Any Kastking fans out there?

[Alex Ball]

  I'd love to have a discussion about Kastking reels with other fans or critics. I'm very happy with my reels from them and wanted other thoughts, good or bad. I like the "Amazon brands because I live in the middle of nowhere and Walmart kinda sucks on reel selection. KK has so many choices and they're all affordable for most people.

    Just want to see if anybody else has a collection of them or opinions about them.

Thanks, 

     Al

[PressuredFishing]

I have some, I would upload pictures but bassresourcws fourm image upload setup is corky, but in a nutshell, they are alright, but I have had alot of problems with my two. I will explain some of the problems

1. Gear teeth breaking, (brass main gear under pressure+plastic worm leveling gears (both)

2. Tolerances have gotten really loose, and backplay has become a problem of an inch in comparison to the instant antireverse.

3. The graphite frame on both my kastking crixuses have warped over time. The flexed frame screws with the thumb bar mechanism and does not let the thumb bar pop up anymore, and is very sticky.

 

4. Customer service was alright, I got parts ordered to fix some of these problems but not for free, I think I paid 15$ for everything, sadly the reel crapped out a few trips later lol.

 

5. Breaks are a little on the weaker side, but that is because of the lighter spool imo which is a good thing

 

In a nutshell, while this sounds bad, for a 60$ reel it came with alot of nice features reels in that price point don't come with these things included

1. Aluminum over graphite drag star

2. 14 gram stock spool for casting lighter lures flawlessly (standard is 17-22)

3. Clicking drag star and spool tension

4. Frame does feel better than a bmax or lews 50$ reel (although it did warp on me while the lews and bmax didnt)

 

Personally you may be better off going full CDM, I have been super pleased with my seaknight red fox, it's a Shimano curado copycat with a graphite frame and is nasty and beautiful, I got the reel and a spare spool for 30$, it has an adjustable centrifugal breaking system and it works well, spool weight is 12 gram and 14 gram, it's a good reel even with an audible drag (it clicks when fish pulls, but not a bfs reel)

[PhishLI]

39 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

nasty and beautiful

That reminded me of an ex-girlfriend. She was crazy too, just how I liked them back then.

[Alex Ball]

13 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

I have some, I would upload pictures but bassresourcws fourm image upload setup is corky, but in a nutshell, they are alright, but I have had alot of problems with my two. I will explain some of the problems

1. Gear teeth breaking, (brass main gear under pressure+plastic worm leveling gears (both)

2. Tolerances have gotten really loose, and backplay has become a problem of an inch in comparison to the instant antireverse.

3. The graphite frame on both my kastking crixuses have warped over time. The flexed frame screws with the thumb bar mechanism and does not let the thumb bar pop up anymore, and is very sticky.

 

4. Customer service was alright, I got parts ordered to fix some of these problems but not for free, I think I paid 15$ for everything, sadly the reel crapped out a few trips later lol.

 

5. Breaks are a little on the weaker side, but that is because of the lighter spool imo which is a good thing

 

In a nutshell, while this sounds bad, for a 60$ reel it came with alot of nice features reels in that price point don't come with these things included

1. Aluminum over graphite drag star

2. 14 gram stock spool for casting lighter lures flawlessly (standard is 17-22)

3. Clicking drag star and spool tension

4. Frame does feel better than a bmax or lews 50$ reel (although it did warp on me while the lews and bmax didnt)

 

Personally you may be better off going full CDM, I have been super pleased with my seaknight red fox, it's a Shimano curado copycat with a graphite frame and is nasty and beautiful, I got the reel and a spare spool for 30$, it has an adjustable centrifugal breaking system and it works well, spool weight is 12 gram and 14 gram, it's a good reel even with an audible drag (it clicks when fish pulls, but not a bfs reel)

  The Crixus is actually one I've been told to avoid. Started with Abu. Got bored quick with the limited options in my range. Me and a friend started together. I gave him his first rod an Abu Garcia MaxSTX spinning combo. I had a Black Max Combo Baitcaster. 

