Avet Raptor HX

[kr1985]

Looking into buying a new Avet Raptor HX. Have heard mixed reviews on the reel. Can I get the professionals opinion on the reel? Pros, cons, anti-reverse when jigging issues, etc. Just trying to do my research before I spend the money.

[alantani]

it's a big reel.  as long as the dimensions are ok, i'm sure you will be happy with the performance.  before you fish with it, just grease the drag washers and do a standard bearing service. 

[akfish]

I really like the HX Raptor. Unlike the standard HX, it has almost no pinion bearing issues and turns out more drag that you'll ever need. Many people fish them with 100# line. It's high gear retrieve ratio, 5.4:1, is fine for jigging. It has an anti-reverse dog, not instant anti-reverse, but that's fine with me for jigging.

[kr1985]

Alan you mentioned standard bearing service before fishing the reel. Do you have a tutorial for standard bearing service somewhere? I want to do it the correct way.

[redsetta]

G'day KR,
It's all in here: http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=13.0
Also, if you're interested, Alan's bearing packers are here: http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=870.0
Good luck, Justin

[kr1985]

Awesome. Thanks guys. Just read that.

I have some questions. I am a mechanical engineer so these little details keep me up at night. Forgive me.

-Sealed bearings should be lubed with something like reelx or tsi 301? Just open it up, clean it, put a few drops in there and reseal?

-Open bearings packed with grease?

-Also noticed differentiating between spool and shaft bearing lubrication method. Regardless of sealed or open bearing types packed grease on any spool bearing will hinder freespool?

-Are greases specifically marketed as drag grease necessary for greasing the drag washer or will any reel grease work? What makes drag grease different from a grease you would use for gears in a reel?

[redsetta]

-Sealed bearings should be lubed with something like reelx or tsi 301? Just open it up, clean it, put a few drops in there and reseal?
-Open bearings packed with grease?

Sealed or open isn't an issue, it depends on whether it's a spool or side plate etc bearing and the type of fishing you're doing.

Which brings us to:

-Also noticed differentiating between spool and shaft bearing lubrication method. Regardless of sealed or open bearing types packed grease on any spool bearing will hinder freespool?

If you're looking for free-spool for casting, fly-lining livies etc, clean the spool bearings well and use a thin, high-quality lubricant like TSI301 or similar (ie ReelX etc).
Side plate bearings etc should be fully packed with a good-quality marine grease.
I'd generally fully grease all bearings on a trolling-specific reel...

-Are greases specifically marketed as drag grease necessary for greasing the drag washer or will any reel grease work? What makes drag grease different from a grease you would use for gears in a reel?

Yes. Drag grease is teflon-based. Any other grease will stick and undermine the quality of your drag.

There's a wealth of info on all these points in Alan's site - have a wander and you'll find plenty of illumination.
Hope that's of some assistance.
All the best, Justin

[kr1985]

Any chance you know if Reel Saver HG is Teflon based? What do you guys think of that stuff?

[Nuvole]

The HX is a rather big reel. I've purchase one for trolling but have yet to try it out.
If you are interested to take a look at the internal parts, I've strip mine not long ago.

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=2966.0

[kr1985]

You say big reel like it is a bad thing. I have held one before. It is not very heavy. Sure it has a large diameter. What are your thoughts on using this for speed jigging?

[Nuvole]

You say big reel like it is a bad thing. I have held one before. It is not very heavy. Sure it has a large diameter. What are your thoughts on using this for speed jigging?

Trolling and jigging are different game. While I'm happy to fight a fish less than an hour with it, I don't see myself holding to such setup for hours. Its not the weight of the reel itself, its the reel with full load of lines that will add up the weight.

[alantani]

fine for trolling.  decent for casting live baits.  smaller is better for live baits, though.