lubricants

[BeachBob]

Lotsa good choices for reel lubricants, take yer pick, almost all will work yeoman well.  How much to use and where is another issue that deserves attention and consideration.

Where grease is needed I use SuperLube, and when oil is required it's TS-321.  There sure are other good choices and the "best" lube to use is the one you like best.   

[Pierce]

Love the TS-321 oil, long lasting.

[The Tuna]

Alan Tani, here's to you!   

[Congerslayer]

Hey y'all,which version, (serial/ID number) of Super Lube would men a a good all around grease to get started? Gotta order as soon as possible.  Probably should get a bit of oil too, definetly like that Super Lube is all synthetic

[jurelometer]

Hey y'all,which version, (serial/ID number) of Super Lube would men a a good all around grease to get started? Gotta order as soon as possible.  Probably should get a bit of oil too, definetly like that Super Lube is all synthetic

https://www.super-lube.com/multi-purpose-synthetic-grease-with-syncolon

Different product numbers for different sizes and thicknesses.

The NLGI 2 grade thickness is the most useful for most folk. 

-J

[jtwill98]

I have been asked at work to investigate different AI models, specifically Google Gemini since we have a commercial license to use it for code development and code reviews.

So, I was curious on how Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro (AI bot) would respond to this general question, "What is the best lubricant for reels?" Many of you may be delighted with it's response (see below).

'Excellent question! The "best" lubricant for a fishing reel isn't a single product, but rather the right type of lubricant for the right part. Using the wrong one can be just as bad as using none at all.

The golden rule of reel lubrication is simple:

• Oil for things that spin fast. (Low viscosity)
• Grease for things that move slow and mesh. (High viscosity)

Let's break it down in detail.

The Two Main Types of Lubricants: Oil vs. Grease

1) Reel Oil (Low Viscosity) - Reel oil is a thin, low-viscosity lubricant designed to penetrate tight spaces and not slow down high-speed parts.

Where to Use It:

• Ball Bearings: This is the most important place for oil. Spool bearings on a baitcaster, handle bearings, and line roller bearings on a spinning reel all need oil.
• Line Roller (on spinning reels): A drop on the bearing inside is crucial for smooth line retrieval.
• Handle Knobs: A drop on the post will keep the knobs spinning freely.
• Level-wind Worm Gear (on baitcasters/conventionals): A light coat of oil keeps the line guide moving smoothly.
• Shafts and Bushings: Any non-geared rotating part.

Why You Use It: It's thin enough that it won't impede the speed of a bearing, which is critical for casting distance in a baitcaster.

2) Reel Grease (High Viscosity) - Reel grease is a thick, high-viscosity lubricant that is meant to stay put, cushion parts under high pressure, and provide long-lasting protection.

Where to Use It:

• Main Gear and Pinion Gear: This is the primary application for grease. It coats the gear teeth, reduces friction and wear, and quiets the reel.
• Crosswind Block/Gears (in spinning reels): The mechanism that makes the spool go up and down.
• Sliding parts and non-bearing surfaces that are under pressure.

Why You Use It: It's thick and tacky, so it won't get flung off the gears as they turn. It provides a protective barrier between metal surfaces that are under heavy load.

Specialty Lubricants
Drag Grease - This is a very specific type of grease. Do not use regular gear grease on your drag washers.

• What it is: A specialty grease (like Cal's Universal Drag Grease or Shimano's Star Drag Grease) designed to coat carbon fiber or felt drag washers.
• Why it's special: It creates a smooth, consistent, and waterproof surface that prevents the "jerky" or "sticky" feeling when a fish pulls drag. It also helps dissipate heat. Applying a very thin layer is key.

What to AVOID at All Costs

• WD-40: This is a solvent and water displacer, NOT a lubricant. It will actually strip the necessary oils and greases from your reel, leaving it unprotected. It's okay for cleaning a seized part, but you must thoroughly clean it off and re-lube with proper products afterward.
• 3-in-1 Oil: Tends to gum up over time and attract dirt. It's not designed for the fine tolerances and conditions of a fishing reel.
• Automotive Grease (e.g., White Lithium Grease): This is far too thick and heavy. It will make your reel feel sluggish and can damage delicate plastic components.
• Vaseline / Petroleum Jelly: It will break down, attract a huge amount of sand and dirt, and offers poor protection.

Recommended Brands and Products
You can't go wrong with products made specifically for fishing reels. Here are some of the most trusted names:

• All-in-One Kits (Good for Beginners)
• Lucas Oil Fishing Reel Oil & Grease Combo: Very popular, high-quality synthetic lubricants that work great for most applications.
• Penn Angler Pack (Rod & Reel Cleaner, Oil, Grease): A trusted name in fishing. Their lubricants are excellent, especially for saltwater reels.
• Ardent Reel Butter Kit: Another very popular choice. The "Reel Butter" oil is particularly well-regarded for its performance on bearings.

Specific Products (If you want the best of each category)
1) Best Oil:

• Quantum Hot Sauce Reel Oil: A legendary, low-viscosity synthetic oil. The red dye helps you see where you've applied it.
• TSI 321: A high-end, synthetic oil favored by reel tuners for ultimate bearing performance.

2) Best Grease:

• Yamaha Marine Grease (Yamalube): A blue, tacky, and extremely water-resistant grease that is a favorite among reel maintenance pros. A tube will last a lifetime.
• Shimano Permalube Grease: The factory grease used in many Shimano reels. It's excellent.

3) Best Drag Grease:

• Cal's Universal Reel & Star Drag Grease: This is the industry standard. It comes in two versions: Tan (for light drags) and Purple (for heavy drags).
• Shimano Star Drag Grease: Another top-tier option, perfect for Shimano reels.

