Daiwa BG Saltwater 2016: Service Tutorial and First Look

[johndtuttle]

Hello there fishos. 

This is a new offering from Daiwa just presented at ICAST 2016 and a more complete review by the esteemed "Alan Hawk" can be seen on his site: http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/bg16.html where he does his usual fine job for those interested in a truly in depth review. This post is going to be a little rough at first but eventually I will round it out to be a worthy service tutorial. The reel is very simple and mostly incorporates established Daiwa tech and methods of construction that we are familiar with in a new and sexy package.

This new Daiwa BG "SW" (saltwater) reel is the new foundation that Daiwa is going to build their entry level heavy duty saltwater line upon, replacing the older Saltist with this new version of the BG and also offering another updated Saltist with a "mag-sealed" pinion assembly and line roller, otherwise very similar to this reel. These remain one of the top high speed budget popping reels for use in saltwater providing the retrieval speed that some tropical species (ie Jacks and Tuna) love, as they commonly aggressively attack surface lures ripped fast. Needless to say those bruisers also beat up reels and a robust construction is needed.

The old BG we remember will still be a budget offering and remains in the Daiwa line.

Meet the Black Gold Saltwater :



with implements of destruction:



Updated edgy cosmetics:



Line Roller:



Polyphthalamide bushings. The Saltist will use mag-sealed bearings:



Spool cosmetics:



Capacities of the BG 5000. Note the rubber ring on the spool to grip braid:



The spool has a ( \ / ) taper to the spindle. This is Daiwa's ABS (Anti-Backlash Spool):



And, yes! This (\ /) taper to the line lay is what its supposed to look like properly spooled (confirmed with Daiwa USA):


Plastic "heel" guard, with a modern "tactical fore-grip" look to it:





Removed with the beefy screws for the side plate. These screws are an enormous improvement over the Hex screws of the old Saltist:





The Air Rotor is a very nice design. Its graphite, but not the more expensive "Zaion" graphite in Daiwa's higher end reels so expect some flex under load. I did not notice any contact with the spool of course:



The shaft of the Drive Gear is female (handle) to male (gear):





Be sure to keep those threads greased.

The inside of the side cover was well greased from the factory:



The Main Drive Gear is famously large in its class of budget reels for strength and power transmission. "Digigear" is meaningless or confusing at best. Its a cast Alu/Zinc gear, not machined like the more expensive Saltiga:



The brass washer is a shim:



To remove the Gear we have to remove the Pinion assembly first. To do that we have to remove the Rotor. Start with the Collar:







Under the Rotor is the Cover with the washer:



Under the washer we see that there is no sealing of the pinion assembly (there is a noticeable gap between the cover and the sleeve). If you dunk your reel there is a perfect tub for saltwater to collect right around your clutch. In the more expensive Saltist this is where the Mag-Seal would go:



Under the cover is the Clutch and Pinion. You can see a lot of water will fill this aforementioned tub if the reel is submerged. This is not a knock on Daiwa or the BG per se, few (if any) reels at this price properly seal this area. Consider it more a fair "heads up" to keep this reel dry:



with the Roller Clutch lifted out:



Nice SS springs inside the Clutch. A big improvement over what seemed to be chromed spring steel in the Saltist:



Two nice beefy screws to retain the assembly. The Saltist screws here were notorious for stripping:



And then we can lift it out:



Later we will also service the other pinion bearing and bushing for the shaft (clean and re-lube):



But to get to them the Gear has to be removed first and it is retained and positioned by this small clip on the right side. Its a bear to photograph sharply in place but you can see it at the tip of the probe and arrows:



If you don't have experience with this sort of clip beware! Keep a thumb over it when removing it or it will go shooting off and stick on the dog or land in the nether, never to be seen again in this time nexus  .



The main shaft and Crosswind Block have to be removed as a unit. This is after the pinion assembly has been removed. The Stabilizer Bar lifts right out:



And with that clip and rt side bearing removed you can wiggle the Gear to one side and lift out the Shaft:



Keep the groove for the stud on the oscillation gear to run in well greased:



The Drive Gear is well greased from the factory with Daiwa gear grease and is a cast Alu/Zinc alloy. Pretty much the industry standard at this price. The wire you see there activates the backup AR if needed:



To Daiwa's credit the gear is famously over-sized for power transmission and strength (bigger/thicker teeth).



At the tip of the yellow arrows below you can see the hole for that spring. Getting that wire tip back in place is the only challenging bit about the service:



You have to use a probe to guide it into that hole in the Anti-reverse Pawl while you hold the Gear and wire over it:



Once the wire is back in the hole in the Pawl, the main shaft/crosswind block goes in, then hold the gear in while you get the bearing and clip on the right side back on to hold the gear in place. Its really not that bad. You may need your probe to tip the pawl out of the way to get the pinion and ratchets back in proper position.

But, be sure to test this back up AR for proper function before you replace the clutch, or you'll have to start over  . Ask me how I know this .