      We decided to add on but wanted something Walmart didn't have. Went on Amazon and found KK. My buddy jumped on the Valiant Eagle 811 for $35. I got both RL2 reels. Very happy. Moved up to Megajaws. Very impressive for around $50, the same as a Black Max. 

    I like to deep crank and 541 reels are usually expensive. Not KK. My RL2 541 is a thug. My MJ 541 is even meaner. KK fit a need. Love them for that.

   Where KK shines in my opinion is their spinning reels. Specifically the Zephyr, Megatron, and Sharky lines. Incredible value at the price. All my spinners are KK. The Zephyr blows the doors off my Pflueger President reels. I mean it. I was a Pflueger junkie. 

  The Sharky and Megatron are what KK is all about: Big drag reels that are light and smooth. 

    On casters, anything below the MJ line is a gamble, I'll admit. Had 2 Eagles fail. Both were replaced no issues. The even gave me a free rod for the trouble. The Spartacus is fantastic. A steal at $40 but the only one below the MJ that's consistent on build. 

     I must point out that they are now playing with the big boys. They've become a staple at TW, and Academy. ASO has their own exclusive line of KK stuff. 

   I think in 5 years they become the defacto entry level company in reels. 

   Thanks for the detailed analysis.

   

 

Al

[scaleface]

I have an Assassin . The first one I had to send back because it didnt work from the get go . I've been pleased with the replacement . It has performed admirably for about four years now .

 

  I have four Piscifun Phantoms that work great . One of them has started to make some noise . I think it has  a malfunctioning  centrifugal brake . I turned the brakes down from four to two and it seems to do better . I'll know for sure next time I go fishing .

[dodgeguy]

13 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I have an Assassin . The first one I had to send back because it didnt work from the get go . I've been pleased with the replacement . It has performed admirably for about four years now .

 

  I have four Piscifun Phantoms that work great . One of them has started to make some noise . I think it has  a malfunctioning  centrifugal brake . I turned the brakes down from four to two and it seems to do better . I'll know for sure next time I go fishing .

Clean and lube the brake .

[Alex Ball]

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

Clean and lube the brake .

Yup. Occam's razor. Simplest solution....

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

I have an Assassin . The first one I had to send back because it didnt work from the get go . I've been pleased with the replacement . It has performed admirably for about four years now .

 

  I have four Piscifun Phantoms that work great . One of them has started to make some noise . I think it has  a malfunctioning  centrifugal brake . I turned the brakes down from four to two and it seems to do better . I'll know for sure next time I go fishing .

Been looking hard at the phantom, but then KK dropped the new MJ upgrade. I've heard nothing but good things about the phantom. A hidden gem. 

[scaleface]

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

Clean and lube the brake .

I clean  and lube the brass ring , thats not the problem .

[Eric 26]

Although I’m more of a Piscifun fan, Saex Elite and (3) Carbon X spinning reels, I too purchased a KK Royal Legend 2 in 5 speed as it is the only other 5 speed reel available in left hand as far as I know, to compliment my Abu Revo X winch. I will say I enjoy it much better than my Piscifun Spark (standard) at the same price. I cannot find the proper tension on that Piscifun reel to save my life let alone my fishing line. I wouldn’t want to pull a 5 pound fish with 5 lbs of vegetation or even a 10 lb fish in open water with it all season long as I feel there are better options for that. With that said I love it for fishing ponds with 1-3lb fish and have enjoyed doing so for the last ? 2 or is it 3 seasons ?. As for my next reel I was looking really hard at the Piscifun Alloy M but on a budget I would certainly grab another Royal Legend 2 and I’m interested in the Curado knockoffs as I’ve read/seen decent-really good reviews on them. 

