Abu Garcia Revo Inshore vs Daiwa Lexa Hd300

[striperpirate24]

Hey guys, my name is Dane and I am a tenth grader in high school. I am new to calico bass fishing and the forum and I wanted to get a nice reel for a good price. You all seem very knowledgable and I was wondering if you could help me on deciding whether to get an Abu Garcia Revo Inshore, a Daiwa Lexa Hd300, or another reel that I could probably pair up with a medium power, x-fast action casting rod. On the reel I will probably put on 30 lb braid and a top shot of 14 lb mono, but I am open to new ideas!

                                       Thanks,
                                                Dane

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

Accurist PT by Quantum for a $100 reel i'll consider this one. check this out;



tight lines!

[0119]

I'm a Abu nut and I really want to like the Revo's, but I don't.  Their finish evaporates by merely looking at it.  Their proclaimed high drag settings fade quickly.  They have great comfortable grip handles.  I've had a Premier, an STX, an SX and an S. The S was the most recent and it lasted better than the more expensive ones but I couldn't cope with their idea of a centrifugal brake.  I have no experience with the bigger models so popular for Calico's and Sandie's.  I had a Lexa 100 and have regretted getting rid of it since the moment I gave it to a friend.  I wouldn't hesitate on getting another but the Tatula I replaced it with is terrible.  The t wing levelwind eye just cannot find use with leader knots or a knot you would use for a longer top shot.  I'm too cautious to try a Lew's Inshore wide spool as its really just a Revo that went out a different back door of the factory with a different name on it.  But I often wonder if its finish is better.  I'd stick with the Lexa if I were you.  Good luck Calico fishing looks to be a blast.

[striperpirate24]

Thanks so much for the help 0119 and potiguar!!

[Bryan Young]

I've worked on both reels and they both have their goods and bads internally.  For your type of fishing, either would be just fine, and are relatively easy to fix and parts availability is good for both reels at the moment.

For future fixes, if you plan to fish the reel for a long time, I would recommend the Abu.  They seem to have more shared parts between reels than Daiwa making parts availability in the future easier to obtain.

[Steve-O]

what Bryan said!  I have one and like it a lot. Does the job on big Carp. I also have the spinning version and a few other Abus - like 8 I think. The other reels I own are mostly Okumas and Omotos.  Good luck and welcome aboard!

[Lunker Larry]

The Revo series: Toros/Winch/NACL all have had thumb bar issues. Just a bad design. Too wide a thumb bar, poor tolerances and a cheap piece of plastic with a small nub to engage the clutch. The sloppiness of the thumb bar eventually leads to it breaking and as it wears the small nub that engages the clutch doesn't engage and leaves you with the reel in free spool, if it hasn't snapped in half. Because of the sloppy design they also wear into the reel frame after time if you cast a lot. Now, muskie guys cast like maniacs and with the big baits can be hard on reels but I know of guys who've had their reels replaced by ABU 3 and 4 times. ABU won't even answer any questions regarding thumb bar issues now. By the way, those models are now discontinued. Having said all that, if you're a casual caster, these reels have great power and a great drag along with fitting your hand but I would go with the Daiwa if it was me. A lot of guys are dumping their Revos up here.
Here's some pics of what I have seen showing the wear and the piece in the thumbar that breaks (last pic). I've also seen the plastic "flanges" on the ends of the thumbar broken due to it not aligning properly anymore.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

i have the lexa 300HD and will not recommend it for the type of fishing you'll do but if you want it go ahead and buy it. but i think there are a lot of reels, for a lot less money, that will handle calico bass  or you can also consider a round bait caster like the abu garcia 5500 or 5501 c3 which will hold enough 30lb braid... my 2 cents!

[sdlehr]

Dane, if you want a used, less-expensive option for a low-profile bait-caster, I have a used Quantum KVD 7.0:1 burner I can sell you in very good shape. PM me and we can discuss if you wish.
Sid

[johndtuttle]

Glad to see the variety of opinions here, generally a sign that you aren't going to go far wrong regardless.

For this class of reel (calicos and probably the odd yellowtail) I would rate them as follows:

1. Abu Revo Toro S. This is a brand new reel that solves the button issues and is taller and narrower than previous. A "350" size reel with by far the beefiest of the brass internals, beautiful caster and finish.

2. Okuma Komodo 364P. More bearings (nice) but more maintenance. All SS internals and proven. Also a "350" size.

3. Daiwa Lexa 300. The HD is all stainless (good) but arguably not required for calicos. The regular brass gears are fine. SS internals will be nice for YT or tuna over time.

4. Shimano Curado 300 EJ. Still a very good reel with many impressive catches.


Really, you cannot go wrong with any of these. I prefer the 350 size reels as perfect all around including small tuna offshore. They are all around 11-12 oz so still the lightest reels I use for salt.

[striperpirate24]

Thanks for the nice comparison between the two reels Brian, I really appreciate it!
-Dane

[striperpirate24]

Thanks for the input Steve-O, I will definitely look into the Okuma lineup.
-Dane

[striperpirate24]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply Lunker Larry, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
-Dane

[striperpirate24]

Thank you so much for the offer sdlehr, but I have my eyes set on a Revo or a Lexa.
-Dane

[striperpirate24]

Thanks so much for giving me the lineup of the reels you suggest with their comparisons johntduttle, I appreciate you telling me good reels for a by caught yellow because I a definitely want to be prepared.
-Dane