Delaware Valley Tackle

The advantage of using the manufacturer would be if they’d warranty it. Mechanically, there’s nothing either of us can do that the other can’t. If I can help, I’m easy to find.

Everything looks easier than it is from the outside looking in.

Where are you buying these kits? I upgraded Stradic drags regularly and haven’t had this problem.

I have a Buddy that’s a tournament angler and has the same problem looking for left hand cranking reels from Daiwa I’ll hit him up and see what he settles on

Unless a base reel has features critical to you it’s much more cost efficient to just buy a reel to suit the application.

Why not skip the leader altogether?

There’s no magic in lubricants and a reel is not at all harsh on them comparatively speaking. At the end of the day, regular maintenance is the key to longevity even if the least ideal products are used as long as they are appropriate. WD40 has no business inside any reel for example.

The Aldebaran is a light weight reel and much like light weight rods, it is more sensitive, transmitting sound and feel more easily. It can be quieted temporarily with grease but it’s the nature of the beast.

To play devils advocate, I have first hand experience in parcel delivery and can tell you it’s not as easy as it looks from the outside. Nothing ever is. Misprinted addresses, wrong addresses, gps errors, the human element, hidden properties, and my all time favorite the unmarked address. Now recently you add on the massive volume increase compounded by staffing shortages both due in large part to the pandemic and you have the perfect storm for delivery hiccups. Once product is shipped, the seller has no control over what happens or how long it takes and never had any responsibility for it. They could eat one here and there in the name of good will but the buck has to stop somewhere. Mitigate your exposure by making sure your house and mail box are clearly marked, add instructions to hard to find properties, retrieve packages ASAP, know your regular carriers and choose delivery locations to thwart porch pirates. Use existing channels to address issues like lost or damaged packages immediately. Hope this helps someone.

This is good advice. I’ll add to be very careful with spinning reel ARs. They typically not self contained and can fall apart upon removal.

That rod might be fun as a “shooter” for short accurate casts at targets with spinner bait or big square bill. The value really depends what it’s worth to you.

People that have them seem to really like them. I’ve handle some over the years doing minor repairs and even rebuilding with modern guide systems. The ones I’ve seen had a fast to mod fast action with a comparatively soft tip. This action is what the owners like at least in the models I’ve worked with. The blanks wouldn’t be considered high end by today’s standards but they’re something a little different.

I believe the lack of elasticity of fluoro is what is commonly misinterpreted as “low stretch “. Your observations are spot on.

Roll casts are the most effective for me, accurate and allows soft entry into the water. A true backhand cast is helpful should you fish from the back of a boat. Backhand is a good way to hit targets as you pass hitting spots the front may have missed

Submerging a DC reel in anything is a horrible idea. A partial tear down for interim diy service is very reasonable but some level of disassembly is essential.

I concur that the line roller bearing takes a lot of abuse and should be maintained and possibly upgraded. I have, on occasion installed shielded ceramic bearings in salt water reels. Usually after corrosion or failure of the stock ones. High ABEC ratings are not important. In general for a bass spinning reel your money is much better spent on regular and meticulous maintenance and possibly a carbon drag.

The design being what it is, expect similar results with some use. The Revo is not “sub par” or “defective” imo but not built to the tolerances and minus the pinion supporting bearing(s) of other models. The Revo sx is a quality reel but won’t meet the expectation of lifelong buttery smoothness. I’m happy to help with service and maintenance including diy advice to maximize performance.

The repair itself is pretty straightforward and would cost about $40 in labor and materials. The shipping is the likely deal breaker$15-$20 bucks each way. You could have $80 into it at the end of the day. Worth it for a high end rod. My advice to you is to get a refund if it’s available. Short if that, see if there’s a competent builder locally to do the repair. Worst case, chalk it up and put it in a corner for spare parts.

To keep it two pieces I’d use a sacrificial glass blank and sleeve over the ferrule just like a broken blank

For top water and jerkbaits I like a fast action but softer tip. What sometimes are labeled “popping” blanks. They can be harder to find in heavier powers for full sized spooks. Rainshadow RX6 have up to 1/4-3/4. Heavier lid look at a ModFast graphite cranking blank.

Everyone has a momentary loss of concentration or snags something on the back cast occasionally. Nothing catastrophic in a long time. Peel off 159-175’ of line and run a strip of electrical tape around the spool. This will keep any backlash from going to deep without limiting casting.

99% of the time it’s something small. Sometimes just taking apart and reassembling fixes issues with no apparent cause.

Double check that the side plate is properly seated with the cast cap loose

Lews doesn’t build anything. If they tried they wouldn’t have the expertise and you’d be disappointed.

Is the fuego on the same rod with same line casting same bait as the Max? All those variables have an impact