My first DAM Quick high speed retrieve spinner--the 331

[festus]

This 331 arrived today, looking pretty good as is.  These are supposed to be 5:1 retrieve ratio, but it's not quite that, maybe 4.7 or so, I'm not going to count gear teeth for such a trivial matter.  Just a tiny bit stiff out of the shipping box, but I've had much worse.  Not sure this one had ever been apart, I had to take a knife and put it in the seam of the cover plate and tap it to get it removed.  Looks like the familiar factory brown grease inside.  Hopefully punching out the pin to remove the handle assembly won't be as difficult as it has with some in the past.

Now I need only the 221 to have the complete set of the 110 through 550 series.  They must be pretty rare, but there are plenty of these 331 out there.


 

[mo65]

   Looks like a nice low mileage example Chester. I love my 221...been thinkin' about adding a 331 to my stable.

[oldmanjoe]

  That looks like a good score ..                I have 331 coming in the mail  .   This may be the last one for a wile , the reel to rod ratio is a little out of kilter . 
  Time to start making  more rods .      joe

[happyhooker]

That 331 is a winner.

Besides the gear change, is the handle longer/different on the 331 vs. the 330?

Frank

[festus]

Mo65, as you know those 221 aren't for sale very often, at least online.  I even called a local collectible fishing tackle dealer, and he said he hasn't ever seen one but has heard of them.

Plenty of the 331 can be found on the cheap, wonder if it's possible to Frankenreel a 221?  I compared the size of the pinion gear, drive axle, and drive gear between the two reels and the diameters and lengths seem to be the same. What if I took the handle assembly and all gears from this 331 and swap them into one of my 220 bodies?  

Joe, I have the same problem.  I have far too many baitcasting rods and not enough spinning rods.

Yes Frank, the handle on the 331 looks to be 3/4" plus longer than the 330 just eyeballing them.

[oldmanjoe]

I think the 331 handle and the 270 handle are the same ....maybe ?

[festus]

Not sure, Joe, I don't have a 270 (yet) but the 331 handle is 1/2 or so shorter than a 550 handle.

[festus]

.......and the 331 handle is the same length as a 440, only a different style.

[foakes]

Really nice reel —

Looks like original grease, never been cracked open — little usage.

Both the 221 and the 331 have a high speed gear ratio of 1:4.85.

Ideal for spin fishing in fast moving rivers and streams when a higher retrieve rate is needed to present the baits in a natural fashion to the fish.  The best presentation is with the current, is more natural — and requires a faster retrieve to keep the bait moving and off the bottom.  Hence the slightly longer crank for a little extra torque and speed.

Best,

Fred

[Midway Tommy]

Nice acquisition, Chester. You might as well start filling out the N Series while you're waiting for one of those elusive 221s.   

[Rivverrat]

I think the 331 handle and the 270 handle are the same ....maybe ?

Same shape & style but different size. The 331 along with the 270 are my fav Quick reels.

However oppisite of Mike I have several nice 331's but no 221. Just havent run into the right one yet.

However I have found another vintage reel that may unseat the 331 in my quiver.
If your curious PM me. I dont like disclosing such info to scavengers & the lurkers who never contribute to our sight...  Jeff

[mo65]

Mo65, as you know those 221 aren't for sale very often, at least online.  I even called a local collectible fishing tackle dealer, and he said he hasn't ever seen one but has heard of them.

Plenty of the 331 can be found on the cheap, wonder if it's possible to Frankenreel a 221?  I compared the size of the pinion gear, drive axle, and drive gear between the two reels and the diameters and lengths seem to be the same. What if I took the handle assembly and all gears from this 331 and swap them into one of my 220 bodies?  

   I remember Fred saying once that some of the parts on these Quicks interchange. If I remember right, some models share gearing, but have different rotors and spools. If that 331 gear set is the same as a 221 gear set...absolutely...fire up the Tesla coils...bring a monster to life!

[festus]

Not sure about the Frankenreel.    I checked both the 220 and 330 schematics, both have some inserted information for the high speed models.

Drive shaft, complete crank assembly, and crank arm are identical on both.  

The drive gear for the 221 is S100-450.  The drive gear for the 331 is S100-522.  

As Fred said, this reel would be perfect for fast moving water.  One of the hottest striper shore spots is just that.  When TVA is generating at this one certain dam,  a 1-1/2 oz jig in the tailwaters is perfect.  1 oz jig is too light, the current will wash it right back at you.  2 oz is a tad heavy, but could be done with this setup with a minimum of bottom bouncing.

[Rivverrat]

I think the 221 has more in common with the 110. Maybe wrong on that... Jeff

[festus]

Got this reel back together today, did a complete overhaul of everything other than the spool.

Question:
The metal spool from my old Finessa 285 will fit this reel.  Would it be safe to use 20 lb braid, and which brand would be the toughest?