Advice Daiwa 7 HT series.

[goose]

Picked a pair of blues yesterday , had a look at the ST's as well ,see how I get on with the blues but the finish on them doesn't appear particularly robust for such an expensive reel . How does the finish stand up to regular use on them and is the ST finish any better ?

 

[wingnut55]

Picked a pair of blues yesterday , had a look at the ST's as well ,see how I get on with the blues but the finish on them doesn't appear particularly robust for such an expensive reel . How does the finish stand up to regular use on them and is the ST finish any better ?

The Blue Mags do tend to flake paint wise, ST's are much better finished, that is one of the reasons for the premium price.

But it's also down to how well you look after your gear as well.

Ian.

 

[wingnut55]

Picked a pair of blues yesterday , had a look at the ST's as well ,see how I get on with the blues but the finish on them doesn't appear particularly robust for such an expensive reel . How does the finish stand up to regular use on them and is the ST finish any better ?

And don't forget the pinion supports.

Ian.

 

[blakdog is back]

Picked a pair of blues yesterday , had a look at the ST's as well ,see how I get on with the blues but the finish on them doesn't appear particularly robust for such an expensive reel . How does the finish stand up to regular use on them and is the ST finish any better ?

End plates have the same finish, just in a different colour but the cage is better on the ST. The blue one has a powder coated cage which can flake if you let the salt get in ... the weak points are the foot if you use coasters and the open ends of the side plate screw holes. If you flush it under the tap after every session (and dry it properly before packing away) and don't chuck it on the beach they are fine ... in any case the cages aren't as expensive to replace as people think.

One tip (besides the pinion support) is to take the screws out one at a time, grease the threads and then refit them. The black finish on the screws welds them into the cage with a bit of salt and 5 minute with a pot of grease when you first get them may well save you a ton of aggravation at a later date.

 

[goose]

End plates have the same finish, just in a different colour but the cage is better on the ST. The blue one has a powder coated cage which can flake if you let the salt get in ... the weak points are the foot if you use coasters and the open ends of the side plate screw holes. If you flush it under the tap after every session (and dry it properly before packing away) and don't chuck it on the beach they are fine ... in any case the cages aren't as expensive to replace as people think.

One tip (besides the pinion support) is to take the screws out one at a time, grease the threads and then refit them. The black finish on the screws welds them into the cage with a bit of salt and 5 minute with a pot of grease when you first get them may well save you a ton of aggravation at a later date.

Will grease the the screws as I do this on all my reels, being a tackle tart I do clean my gear after every use and even apply a coat of ceramic polish to my rods when new , maybe I should give the reels a coat as well.

 

[blakdog is back]

even apply a coat of ceramic polish to my rods when new , maybe I should give the reels a coat as well.

Don't! All you need to do is flush, dry properly and maintain them properly ... at best anything else is a waste of money, at worst they trap moisture and salt into the crevices and between pressed components. The same for rods really ... modern finishes shouldn't need any coating to repel salt and water.

 

[wingnut55]

All I do is rinse the reels under the tap, take side plates of and leave to dry. Grease and oil if needed. Rods, wiped down with a micro-fibre cloth. Job done.

Ian.

 

[flappy]

I just wash the sand off the reels in the sea.

 

[JLD]

Just proves you're not a tackle tart

 

[tdxs133pm]

I just wash the sand off the reels in the sea.

Then wipe them with a spunked up sock for lubrication.

 

[Si-fly]

Good luck with your reels mate, just don't work them too hard....i know a few chesil lads that have had lots of problems with the newer ones...they love the reels, but they don't last like the old originals....shame, but seems the way these days

 

[Topwater]

Good luck with your reels mate, just don't work them too hard....i know a few chesil lads that have had lots of problems with the newer ones...they love the reels, but they don't last like the old originals....shame, but seems the way these days

That's disappointing to hear Si-fly. Are these blue Mags or the ST versions? I've never fished the mighty Chesil but my understanding is its not rough ground is it? What were the issues? Drive plate boss is the only recurring issue I'm aware of on thd blues

 

[wingnut55]

Good luck with your reels mate, just don't work them too hard....i know a few chesil lads that have had lots of problems with the newer ones...they love the reels, but they don't last like the old originals....shame, but seems the way these days

What do you mean by "originals" Si, the basic black 7HT's. They are not made in Japan anymore, the Mag and ST's are.

