Hey, so I recently got a Shimano Cardiff 301A, and so far I have only one question. Should it be so d**n loud when I cast? It sounds as if the brakes are overly noisy, but then again, I've never used a reel of this type or size. Should I hear a loud zipping sound? I'm headed out to grab some reel oil this morning and before I use it again I'm at least going to oil the brakes. I'm hoping that helps a bit. Does anyone have experience with this reel? Does it matter how loud it is? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I have 2 Cardiff 100s & no they shouldn't make any noise.

 

Take it apart, clean everything, & relubricate everything. 

If you never use a reel of this type may be a good time to send the reel in for professional service. Loud when cast can be a few things but majority will be spool bearings need some oil. The Cardiff use un-shielded bearing so they are easy to dry out. Take a look at this video skip to 30 minute mark to see where the bearing are. 

Opinion for the reel, Cardiff is a workhorse reel and can compare with big brother Calcutta. The 300 size should be good for heavy lure and heavy line20-30lb. If for bass we are looking at big 2-8oz swimbait. It can also handle good size catfish or inshore duty only one problem is no line out alarm for bait and wait type fishing.

I have 200 size for medium 2-3oz swimbait and topwater for bass. It is more than 20 years old reel and still in service.

I'll have to take it somewhere and have it looked at. It's brand new out of the box, I wouldn't think it would need service, but I definitely don't want to screw up the reel either. I put a drop of oil in the bearings, we'll see if that helps. I'm gonna go out after work and make a few test casts. Thanks for the info!!

Thanks for this, exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to try and reach out to some reel repair places in the area and have them take a look just to be safe.

1 hour ago, kevinmyfsu said:

Thanks for this, exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to try and reach out to some reel repair places in the area and have them take a look just to be safe.

Why ? Just exchange it. It's warranty but may not be if someone works on it.

For $30 have ReelEx, Dan Isaac super tune the reel.

I bought a 300A for my son to use and it was as quite as my Calcutta’s, good swimbait reel.

Tom

PS, you can phone Dan and ask him what the issue is.

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

Why ? Just exchange it. It's warranty but may not be if someone works on it.

Good point and preferable.

If it is what I think it is, it's an easy fix. One of my Calcuttas had been sitting on the shelf for years before I bought it and it made this loud noise on the cast. This video below shows how to oil the right spot to fix it. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, FishTank said:

If it is what I think it is, it's an easy fix. One of my Calcuttas had been sitting on the shelf for years before I bought it and it made this loud noise on the cast. This video below shows how to oil the right spot to fix it. 

 

 

Ngl, that sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. I did notice a little bit of a dark color on the brake wheel. Guess I'll take it back out of the box and give it a shot. 

Anything more than fresh oil just send it back. I oil all my new reels.

8 hours ago, FishTank said:

If it is what I think it is, it's an easy fix. One of my Calcuttas had been sitting on the shelf for years before I bought it and it made this loud noise on the cast. This video below shows how to oil the right spot to fix it. 

 

 

?This is exactly what I was going to say to do via writing. No need with this video. ??
 

I also have a Cardiff 301A and I’ve probably had it for over 10 years. Truly this is a workhorse reel. 

44 minutes ago, islandbass said:

?This is exactly what I was going to say to do via writing. No need with this video. ??
 

I also have a Cardiff 301A and I’ve probably had it for over 10 years. Truly this is a workhorse reel. 

Yea, I actually really really like it despite this issue. If the oil doesn't do it, it's going back.

15 hours ago, FishTank said:

If it is what I think it is, it's an easy fix. One of my Calcuttas had been sitting on the shelf for years before I bought it and it made this loud noise on the cast. This video below shows how to oil the right spot to fix it. 

 

 

I must say, it does appear that this reel sat around for a few years before it got to me, so anything is possible. I cleaned the inside of the brake wheel with rubbing alcohol and then put some oil on a q tip and ran it around the inside lip. Even put a drop in the bearings I could see. I'm really hoping this clears it up. This is my first big swimbait setup and I'm keen to get out there and start chucking. Waiting on a replacement would kinda suck, but that's life.

Ok, managed to make a few test casts at lunch, and things are way better. It still makes noise when casting, but it sounds like a reel now, and it's down to where I don't think another fisherman would raise an eyebrow if they were casting beside me.. I'm gonna put a bit of oil in the tension spool bearing as well, as I think that may be part of what is causing the sound. I noticed that the sound decreases even I loosen it. Hopefully after work I'll have enough time to check if that helped.

Update: after oiling bearings and brakes and letting it sit over night, it's remarkable how quiet it is now. All I hear is the line moving through the guides. Thanks everybody!!