Equipment - supertuning - review
Product name: ABEC 7 bearings (on Curado 200E7)
Price: $17 + Postage
I decided to order some ABEC 7 bearings from
biggreenfish.com. When I took the bearings out from the package and gave it a free spin test, I can see how smoothly these bearings were. The bearings easily free spin for about 24 seconds. I added some Xtreme Reel+ lubrication to it and the bearings free spin time dropped to about 14 seconds. Compared to stock bearings which had like no free spin, but will have about 4 seconds free spin with Xtreme Reel+ lubrication applied to it. I measured my spool's free spin with the stock bearings and had about 14 seconds of free spin. I replaced the cast control bearing first and did a quick spool free spin and the time jumped up to about 24 seconds. I replaced the side cover bearing and the spool free spin time jumped up to 55 seconds. Free spool spin was impressive and I was in a slight euphoric state. I also noticed a more hollow audible sound with the new bearing noise. Sounds more like a robust engine now. After about ten minutes when the Xtreme Reel+ oil has settled into the bearings the free spool spin droped to about 28 seconds.
Spooled with 20# Sufix Performance Braid and casting test with a 1/4 oz weight on 7' medium Avid rod. I've had some trouble preventing backlash on every cast as I'm trying to adjust for this light weight. After a while, I could manage to cast about 25 yards decent. It's not much of an improvement of achieving casting distance compared to the stock bearings where I can achieve a little more than 20 yards. A few more attempts and I got more use to it and starte to get closer to 30 yards of casting distance. I decided to go for a long cast and managed 35 yards. Pretty much now, I'm convinced that the bearing upgrade did it's job and I'm satisfied with the backyard casting test.
I changed it up to 3/8 oz weight and went through pretty much the same thing. Only I notice that the 3/8 oz weight achieve better line management. Casting distance was on par the 1/4 oz weight. I got my long cast of about 35 yards, but with a lot less effort. This is still an improve casting distance over the stock bearings that would achieve just a little over 30 yards.
The 200 size spool is still a clutz for light weight. The two bearings upgrade was only nominal in changing my opinion on it. Nonethless the upgrade did prove to me the merit in longer cast distance as well as smoother and less effort. My original intention was to do the bearing upgrade on the Citica 200E, but figured the test would be better for the Curado instead. Minimal cost to improve performance and it was a very easy task to accomplish.
Recommend to a friend? Yes
Buy again? Yes
Your grade from 1-5 stars (1 being the worst and 5 being the best): 5.0