[Mtnwkr]

I have two of the zephyr spinning reels, a 2000 and 3000 size, both are great so far. I started baitcasting with a Royal Legend2 and a Sparticus, both work fine.  Upgraded to SLX XT and MGL's, still use the KK reels as well. 

[Alex Ball]

11 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

Although I’m more of a Piscifun fan, Saex Elite and (3) Carbon X spinning reels, I too purchased a KK Royal Legend 2 in 5 speed as it is the only other 5 speed reel available in left hand as far as I know, to compliment my Abu Revo X winch. I will say I enjoy it much better than my Piscifun Spark (standard) at the same price. I cannot find the proper tension on that Piscifun reel to save my life let alone my fishing line. I wouldn’t want to pull a 5 pound fish with 5 lbs of vegetation or even a 10 lb fish in open water with it all season long as I feel there are better options for that. With that said I love it for fishing ponds with 1-3lb fish and have enjoyed doing so for the last ? 2 or is it 3 seasons ?. As for my next reel I was looking really hard at the Piscifun Alloy M but on a budget I would certainly grab another Royal Legend 2 and I’m interested in the Curado knockoffs as I’ve read/seen decent-really good reviews on them. 

I have 2 sparks. Love em. Just picked up a cadence essence spinning reel. Excellent so far. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've had a few different KK reels and they've been serviceable, not great but not bad. A lot of reel makers have come out with affordable priced reels lately and I'd have a hard time spending the money on another KK that didn't have some major innovation (the new baitcaster with no drag has my interest). 

 

 

[Alex Ball]

3 minutes ago, Mtnwkr said:

I have two of the zephyr spinning reels, a 2000 and 3000 size, both are great so far. I started baitcasting with a Royal Legend2 and a Sparticus, both work fine.  Upgraded to SLX XT and MGL's, still use the KK reels as well. 

Same for me on the zeps. Love that reel! So light. 

[Mtnwkr]

I forgot to mention I also have two of the KK peregrine rods, one spinning and one casting, I really like them both. 

[Alex Ball]

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've had a few different KK reels and they've been serviceable, not great but not bad. A lot of reel makers have come out with affordable priced reels lately and I'd have a hard time spending the money on another KK that didn't have some major innovation (the new baitcaster with no drag has my interest). 

 

 

Check out the new MJ upgrade. It's essentially a Lew's Tournament MP for 65 bucks.

1 minute ago, Mtnwkr said:

I forgot to mention I also have two of the KK peregrine rods, one spinning and one casting, I really like them both. 

That would be the rod series I'd get except for cranks. That'd be the SDP series.

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, Alex Ball said:

Check out the new MJ upgrade. It's essentially a Lew's Tournament MP for 65 bucks.

The Megajaws was one of the worst reels I've owned, there is no upgrade they could do to them to get me to buy another just from my first bad experience. Plus I really like the Daiwa CC80 which I can get for the same price. 

[Alex Ball]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've had a few different KK reels and they've been serviceable, not great but not bad. A lot of reel makers have come out with affordable priced reels lately and I'd have a hard time spending the money on another KK that didn't have some major innovation (the new baitcaster with no drag has my interest). 

 

 

The innovation on that reel is the dual braking system exclusive to the reel series(for now).

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The Megajaws was one of the worst reels I've owned, there is no upgrade they could do to them to get me to buy another just from my first bad experience. Plus I really like the Daiwa CC80 which I can get for the same price. 

What about it specifically was bad?

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, Alex Ball said:

The innovation on that reel is the dual braking system exclusive to the reel series(for now).

What about it specifically was bad?

The thumb bar had a tendency to engage mid-cast, which occasionally would send baits flying into orbit. It was a very loud reel, both during the cast and retrieve. 

[Alex Ball]

13 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The thumb bar had a tendency to engage mid-cast, which occasionally would send baits flying into orbit. It was a very loud reel, both during the cast and retrieve. 

