Many, many years ago, some 45 or so, my parents gave me a Quick 331 Finessa for Christmas. Mom had found it on a markdown rack in a now-defunct discount department store. Maybe it was the display model, maybe it had been discontinued, maybe both, but Mom, being very proud of the purchase, told me she had picked it up for $5. It even came with an extra spool, with a cork insert for one spool and a white plastic one for the other. It was the best reel I had ever used up until that time.
It still is. Even after 45 years of use, it still works as nice as the day I opened the box. The only repair I've ever had to make is to replace the bail spring, twice. (I now carry a pair of replacements in my tackle box, just in case. Cheapest insurance I'll ever buy.) I have it mounted to a custom-made rod that I put together myself, using a 7-foot Ugly Stik blank and parts I had salvaged from its predecessor, which had met with an untimely end due to an unfortunate boating accident. (Never again will I climb out of the boat while holding a fishing rod...) The rod is strong, every bit as strong as the reel. The action is perfect, and the balance, well, it's like the rod was MADE for that reel. Which, actually, it was.
I don't get nearly enough time to go fishing, but every year we do make the time for a full week on the St. Lawrence River, near Ogdensburg, NY. We drift-fish mostly, looking for walleyes and smallmouths like the ones in the photos (from last week). Battling with fish like those in that St. Lawrence current gives one an appreciation of the quality of a Quick reel.
Which finally brings me around to my point. I have another reel that was a present from my parents, only earlier. It's a Garcia Mitchel 304. The low end of the Mitchel line at the time, it's a good enough reel for what it is, but it's no DAM Quick. I used it last week, picking up a smallmouth about 2 inches shorter than the one in the photo. I got the fish in, but it wasn't near as much fun as it would have been with a better reel. It was then that I decided to retire the 304, and replace it with another Quick.
But which one to go after? Another 331 would be great, but would I be just as happy with another of the line? A 330? Maybe a 220 or 221, if they aren't TOO much smaller than the 331. I don't want anything bigger, I think. And what about the gear ratio? About the only time I use that high speed cranking is when a smallie decides to take a run straight at me - would I be OK with one of the slower reels? And what about those Finessas I see on eBay, the ones without a number, how do they compare?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Welcome aboard, TJ!
You have a few options, from what you described.
220 & 221 are also tough reels. The 221 is the high speed 5:1 ratio like your 331.
330 is the companion to your 331 — only the 330 has a 3:1 ratio.
The Finessa is a very good choice since they have a 3:1 ratio & a metal spool which will also work on your 331.
Depending on conditions, I always prefer to have a 3:1 with me for low gear cranking power — and also a high speed if casting in current where the bait presentation needs to be naturally downstream — and the setup needs to stay above and off the bottom.
Your old 331 has a lot of good family memories and history. These are bullet-proof reels.
Best,
Fred
Thanks for the welcome and the info, Fred. It is much appreciated.
So, I take it that the Finessa is essentially an older version of the 330? Other than the metal spool, what would the differences be?
All about the same, TJ, between the Finessa and the 330.
Most parts will interchange to a point — some will not.
The 280 Finessa came out in '56. There was another model that came out in '59 — which was the 285.
Just slight differences — nothing of a mechanical improvement.
Few folks know how good these old Finessas are. They get laughed at because they are old school, ugly, and do not have the latest 5 stack drags.
However, they do not take offense, and just keep bringing in the fish — decades after the Tupperware Wonders have been bought, discarded, tossed in the trash, and forgotten.
The Finessas, coupled with the right long rod, will handle nearly anything in fresh water — ranging from trout, cats, stripers, salmon, northerns, walleyes, Lakers, Giant European Carp.
They were over-built to last a lifetime, or more — by German engineers and machinists, who took immense pride in their angling and mechanical craftsmanship skills. This was an era when reels were produced as a tool designed to over-perform effectively and not needing replacement every couple of seasons.
To me, the Finessas are like an old 30-30 or an 870 — they just do their assigned mission quietly, reliably and effectively — with no fanfare...forever.
Best,
Fred
Ah, so those two spare bail springs should work on a Finessa, should I get one of those. Good to know.
Yep, they will, TJ —
If you get a Finessa,and if it needs any parts — let me know.
Should have anything needed.
Best,
Fred
Hi TJ, you've come to the right place to learn about D-A-M Quicks. My story is similar to yours. On my 16th birthday my parents got me a 220 on a no-name 7' fiberglass medium action spinning rod.
