COUNTER BALANCED HANDLES OR NOT?

[LTM]

Hi all,

Doing some upgrades on reels a question comes to mind.  The question is: what effect does it have on a reel when you exchange a counter balanced handle for a NON-counter balanced handle?  You cant help but notice the trend to non-counter balanced reel handles, while some reels still are manufactured with counter balanced handles (ie TLD star, etc).  What are the pros and cons for the two different handle types?  Are the two different styles application specific, if so why?  Is ione more applicable to a reel size (large vs small), if so where is the transition in size for one type of handle vs the other?  What part does grip size play in the equation?  My concern in asking this question is function NOT looks!

Thanx,

Leo

[akfish]

Counter balanced handles make a lot of sense on an older direct drive baitcaster because the handle rotates when you cast. But on a reel with free spool and a handle that does not rotate when you cast, there's really no need for a counter balanced handle unless you just like it.

[LTM]

Thanks AK,

I dont have any old reels where the handle rotates in free-spool w/the spool.  So, excluding old reels like those; whats the reasoning for counter-balanced handles?

Leo

[Shark Hunter]

You got me Leo. I do think they are cool though. Its a nostalgia thing to me.
If I buy an older reel that has a counterbalanced handle. I try to leave it.

[Makule]

My experience with the Senator 6/0 is that the one with the counterbalanced handle did not "wobble" as much when cranking.