Okuma Solterra SLR-50W

Started by boghy, December 13, 2010, 04:53:05 PM

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boghy

Hi everyone, i'm new to this forum and mainly i came here to ask a question that nobody knows for sure the answer based on true experience.
Will Okuma Solterra SLR-50W handle the abuse for shark fishing? Based on the specs has up to 40lbs drag which is almost double then Penn 9/0 23lbs and better then Daiwa 900 30lbs.  My budget is small and at the price of this reel i only see as an alternative option Daiwa 900H or Penn 115L2 9/0. I'm looking to 500/600 yards class for 50lbs spool that's around $150. In theory Okuma seems to be the best fit. I'm not so sure in reality if that's the same.
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alantani

#1
i've never opened one up, but it should be fine.  they are making big strides at okuma.  it's been fun to watch.  eventually i will be dumping my boss accurates and getting a set of makaira's!

also, glad you posted something.  your ip address showed up on a spammer list somehow and i almost banned your account.  i have to deal with 2-3 dozen spammers a week.  alan
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

boghy

#2
Quote from: alantani on December 13, 2010, 11:57:42 PM
i've never opened one up, but it should be fine.  they are making big strides at okuma.  it's been fun to watch.  eventually i will be dumping my boss accurates and getting a set of makaira's!

also, glad you posted something.  your ip address showed up on a spammer list somehow and i almost banned your account.  i have to deal with 2-3 dozen spammers a week.  alan

It's quite surprising that there is no feedback online about this reel. I mean NOTHING, beside Okuma's technical description. It's like non-existent. For the last several days I've asked people around and nobody seems to know anything about this reel. Most people replied back with a generic opinion about Okuma. We both know that there has been some major changes going on with this company and seems like not that many people know about this. My question is still unanswered and, looks like i will have to take the chance. I can't afford to trow money on something that won't work. Apparently with this reel will be like a poker game - win or lose.

P.S. I'm not really sure how your board is filtering spammers, but if it's based by .info domain name - that's a bad filtering. I had this problem before, to realize that some of this boards where designed to recommend as spam ANY email that use .info domain name. That's a very very bad design and you should reconsider this in the future. For a while google had a bad eye on .info domains in search engine listings, but that issue was addressed and removed. Other emails that contain domains like .name or anything related to country top level domain names can also trigger a spam in your message board even if they are legit. When comes to spam, it's almost a full time job to fight it back.
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reelman-nz

hi, i am a reel repairer  in new zealand. i have been servicing some of these slr models as well as the makaira for the last year or so . there are a few game fishing boats here that exclusively use these reels  and they have been targeting new zealand kingfish and hapuka/groper and sharks in the bay of  island.to date these reels have been sent to me for servicing not for any problems occurring or faults at all, they seem to be performing as they should ..in my opinion these reels are a big step forward for okuma just like with the makaira they seem to have got everything right. im not going to compare them to any other brands or say go and buy one but just thought i would say what i have seen to date.. thanks jase

wallacewt

hi jase,maybe some photos of your work.xmas mate

boghy

Well guy's here is what i got back as an answer from Okuma management:


From ME:
#######################################################
From: boghy [mailto:XXXXX@XXXX.XXX]
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 4:45 PM
To: management@okumafishing.com
Subject: Okuma Solterra SLR-50W endurance question



Hello,

I'm one of your customers that owns few okuma reels and so far i had a blast with them. I would like to keep my good opinion about your product therefor please give me an honest answer on the following question:

Would Okuma Solterra SLR-50W have enough endurance to resist mechanically the abuse of big sharks (6ft-10ft) in sandy environments around Florida beaches?

Based on my budget i can only purchase Okuma Solterra SLR-50W. Right now, i can't find any accurate feedback about Solterra SLR-50W but, based on the specs this reel has much better drag then an equivalent brand like Penn 9/0 or Daiwa 900 in same price range. Also, the last two brands are heavily recommended by many shark fishing communities for catching the big ones.
I'm looking forward to get an honest answer.


Thank you.
#######################################################
#######################################################


From Okuma:
#######################################################

Hello Sir,



Thank you for the email. The overall strength of the reel can handle large sharks that you are targeting in the surf. As far as the elements and sand... the reels should perform well with the materials that are used with the reel. The graphite frame is obviously corrosion resistant. The ball bearings are stainless steel and are shielded. The gears too are made of stainless steel. I see no reason why the reels won't hold up in that element. In addition, the reels also have what we call "Body Armor"... these B.A. rings are placed between the frame and sideplates to prevent the graphite from flexing under heavy load. So far, the reels have held up nicely in "standard" environments and I feel comfortable in saying that it will hold up in the surf.

If you have any other specific questions, please let us know.



Regards,



Mark Rogers

Regional Sales Manager

Okuma Fishing Tackle

Pakula Offshore Tackle
#######################################################
#######################################################

With that in mind combined with what reelman-nz mentioned, i will purchase one.
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boghy

#6
OK, so i purchase this reel from amazon.com was $132 + 3.99 next day delivery (through one month Prime trial account ) - all together $135.99. Sounds like a good deal from $199 :D. Anyway, tomorrow morning i'll get the reel shipped, take it a part, make some pictures and, i will post some photos here to get an general opinion regarding what you guy's think about Okuma Solterra SLR-50W from inside to outside design. I was thinking to do all this since nobody seems to have it done yet. Maybe the next guy who whats more info about this reel will not have to go trough so many google searches, for so many days, like i did.
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alantani

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

boghy

#8
As i promised, i've managed to make some pictures about this reel from outside to inside.
I haven't made any comments on these pictures but, there are self-explanatory.
If you guy's see anything interesting please let me know.
For reference point i number them.
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That's all that i have.
I put some oil in bearings and grease where i felt that wasn't enough but i'm not so sure about the drag. Is there any oil needed there?

Few things that i notice:
Seems like that this reel has much bigger drag surface then Penn 9/0 115L2 or Daiwa 900H which where my alternatives in same price range and usage.
When switched on, the free-line clicker is MUCH LOUDER then my Penn 4/0. (I haven't fish yet from a pier to compare with other clickers.)
The drag is very easy to adjust to the point where heavy cranking seems possible. (Not tested yet with a big fish.)
When reeling there is no clicker noise, everything is silent and smooth . Same design looks partially similar with Makaira series from Okuma.
For now that's all that i can say.
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kamuwela

shimano sells drag grease in small amounts. id grease the washer with cal's or shimano drag grease. wipe off excess grease and dont forget to add a little under drag washer to prevent water damage.
                                                      good luck
                                                        kamu

Bryan Young

Thanks for the pics.  Wow, did you guys see the spool sleeve?  Very nice reel, indeed.  And at that price, very affordable.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

alantani

nice reel, and great report!   no thrust bearing, huh!  that's ok, still a very nice reel.  alan
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

boghy

Quote from: alantani on December 17, 2010, 07:36:51 AM
nice reel, and great report!   no thrust bearing, huh!  that's ok, still a very nice reel.  alan
Where usually are located those thrust bearings?
The reason why i'm asking is because this reel has 2 more bearings located around the drive gear but, i haven't toked a part yet. This is a 5 ball bearing reel.
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alantani

here, between the two ball bearings.  i did not see enough room for it in your reel. 

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

boghy

This reel has only those 2 ball bearings as you can see in image #27. There is no 3th ball bearing (thrust) like in Makaira. Would that make a big difference under heavy load?
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