I have to tighten the drag to about 4 clicks off max otherwise it peels drag like it was set for small jerkbait trebles. It's completely useless up to this nearly locked down point. To the point where I'm putting some muscle into tightening it nearly all the way down and it's still nowhere near being clamped down (not that I'm the type to lock it down). What could be going on here? This is disappointing.

Try loosening the drag star all the way snug and then retighten it all the way to max and then the drag should start to behave as normal - not sure why this works - but it’s worked for me.

Also make sure the line isn’t just free spinning around the spool. It needs a hole for line to be tied to or you need to tape it to the spool or it will slip at any drag setting.

34 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Try loosening the drag star all the way snug and then retighten it all the way to max and then the drag should start to behave as normal - not sure why this works - but it’s worked for me.

Also make sure the line isn’t just free spinning around the spool. It needs a hole for line to be tied to or you need to tape it to the spool or it will slip at any drag setting.

I always use electrical tape. I'll try to loosen it all the way and see what happens.

Drag stack is tightening a nut. Drag never shows up until the nut is binding the stack, and full drag is always near fully tight.

You're not supposed to get linear drag increase with each click of the drag star clicker.

All the drag is at the bottom of the travel, and all drags work this way.

Drag designs that give you wider response range over the travel have a coil spring in the stack.

Issues straight out of the box? I’d return it

3 hours ago, Bass_Stalker said:

Issues straight out of the box? I’d return it

Even if you taped it, double check if its not just the line slipping, you see this happening constantly on here.

I tried everything and it won't give me usable drag unless it's tightened nearly all the way down. I'm going to return it. In the meantime, I ordered a Revo X LP to replace it with.

Might be worth pulling the handle off and see if the two offset drag washers are installed properly.

They should be like ( ), not (( or )). That helps give you some range to the drag. Otherwise, if they aren't opposed and are spooning like newlyweds, they quickly go to lockdown when you tighten the drag.

I fully see the thought of just bringing it back if it is new. Why have to mess with a new reel, but it's a pretty easy thing to check if you've messed with reels at all.

It seems to me that your drag is working correctly. As was said above, drag tension is produced when the nut causes the crescent washers to bind. Drag tension is not linear with crescent washers because there is no way to account for the increase in tension as the washers begin to flatten out. By using a helical spring, a drag stack can be designed to provide a more linear pressure across its operating range, expressed in lb/in or kg/mm at various states of compression.

Lastly, have you measured the drag tension with a scale? Going by feel is woefully inaccurate and isn't going to be telling of actual drag pressure. Remember, the purpose of drag is to slip in order to tire fish out, not stop it in its tracks.

My Revo X arrived. It's wonderful. Drag behaves as it should. The casting performance reminds me of the SLX line of reels I was using before I had to take a few years off, but it has all the familiarity of the Silver and Black Max Abus I learned on. Drag doesn't need to be muscled down to get something out of it. Turned out to be for the best.

3 hours ago, Fyrewuulf said:

My Revo X arrived. It's wonderful.

Good deal, Just know, the Daiwa Aird 80, which isn't made by Daiwa, and the Revo, which isn't built by ABU, come out of the same Doyo factory. Both are built there. Chalk it up to a lemon if you prefer and don't imagine that all Daiwas have poor drag, or that Doyo builds are automatically bad because of your experience. Chit happens.

15 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Good deal, Just know, the Daiwa Aird 80, which isn't made by Daiwa, and the Revo, which isn't built by ABU, come out of the same Doyo factory. Both are built there. Chalk it up to a lemon if you prefer and don't imagine that all Daiwas have poor drag, or that Doyo builds are automatically bad because of your experience. Chit happens.

Oh I know. I might not have explained the issue well enough or in enough detail. But I know about Doyo reels. I like them, and they have a familiarity to them no matter the brand stamped on the side. For $100, give or take, they're nice. I just wanted to know what the issue with the Aird could be because I knew it wasn't right. It did not behave like any Abu or Lews I've ever had. I wasn't getting anywhere so I just made a swap and went up in the specs a little bit with the Revo - and everything is as usual, as expected.