Fathom 40NLD2 - New to lever drags, is this normal?

[weiman83]

I just received my FTH40NLD2 today and was setting the drags to test it out (made sure to only adjust when on free spool) when set to 15lbs the reel seems to have a lot of resistance when reeling. To push up to the full position it it takes quite some force to do this and when trying to set it to "sunset" while depressing the block button at full it doesnt want to move more than a few mm past the button, i don't want to force it since im scared it may break.

Is this normal? is my drag set too high? I am using a spring scale.

Maybe im just use to a star drag reel that doesnt increase any reel resistance when drag is set to full?

Thanks,

Richard

[handi2]

Yes the preset dial is turned in way to far. Too much drag.

Try setting the recommended strike setting when the lever is at the stop on the lever quadrant bar. It should them be easy to crank the handle. If it is slowly move the lever to sunset. If the lever is very hard to move stop and back it off.

If the reel won't do what it's supposed to do something is amiss and may need to be sent back.

[johndtuttle]

I just received my FTH40NLD2 today and was setting the drags to test it out (made sure to only adjust when on free spool) when set to 15lbs the reel seems to have a lot of resistance when reeling. To push up to the full position it it takes quite some force to do this and when trying to set it to "sunset" while depressing the block button at full it doesnt want to move more than a few mm past the button, i don't want to force it since im scared it may break.

Is this normal? is my drag set too high? I am using a spring scale.

Maybe im just use to a star drag reel that doesnt increase any reel resistance when drag is set to full?

Thanks,

Richard

The principal is fundamentally different in a lever drag as when you set the setting at strike you are also setting the max drag at full. A high preset at strike will potentially be too high for the lever to move on the cam all the way to full. And if you were to set the setting at strike vastly too high then you might not even be able to get the lever pushed even to strike. Conversely, if your preset is very modest then pushing to full may be well under what the reel is capable of doing. This is not a bad thing as it allows you more control when fishing different line classes.

First, are you setting the drag with a full spool or empty of line? Reason being an empty spool will have far more drag than a full one due to leverage. You should always set it at full as the drag increases as the line pays out....in a long run by a good fish it can be 50% more near the bottom of the spool that it was when full.

Also, we don't know for sure if your cam is seated properly. If you loosened it too far it can come out of it's track and the lever feel jammed. See my tutorial on the 25N LD2 on how to get it back in proper place. It's easy to do once you know all the things you have to accomplish.

Lastly, the thrust bearing will help a lot with binding at high drag settings but when they are set too high the drag plate starts rubbing causing some binding. Also, the Fathoms use a particularly high speed fast gear so it is normal to have a little startup inertia to get things moving. You shouldn't notice any friction when in low gear if the drag is properly set and all is good to go.

[weiman83]

My spool is full, i am setting the drag when it is in free spool then using a spring scale to test the drag at strike which is reads at 15lb.  I just looked through your tutorial, the tongue of the spring is pointed straight down the drag lever and not at 4:30 like in your tutorial.  there is a ton of grease in there too, maybe that is causing some issues?  I plan to take the reel apart tomorrow and clean up some of the grease from the factory.  I have some cals and corrosion x coming in the mail this Friday so I may just wait until then to fully disassemble.  I've never taken a reel fully apart but hopefully it isnt too hard to reassemble!

[johndtuttle]

My spool is full, i am setting the drag when it is in free spool then using a spring scale to test the drag at strike which is reads at 15lb.  I just looked through your tutorial, the tongue of the spring is pointed straight down the drag lever and not at 4:30 like in your tutorial.  there is a ton of grease in there too, maybe that is causing some issues?  I plan to take the reel apart tomorrow and clean up some of the grease from the factory.  I have some cals and corrosion x coming in the mail this Friday so I may just wait until then to fully disassemble.  I've never taken a reel fully apart but hopefully it isnt too hard to reassemble!

Take your time and be careful with the ears on those dogs. My tutorial has some good info on how to get it back together which has to be done in the right order.

Extra grease is not a worry, you just can't see necessarily how the parts nest but you will get it. Be mindful of the button and spring under the lever as they will drop out (very small). Tack them in with some grease to help keep them in place but never remove the lever without a nice clear and soft (towel) landing zone. If they make it to the floor they might be gone. 

Lever drags are fun "mini big game" reels. They just have some associated quirks in the learning curve you'll pick up soon.

[weiman83]

Thanks for the heads up, any idea what else could be causing this?  I would think 15 lb drag on strike would be well within the limits of this reel, I'll take a closer look at the drag cam tonight and see if it needs to be re-positioned.  Thanks again for your help!