Who here has experience with this reel?
How much use has it seen?
How much drag are you running?.... Thanks, Jeff
Is it even out yet? It has been repeatedly delayed.
I have one. Okuma in Cali is receiving shipments weekly of them. I will be doing a tutorial on Andros 12 A Series tonight if nothing comes up.
jeff
can you post pics of your Andros 12 aside to another reels to have an idea of the real size?
I dont have any close tackle shop (even in USA close to the border) to check that reel out.
debating between a 12n or a 12, weight is almost the same
Are these the twin-drag ones? Very interested to see the insides.
Yes all the Andros reels use what Okuma calls their Dual Force Drag. It is very smooth even above 20 lbs. of drag.
Though my 12N is noticeably not as free cranking or has quite as smooth drag at higher settings as my other 2 standard size models.
My 12N based on what others have told me is an anomaly. Alan & others have stated some of the Andros reels early on had tight gearing. It's not a big enough issue for me to worry to much about.
I have 3 of them that have been used very hard. As far as lever drags go they are pretty much trouble free.
My first Andros 12 was the only reel I ever purchased that exceeded my expectations without any refinement needed by me. I've 2 days off next week I'll try to get a tutorial up...Jeff
Andros 12 &12N with Penn Fathom 25N
Side view
Spool width of 12 &12N vs Fathom 25N.
Click on pics to enlarge....Jeff
Really nice pics Jeff, those will really help a lot to have an idea of The size.
Seems that I would be getting The 12 normal width
The 12n is too dang narrow
Fth 25n looks líke The sweet Spot on width
Ooooh I really like the look of the 12N. I just wonder if it has the grunt for mechanical jigging.
I really like my 12N. While it would fill the need for most all of my heavy, river catfishing I do find it to be a specific reel for specific tasks. The standard size allows me to underfill them a bit & use my thumb on the side of the spool when casting. These reels are quite capable of tossing very light baits....Jeff
Jeff,
if you are always looking for small reels with high drag settings, why havent you gotten a Makaira 10II or 8II other for the price?
considering Mak 10II is only $100 dlls more than the Andros 12II, its a tank, have thrust bearing and Im pretty sure it will last many years in good shape
Im considering selling some reels and wait for any special on Xmas, black friday, fathers day, etc, if I could save $50-70 bucks on a Mak 12 or 16 Im golden, but alas is still a plan ;D ;D and with my older dauther getting into the university this august 15th :o :o it might stay as plan for many time
I just got mine in the mail yesterday. Tackle direct is running a deal when you buy the andros you get a cedros rod free.
So far I like the size but haven't gotten it on the water yet.
Quote from: steelfish on July 23, 2017, 10:11:53 PM
Jeff,
if you are always looking for small reels with high drag settings, why havent you gotten a Makaira 10II or 8II other for the price?
considering Mak 10II is only $100 dlls more than the Andros 12II, its a tank, have thrust bearing and Im pretty sure it will last many years in good shape
Alex, you are correct with this statement regarding the Mak 8 & 10. I chose the to go with Andros because prior to buying I talked with people that fished the prototypes & had since fully rigged their boats out with them. I was told by several who had used the reel to destruction that it would do what I wanted.
The Andros will produce close to the same amount of fishable drag as the Mak 8 & 10 but has far greater line capacity at the same weight as the Mak 10. I dont need a lot of of line in most cases for my fishing. However with the 12's higher capacity I am able to under fill the spool leaving exposed spool for my thumb when casting. Also using lever drags filled to about 65% - 75% of their capacity noticably reduces bearing
stress / wear when used at high drag settings. I will add here that I fish my A-12's at 10 - 15 lbs. of drag going higher only when needed... I'm a bit of an airhead / space cadet & dont like having my rods pulled from my hands when not paing close attention. drags are locked down when fishing up close to log piles while spiked in the sand or in a holder on the boat
These are fantastic reels for what I do. Okuma has over the short time the Andros has been out continued to make improvements & dial this series of reels in. Something else.... they have shown me that I dont need a 2 speed reel. A reel that gathers 25" - 32" of line with each crank does fine for Big River Catfish. A single speed would suffice for most other species fresh or salt water also I think. The wide acceptance among some of always using a 2 speed doesnt seem to be a good thing for every situation. High likelyhood it will break or give trouble at some point when fished as much as I do....Jeff
A new reel to me that I've been using & have just fallen in love with is the Penn Torque 12 Star drag. What a fantastic, off the chain, great casting, little beast....Jeff
Quote from: Rivverrat on July 24, 2017, 10:21:15 PM
The Andros will produce close to the same amount of fishable drag as the Mak 8 & 10 but has far greater line capacity at the same weight as the Mak 10. I dont need a lot of of line in most cases for my fishing.
