So, I'm window shoppping for a replacement of my Penn GTI320 to either mount on my Seeker 30-7 rod or the ugly stick tiger speced from 14-40lb
I wanted to try a lever drag. How does this seem?
http://shimano.fishing-store.us/shimano-tld15-tld-reel.html
Shimano TLD Lever Drag Reel TLD15
Preferred for its lightweight and reliability, Shimano TLD lever-drag offshore reel will give you years of dependable service.
Graphite Frame
Graphite Side Plates
Aluminum Spool
Rod Clamp
Barrel Handle Grip
A-RB (Anti-Rust Bearings)
Clicker
Counter Balanced Handle (TLD 15 only)
It has no wind level, which is a down side IMO.
Ruben
Rubin, are you planning on using braid or mono? If braid, you may want to check you the Shimano Charter Specials since they have line guides. You will need to upgrade the drags to carbontex but that's about it. Solid reel. and if you want to change to guideless in the future, Cortez_Conversion has a solid aluminum frame.
The charter special has canvas drags. Not recommended. I'd switch to Carbontex. I think they are like $10 or $15.
The TLD's use to come with a canvas drag washer, not sure if they still do but a change out to a carbon fiber drag is well worth the extra $10-$15 and very easy to do. Also I did not like the stock handle on my TLD 15 and replaced it with a Torium handle.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 14, 2013, 01:39:58 AM
The last time I popped open a reel it ended up in a lot of little peices on my table ...
We can help you get them back together.
I did 2 Charter Specials last month and the drag replacement is an easy job.
The Charter Special is pretty much a TLD with a level wind. Both reels have canvas drags and need them changed out. Great, very simple reels. Changing the drag takes about 10 min or less and you don't have to get into the reel mechanism. Lever drags tend to be much simpler than star drags, especially TLD's and Charter Specials. I like the TLD 15 for it's topless frame and lack of a levelwind. Another Shimano to look at is the TLD Star series star drag reels, especially the 15/30, if it holds enough line for you.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 14, 2013, 05:57:32 AM
I'd need a part and expertise.
Smooth Drag has the parts and we can help walk you through the work. Once you are done you will have a good reel for your needs. If you get to a point where you can't get the reel together send it to me and I'll "fix" it for you but it's not a hard project.
http://www.tackledirect.com/tr1000ld.html (http://www.tackledirect.com/tr1000ld.html)
Use this posting as a guide http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=12.0 and you will do fine. All you need is a #1 phillips screw driver, new drag washer, and drag grease. Dawn at SmoothDrag was 2 out of the 3.
Then you will be good to go.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 14, 2013, 03:01:07 PM
Quote from: Bryan Young on May 14, 2013, 01:51:43 PM
Use this posting as a guide http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=12.0 and you will do fine. All you need is a #1 phillips screw driver, new drag washer, and drag grease. Dawn at SmoothDrag was 2 out of the 3.
Then you will be good to go.
So go with the Shamano instead of the Penn and take it apart?
The charter specials are a slot smaller and lighter for your type of fishing. The GLD series are great reels, but are more trolling reels. Therefore, for your case, I'd choose the Shimano, especially if you are going to fish braid.
The Penn Fathom FTH15LW is similar in size to the Shimano Charter Special TR 1000LD but it's a star drag..
Based on your signature you and I can speak the same language, but you need to understand that what you are asking takes an immense amount of time that most people just don't have available.
Their are many many detailed tutorials on many reels that are similar to the reels you are interested in. If you use those as a guide and ask specific questions when you get stuck we will go to unbelievable lengths to make sure you are successful.
I know you are looking for something like how to spawn x daemon with this kernel including an explanation and syntax but that just doesn't happen here. Much of what we do is modifications and using reels beyond what the manufacturers intended. You can't find the exact procedure to overspeed every CPU or water cool every case that's on the market. Some stuff has to come from you. Give it a shot and call for the Calvary when you get stuck, we'll be their.
