Duel Reels

[racoonbeast]

Alan, I have read from one of your previous posts that you are unfamiliar with Duel Reels. Being one of your millions of disciples, I would love to have you crack one apart and give us your seasoned observations. Myself, I think that they are the most fantasmalistic thing to happen since cold ice cream, and can see no reason why anyone would ever want to buy any other type of reel. But, alas, I am not you with your experience. The very few negative things that I have heard about their full sized two speed line is that the clickers tend to be weak, making that part a bit unreliable, and the Speedy line two speed can sometimes screw the handle off when changing gears by changing directions, which is the way gears are changed in these reels. Loctite seems to have solved the problem, and it only happened in one reel that was being massively torture tested way beyond its original design intent. I own three of them, including one first year production (1990) which were covered in a bullet proof black coating. They soon bowed to what seems to be the world's prefference for easily scratched gold anodization. I would love to hear your thoughts after putting one through the wringer. In that they are probably the world's most expensive production reel, and not well marketed here, they are fairly unknown by the common masses here. This is a good thing in that you can buy them on Ebay for a quarter of their original price because few have heard of them. Personally I think that they are the best conventional reel bargain to be had at this point in time. I would love to hear what your experienced and critical eye tells you.   

[alantani]

thank you. i have tended to stick to reels that we find locally.  i think that i've seen only one or two, if any at all, in the last 10 years.  i have seen schematics, and the designs of the older reels were very simple.  i'm not sure at all how much improvement they made in more recent ones.  

during the next year, i hope to be able to cut back a little on reel repair and focus more on getting the garage set up and actually do some fishing.  i would also like to get more rebuild posts done.  those posts came to a virtual halt when my father-in-law was injured 2 and a half years ago.  his is 92 years old now, and we finally have his home care situation solved.  the best part is that it is a solution that does not involve my wife and i being over there to watch him seven nights a week.  

[racoonbeast]

About the only changes I have been able to document on them over their lifespan is the switch from black to gold in the beginning, and a couple of minor changes in the handle design. They are made in Italy by a fairly upscale maker of parts for sailboats, Antal. They came about as a result of someone looking at one of the sail raising and lowering winches, a design that has been around forever, and a light came on as he realized it would make one heck of a reel. It did and does.

I am glad to hear that you have got a handle on the care of your elderly father. I just went through about ten years of that with my mother. It took a lot of my, and my sister's and brother's time, but now that she has passed, we would gladly give her twice as much attention just to have another year with her. Give them your love and attention while you can because they are going to be gone for a long time.

When you get your garage built, let us know and I will bug you again on the Duels. They really deserve attention. Parts are readilly and easily available here as well as warranty and other work.

In the mean time, do you have any more metal washers for sale for the drags for a Daiwa Sealine 900H?

[alantani]

yes, got a bunch!  send me a pm with your address and i'll send them out.  thanks!  alan

[racoonbeast]

PM sent. Thanks a million Alan.