I have lots of reels and am always dividing time with them all, to judge durability. I know the paint on the STX is weak. 
 

My brother is a fan of Abu’s because of the ergos. His comment always is “if you could put Shimano or Daiwa guts in a gen 4 Revo body, you’d have something!”

[Eric 26]

Wondering if anyone knows if they’re still making the Revo X winch? I really enjoy mine and was hoping to add a second.

[Blaine Donders]

8 hours ago, Eric 26 said:

Wondering if anyone knows if they’re still making the Revo X winch? I really enjoy mine and was hoping to add a second.

They do, but it’s just another gear ratio instead of a different model. Revo4 Xw. 5.4:1

[Spankey]

OP, great post. I’m not gonna tip the scale one way or the other about Abu. In my area/region I can’t find squat that I want to see or touch. Very poor selections of rods, reels, baits. The whole show. Abu has a lot more that I might be interested in trying but I can’t access it. Big box stores like DICK’s or Wally World are terrible. Local tackle shops are narrow minded in their thinking. But I hear they are not created equal across the country for fishing supplies. 
 

My Winches were a good choice. I’ve touched and handled the Revo SX and am leaning that way to purchase one. 
 

But the lower end Max X, Pro MAX, and Max STX I’ll never get to see or touch. Want an IKE delay rod for Christmas and one of those really might be good enough for that setup. 
 

Sorry for being so long winded but AbU doesn’t market themselves very well and get themselves out there. 

[Justbass11]

On 10/5/2021 at 10:42 AM, garroyo130 said:

 

Is ease of cleaning the reason you want to swap??

Yes and no. While cleaning the Abu I notice that I didn’t like how the brake knob is, or how low the lube port is to put on some grease. And I’m not a fan of the handle nut cover. With all this being said I am sure Abu makes a good reel and is a great company. I’ll  probably keep this one but just not get another one.            

[T-Billy]

Can't comment on their low profile stuff but my 4600 C3's are still butter smooth after many years of use. They were my flippin reels for a long time. I've since switched to 8 speed low profiles for that task, but those C3's excell at winching bass out of thick stuff.

[Mobasser]

Things have changed regarding ABU. Most guys will remember when they were hugely popular. I still like the older ones the best. 4600C3, and 5500C. I have one 4600C that's over 20yrs old, and still working well.

[rtwvumtneer6]

Not bashing, just sharing my experience.  I've used a few Abu and own one.  They seem to have a "sweet spot" as far as settings go.  Took a while to find but once I did, I didn't touch it.  

 

The one I own is the $100 price point.  Revo X 4th Gen.  I had to have it replaced (under warranty) and the replacement has already been back to Abu for repair (internals).  The process was easy and only cost a few dollars in shipping, but it still needed to be done.  

 

It sits in a box as a back up.

 

On the flip side, I know a few guys that use the Black Max and love them.  

[ATA]

On 10/4/2021 at 7:07 PM, Justbass11 said:

After cleaning my one and only Abu Garcia Revo 4 baitcaster, I must say that I’m going to get rid of it. I have cleaned it twice now and after both times I just don’t like them. I’m going back to Lews...just saying 

I always respect other people choices, But ill. never go back to Abus, I only have one Toro Monster reel for my big swimbaits and I always want to get rid of it.

if you fish with them in windy condition, sand will get to them for sure and you need to clean and send them to service frequently. I only oil my shamans and lube them, Never sent to service yet.

[the reel ess]

On 10/4/2021 at 10:54 PM, jimmyjoe said:

 

   The bean counters just can't get it through their heads that algorithms don't produce acceptable quality. Not in reels, not in shoes and not in airplanes.       jj

I don't think quality is the aim. Maximizing profit is.

[jimmyjoe]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I don't think quality is the aim. Maximizing profit is.

 

   I know. That's why I included the adjective "acceptable".   ?              jj

[Bankc]

On 10/7/2021 at 2:05 PM, HaydenS said:

Does Abu market the Silver Max Combo under a bunch of different names?  They've got a couple combos in my local Cabelas, MLF Combo and the Jordan Lee Combo.  The reels look exactly like my Silver Max and all have the 6.1:1 gear ratio, which is all the Silver Maxes come in.  The silver max come is $95, and so are these too.  What do you guys think?

 

Try Shimano ? 

I can't say for sure that they're the same, but I believe Abu's low profile baitcasters are made by Doyo, who also makes reels for Lew's, Bass Pro, and a few other brands.  They're probably not identical, as there are tons of parts they might mix and match between all of the reels they make.  But I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't very similar.

[HaydenS]

29 minutes ago, Bankc said:

I can't say for sure that they're the same, but I believe Abu's low profile baitcasters are made by Doyo, who also makes reels for Lew's, Bass Pro, and a few other brands.  They're probably not identical, as there are tons of parts they might mix and match between all of the reels they make.  But I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't very similar.

Gotcha, thanks for the info!

These are the combos I think are basically silver maxx combos. 

https://www.abugarcia.com/collections/baitcast-combos/products/jordan-lee-baitcast-combo-1512985

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/abu-garcia-mlf-baitcast-combo?irclickid=3quyHN2tbxyIT%3AMw-8w92znqUkBXpCRnU2QySY0&irpid=2076724&irmpname=Top Fishing Deals&irsharedid=&irgwc=1&hvarAID=impact&cm_soc=AFF&scrlybrkr=b6d37daa