My reels seem to lose their “smoothness” very quickly. For example, I purchased a Curado in early March, and it’s already crunchy/noisy. I’ve sent them out to be torn down, cleaned, lubed with mixed results. I lube the easy-to-reach stuff, and it doesn’t seem to make any difference. What do I need to do to keep my reels feeling like new for longer?

Maybe check your model and see if it has an aluminum drive gear. If so, try and find brass gears or use models with all brass gears. I tend to avoid aluminum gears as well.

 

Aluminum is softer and may not hold up as well. Depends on how it is used also. And a little grease on gear teeth might help some.

 

Other than that, we are all in the same boat on this one.

Aluminum gears are alloy and actually harder than brass. They have no give against locked drags and winching. As for the op, the answer depends on the model, use and individual reel. In the big picture expectations regarding new feel lasting are somewhat unrealistic. 

AI describes it like this: "Yes, in many cases, aluminum gears are more prone to wear than brass gears, particularly under high loads or continuous use. While aluminum offers a better strength-to-weight ratio, brass generally has higher tensile strength and is more wear-resistant."

 

Maybe using the word "softer" wasn't the best choice. I like how AI termed it that brass is "more wear resistant."

 

So if aluminum is less wear resistant than brass that tends to make me think its not as durable of a material as the brass gears are known for.

 

But we both agree that use plays a significant role in how a reel wears.

 

And it is my perspective- along with AI- that brass gears do hold up better & for longer. Just my opinion. Looks like this aluminum versus brass debate is back.

 

I just found a thread on this subject...

 

Tatulatard had the funniest comment: "I don't want hard gears.  That's a one way ticket to buzz town.  Give me soft gears with big teeth and grease."

One thing to note is that discreet pinion bearings mounted in the frame under the yoke have thin-walled races and small balls. They aren't as robust as typical bearings. Also, they are subject to water intrusion, especially with braid mainline, therefore suspended grit. Often, these bearings are the culprit and not the gear set when reels start feeling gear-y. Other frame bearings can also cause the same feeling, including the roller clutch bearing. Work on enough reels and you'll learn this firsthand.

 

BTW, Curado 70s were/are notorious for their pinion bearing failures, even carefully fished ones.

 

Point is: Don't assume gears are the issue right off the bat. Might be but might not be, aluminum or not.

Some reels are noisy or geary feeling no matter what you do. Even $150-200 reels.   I think the dimensions of the frame are just slightly off.   
 

Sometimes they get a little smoother with use, sometimes they get worse.  I’ve learned to accept it.   I either deal with it or I get  another reel.  
 

What you are experiencing is what is known as shearing.  When grease is subjected to forces that cause it to flow, it experiences shear stress. This stress can be due to the movement of parts, vibrations, or other mechanical actions. It's completely normal.  Brand new or freshly serviced reels will all sound and feel exceptionally smooth until the grease has sheared out and left only a thin protective layer behind.  

I have at least 30 Shimano reels.  Some are over 20 years old.  A little bearing oil and gear grease when needed keeps them going just fine.  They aren’t as smooth as the ones I bought a couple of weeks ago but they cast and wind the way they are supposed to.

 

Maybe you should just use them.  If you need a second opinion then send them to me and I will test them for you.

It’s not the line?   My reels sometimes feel crunchy and it’s the line.  
 

it makes noise sending it, and it makes noise bringing it back. 
 

 

What other reels do you have that lost their smoothness quickly, or is it only the Curado?

My Curados (150DCs, MGL, 200k) are all geary, even with regular cleaning because I’ve put them through the wringer. On the other hand, the Daiwa SV105s I’ve had have also been through the wringer and are smooth as butter. I think it just comes down to the model and those Shimano X ship gears or digigears or whatever the current marketing term is.

I’ve noticed in the last 5 years or so that most of the under $200 shimano reels I’ve had get that way even with proper maintenance.  My Met 20 has been beat on for 4 years without ever removing the handle side plate and is still silky and the Bantam is probably the smoothest feeling reel I own. 

 

Daiwas seem to either be good or bad out of the factory. I owned 4 Tatula SV. Two stayed smooth as silk for years and the other two were geary from day 1. My Tatula Elite is Geary as well. Haven’t had that issue from the Zillions. 
 

Honestly I’ve had best luck with Lews as far as retaining their new feel. 
 

I don’t know the engineering behind it but I feel your pain. 

Interesting discussion. What's the best gear grease to reduce geariness?

6 hours ago, Bazoo said:

What's the best gear grease to reduce geariness?

I use Cals on my gears as well as my Drags....light touch with the grease, don't need to gob it on.

7 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Interesting discussion. What's the best gear grease to reduce geariness?

I like Daiwa Reel Grease. Cal's is also great but I find I like the Daiwa stuff a little better, especially the easy to use bottle it comes in. 

As an old reel tech who did warranty work for all major brands for years I would advise caution when choosing lubricants for reels.

 

Back in the old days and I mean really old days when reels were made of all metal, the old guys would simply dunk their reels into kerosene to lubricate them.

 

That was back in the days when petroleum products were about all they had for lubricants, and reels were just about all 100% metal. Worked fine for awhile.

 

But as reels became more sophisticated and manufacturers were putting more and more parts into reels not made of metals is when reels and petroleum products collided.

 

Some brands intentionally created parts that would dissolve or disintegrate when it came into prolonged contact with a petroleum oil or grease. You hear stories of guys who worked on his own reel and used the wrong lubricant and now his reel don't work and some part inside turned into goo.