A year ago tomorrow, I joined this site. At the time I had only the one Quick previously mentioned. A few days later, I lucked out and found a 220N, an incomplete 550N, and the Finessa you mentioned for 16 bucks. Didn't take long to get hooked. Earlier this week the postman delivered a 330N from ebay that completed my collection of the Finessas. Yes, now I have all the 110-550 series including the high speed models. Also have the complete N series including the high speeds.
It took a lot of coaching from Fred, Tommy, Mo, and many more on this site, plus you tube videos but now I have the confidence to at least attempt to repair any reel.
You mentioned what is the difference between the Finessa and the 330 series. Not that much. The Finessa pinion bearing isn't held in place with a snap ring, 330 and 331 pinion bearing uses a snap ring. The 330/331 is a little larger than a 220/221, here's a side to side comparison in the attached photo.
Well, that didn't take long.
I have been watching reels on eBay through the week, and I noticed something. People were bidding on reels listed as needing a repair or another, eventually paying something like $20-25 or more once shipping was taken into account. Meanwhile, reels listed as Buy it now at a price+shipping of $25 or over, no matter what the condition, just sit there. Strange. It was obvious I wasn't going to find one for less than $20 by watching and waiting.
So I wound up buying a lot of two for a total of $39. The description was rather poorly written, but photos indicate a 330 and a 331, both of which are supposed to be operational. They look it. I might have doubted it, if I didn't know how tough my own 331 is. We'll see.
Of course, I shouldn't have bought two when I only needed one, but that's the way things go - still seemed like the best thing to do at the time. I won't be sure what I might do until they get here and I can examine them. I might sell one on eBay. Then again, maybe I'll build myself another rod that I don't need this winter...
I brought up an online inflation calculator and put in the $5 my mother said she paid for the original reel, using 1973 as the year. It said that would equal $28 today. So, at $19.50 each, I did better than she did. HA!
That was actually a good idea to order two reels. Ebay reels commonly have little glitches or lack a couple of parts. Maybe a missing drag washer, bent handle, missing retainer clip, missing screw, etc. Most parts interchange on the 330 and 331. Usually whenever I buy an old classic reel, I buy another for parts. It didn't take long to accumulate 24 D-A-M Quicks I don't need. ;D
Welcome, TJA, from Minnesota. And, thanks for the great fishing stories.
I have a 220, and like it just fine. Will eventually get one of the smaller Quicks so I can see what everyone raves about. They are well made (an understatement).
Your cash outlays, and Moms, --don't worry about them. To get reels today like the quality ones you have, even if you could find them which you probably can't, would cost mucho dinero. You've got among the best reels out there for the lowest $$, and that always translates to a bargain, good investment and fun fishing.
Frank
OK, so there'll be a longer than usual delay before my reels are shipped, because the seller is on a fishing trip this week. I'm OK with that - I won't *need* the reels for a while anyway. But in the meantime it's fun to speculate on what I'll do with the extra reel should both be in good shape.
At the moment I'm leaning toward using it, but that's gonna mean getting another rod. I really like my homemade Ugly Stik, and thought one of them would make a good choice, but I was concerned that today's rods, designed for today's lighter reels, wouldn't be as well balanced for the older Quicks.
Not knowing any better, when I built my rods I just took a jolly good guess, coupled with what fit my limited budget. And I liked what I got. But that was pre-Internet. So now Google and I did some research, and learned how to determine if a rod and reel are balanced, according to the experts. Then I checked my 331 on my homemade Ugly Stik and on the rod I made for the retiring Mitchell 304, just to see how close they really are.
Both are way off, rod-heavy rather than reel-heavy. According to experts, either my reels should be much heavier, or they should be mounted farther from the butt of the rods. And the Ugly Stik, the one I have liked the most for the past 20+ years, is the one that's the farthest off. Fascinating. That's what I get for consulting with "experts." What do they know about what's best for *ME*?
But anyway, it looks like a modern Ugly Stik Elite, made of lighter materials, and with a somewhat longer cork handle (I like cork MUCH better than foam), should be a decent fit, according to those experts. I have some "rewards points" pending, so I can get one from Bass Pro for almost nothing. Maybe I'll get used to it, eventually.
QuoteBoth are way off, rod-heavy rather than reel-heavy. According to experts, either my reels should be much heavier, or they should be mounted farther from the butt of the rods. And the Ugly Stik, the one I have liked the most for the past 20+ years, is the one that's the farthest off. Fascinating. That's what I get for consulting with "experts." What do they know about what's best for *ME*?
