i'm switching to TSI 301

[alantani]

i still have corrosion x as my totally reliable all purpose lubricant.  i tried reel x and speed x and did not see a big enough improvement to justify the cost.  xtreme reel + is without a doubt the fastest, slickest stuff in the world but just does not last long enough.  jim nomura brought over some TSI 301 and i've been using it for the last 3 months.  i'm am going to use this for a while and see how it goes.  so far, so good.  alan

[akfish]

Doesn't TSI 301 have a problem with plastics? That would make it a no-no on lots of reels...

[alantani]

jim should answer this one, but we've been using it in reels with plastic and there have been no problems.  supposedly the problem is the solvent, and the solvent evaporates quickly. 

[Richardr]

Hi Alan
Still using TSI 301 for high speed bearings? I've seen different posts here mentioning both TSI 301 and TSI 321 and it is a bit confusing. People are worried for melting plastics with TSI 301, but you haven't seen that happening, right?
I'm thinking of ordering a bottle of TSI 301, thats why I'm asking.
Are you using an "Aerosol-driven" bottle or not?

thanks
Richard

[alantani]

i'm still using tsi 301.  what i do is clean out the bearings thoroughly, then dip them in tsi 301, then place them on a clean rag to drain out the excess, then install them.  been pretty happy with the results.  alan

[alantani]

sorry, yeah, i use the canned tsi 301 for dipping bearings and some levelwind assembly parts only.  for anything else, it's back to my trusty old corrosion x.

[Pro Reel]

I finally broke down and got a can of the 301. I have experimented with dipping clean bearings in the 301 and then lightly blowing them off. I know some is staying in the bearing, because it still spins slower than when it was done dry. The bearings treated this way seem to be very fast, but I have not done enough comparison testing yet to see if it's better than what I was using. My concern, now that I think about it, is how would a customer add a little during the season or between sending the reels for service. I don't know how long this will last, but almost any bearing lube will need a fresh drop every few months or so. You can't store this stuff in a plastic bottle so the needle bottles are out. I wouldn't think my customers would want to order a $30 can just to have for touch ups and I know they won't want to remove the bearings to dip them. I wish this stuff was available in very small cans. They could always dip the loop of a sewing needle in it to get a small drop. I wonder about telling them to order the small bottle of the 321 that can be in plastic, but if it's a lot thicker, than it will slow the bearing down and defeat the purpous of using it. Ideas???

[alantani]

my makaira 10 two speeds are still spinning like crazy.  it's been 9 months. 

[slip tip]

I just ordered some 301 & 321 from the online website. Kinda like to try it and see how it goes.

Regards,
David

[slip tip]

Well, I've tried both the 301 and the 321 and I must say, very impressive!.....    I "soak" the bearings first in the 301 then remove them and let them drip dry on a paper towel while I'm working on other areas/parts of the reel. Before installation of the bearings, I use a very gentle blast of compressed air to remove the residual 301 and then depending on the size of the bearing, apply 1 to 3 tiny drops of the 321 via a Eurotool (very handy for this sort of thing).
It's probably over kill, but man, does it ever work!...

Regards,
David

[alantani]

i just ordered up 5 cans of tsi 301.  definitely sold on the stuff.  i'm working on so many reels at a time that i just dip the bearings and throw them into the reel.  the solvent evaporates so fast that i'm sure there is not time for it to attack the plastics. 

[Alto Mare]

Great! Do we need to remove the shields for dipping?

[Bryan Young]

You should so that you can properly clean out the little grease that is in the bearing.  The grease will limit your free spool spin times.

[Alto Mare]

I hear you Bryan. I understand that using tsi301 will give you more free spool than using grease. I've been removing only one shield on the bearings that have been pressed in and keeping the shielded side towards the gears. The bearings have been cleaned and oiled, not greased, I think that having the shielded bearings towards the gears should keep most of the grease from the gears out of the bearings. How do you guys feel about it? The bearings are used in my spinning reels.

[Brendan]

Just wondering if I found the right stuff, Is it made by Moly Lubricants? If so they have a fishing reel specific oil that is available in 2 ounce containers at a price that makes the gallon price of TSI 301 seem like a deal I guess.