Haven't had those issues. Bought mine in December. Had a sticky spool on one. Had a bad thumb bar on one. Both were easy fixes. I'll say that their customer service is fantastic so far. I asked about service on one and they just sent me a new one instead. Got the old one figured out and they still sent me another no charge. 

   I'm also pretty active on their Facebook page, and that might be why I get the service I do. Compiled a list of all the retrieve rates for their reels. Got a free rod for that. I'm actually okay with a clunker from KK cuz I know they'll replace it. Can't really say that about the big boys especially Abu. They soured me with terrible CS 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Alex Ball
Spelling

[GRiver]

I want to get the Zephyr BFS Baitcaster, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It’s really good to hear so much positive feedback on them. 

[A kid from Canada]

Piscifun Alloy M is really good but the Torrent is junk. Those are the only 2 I've tried.

[Eric 26]

25 minutes ago, A kid from Canada said:

Piscifun Alloy M is really good but the Torrent is junk. Those are the only 2 I've tried.

I kind of thought the Torrent was going to be a bit weak. Although not now or necessarily in the near future I’ll probably wind up with a Alloy M in lieu of anything else I’ve mentioned in this post. If I had to choose today it would be a toss up between the Alloy M and the Daiwa CR80 based on my experience with my Saex elite and my CA80.

[Tatulatard]

23 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

I have some, I would upload pictures but bassresourcws fourm image upload setup is corky, but in a nutshell, they are alright, but I have had alot of problems with my two. I will explain some of the problems

1. Gear teeth breaking, (brass main gear under pressure+plastic worm leveling gears (both)

2. Tolerances have gotten really loose, and backplay has become a problem of an inch in comparison to the instant antireverse.

3. The graphite frame on both my kastking crixuses have warped over time. The flexed frame screws with the thumb bar mechanism and does not let the thumb bar pop up anymore, and is very sticky.

 

4. Customer service was alright, I got parts ordered to fix some of these problems but not for free, I think I paid 15$ for everything, sadly the reel crapped out a few trips later lol.

 

5. Breaks are a little on the weaker side, but that is because of the lighter spool imo which is a good thing

 

In a nutshell, while this sounds bad, for a 60$ reel it came with alot of nice features reels in that price point don't come with these things included

1. Aluminum over graphite drag star

2. 14 gram stock spool for casting lighter lures flawlessly (standard is 17-22)

3. Clicking drag star and spool tension

4. Frame does feel better than a bmax or lews 50$ reel (although it did warp on me while the lews and bmax didnt)

 

Personally you may be better off going full CDM, I have been super pleased with my seaknight red fox, it's a Shimano curado copycat with a graphite frame and is nasty and beautiful, I got the reel and a spare spool for 30$, it has an adjustable centrifugal breaking system and it works well, spool weight is 12 gram and 14 gram, it's a good reel even with an audible drag (it clicks when fish pulls, but not a bfs reel)

Is the red fox the reall raspy sounding one?  I read those perform pretty good if you can get past the noise

 

[the reel ess]

I have a Crixus rod. I like it but the golf club grip is starting to peel off. Sure, you get what you pay for. But I've got older, cheaper rods that still hold up.

[Alex Ball]

3 hours ago, GRiver said:

I want to get the Zephyr BFS Baitcaster, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It’s really good to hear so much positive feedback on them. 

I've heard good things. The zephyr spinners are fantastic.

2 hours ago, Eric 26 said:

I kind of thought the Torrent was going to be a bit weak. Although not now or necessarily in the near future I’ll probably wind up with a Alloy M in lieu of anything else I’ve mentioned in this post. If I had to choose today it would be a toss up between the Alloy M and the Daiwa CR80 based on my experience with my Saex elite and my CA80.

Torrent is garbage. Really wanted to like it. Everything about it lacks. Piscifun is weird. Up top like the phantom and alloy m, they rock. On the bottom, just don't. The flame is also junk .

    This is the separation for me in favor of KK. From top to bottom, there's reliable stuff.