That's why all of my spinning rods have cork Tennessee handles with slip rings. That way I can mount any reel, as long as it's the appropriate size for the rod weight & length, wherever it feels best for me. Wrist and arm strength have a lot to do with whether or not a combo feels balanced.
On another note, check out local flea markets & pawn shops for a decent quality used rod and rebuilt it to your own liking. They'll practically give them away around here. I've seen a lot of rod/reel combos, especially on ugly sticks, at the pawn shop for $5-$10.
Quote from: Midway Tommy on August 15, 2018, 01:53:58 AM
Wrist and arm strength have a lot to do with whether or not a combo feels balanced.
On another note, check out local flea markets & pawn shops for a decent quality used rod and rebuilt it to your own liking. They'll practically give them away around here. I've seen a lot of rod/reel combos, especially on ugly sticks, at the pawn shop for $5-$10.
That might explain some of it. I'm a farmer by trade, so I do a lot of work with my hands and arms. Having just turned 69 I'm feeling it in my knees, but not so much in my arms - yet. That also explains why I don't get away to go fishing as much as I'd like. Too much work to do. :(
Good idea on the flea markets. That'll be something to look into when the growing season is over. Also, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November.
It's like being a kid on Christmas morning. Tracking this morning says the reels have arrived at my local post office. They should be here in today's mail. ;D
Will post a photo or two when I get the chance.
Well, they're here. See the photos. The three in this post are of the 331, the 330 in the next one.
Both reels look good, for the most part. They are functional, although when you crank it feels like they need some newer, lighter grease in the gearbox. The 331 has some mono wrapped around the shaft under the spool, but not enough to have damaged anything. And I can't imagine that the drag on the 330's spool could possibly work right with all that grease there.
All in all, a good deal.
The 330. Note all the grease on the spool.
That much grease in that location is insane and asinine. :o
Well, I took one of the covers off for a "Quick" look inside, and as expected found dry, hard, brown grease. I will go through them in a few months, once the growing season is over and I finally get the time to do a good job. And since it's been a good 20 years (or maybe more) since I re-greased the inside of my old 331, I'll do that one, too.
I've read many posts on this site concerning the ongoing debate over which grease to use. I won't be using the reels in salt water, so that part's not a concern. Being a farmer, I have always have a case or two of Tractor Supply general-purpose grease cartridges around for my machinery, and I was just going to use a little of that. It works well on all types of machinery, and doesn't seem to harden, except when sitting outside, unused for several months, in winter weather - something I'm NOT going to do with my reels!
Any reason why I shouldn't just use it?
Likely, whatever grease you use, will do a good job initially, TJ —
For me, it goes a little further than that.
For instance, reel grease should have the right viscosity, stay on the parts where applied, play well with synthetic oil, and lastly — washes out and evacuates well when the next service comes around.
For freshwater, on Quick, Mitchell, Penn, and other quality golden age spinners — I use a grease such as Yamaha Marine that has been cut with a few drops of TSI321 or CorrosionX synthetic oil. Other lubes should provide similar results.
The five easiest and cheapest things to do to prolong the life of a Spinner and get consistently solid and smooth results when fishing are —
* When not in use, back off the drag knob to near free drag
* Pop off the spool — add a drop of oil to the spool axle/spindle before storing
* Store reel off the rod in a soft cloth, breathable bag
* Use effective and proven greases (whatever your choice) , plus check lubes before a trip
* Replace the mono line whenever needed, at least every season or two, depending on your judgement
Just my opinions and style. Lots of ways to accomplish the same thing — this is just what works for me.
Best,
Fred
Fred gave you some great advice.
About the only things I can add is forget about the multipurpose implement grease and go with a thinned down marine grease or straight superlube. Your reel will operate better, and longer between lubes, if you use synthetic grease and oil.
Thought I'd give you guys an update on my progress with my "new" reels...
I started with the 330's greasy spool, removing the ancient monofilament, wiping as much grease away as I could with paper toweling, and disassembling it. To my great relief, everything was there, and in good shape- except for all the extra grease. I wiped down all the parts with the toweling, and saw that if all the grease didn't do anything else, it kept the fiber drag washers from wearing - they looked brand-new. I chose to just wipe everything as much as I could, knowing I was leaving a thin film of grease, deciding that was the perfect amount of lubrication for those parts. Checking it out on the reel after re-assembly, the drag now works and adjusts perfectly.