Quick Application Guide

• Clean First: You can't lubricate dirt. Disassemble the reel as far as you are comfortable, and clean the old grease and gunk off the gears and parts with a degreaser and a toothbrush.
• Less is More: This is the most important tip. You only need a thin film of lubricant.
• Grease: Use a small brush to apply a light, even coat to the gear teeth. You should be able to see the metal through the grease.
• Oil: One small drop is all you need for a bearing or handle knob. Over-oiling will attract dirt.
• Refer to Your Reel's Schematic: If you're unsure where a part goes or what it does, the schematic (exploded diagram) that came with your reel is your best friend.

In summary: Buy a quality, reel-specific oil and grease. Use oil on fast parts (bearings), grease on slow parts (gears), and never use WD-40 as a lubricant.'

[alantani]

Ok. Wow!!! Just wow!!!

[oc1]

Gemini has learned a lot from your experience and recommendations Alan. 

[JasonGotaProblem]

It's been my observation that ai gives the first "good" answer it comes across even if that's far from the best answer. There's some oversimplified statements and generalizations that aren't quite right but it sure seemed to get the gist... From here.

[Midway Tommy]

The text clearly indicates the entire synopsis didn't come exclusively from here. The lack of synthetic lubricant reference is clear evidence. There are a lot of fishing & reel related sites that summarize reel maintenance, service & restoration and most of the good ones reference the same, or similar, products & procedures.

[jurelometer]

Uggh.

It is useful to remember that this  AI "answer" is just a bunch of words  strung together in an order based on probability.  And success is determined by how happy we are with the answer, not how accurate it is. Much of the investment has gone into making answers that read well. It is an easier problem to solve and has a higher ROI.

When we dig into this particular answer, we see that while sounding authoritative, it is wrong in many important areas- here are some:

" Using the wrong one can be just as bad as using none at all."

This is terribly wrong and bad advice.  Any lubricant is nearly always better than no lubricant.

On drag grease:

" Why it's special: It creates a smooth, consistent, and waterproof surface that prevents the "jerky" or "sticky" feeling when a fish pulls drag. It also helps dissipate heat. Applying a very thin layer is key."

Nope.  Any grease does that.  Except the part about dissipating heat.  Greases are poor conductors of heat.  The AI may have gotten confused because greases are mostly used to decrease friction which decreases the conversion of kinetic energy to heat.  But for drags, we actually are trying use friction for this energy conversion in a controlled manner. Grease helps with the control part.

Actually drag grease is not special.  There are simply some greases that work better in drags than others. The key attribute is a high dropping point temperature. Many also contain a PTFE additive that may or may not help. Plus it is worth noting that greasing is recommended mostly for carbon fiber drags, as it can decrease the performance of other materials.

On types of grease to avoid at all costs:

"Automotive Grease (e.g., White Lithium Grease): This is far too thick and heavy. It will make your reel feel sluggish and can damage delicate plastic components."

It is hard to get this much wrong information in a single sentence. There is no one type of automotive grease. General purpose grease is a common automotive grease and is an option for reel work.  Most automotive greases and most reel greases are NLGI 2, so all the same thickness, but there are options for other thicknesses in both categories.

White lithium grease is lithium grease with zinc oxide to make it white.  Most greases marketed for reels and most of our favorites here are probably lithium based.  The Lithium base itself is generally  compatible with plastics.  The base oil and and additives may or may not be, but in general, a grease that damages plastics is not very useful and tends to be a specialty product.

And so on...

———-$

Why this sucks in general:

The AI output often gets dispersed into the giant collective data set that feeds  the internet (we are doing this right now).  It  will be consumed again by another AI "harvester".  Eating what you excrete is never a healthy option, and AI is not-so-slowly, but surely polluting our reservoir of knowledge.

There have been some interesting studies where AI output is fed into AI input over multiple generations.  Since the AI models do not really understand anything, the  easiest way to get to a plausible answer is to throw away any outlier data.  Over time, the richness of the data is lost in an ever tightening loop that eventually turns into gibberish.

Remember that the folks that are making these products are tech bros in rush to get even more wealthy ahead of the next tech bro.  We are not dealing with serious responsible humans here.  This is why the answers look good even if the actual information is unreliable, often completely made up, and sometimes dangerous.  It is a reflection of the values and priorities of the people making these products.  They don't care, and they are in a hurry.

This is a limited but still powerful technology that can cause all sorts of benefits and harms, including plenty of weird s**t that we have not even considered.  I am not optimistic that this will end well.

In the meantime, if you want to get knowledgeable on lubricants for reels, you are still stuck having to put in the time to find reliable sources and do some homework. All of the corrections  that I have noted are covered in the lubricant threads here.  We have mostly good info interspersed with a bit of incorrect stuff, but over time, we have improved our collective knowledge- sort of the opposite of an AI LLM.  If you put in the time, you can lean stuff.  No free lunch.

-J

[SushiKing]

I wonder if anybody has a source for Xtreme REEL+ lube ? I have had a 8oz. bottle for 15+ years that had a little bit left. I was working on a reel a couple weeks ago and started smelling the lube it tipped over in my reel lube parts container under my table I put what was left into a old 1oz.TSI 321 bottle so pissed maybe 1/4oz.left A couple drops in my Curado baitcaster reels would help casting so much!

[boon]

Discontinued over a decade ago to my knowledge.

[devoker]

Which oils can I use to thin superlube for light/ultralight saltwater spinning reels? I mixed it with penn oil but I am worried it might separate. Superlube feels too thick by itself and create some resistance. Does reelx mix well or should I get superlube oil to be safe? I also heard people mixing grease with synthetic engine oils. Are they fine?

[alantani]

i use TSI 321 for spool bearings and corrosion x as an all purpose oil.