One reel is new while the other is 3 years old.  These 2 reels are very similar, they have the same 27" IPT & both have centrifugal braking.  But the Citica E is an ounce & a few flecks of sand lighter than the Revo S.  Line capacity are close to being same also, & both come in left hand.

I would think that either would be a great bargain reel....BUT...BPS is now charging $129.99 for the Revo S, w/ a $20 rebate...what's up w/ that????  I bought my Revo S-L when it first came out & it was then $99.99.  It went up $10, now it's an "older" reel & the price takes a big jump?

I know that most of the prices on BPS have gone up, but why jack the Revo S that much & then have to send in for a rebate; that makes no sense.  The Citica E being new & all seems like the better deal from these 2 reels.  If anyone wanted to buy the Revo S, I would probably shop somewhere else for $109.99 & forget about dealing w/ a rebate that will take weeks, months to get.

Just my 2 cents...

There was a good thread here sometime over the last couple of weeks that I couldn't find.  I think Micro posted that the Revo S is now using the HPCR bearings and a different aluminum frame.

Abu is using their X-Craftic frame on all the Revos now.  It used to be only on the Inshore.   Abu claims it is more corrosion resistant, but I never had a problem with the regular aluminum frame.  And, as Burl said, they now use the HPCR bearings.

The previous bearings were shielded stainless steel bearings.  The HPCR bearings are open.  I can't tell a performance difference but the HPCR bearings emit a whine when casting you don't get from the shielded stainless.  

Abu is using their X-Craftic frame on all the Revos now. It used to be only on the Inshore. Abu claims it is more corrosion resistant, but I never had a problem with the regular aluminum frame. And, as Burl said, they now use the HPCR bearings.

i have two revo SX reels, a new one with the x-craftic frame and an older one with the aluminum frame. i was comparing the boxes for both last night and both list the bearings as stainless steel with no mention of HPCR anywhere. in fact, other than the x-craftic frame, everything else is identical right down to the SKU. however, the ABU website says that all the revos have HPCR bearings now...what gives?

...why jack the Revo S that much & then have to send in for a rebate; that makes no sense.

i've seen studies that show the presence of a mail-in rebate is often a major influencer in a purchase decision but, after the purchase, far fewer than half of all buyers actually send in for the rebate. on top of that, many rebate requests can be rejected if the sender did not follow all the instructions to the "T". that's why manufacturers love mail-in rebates.

With the rebate offer that Shimano had last year, I made sure I did what they asked for, I had $150 worth of rebates coming back to me.  I'd rather not deal w/ rebates at all, it takes too long to get the money back.

In regards to the new Revo S, I wasn't aware that it has a new frame & bearings.  I guess that justifies the price increase.  But when I bought one a while back, it was a great deal at $100.

Now the new BPS Pro Qualifier is a real nice reel in the $100 price range.  BPS now offers the PQ in left hand & will be getting one during the Spring Classic.

i have two revo SX reels, a new one with the x-craftic frame and an older one with the aluminum frame. i was comparing the boxes for both last night and both list the bearings as stainless steel with no mention of HPCR anywhere. in fact, other than the x-craftic frame, everything else is identical right down to the SKU. however, the ABU website says that all the revos have HPCR bearings now...what gives?

New Revos with the XCraftic frame have XCraftic in big, bold letters on the top of the box.   I can't find anything on the reel itself that differentiates an XCraftic Revo from a Revo with the regular aluminum frame.  They look exactly alike to me.

As far as the bearings go, I think the HPCR are still a type of stainless.

Take the spool tension cap off both reels and you will see the difference in the bearings. The one with HPCR will be open and you will see the little balls in the bearings. The older reel should have a shielded bearing and you won't see the little balls.

Little balls. Tee hee hee.

micro, thanks for the photos. i looked at both of mine and they both look like the first one with the shielded bearings. i'm inclined to believe now that there have been at least three iterations of the SX: the original, one with the x-craftic frame but SS bearings, and one with the x-craftic frame and HPCR bearings. what i find frustrating about this is that ABU garcia doesn't designate them any differently. other manufacturers have attached a "b", "c", etc. to the end of the model number to denote slight changes.

There has been three versions of the STX. The first STX that came out had the regular frame and HPCR bearings. The second had the same frame and SS bearings. Now the STX with the Xcraftic frame and HPCR bearings.

I think the SX has always had SS bearings until they produced the version with the XCraftic frame with HPCR bearings (though you may be right).

The other sad possibility is that someone may have placed an older SX in a new box.