Oh, we assume that you have educated yourself with the tutorials already on this board to the point that you can keep up with the comment you quoted. Their is no one on the planet better than Alan Tani at making those tutorials and he has spent an unbelievable number of hours preparing them so that totally uneducated people can learn. It is an unbelievable resource that you need to use to get smart.
Ron
Although I have no experience with your particular reel, I do know that many on here truly love it. Might I suggest you send it and the drag to Alan before giving up all hope? The money is ridiculously insignificant compared to the product Alan will return to you.
Ron
Great advice - Alan or one of the team can make it sing.
Respectfully, it also sounds like you need to read up on adjusting lever drag reels...The comments you've made on too much resistance sound like it's cranked up too tight and/or you did not have the lever in free spool when you adjusted tension. Lever drags are great, but they do require proper adjustment. It's also surprising how many experienced guys go back to star drags for many, if not all applications. They're easy, dependable and have a rediculous amount of drag.
Also, I agree with Keta on the FTH15. It holds 300yds of #50 and has a very smooth HT-100 drag. It's a great option at around $150.
BTW, Alan also has some great options to replace original TLD handles - I did both the TLD 5 and the TLD 15 and love the new handles...they're great!
i'm sorry you're are struggling with this. In your particular case, it might have made sense to buy it, put line on it and go fishing for this first trip. The felt washers will do fine for one outing. I used my TLD's for years with the original washers. That said, properly greased carbontex washers are awesome and for just a few dollars, make a huge difference and increase the enjoyment (smooth drags just feel great).
As to your comments on setting the drag. First, the comment on shifting the lever to freespool as you read is absolutely correct. The section you read about experienced fisherman pulling line by hand is not the same topic. It refers to checking if your "setting" is correct. If you were to check in this manner and found it to be too loose or too tight, you would then shift the lever to freespool and make the adjustment. You'd then move the lever to "strike" position to recheck the "feel." Given you are new to these reels...it makes a lot of sense to use a scale. I always check my drags with a scale before fishing, though for maybe 35 years I went by feel. It's no coincidence the number of lost fish is significantly reduced by this, but it's your call.
You might also consider a narrow spool reel. They aren't level-winds, however the narrow spool makes line management much easier if that's your goal. You just get so many great reel options with non level-wind. Another LW reel which was not mentioned (unless I missed it) are the Abu Garcia reels. My 7000C's are still going strong after 30 years. Now the line is expanded with many options as to capacity, number of bearings, etc.
Ok, here's a bold recommendation - go buy a Penn Fathom LW in either the 15, 20 or 25 size range depending on your needs. Then go return the Shimano. The Fathom already has the correct drag washers and they've had strong reviews (I have a FTH15LW myself). You can then put line on it and go fishing and won't need to crack a case.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 22, 2013, 09:10:09 AM
Yeah - I just wanted to buy it and using on Thursday.
I can do this job in less than 30 minutes but would never consider buying a used reel and expect to use it that soon.
D'oh!
I like to go through all of my reels and then test them before heading to the coast.
QuoteI like to go through all of my reels and then test them before heading to the coast.
x2 ;)
"Going through" our reels is part of the obsession and why most come to this site. Makes perfect sense to me, but then my career has been based around "fixing" and/or "rebuilding" machines.
Given the OP's comments about disassm and his timeline, a new, out-of-the-box reel sounds like his best option. Probably not wise to make assumptions on his behalf, but after going through the tread, that's my take.
I have know idea what the actual statistics are, but I'm guessing a huge percentage of happy reel users never remove a screw. To me, it's kind of like someone avoiding a blood test because "they don't want to know" what's going on inside them. The tutorials and expertise on this site have certainly increased my confidence and desire to dig deeper. That, and you will always know what's going on inside your reel.