The Clutch has these slots that must be positioned over the Bearing Retainer after sticking the plastic bit in it's cup and then turning it. It sounds a little weird but I believe this allows the same clutch to be used in other reels that allow you to turn the clutch on and off to allow back reeling:



I did not remove the Oscillating Gear for this first look. It resides on a bearing for smooth operation and will need a service in time. Generally, the retaining screw needs loctite to keep it properly snug, and unless necessary I leave it alone and let sleeping dogs lie.



Under the Spool is the clicker and shims:





Drag stack nicely greased from the factory:



And one spool bearing that needs a regular drop of oil:



The Handle features a peened on knob and only needs oil on its joints for regular maintenance. Remarkably it was well greased from the factory:





A fast peak under the cover on the Rotor shows us the Bail Spring. Note there is no "auto" trip lever, just a rotor brake incorporated into the action of the spring. The Daiwa BG Saltwater is manual trip only, something that every first rate spinner should do to both prevent accidental bail closure (leading to loss of pricey lures), slow the formation of wind knots and to save on beating up the gear train.



Ok, I think we have covered all the bases!

See a below summary post for some final thoughts.

[handi2]

Looks pretty normal for a Daiwa reel. The anti reverse bearing looks smaller than the Saltist and the line roller bushing are now white.

[johndtuttle]

Looks pretty normal for a Daiwa reel. The anti reverse bearing looks smaller than the Saltist and the line roller bushing are now white.

"Alan Hawk" went over the clutch in some detail. It does have stainless springs inside (rather than less expensive plastic leaves) but it does not appear particularly well supported or retained by the body or cover, imo. However, I defer to Daiwa's judgement in this regard and many of their reels use similar systems without any trouble to my knowledge.

The line roller bushings are polyphthalamide and probably are an improvement over the Saltist. They certainly won't corrode like a bearing but if they wear the roller will start to make noise like others might, however this will be more trouble free for your average no-maintenance user . Thankfully the little copper/brass shim inside the Saltist line roller is gone. That was sure a trouble maker. The screw may need some blue loctite to stay tight over time. I well greased it all and put it back together with a drop of the blue.

The Drive Gear is very large (like the old Saltist), and this is a bonus for power transmission as well as thicker and tougher teeth for longevity, albeit it remains a cast Alu/Zinc alloy gear with Brass pinion. Regardless, it is an excellent gear at this price point, perhaps the best. The pinion itself lacks an inserted bushing at the top to protect the main shaft from wearing the pinion. This may lead to some wear of the pinion and binding under heavy load but is not a major issue at this price and max drag (~22 lbs).

It does have a top notch back up AR and very nice SS bearings, but there is not a seal of significance to be found in the reel. So you are going to have to baby it in the salt and around sand and be on top of maintenance, particularly the pinion and clutch assembly as they are literally open air to salt. However, it should be noted Daiwa has prepped the gear box well to prevent corrosion and allow smooth operation. The good news about having no seals or sealed bearings is that it is beautifully free spinning and smooth and very light (~22 oz un-spooled for a reel that will hold 300 yards of 65 lb braid).

That, it's high speed retrieve (47 IPT), a beautiful and tough finish with a top notch drag (de rigeur with spinning reels these days) make it very, very solid for ~$100. Of course, for half again that money spent or a little more you can get a whole 'nother class of reel with seals and better gears, imo. However as a budget offering at that price it has to be said these are quibbles for the money spent, albeit realistic assessment of its ultimate capability.

Tincture of time will tell the tale, AH was very smitten with it but with these budget reels we can only take that so far. Being a great budget reel...means it still is a budget reel with many cost savings considerations, though perhaps one of the very best currently out there...but one that has to be used acknowledging it's limitations and light build.

To be sure, it seems to be at least every bit the reel that the old Saltist was or more...at about half the price. An extremely strong value.



best

[handi2]

We can't kill our old Saltist reels.

In the previous model Saltist the line roller bushings were black and the line roller screw was a big problem in trying to get it out. The line roller would gum up and not roll and you couldn't get the screw out without breaking the bail wire. I've replaced many bail wires because of this. They are expensive too at over $40.00.

[Kyle K]

John,

Is that the factory grease in your pictures?  If so, they did a good job.

[johndtuttle]

John,

Is that the factory grease in your pictures?  If so, they did a good job.

Yep, was very nicely prepped. Looks like Daiwa gear grease on the main, not sure about the whiter stuff on the crosswind gear etc. seems silicon/ptfe based.

[mley1]

Thanks for your opinions on the BG SW spinning reels. I have been wanting some spinning rigs for light to medium sharks, bull reds, large rays and the big drum we catch in my area. The opinions in this thread, and AH's review made it easy for me to decide on the Daiwa BG SW line of spinning reels. So ordered an 8000 off of Amazon. It was on sale, so I couldn't pass it up.

It came in a few days ago. Very impressive reel for under 100.00. Even though I haven't had a chance to fish it yet, I liked it well enough to order 3 more, a 6500, 5000 and 4500. Those three sizes were on sale as well, from the same vender, and were less than the 8000 was. They are on their way.

