Abu Garcia Revo/Zata Centrifugal Brake Question

[ghost]

Hey Ya'll, I picked up a Zata baitcast reel it has dual braking and I noticed on the 4 centrifugal brakes, 2 are white and 2 are blue. What's the deal with 2 different colored brakes? They are all on the "off" position. But when I took off the side cover to look at the brakes, the 2 blue one were "on" position. Does the blue brakes give more resistance on the brake drum than the white ones do or is it the white brakes give more resistance than the blue brakes?

 

Also, any of you own the Zata casting reel? What are your thoughts and how do you like this reel?

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Did you read the manual?

[ghost]

Yup, no info about the 2 different colored brakes; thought someone on here would know.

[Tatulatard]

Interesting.  If I had to guess then maybe there is a different brake material for each of the two colors?  A different plastic for each one with different brake characteristics.  Mayble like how red brake shimanos were more aggressive than the white block we have now.  I would try each color individually with the same brake and spool tension settings to see if there is a difference. 

[Tatulatard]

Also we would need to slide up the brake block to make the brake shoes visible to see if there is a difference in brake material. We only see the tabs used to turn the brakes on or off in that pic.

[casts_by_fly]

I'm also intrigued.  If there is a difference, I suspect TT is right.  My impression of that reel is that it was designed to compete at the Revo price but have some cost cutting that you're not supposed to notice.  This could be one of those areas.  In the Infini brakes in the Revo's, there are 6 identical brakes.  Taking two of them out would save some machining steps, while using two different materials would add minimal cost back in.  Putting my engineer cap on, you get the same benefit if for instance a grey would equal one brake equivalent and the blue two brake equivalents.  Then you could get any combination that the 6-brake infini gets with only 4 brakes.  Pushing the brake out might show a different size/surface area.  Curious to see what you find.

[OkobojiEagle]

In the days of Abu C3s the blue blocks were lighter than the white blocks.

 

oe

[ska4fun]

I never seem that. I Had an Abu Garcia Revo S which had pitching and flipping specific blocks. The ones for flipping were spring-loaded.

[Bankc]

I have some Zatas.  Super smooth reels, and have held up well despite having plastic frames.  

 

As suspected, the white brakes have more stopping power than the blue brakes.  So they are indeed different.

[ghost]

Bankc, now that is interesting that the white brakes has more stopping power than the blue brakes. I was wondering why the blue brakes were on the "on" position when I inspected the Zata new reel, first opened. 

 

As much as I want to try out this new Zata this weekend, here in SoCal is expecting rain till Monday. 

 

Thank you for your input. Also I do like the fatter knobs on the Zata. I don't have to add Reel Grips to this reel.

[ska4fun]

11 hours ago, Bankc said:

I have some Zatas.  Super smooth reels, and have held up well despite having plastic frames.  

 

As suspected, the white brakes have more stopping power than the blue brakes.  So they are indeed different.

High-quality Carbon-resin frames. Almost as good as aluminum.

[Tatulatard]

2 hours ago, ska4fun said:

High-quality Carbon-resin frames. Almost as good as aluminum.

Even by Daiwa's own admission their zaion carbon powder reinforced plastic only "rivals" the strength and weight of magnesium alloys.  "Rivals" marketing translation: "yes it's worse but...."

[ghost]

The Shimano Chronarch MGL is Ci4 carbon frame. Is the Zata frame similar?

[ska4fun]

1 hour ago, Tatulatard said:

Even by Daiwa's own admission their zaion carbon powder reinforced plastic only "rivals" the strength and weight of magnesium alloys.  "Rivals" marketing translation: "yes it's worse but...."

 

Did you ever used a Zata? That carbon-resin frame is very strong, probably the stronger one I ever saw in a low-profile reel. True carbon-fiber is only found on reel's handles.

Just now, ghost said:

The Shimano Chronarch MGL is Ci4 carbon frame. Is the Zata frame similar?

The Chronarch frame, like the Casitas ones, is too much flexiblw for my taste. The zata ones is waaay stronger.

 

[Tatulatard]

1 minute ago, ska4fun said:

 

Did you ever used a Zata? That carbon-resin frame is very strong, probably the stronger one I ever saw in a low-profile reel. True carbon-fiber is only found on reel's handles.

Nope but I have a few "carbon fiber" fishing reels including a the new piscifun xcs on the way.  It's a cool material and popular in 3d printing because it adds additional strength to the base plastic.  Compared to aluminum it is far weaker and much much more prone to deflection.  For fishing reels its a nice cheap way to make a corrosion proof light weight frame and side plates.  You can just kick out frames from an injection molding machine without having to deal with all the metallurgy and casting involved with alloy reels.

[ska4fun]

Just now, Tatulatard said:

Nope but I have a few "carbon fiber" fishing reels including a the new piscifun xcs on the way.  It's a cool material and popular in 3d printing because it adds additional strength to the base plastic.  Compared to aluminum it is far weaker and much much more prone to deflection.  For fishing reels its a nice cheap way to make a corrosion proof light weight frame and side plates.  You can just kick out frames from an injection molding machine without having to deal with all the metallurgy and casting involved with alloy reels.

Take a Zata in your hand, and came here to speak about it. It's something absurdly sturdy for a resin-based frame.

[Tatulatard]

15 minutes ago, ska4fun said:

Take a Zata in your hand, and came here to speak about it. It's something absurdly sturdy for a resin-based frame.

I think I have at some fishing store.  Maybe a cabelas.  I did my squeeze test on some green abu low pro with red accents with that sculped side plate.  I squeeze the frames on plastic reels to see if I can make the frame touch the top of the level wind.  They all do it. Not sure what I am testing other than "yes it moves" and maybe how easily it moves.  I probably have autism. 

33 minutes ago, ghost said:

The Shimano Chronarch MGL is Ci4 carbon frame. Is the Zata frame similar?

I would assume so.  I bet it's a better polymer with more graphite than their max reels based on the price difference.

[ska4fun]

2 hours ago, Tatulatard said:

I think I have at some fishing store.  Maybe a cabelas.  I did my squeeze test on some green abu low pro with red accents with that sculped side plate.  I squeeze the frames on plastic reels to see if I can make the frame touch the top of the level wind.  They all do it. Not sure what I am testing other than "yes it moves" and maybe how easily it moves.  I probably have autism. 

I would assume so.  I bet it's a better polymer with more graphite than their max reels based on the price difference.

Try the Zata. Even with the resin-carbon frame, it weights more than 200g.

[1984isNOW]

I think @Tatulatard is my favorite person. If you lived in MA we would be friends.

 

@all any more feedback on the zata casting?

[RipzLipz]

Some of the newer, more moderately priced Revos are going this route. I see advantages for anglers who fish both fresh & saltwater. Abu certainly isn’t lowering prices on non-alloy framed reels. Me? I’d pass - just my personal preference to have an alloy frame.

[Bankc]

17 hours ago, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

I think @Tatulatard is my favorite person. If you lived in MA we would be friends.

 

@all any more feedback on the zata casting?

All I can add is that I have had mine for about two years now and it's still as smooth as new.  I have no complaints with it.  

 

I had some doubts about the plastic frame in the beginning, but now it's outlasted some of my cheaper reels with aluminum frames, so I've come to believe that it's less about the materials and more about the quality of the construction and design.