Abu black max discontinued?

[Striper9]

Did they discontinue the black max and replace it with the “max x”

[MediumMouthBass]

They replaced it with the Max X, but some places still sell the Black Max's they have left in stock.

[garroyo130]

Might be a good time to load up on some and just sit on them. This could be like the Seiko SKX007 watches all over again!

[12poundbass]

I hope they haven’t changed too much from the original Black Max because they really are a great reel especially for beginners and the budget anglers. They perform like a $100+ reel.

[garroyo130]

I was looking for reviews but after reading this, I realized it was a waste of time 

 

i have 3 and they have far outperformed shimano slx mgl and shimano curado reels in smoothness drag casting and overall preformance

[BrianMDTX]

On 7/22/2023 at 10:57 AM, garroyo130 said:

I was looking for reviews but after reading this, I realized it was a waste of time 

 

i have 3 and they have far outperformed shimano slx mgl and shimano curado reels in smoothness drag casting and overall preformance

I have two. I will say that while they are not as smooth as my Daiwa Fuegos or Tatula, they aren’t bad. And they cast as far if not farther. For the $49.99 that I paid for them, they’ve been worth every penny. 

[Justinfish]

24 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I have two. I will say that while they are not as smooth as my Daiwa Fuegos or Tatula, they aren’t bad. And they cast as far if not farther. For the $49.99 that I paid for them, they’ve been worth every penny. 

Yup I actually prefer em over my fuego. I hate the small handle on the fuego and just overall don’t like the feel. The Black max is extremely easy to dial in. Can’t beat the black max for $50

[MediumMouthBass]

Why pay $50 for the reel when you can get the combo for $60? (in places that still sell them).

The reels get alot of talk but the rods are very good also, i have several Black Max rods and reels and they are all really great, especially for the price. Awhile ago someone on YT said they were one of the best selling combos in fishing, which wouldnt be surprising.

What is surprising is the new Max X (which is supposed to be the new version) its just no where near the quality of the last generation.

[Justinfish]

19 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Why pay $50 for the reel when you can get the combo for $60? (in places that still sell them).

The reels get alot of talk but the rods are very good also, i have several Black Max rods and reels and they are all really great, especially for the price. Awhile ago someone on YT said they were one of the best selling combos in fishing, which wouldnt be surprising.

What is surprising is the new Max X (which is supposed to be the new version) its just no where near the quality of the last generation.

What’s makes the max x not as good quality?

[MediumMouthBass]

I bought it on sale, i had high hopes for the Max X because the Black Max was my first baitcaster and if its new its supposed to be better? Well not really.

The last generations rods were really nice for around $30 if you got it with the combo, i have 3 of the rods and only 1 broke but that was user error the other 2 are fantastic rods, i have my Tatula SV TW 103 on one for smaller crankbaits and it does a great job. They (to me) are very similar to Ugly Stiks, rod has lots of flex but also very durable.

The Max X rod just doesnt have the same feeling, its more of a stiffer Medium rod which doesnt make much sense since the whole purpose of Medium rods is lighter lures, well how is a light lure going to load up on a stiffer rod? But it also just feels cheap, they gave it the new plastic wrapped or whatever they call it grip on the handle and then an overly large foam knob at the end. Alot of people on YT have complained about the new plastic grip so its not the best for long days of fishing.

It also doesnt have that kind of ugly stik rod feel that the last gen did, like if you hit it against a tree 20 times it would be fine.

 

The last generation reel was excellent, i had braid on one an mono on the other and both of them casted really nicely and smooth. I dont use the reels much now because i have upgraded to Tatulas, SLX's, BB1 Pros, and a Zillion. So to the newer and more expensive reels they really dont compare, but for $30 are definitely amazing reels for the price. They could cast far too with very minimal to no backlash.

The new reels are made to be more of a modern/more expensive reel but when fishing with them its the opposite. My reel kept getting line stuck in the side of the spool, and the same line ive used in many reels with no issues, also on casting distance it just was very poor.

I have dozens and dozens of baitcasting reels and can cast them very far on light or heavy lures but this reel would backlash on any setting almost every cast.

 

Im not saying the Max X is terrible and not to buy it, if you want one try it out. Im just saying that for less money buy the Black Max if you can get one.

[CrashVector]

I agree with what he said.

 

The black max was better than the max x, although I'm not a fan of the low end 24Ton graphite rods.

[12poundbass]

I wasn’t a fan of the rods either. They are a good price and a good first rod for someone just wanting to get into a casting set up but that’s it. 

[VTFan]

I'm an Abu fan. Have owned and still have several Silvermax's but never a BlackMax. A few people I know who have them love them. I was going to get one to replace one of my older reels but Wallyworld only had the Abu Max ST and as I recall it was around $64.  It's ok, but I think the older reels were better.  Just my opinion.