My first cardinal reel. Found this pair of nib 653 at yard sale. I am guessing since in blister packs not too old. Anyone used these reels.
That's a nice find, especially since they've never been used. 8) Yes, they're a little later version, but only by a couple of years. The first ones came in fish decorated boxes, later in a green & gray box & then the plastic packs.
They're a decent little spinner. Abu Garcia was one of the earliest manufacturers of the newer type of rear drag spinners. A lot of makers followed their lead, so there's a a lot similar rear drags out there.
The 653 is basically a light size, almost an UL. The 652 is the smallest. The 600s & 700s are nearly the same reels, some parts are interchangeable. I did a tutorial on them over in the ABU Garcia section.
Thanks Tommy,
What year would you guess. One pack is cracked and top chewed up. Thought about fishing that reel and maybe keep the other in pack.
James
Probably 1985ish. They only made the 600 series from 1983 - 1985.
Yeah, I've got one and a parts reel. Surprisingly nice. Some plastic parts. Small ball bearing. A/R works ahead of the gear train. I use it with either 4 or 6 lb. test mono. It casts really well, especially with the 4 lb. test.
Frank