Delaware Valley Tackle

Passing through a guide will not hurt a properly tied knot. Braid has no shock resistance so dug in or tangled line can snap on a cast. If breaks are at a leader knot change knots or review your tying.

By 'big spool' do you mean high line capacity or large arbor? Not sure either will really help the cause though.

Daiwa does or did make some for I believe Gander Mtn but had the Daiwa logo still. Revo, Lew's, Pflueger, PQ, Browning are all built in the same factory on contract. Quantum is known for making limited run models of their own for big box stores. The Concept reels are made by either Quantum or Silstar Pinnacle.

The PQ on sale is arguably the best bang for the buck reel out there. The SX will be lighter by a little but feature wise I prefer the PQ. At the PQ retail rate of $129, a Curado or Tatula on sale would be my pick. The quality vs quantity argument doesn't hold water. The factory & tooling are the same the SX and PQ.

I like 7' for an all purpose rod. The micro guides of the Avid X are the way I'd go in a M/F or ML/F if most of the baits will be closer to 1/4 than 1/2.

I don't get it either. As a work-around you can spool a spinner with the line coming off the bottom of the filler spool especially with braid.

Both are made by the same people. I'd take whichever I found the best deal on in the size I want

Even if foreign made, a purchase supports American jobs like truckers, warehousemen, store clerks, marketing and sales jobs etc. The world economy is just a fact of life now.

Annual deep cleaning is a good starting point adjusting as needed based on use and any symptoms that develope.

You have to scribe a line down the middle of the blank and mark off distances equal to the diameter. Do the same at 180 * and off set the marks starting mid way between the first two marks. Wrap up them down crossing on the marks and build off that. There are so many other decorative techniques that look better and are much less time consuming imo. I avoid weaving if at all possible. BTW on a tapered blank the crossed will get narrower as you go. There is a formula to compensate but that's an advanced technique.

That winding check allows the hood to loosen but not all of th will check sizing before gluing up

In order of cost effectiveness: Deep Clean w/ bearing flush ad proper lubrication of stock bearings Carbontex Drag upgrade Super Tuning of appropriate models ( solid, uncoated spool shaft) Installation of ABEC5 ceramic hybrid beraings - dry ABEC7> are overkill for a reel. The spool does not reach sustained speeds high enough to benefit. I usually reserve bearing swaps for enthusiast projects or as replacement for worn out stock parts. There are model specific tweaks that be beneficial but the above list covers the basics.

I'm not so sure a low mass spool is what you want in a non disengaging level wind reel even if it is tuned. What's the end game?

Technique labels are just subjective suggestions. Personally I want completely different actions in cranking and spinnerbait rods. In your example the lighter power rod will load and cast better with lighter baits and vise versa

It depends on the drag system. A carbon drag can be run either way but greasing won't do anything really unless you're fishing big, hard running fish.

These products can be used for an outside wipe down but have no place inside a reel especially wd 40 etc

KVD is NOT silicone. I believe it's a polymer that coats and conditions the line without degrading it. It is a non petroleum product and better for the environment.

Are you spooled with braid? If so did you use backing ? Did you grease the drag? If so did you use a drag specific grease ?

Reel Magic is nothing more than silicone like wd 40 or the Walmart generic version. The petroleum distillate that makes the oil spray able actually degrades the line slightly making it softer. Not very environmentally friendly either. KVD coats and treats the line. Safer and more effective.

Most likely a piece of line or other debris got in there. Make sure the pawl cap is snug.

There's something besides the spool tension cap going on. Either the line is dug in, wrapped around a guide or stuck in the spool.

Easy fix for anyone that works on reels. If you've never been into one it may be worthwhile to send it in.

My thought exactly. If you're like me you'll wonder what took you so long.

It's likely because the handles are sold as an assembly and there are bearings in them

Easier thus more accurate casts are the best measure of performance. Max distance is over rated and affected by many details.