So, if one is NOT so inclined, they don't need to give up or take up knitting, they can buy a reel and go use it. Though I've been lurking for some time, I am a fairly new member to the site. In my short time it's clear that for most members here, the game plan is to get it home and get it apart. Works for me, but in some cases, a limited number of folks do get thrown off by the quick reaction to tearing it down and start replacing parts before it's seen action. Guess that's what happens when you visit a REEL REPAIR site, right?
Anyway, that's why I suggested buy it, spool it up and go fishing. Do the drag when you get home.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 23, 2013, 01:38:49 AM
Quote from: Keta on May 22, 2013, 10:01:09 PM
D'oh!
I like to go through all of my reels and then test them before heading to the coast.
I ride my bike a few blocks to the shore and the boats.
Mr. Lucky!
Driving 145 miles to the coast = 3.5 hours :-\
Bicycling 145 miles to the coast (without any tackle) = 14+ hours :(
I didn't have the IQ of a rock to fish more than a few times Insane Diego when I lived there. It would be nice to be waving goodbye from the stern of a departing Polaris. :)
I'm quite new to this hobby myself and can relate to your frustration. There is a lot of things going on inside a reel that I haven't fully grasped yet, and reading some of the discussions on this board is like trying to read an alien language to me. But slowly by slowly I'm picking up new stuff and am starting to get a feel for it. I bought a cheap old Penn 209 as a first try out renovation project and with the help from the guys here it is now sitting shining in my book shelf. As good as new (I like to think anyway).
What I'm trying to say is that it takes time and some trial and error. If you start with something that you don't are in a hurry to finish maybe you can just let it take the time it needs. Just put it away for a few days when you get too frustrated. Because it's then we start making stupid things and things break.
And lastly, it's by our mistakes that we usually learn something. Just think where we'd be if someone hadn't accidentally let barley get rained on then left to dry in the sun, we hadn't had any BEER today! ;)
/Karl
Pm me for my address, and I'll fix this if someone here already hasn't.
I have both the penn320 and Tom Hryniuk' charter special tr 2000. Tom's charter is twice as strong and will handle big fish.I have caught 30" strippers on spinning reels with 15 lb test.
Quote from: mrbrklyn on May 22, 2013, 08:18:05 AM
thanks Ron
I thinking I'm going to return it. I've had in my hand for a few hours now and I'm not at all happy with it. When I reel it in, there is too much resistence on the spin. Also, when I push the drag level past the strike point, it gets even harder to rotate. That isn't right. The drag screw is too tight as well. I can barely turn it in a way that would be useful for making a proper adjustment. With my broken wrist and fingers that is suposedly now "healed", I'm not going to be able to handle this reel effectively. Its feeling like a PIA.
see: http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=691.0
As for the instruction, either they work or not. I'm not guessing here. I'm not an engineer. I'm willing to roll up my sleaves and get my hands dirty, but not if I'm staring at it and saying, what the heck is this? Can I turn this, twist that, etc?
Even the technical engineer for Shimano has a video on maintenmence and he's like "and then just take the spool out", and he is busy unscrewing 4 places in 10 seconds and shows the spool, smiling and says "See :) - Look the spool."
I don't have someone sitting over my shoulders when I do this, mentoring me, Nor do I have an endless supply of reels to smashed up before I can understand how they are all broken. Even the maunal for these things, are frankly garbage.
If I sound a bit fustrated at this point, my apologies. There is just not enough literate help on these things to be of any use whatsoever. The guys in the shops are of no use for information.
I'm listening to that video as I'm writing this and it makes my blood boil. He keeps saying, this is "basic maintmence" and then uses technojagoon left and right. Basic is ***BASIC***. And BTW - their "Basic" maintence isn't described in the damn manual.... basically.
If my 14 year old son can't pick up the reel off the shelf and follow the instructions, then it is not "Basic", it is advanced.
Wow!!! I just bought a new 27 inch IMac. This is how I felt trying to set everything up... I would rather overhaul my Penn Internationals rather than hooking up the computer.