Ian.

 

[Si-fly]

That's disappointing to hear Si-fly. Are these blue Mags or the ST versions? I've never fished the mighty Chesil but my understanding is its not rough ground is it? What were the issues? Drive plate boss is the only recurring issue I'm aware of on thd blues

Think its mostly the sideplates, guess the boss you mentioned.

The problems are far worse on the newer blue mags...last year or so of manufacture i think .....im talking of reels lasting for very short periods of time, compared with years for older blue mags.

Not a one off either, quite a few reels.

These lads are big casters and catch a fair few rays from extreme range on cleanish ground with 14lbish line.

So reels get a workout, not just scratching for tings

 

[Topwater]

I don't know why Daiwa haven't delt with that issue and the pinion support by now

 

[wingnut55]

I don't know why Daiwa haven't delt with that issue and the pinion support by now

They have known about it long enough, wouldn't take much to rectify it surely.

Ian.

 

[Topwater]

I also don't understand why the magnofuge system hasn't been expanded into other ranges of their reels

 

[blakdog is back]

I also don't understand why the magnofuge system hasn't been expanded into other ranges of their reels

Because that isn't that simple to make happen and its an expensive system to manufacture.

The problems are far worse on the newer blue mags...last year or so of manufacture i think .....im talking of reels lasting for very short periods of time, compared with years for older blue mags.

Not a one off either, quite a few reels.

Nope .. been a steady issue since day one and I've had a steady stream of them. Much of it is related to how hard the boss is pressed on as there is quite an area of boss to press ... get it wrong and it doesn't go on tight enough. From what I can see this causes a secondary issue because I think when they cut the hole in the plate they allow for expansion of the pressed boss so if it isn't stuck on hard enough the space is not taken up in the hole which means you effectively have a lightly pressed on boss in a loose seating hole.

I don't know why Daiwa haven't delt with that issue and the pinion support by now

I think they view it as a flaw in the manufacture of a part not the reel and I sort of agree with them ... if the boss is pressed on properly it really isn't an issue unless the reel is worked very very hard. Like everything else if they are treated rough they need regular parts ... skull-dragging Rays in at range is a bit like going cross-country in a Ferrari if we are being honest.

The other reason (and this is just a hunch) might be what I call the mechano principle .... anglers like modding and fettling everything from cars to houses and I think reels to many are the same. Sometimes a machine that needs modifying to bring out its full promise can be more attractive than one that does it all out of the box. When Honda released the NC30 motorbike it had loads of promise but the english version was way too expensive for most of the people who would want it and the Jap version was restricted .... rather than kill it, this led to a ream of modification parts to trick it up and remove any restriction. Being smart Honda released all the factory manuals and let people get on with making pattern parts and the thing became an icon.

To a lesser extent I think Daiwa have realised that this stuff ensures that the magnofuge is always being talked about and the accessories become part of the enjoyment of ownership.

 

[Topwater]

Interesting thoughts Russ. I wasn't aware of many accessories being available for them. I know of 'tournament' cages and your pinion support sleeves, are there aftermarket sideplates that solve the boss issues?

 

[blakdog is back]

Interesting thoughts Russ. I wasn't aware of many accessories being available for them. I know of 'tournament' cages and your pinion support sleeves, are there aftermarket sideplates that solve the boss issues?

I'm not aware of any plates but to be honest all they need is a pinion support and maybe a re-press if they develop a 'tick'. As for aftermarket stuff ... there are screwsets, drag washers, handles, gears and you can fit a monomag if your brave. Thats without getting really involved and modding the mag collar and tension mechanism on the end of the spool. I still reckon the best cash you can spend on them is for a set of carbontex washers ... the standard ones are not the best.

Personally, though I don't use them I like them to work on ... faults aside they are better made than a lot of stuff on the market and parts are available ... which is more than you can say for ABU stuff right now.