thanks thats the answer I think it cover 100% my question on your case
Quote from: Rivverrat on July 24, 2017, 10:21:15 PM
A new reel to me that I've been using & have just fallen in love with is the Penn Torque 12 Star drag. What a fantastic, off the chain, great casting, little beast....Jeff
cool, I also only here good things about that reel, the previos torque series were a tank, in weight and quality of parts, and the new models are equal good but lighter, thanks for your comment amigo
Glad I could help. I would add here that the Mak's are just an alll together heavier built reel & will of course last much longer for those leaning on & pushing them all the time. However I've found the Andros to do just fine for me while providing 20 - 25 lbs. of drag when needed.... Jeff
Jeff / Others - Just wanted to follow up on these 12II reels on how they are holding up and if you've been happy with your purchase. I am really intrigued with the gearing on these, nice low high hear, with a great low granny gear. Filled with 50 lb power pro this could be a very universal reel for my applications. From sea-bass to tilefish. These also weigh a little less than the Baja/US 113n.
At this time I have one A12II ,and two A12SII reels. They are used fishing 50 and 60. They have not failed after a lot of Wahoo, Rooster fish, Tuna to 100. The higher speed in combo with the 2.1:1 is very versatile. The Makairas are IMO second to none, but the A12's fill in the areas the Mak's can't do well. Sorry to but in...... I hope this helps.
Not a butt in at all! That's the type of response I'm looking for! Thanks sir! How much 50 are you getting on the A12? Top shot or no?
I've fished mine quite a bit. One of my Standard sized was was pushed to the limits repeatedly. These are extremely well made reels for the money. In terms of over all quality I place them squarely in between Avets on the low end & Accurate or Penn Torques on the high end.
Pluses : Price!!
Extremly smooth drag that is very capable of fishing 60 lb. line in most cases when compared to other reels in this class.
Very durable gears. I dont care much about strength. Truth be known most all gears in reels like this are plenty strong regardless of design. Issues that seem to arise are seen in long term durability rather than strength or weakness. Also a big plus Okuma listened & offers this reel in high & low speed version. Gears in one way or another, in my mind are in the top two most important features of a any given reel if not foremost.
Parts & customer support are superb
Strong frame design for this size & weight reel. There are reels in this class that when pushed hard or leaned on with high drag begin flex. I've not noticed this at all with this model. This can be noticed some times with a drag that isnt smooth when set heavy.
Casting These reels cast great. Having great free spool.
Cons: One knock on these reels is quality control. Specifically what I mean is sometimes you run into a reel that doesnt crank or work as smooth. It's hard to keep track of this with a company that is in a costant postive flux such as Okuma. I have seen Okuma's quality control get better.
However Okuma has taken care of any & all issues I've had & was quick doing so. If at all possible I would want to be familiar with this specific reel & how they are supposed to feel before buying. If buying over the phone it pays to to know who you are dealling with. This is why I use CharkBait more than any other.
Drag: For me this is a big one. The drag is either on or off. I despise this... I just hate it !
This reel because of this, is by design, made to be fished at the strike setting. If a fish runs you out a ways & you need to back off the drag there is little room for error when pulling the lever back.
This is an area where I believe Penn with their Torque line stepped out in front of all others. Where they give you 3 different settings for the lever. This is well thought out on Penn's part & a big deal for some one fishing for big fish around heavy cover or fish that strip gazzilion yards of line.
Screws / Fastners : Some of the screws on these reels are best left alone. Especially the ones on the reel seat. Others you want to be careful & not snug them down to far. Only reel I've ever had this issue with.
Over all this reel is more than worth it's asking price. Keep in mind only one of my 3 three has seen salt water & then only once.
This is up to this point in my life the only reel I've purchased that has exceeded my expectations...Jeff
Heck of an update Jeff, many thanks. The drag issue is interesting...I need to find a shop that has them and get one in my hands.
I agree on Charkbait, I've bought a few Avets and Accurates from them over the years and always had an excellent transaction. All of their freebies that come with a purchase are icing on the cake.
Penn Penn Penn, Torque, & Senators, know drag troubles, even the 349 I got going, with Mike Curries help, thanks Mike, is going great, that's the reel that was dragged out of a rubbish bin, cheers Don.
I forgot to add that I replaced the pinion bearings in one of my standard size 12's.
This after fishing it every day for some time @23 lbs. plus drag, catching huge carp, & cranking them through 5-10 mph current. I find carp to be a very worthy sport fish. Those with some size to them have no issue pulling drag at these settings in heavy current. Lake carp while decent enough fighters are very weak when compared to their big river brothers.
Any way I'm pretty sure the bearing on this reel was bad prior to my purchasing it.
Only other issue has been a broke E clip on the 2 speed shift shaft.