 

The reel brands really do not want their end user customers getting inside of their reels. So some brands go out of their way to use things that help prevent the end user from successfully working on their own reel(s). Daiwa's magnetic fluid comes to mind. A dealer only situation right there- except for end users who were also genius scientists who could figure it out. 

 

Point to this comment is, choose lubricants wisely making sure they are compatible with your brand of reels.

 

As a general rule, avoid petroleum lubricants, and use synthetic lubricants.

 

When I worked in a rod and reel repair shop we had to use what we were told to use. No other lubricants were even allowed into the shop to keep warranty status intact. I think WD40 was one of the solvents pretending to be a lubricant the shop was not allowed to ever let come through the door into the shop.

 

Today being retired, I use a combination of synthetics, some brand approved. Some not. Just how it goes.

 

One thing I noticed in the shop as I worked there, I did see brand specific lubricants like for Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, etc. Those were allowed in the shop. And unless I knew it was a full synthetic I would not be using a Penn reel lubricant on any shimano reels. We had to do things by the book in the shop.

 

Out here we can do as we please, but hopefully not damaging any reels in the process.

No grease will remove geariness if its there. At first, it might feel like it did, but as soon as it breaks in within an hour of use, welcome back to the buzzy geariness.

This is the best gear grease on the market. I don't use it anymore because i used it all, and it's too d**n expensive to grab some more. ZPI used to make gear grease that was also amazing, but ZPI is a semi dead brand, so i don't know what they're doing discontinuing such a quality grease. But for the price, nothing beats Shimano ACE-2 for gears, and it's what i use primarily.

On 7/8/2025 at 12:59 PM, ABU is overpriced said:

What other reels do you have that lost their smoothness quickly, or is it only the Curado?

Shimano SLX DC, Abu Garcia Revo 5, Lew's Superduty LFS, and Johnny Morris Platinum.

13 minutes ago, bacolmm said:

Shimano SLX DC, Abu Garcia Revo 5, Lew's Superduty LFS, and Johnny Morris Platinum.

I have a Tatula on its way, so I'll see how it stacks up.

On 7/9/2025 at 8:19 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

As an old reel tech who did warranty work for all major brands for years I would advise caution when choosing lubricants for reels.

 

Back in the old days and I mean really old days when reels were made of all metal, the old guys would simply dunk their reels into kerosene to lubricate them.

 

That was back in the days when petroleum products were about all they had for lubricants, and reels were just about all 100% metal. Worked fine for awhile.

 

But as reels became more sophisticated and manufacturers were putting more and more parts into reels not made of metals is when reels and petroleum products collided.

 

Some brands intentionally created parts that would dissolve or disintegrate when it came into prolonged contact with a petroleum oil or grease. You hear stories of guys who worked on his own reel and used the wrong lubricant and now his reel don't work and some part inside turned into goo.

 

The reel brands really do not want their end user customers getting inside of their reels. So some brands go out of their way to use things that help prevent the end user from successfully working on their own reel(s). Daiwa's magnetic fluid comes to mind. A dealer only situation right there- except for end users who were also genius scientists who could figure it out. 

 

Point to this comment is, choose lubricants wisely making sure they are compatible with your brand of reels.

 

As a general rule, avoid petroleum lubricants, and use synthetic lubricants.

 

When I worked in a rod and reel repair shop we had to use what we were told to use. No other lubricants were even allowed into the shop to keep warranty status intact. I think WD40 was one of the solvents pretending to be a lubricant the shop was not allowed to ever let come through the door into the shop.

 

Today being retired, I use a combination of synthetics, some brand approved. Some not. Just how it goes.

 

One thing I noticed in the shop as I worked there, I did see brand specific lubricants like for Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, etc. Those were allowed in the shop. And unless I knew it was a full synthetic I would not be using a Penn reel lubricant on any shimano reels. We had to do things by the book in the shop.

 

Out here we can do as we please, but hopefully not damaging any reels in the process.

This is really sound advice and similar to what a buddy who did all the reel work at a local shop I used to frequent in Florida used to say. 

I think if the reel is sort of quickly deteriorating, it's due to contamination from sand or other external stuff getting in.  I've bought a lot of reels of all brands over the years, and have never had one go from smooth to anything less than smooth, and I've used most of them for many years.  Cheap reels, expensive reels, doesn't seem to matter.  I just add some lube now and then and keep them clean.  Why would one person's reels go bad and another one's reels never go bad?  Maybe it's not about the reels. 

Aluminum comes in several different alloys and coatings to lump gears into 1 material, 7075-T6/hard anodized most common for gears.

Brass comes in several different alloys, leaded self lubricating is the most common for gears.

Higher gear ratio’s put more stress on the gear set.

Operator over stressing the gear set by locking down the drag clutch is a common error with bass anglers, adjust the drag and use it!

Tom

1 hour ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Operator over stressing the gear set by locking down the drag clutch is a common error with bass anglers, adjust the drag and use it!

Tom

This is true. However there are situations and places where you must lock down drag and horse them out of cover. I’ve seen more damage come from pulling on snags than fish. 

19 minutes ago, GReb said:

This is true. However there are situations and places where you must lock down drag and horse them out of cover. I’ve seen more damage come from pulling on snags than fish. 

You have a thumb….use it! Pull the bass using the rod that is what made for!

Tom 

7 hours ago, GReb said:

I’ve seen more damage come from pulling on snags than fish. 

As WRB says, use the thumb and point the rod at the snag, pull on the rod.  I have never tightened my drag to retrieve a snagged lure.  And I have never locked it down.  Maybe that's why I don't have reel problems.