If I put Boca ABEC7 bearings in a decent Shimano or Daiwa reel today, how long should they last?  The life of the reel?  5 years?  

 

Thanks

 

dave

If kept clean i would say the life of the reel.  If you clean and oil them regularly then you should have no issue.  Depending on how often you fish, how much time that reel gets each trip and how clean the water is will determine how often you have to clean and lube.  I have over 10 reels so i clean them during the winter and consider them good for the season unless they get dunked in water or dropped in the dirt.  My rough guide for service is inspecting the worm drive.  If its still clean and working nice then i keep going. I take off one shield so they are easy to oil and still protected a little and give them a drop before i start a session every three to five uses.  More is not better when applying oil.

12 hours ago, Angry John said:

If kept clean i would say the life of the reel.  

 

It really depends on level of use and maintenance. They should last a long time. However, as with cars, bikes or anything else, if you're doing high performance upgrades longevity should not be the main concern. Ceramic bearings can be run dry. Oiling to quiet them will slow them down. If that's the case save your money and run clean stock bearings. 

Oil thickness will control speed a lot also.  The oil that boca sells is good and what i use.  Hedgehogstudios sells oil that a lot of people also like.  The boca applicator that the oil comes in is also very helpful.

ABEC5 is the closest tolerance bearing any fishing reel needs. As DVT tried to tell you, don't oil ceramic bearings, oil steel bearings and keep them clean of dust and debris.

Change bearings if the need to be changed.

Tom

I have ABEC 7's in some of my reels and they are going on 16 years old this summer.  I have stock bearings in some of my reels going on 18 years old this summer.  I do my own reels by the way.