My plan is to put them on different rods, for different purposes.  My spinning rig needs should be covered with the exception of light fresh water duties.  I don't do much light fresh water fishing though.

I had been using Penn 704Z's and 710's for my spinning needs. While they're good solid reels, they're not great with braid, and I've been wanting to try something new. We'll see how it goes after I put them to use.

[smnaguwa]

Thanks for the info on the Daiwa BG.

Marty, where did you get your reel for less than $100? Would love get in on that deal. Thanks.

[mley1]

Thanks for the info on the Daiwa BG.

Marty, where did you get your reel for less than $100? Would love get in on that deal. Thanks.

Shark River Mail Order, on Amazon. I got the 8000 for 96.99 plus shipping, and I got the 6500, 5000 and 4500 for 89.99 plus shipping. I may have gotten the last ones though, as the prices on Amazon seem to have gone up. I'd try contactingh Shark River Mail Order though. The prices were fantastic.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JH8FHQC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/sp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=0&isCBA=&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID=109-0340031-5744223&seller=A1AUBHH23J4HKO&tab=&vasStoreID=

[mley1]

I've gotten the 8000 in, and just got the 6500 in today. Both reels are very nice. I put the 8000 on an Custom Ugly Stik Big Water heavy action 7' rod. The Ugly Stiks are on sale at the Pure Fishing site, end of summer sale. I got the rod for 42 bucks shipped. http://www.uglystik.com/uglystik-rods-spinning-rods/ugly-stik-custom-bigwater-spinning-rod/1363817.html#specifications So, that rig was less than 150 total. The 6500 will be going on a Custom Big Water Ugly Stik as well that I got on sale for the same price. The 5000 will be going on an 7' Ugly Stik Tiger medium action that I already had. And, the 4500 is going on an 7' Ugly Stik Tiger Lite that I got on the end of summer sale for 35 dollars.http://www.uglystik.com/uglystik-rods-spinning-rods/ugly-stik-tiger-lite-spinning-rod/1363832.html#specifications So, for under 125 I'll have a complete rig. I know a lot of folks frown on Ugly Stiks. However, I'm a big fan of them and have many Ugly Stiks. They've served me well over the years. I have everything from the little 5' ultra lite to the big 12' heavy surf Ugly Stik. I use Ugly Stiks for bottom fishing, plugging, top water, fishing live baits, trolling............you name it, I got an Ugly Stik rod that will get the job done. I have a few other rods that I like, and use too. I've got some Trevala's, some Tritons, a Shimano or two, a Fenwick, a TTF, and a few others.  Overall though, my Ugly Stiks are what I reach for. I love me some Ugly Stik.

For line, I put 80lb braid on the 8000 and 60lb braid on the 6500. I plan to put 60lb braid on the 5000 and 50lb on the 4500. The sharks, bull reds, drum, rays, and any other fish that bites my line, better watch out!!

[mley1]

I will say that my first impression of the 8000 is that it is LARGE, and in charge. It's a much larger reel than any of the spinning reels I've used in the past. The largest spinners I've used have been the Penn 704Z's. I've not ever delved into the large salt water spinning reel market before. This year I did a bit of fishing with a friend who has a couple larger sized spinners that we used to catch sharks and kingfish with. So, I really got interested in them, but couldn't afford the price of admission. That is, until these Daiwa BG SW reels came onto the scene. And, with reviews like the one above, and Alan Hawks review, it solidified my decision to try them. And, when I found them for under 100 I jumped on the deals. Time will tell how they work out. So far, I really like what I see with them.

[johndtuttle]

I will say that my first impression of the 8000 is that it is LARGE, and in charge. It's a much larger reel than any of the spinning reels I've used in the past. The largest spinners I've used have been the Penn 704Z's. I've not ever delved into the large salt water spinning reel market before. This year I did a bit of fishing with a friend who has a couple larger sized spinners that we used to catch sharks and kingfish with. So, I really got interested in them, but couldn't afford the price of admission. That is, until these Daiwa BG SW reels came onto the scene. And, with reviews like the one above, and Alan Hawks review, it solidified my decision to try them. And, when I found them for under 100 I jumped on the deals. Time will tell how they work out. So far, I really like what I see with them.

Best of luck and keep us posted. The OP will have some service updates soon.

[ez2cdave]

The old BG we remember will still be a budget offering and remains in the Daiwa line.

Thank God !

I'm "Old School" and the traditional Daiwa BG reels, in my opinion, represent the best value of any spinning reels ever produced. They "edge out" the 2nd Generation Penn SS Spinfishers, slightly.

I found a chart with Specs for the new reels . . . Attached below !

Great Tutorial, John !!!

[ez2cdave]

"Alan Hawk" went over the clutch in some detail.

John,

I converted Alan Hawk's review into a PDF file for easy access and downloading . . . Located at bottom.

http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/bg16.html

Tight Lines !

[johndtuttle]

"Alan Hawk" went over the clutch in some detail.

John,

I converted Alan Hawk's review into a PDF file for easy access and downloading . . . Located at bottom.

http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/bg16.html

Tight Lines !

Thanks very much Dave.