real world drag pressures

[alantani]

This is a very technical site and some of the people on here have these reels down to a science. So, I've got a question or two concerning drag.  I've heard that the drag on a 6/0 through 9/0 is basically the same. How close? What sort of drag rating on the

1. Squidder

2. Jigmaster

3. Beachmaster (155)

4. 4/0

All with new HT-100's. Dealing with this based on a full spool. I realize the you get slightly more drag as you approach the bottom of the spool.  Also, there is a rating for getting the drag to slip and a continuous rating, right? What is the general percentage relationship of the two? How much drag is lost between greased drags and dry drags?  If the answers are not here, where might I find them? The Penn site that I visited was absolutely no help.  Thanks

[alantani]

ok, the numbers are going to be ballpark only. i've never taken the time to check this out in any kind of systematic way. it would not be hard to do, just time consuming. some of these i will be guessing at, but i should be close.

penn 114h (and 115L) - 5 stack of #6-115 drags, working drag range to 20#'s, max drag range to 30#'s or more, damage to the brass gear sleeve at probably 25#'s. the 114H and 115L (6/0 and 9/0) have the same gears and drag washers.

penn 113h (and 320/330gti!) - 5 stack of #6-113h/320 drags, working drag range to 15#'s, max drag 25#'s, damage to the brass gear sleeve at probably 20#'s.

jigmaster 500 (and 309, 112h, and 113) - 3 stack of #6-309 drags, working drag range to 10#'s, max drag 15#'s, damage to the brass gear sleeve at greater than 8#'s.

squidder 140L - 3 stack of #6-60 drags, working drag range to 8#'s, max drag range 12#'s, damage to the brass gear sleeve at 8#'s.

beachmaster155 - 3 stack of #6-155 drags, working drag range to 6#'s, max drag range 8#'s, damage to the brass gear sleeve at 8#'s.

now, when you talk about "there is a rating for getting the drag to slip and a continuous rating," your're taking about something i would call "start up," right? that's the amount of pull need to get the spool moving. as opposed the "drag setting" that is the amount of pull needed to keep it moving. well, start up can be zero, or it could be double. fouled drags have a very high "start up," greased drags have virtually no "start up" at all. i would want the "start up" to not exceed 10% of the drag setting. too much "start up" and you lose fish.

as for the amount of drag lost when you grease a drag, that would only be a factor if the travel of the "drag star" was limited. you can always crank down on the star a little more, or push the lever a little farther forward. if you lose 20% of drag pressure becaue of grease, but can turn the star down 20% more, it's a wash.

that being the case, let's look at the issue of "lock up." this is the point at which you tighten the star down so much that the drag washer locks and will not slip anymore. read drag failure. drag grease will help prevent "lock up" in the same way that it helps to prevent "start up." this is usually an issue when the drags are fouled and "lock up" at a low setting.

here is the take home message.....

drag grease extends your drag range by allowing the drags to function under greater pressure before they "lock up." more importantly, it reduces "start up" and risk of losing fish as a result.

[Wilmar]

Alan,  that was a great explanation of why greased drags are such a basic need.  I had not understood the concept of start up before and that it could be a higher amount of pull than what is needed to continue to pull line off of a reel.  Thanks from a novice.