Delaware Valley Tackle

My first suggestion is to flush and properly lube stock bearings. This will give the greatest performance increase for the least investment. If bearings need replacing anyway, I usually opt for a better quality one. The other reason to upgrade bearings is from an enthusiast standpoint, similar to a performance exhaust on a motorcycle etc.

No magic here, just like bearing oil. Drag grease can do double duty otherwise any good quality grease preferably with corrosion inhibitors added will work fine. The Super Lube or marine grease are good choices. I'm not a fan of the Hot Sauce as it gums up too much.

Some movement is normal and each part is there for a reason. Do as suggested above and you'll be fine.

I've worked on a few and they seem to be well built. They are competitive with other reels at similar price points.

The AR in the Daiwas is press-fit and part of the side plate. This not withstanding, as long as it's clean and properly lubed along with the rest of the reel, smoothness should not be a problem.

The features of the STX over the S are well worth the extra cost IF the added features are imoprtant to you. The S is a fine work horse reel.

the Cent brake is most effective in the beginning of the cast keeping the line from flowing faster than the bait is pulling it out. The Mag brake helps most in minimizing over run as the bait slows. Casting into the wind can be made easier with mag brake settings. You'll have to experiment, but as a starting point put 1/2 the cent brakes on, mag on zero. Set the spool tension to where the bait falls slowly and the spool stops when it hits the ground. Use the mag to fine tune from there.

The advantage of micro guide rods is the weight savings in the tip section and resulting improved sensitivity. casting distance is affected by several aspects of each setup and IMO is a distant second to accuracy as far as putting fish in the boat. To maximize performance of a setup concentrate on lure, line, reel set up and maintenance.

x2. I don't see any siginificant difference in bearings or any of the other parts.

x2 There's really nothing to be gained there.

An annual deep cleaning is my basic recommendation. Like oil changes on a car more or less often may be required based on amt of use and operating conditions. Wipe down and visually inspect between trips, store dry and periodic oiling of bearings in between should keep you running. Also keep an eye on the leven wind worm gear. Their exposed nature can get them gummed up.

The rod is greatly overlooked in these situations as noted and RM is right, each reel has it's own "personality". Keeping the reels cleaned and properly lubed is the surest and cheapest way to maximize performance. Remember, overlubing can a have a negative affect on casting performance.

All the AR needs is something light to prevent corrosion or sticking.

$150 for a left over E7 is about the going rate, not a super deal but not bad. When they first went on clearance I bought them for $98. The Revo S is a comparable reel and more of a discount. Bang for the buck wise The PQ is a real value at $65. All are serviceable with slight feature differences. It comes down to your own priorities.

ABU stands behind their products and all the manufacturers get a lemon here or there. The Revos are well built quality reels, you'll be fine.

When you get righrt down to it, none of the lure weight ratings or power ratings mean anything. It's all subjective on the part of the maker since there are no industry standards. Lure weight rating and power ratings generally move in the same direction but are not necessarily the same thing. A Heavy power rod with lower lure weight ratings may have a hefty butt diameter to move some real weight but taper quickly to a tip that casts the lighter baits better. I don't know if this is the case here or not, just an example of how terms are used different ways.

The idea of the weight savings using smaller guides is not for felt weight, it's to allow the blank to retain as much of it's original design charateristics and performance as possible. A half ounce on the tip end of a jig rod is substantial. Increased casting distance is secondary benefit if at all. And you cant compare a micro rod to another rod because there will be other differences. The only way to really settle that debate would be to wrap the exact blank both ways and see if there's a difference. In what I've seen working with blanks I believe there to be a slight benefit casting wise but nothing I've measured or documented.

The main thing to remember is that there is no magic in any of this. The Hot Sauce Oil is on the light side and that's fine for max free-spool. The trade off is that you may need to relube a liitle more frequently but you should be doing that anyway. The grease I don't like at all, it gums up and makes a mess. Any quality lube in the proper application is fine, it's regular cleaning that's most important. The oil packets that come with a reel are fine to use. The Shimano one is a good middle of the road viscosity. Only special drag grease can be used on drags such as Cal's or Shimano and these will work for gears as well. Bottom line: clean everything well, one drop of light oil on spool bearings, a heavier anti-corrosion oil on other bearings and sliding parts (clutch etc), worm gear, and grease for gears. Brands make no real difference.

A new reel's performance can be improved by cleaning and proper lubing but putting it through its paces to be sure there are no warranty issues is a good idea. A whole year is probably not necessary to bring a problem to light, but will not do any harm or jeopardize the reel's lifespan.

Not necessarily. For Example a Steez rod has a very fast action yet very soft tip. A Mod-Fast Flipping stick is slower yet still quite stiff.

Lubing without cleaning will only mask a problem if anything. Don't let WD40 etc anywhere near the internals of your reels. It contains petroleum distillates to make it sprayable and will act as a degreaser. In fairness these reels are about $50 new so with shipping and labor you'd be over half way to a replacement if you sent it in. Is this a spinning or casting reel? If you want to tackle this yourself feel free to email me for assistance.

I advise against spraying anything inside of a reel. The spray can not be targeted enough and will undoutedly disolve lube in unintended areas. The reel in question needs a deep cleaning.

X2 - There are undoutedly other differences between the rods being compared. As for performance difference is negligible if any - totally a preference in the end.

There's no magic in any lube and no need to buy a lot of special stuff to maintain a few reels of your own. Keys are keep parts clean a use a lube in its correct application.

The Extreme is a fine reel especially at the price point but the PQ is a bigger bang for the buck.