Bearings in spinning reels

[wong2a9]

Can all bearings in a spinning reel be packed with grease?  I ask because freespool is not a factor so i'd assume that they could be packed with grease and operate fine. 

[Nessie Hunter]

Yes........   

[coastalobsession]

For the spinning reel bearings i use a mixture of corrosion x and yamaha grease.

[Cone]

I use a bearing packer and straight Yamaha Grease in mine. 

[BigT]

It really comes down to personal preference and how you want the reel to perform. Heavy grease will always provide better long-term protection but will dramatically slow bearings while light lubes sacrifice some measure of protection for more free running.

While in a spinner, slow bearings won't reduce your casting distance, they can certainly make a reel feel heavy and so might not be ideal for 'cast and retrieve' style fishing (fishing crankbaits, soft baits, etc). And in finesse fishing with small reels, heavily greased bearings may not be what you want.

I fish a lot of spinners and choose lubes according the reel and type of fishing I use it for. In heavy duty spinners I grease most or all of the bearings with blue grease. In mid size reels where I might use it for a combination of different fishing styles, I'll often use a lighter grease (corrision X grease or Lighting Lube being my current favorites). In lighter reels or reels I specifically use for 'cast & retrieve' I'll usually use oil (corrosion X) in the side plate bearings and sometimes the spool bearings (but they then need a lot more care and maintenance attention).

I ALWAYS recommend greasing the tiny bearings that most spinners have in their bail roller assembly these days. They are a real weak spot for corrosion/salt & grunge intrusion.


Cheers, T

[wong2a9]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I've been doing a lot of reading on this site and think that its great.  Just got enough courage to take apart my FinNor OFS 75 after seeing a tutorial on here.  I also will be attempting to service all of my reels thanks to the info read on here.  Keep up the great work Alan!!!

[alantani]

when you do that, your reel will feel stiff when you crank.  it's a trade off.