I then turned to the reel's gearcase. I removed the cover, and the handle/drive gear assembly. I decided NOT to go further than that at this time. The existing grease, while somewhat dried out, wasn't as "hard" as I thought it was. It needed to be thinned, more than anything else. I removed as much as I could easily from the gears, and worked a few drops of "household" oil into various places to thin down and loosen up the grease that was there. I've done this sort of thing more times than I can count on farm machinery, when faced with a piece of equipment I didn't really trust myself to disassemble without breaking something. It usually works, and it did this time, too. After replacing the grease on the gears and re-assembling, the cranking action no longer felt "difficult" to use. It feels as nice as the 331 that I've had for so long. Yes, a half-assed job by you guys' standards, but still more maintenance than the reel has seen in a long, long, long time.
I put some nylon cord on the spool for backing, then filled it with the 20lb. test monofilament I use on my original 331 on the St. Lawrence River. I'll be mounting it on the 7' fiberglass rod that I built for my old Mitchell 304 many years ago, and the 304 goes into early retirement. My old 331, after some new grease in the gear case, will stay on the 7' Ugly Stik that I built for it, of course.
The "new" 331 is next, and I'll probably do a similar job on that to bring it back into usable condition. But before that, Cyber Monday came along, and with it a one day only sale on Amazon. A 2-piece, 7' Ugly Stik Elite medium power rod for $15 off the regular price, $5 less than the price of a GX2, lowest price for one I've seen anywhere. A good match, I hope, for the "new" 331 when the time comes, so I bought one. It's supposed to be here on Thursday.
I'll post photos when everything is done.
You will soon be upgrading to Adam's drag kits ;) ;D
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=22913.0
TJ ,
You got my hat.......
Just ask any one who knows me !
JT
Dang, look at that... I just noticed that all three reels need the "rubber buffer" on the bail, according to my manual part number 1.00 109. The tiny black button that cushions the bail when it flips over. The one on the "new 331 is completely gone, and the other two are worn enough that they might as well not be there.
Fred, any chance you have three of these on hand? If not, any ideas for a DIY replacement? Hot melt glue, perhaps? Or do I really even need it?
Very nice work TJ...Thanks!
My advice? Take JT's hat.
Steve
I use a rotary leather punch for varying sizes and make my own out of mud flap rubber. I glue them into the hole or onto the flat surface, as the case may be. It's a simple process and IMHO easier than trying to find or ordering the part.
Like Tommy sez, TJ —
They are fairly easy to make or improvise...
But here are (3) new ones that I will send you.
N/C.
PM your address so I can get them in the mail.
Best,
Fred
Quote from: foakes on November 28, 2018, 12:56:18 AM
Like Tommy sez, TJ —
They are fairly easy to make or improvise...
But here are (3) new ones that I will send you.
N/C.
PM your address so I can get them in the mail.
Done! And just in case I mess up (Don't let this get out, but it's been known to happen!), I'll keep Tommy's suggestions in reserve!
Got it, TJ —
Going out today from the Post Office.
Best,
Fred
Well, there they are, ready to go (except for the bail bumpers).
The right/top one is the 330, mounted on a 7' fiberglass rod I assembled myself many years ago, the rod that I used to pair with my Mitchell 304.
The center one is the "new" 331, mounted on the new 7' Ugly Stik Elite.
The left/bottom one is my original 331, mounted on the 7' rod I assembled for it a few years before I did the other one, using an Ugly Stik blank.
If you look closely, you can see from the wear on the paint that my "old" reel has seen a lot more use than either of the "new" ones.
They make a nice Christmas present to myself. Unfortunately, I doubt I will get much of a chance to fish with them before August. :(
Nicely done, enjoy them many times.
Dropped off the (3) bail bumpers at the Post Office yesterday, TJ...
Best,
Fred
Quote from: foakes on November 29, 2018, 08:23:40 PM
Dropped off the (3) bail bumpers at the Post Office yesterday, TJ...
Best,
Fred
They showed up in yesterday's mail, Fred - that was FAST!
A question: Are they a press fit, or should I use some sort of glue? And if I need glue, what is recommended?
They should be just a press fit, TJ.
As you use the reel, they expand slightly to make a tighter fit.
Some reels and holes may be different sizes over the years — but I doubt it.
If that is the case — just a toothpick drop of a good glue will do.
I use TacGlue or 3M emblem adhesive. Almost anything will work — but you likely will not need to bother.
Best,
Fred