Hello all The other day I decided to purchase a

C

Chicken of the Sea

Senior Member
Hello all

The other day I decided to purchase a new Banax Legend 50 from a tackle shop in Cape Town. I've had the reel for just over a month and hooked my first reasonable fish on the reel this weekend past in the Bronzey Comp. Reel had worked and cast perfectly till this point and landed some edibles. However this time, about two thirds of the way through the fight the reel started to seize up on me. I could feel the spool binding somewhere and it got progressively worse until I couldn't gain line onto the reel at all and the fish could not take line either. Luckily by this point the fish was tired enough that with a bit of straight sticking and walking up and down the beach I could get the fish out. Fish turned to be a 75kg bronzey and won me third prize. If the fish had been any bigger or the reel had siezed sooner I WOULD have lost it and a prize along with it.

I checked it out after and I can see the damage where the spool was binding up against the driveshaft bearing housing of the frame. Now how this happened I have no clue, I know that the reels had a too small a clearance at this part that could cause an unwanted noise but this goes far beyond that point. It is completely seized now almost as though the spool has warped or gotten bigger and there isn't enought space for it anymore. Machining a bit off the bearing housing would fix it but it worries me that the spool must have somehow changed shape or basically enlarged to cause this problem. I was NOT overworking the reel if anything I was going quite easy on it.

Was really enjoying the reel to this point and my first thought was to go to where I bought it and have them replace it with one from the supplier which I know would have had the clearance issue sorted out. Problem is would I ever have full confidence in the reel again? I'm basically looking for some reassurance from someone who knows the reel well and has some insight that this is a once off problem and that if I get a new one with the clearance issue sorted I will have plenty of happy fishing days with it.

If you are going to rant about the usual should have bought Shimano stuff then don't bother posting please lets keep it to discussion about the facts surrounding this specific reel.

Cheers!
Alden
 
K

Katot

Sealiner
If I look at what has been caught on this reel, then I reckon you got a dud. I do not own one, but I have heard some good things about it. I have heard of some of them failing but then again I have heard of toriums and saltists failing as well.....
 
T

TimJan

Sealiner
Give Enigma a shout.
I know he did a review in tight lines about the Banax and gave it a good write up.

Later
 
B

BOEPENSIE

Senior Member
I would definitely take it back to the shop and try and get a new replacement. Especially in light of known small issues with the reel.

I would also suggest you speak to Enigma about the reel or get his attention to this post for a response.

And then lastly as Katot said, don't loose your confidence in the reel just yet, remember some other brand names have also seized up and packed up before!

But, how did you manage to land the Bronzie with a seized up reel with the fish still some ways into the water?
 
C

Chicken of the Sea

Senior Member
Thanks guys for the great responses. I will head down to the shop this week and try organise a replacement. As for landing the fish it was quite interesting. By the time the reel completely siezed I had the fish in the shorebreak. So when the fish tried to run or the wash pulled it I would move towards it to prevent snapping off and then I'd straight stick it up the beach. I didn't have quite enough space behind me to pull it onto the sand that way so ran right and used the angle to make up for it. Made a plan :) . But as I said, had it been 50m further out when this happened life would have been very difficult.
 
F

FLUKE

Sealiner
Chicken of the Sea wrote:
Hello all

The other day I decided to purchase a new Banax Legend 50 from a tackle shop in Cape Town. I've had the reel for just over a month and hooked my first reasonable fish on the reel this weekend past in the Bronzey Comp. Reel had worked and cast perfectly till this point and landed some edibles. However this time, about two thirds of the way through the fight the reel started to seize up on me. I could feel the spool binding somewhere and it got progressively worse until I couldn't gain line onto the reel at all and the fish could not take line either. Luckily by this point the fish was tired enough that with a bit of straight sticking and walking up and down the beach I could get the fish out. Fish turned to be a 75kg bronzey and won me third prize. If the fish had been any bigger or the reel had siezed sooner I WOULD have lost it and a prize along with it.

I checked it out after and I can see the damage where the spool was binding up against the driveshaft bearing housing of the frame. Now how this happened I have no clue, I know that the reels had a too small a clearance at this part that could cause an unwanted noise but this goes far beyond that point. It is completely seized now almost as though the spool has warped or gotten bigger and there isn't enought space for it anymore. Machining a bit off the bearing housing would fix it but it worries me that the spool must have somehow changed shape or basically enlarged to cause this problem. I was NOT overworking the reel if anything I was going quite easy on it.

Was really enjoying the reel to this point and my first thought was to go to where I bought it and have them replace it with one from the supplier which I know would have had the clearance issue sorted out. Problem is would I ever have full confidence in the reel again? I'm basically looking for some reassurance from someone who knows the reel well and has some insight that this is a once off problem and that if I get a new one with the clearance issue sorted I will have plenty of happy fishing days with it.

If you are going to rant about the usual should have bought Shimano stuff then don't bother posting please lets keep it to discussion about the facts surrounding this specific reel.

Cheers!
Alden
Click to expand...

I had exactly what you described happen to me on a Finnor 20 with 0,45 Big Game and a 80+kg Blacktip.

Basically the line comes onto the reel stretched and then tries to "shrink" back down to size. Problem is that it can't shorten because there is line/braid below it, it however becomes tighter than whats below so as it contracts it pushes whatever is below it to the side to make space for itself. That sideways pressure is applied to the side of the spool which will either be strong enough to support it or will be bent out of the way to make more space for the line that is contracting.

In the case of my Finnor 20 it increased the width of the spool in some sections by almost 2 mm while the line was still on. After removing the line I measured the spool width and it had returned to normal and in one place was only 0,1mm out. I therefore though all would be well, but I respooled the reel at moderate pressure and although the spool did not touch the frame I could see there was an outward bulge in one section of the spool side wall!!

So I scrapped the Finnor 20 and Sold my 30 so I could get a Banax Legend 50. Spooled with 550mtr JB 50lb and 0,55 Big Game I made my 1st cast, slid a bait and 2 hr later reeled in my 1st cast with my brand new Banax and I heard the spool start touching the frame.

I sent it back, they machined the bearing housing and I got it back with no more touching.

In Order to put your mind at ease I would do a few things.

1) Don't get a new one it will probably come with the same problem.

2) If the spool is still spooled as it was when it failed then get a Caliper / vernier and in 1cm incriments measure the width of the spool on the outside of the outer lip. If you get measurements within 0,1mm of each other all the way around then you may be OK. If there are discrepancies in the spool width it means that sections of the Aliminium have probably stretched more than other areas and you can then throw it away!! even if it returns to normal once the line is removed it will always be weakened.

3) if the spool still seems to be uniform then modifying your reel is as good as getting a new one. Then win on the line at maximum pressure, leave it for a while and measure the spool to see if it is deforming under load or not.

4) for peace of mind I will say that all metals flex, cars flex, trucks flex, steel poles and gates flex etc etc so the spool being pressed a little wider under severe tension is not necessarily a death sentence for it. The clearance between spool and that bearing housing is almost nothing so it doesn't suprise me that it could jam solid with a "normal" amount of flex in the spool sidewall. 

My gut feel is that the spool sidewalls are too thin, I have however been assured the aluminium is good quality and will not deform under pressure???? I haven't hooked and submarines on mine but I've wound in some big baits with maximum effort so that if it is going to fail it will fail while reeling in, not while fighting a trophy.

 
 
B

BOEPENSIE

Senior Member
I haven't thought about it in such detail as FLUKE did, but what he says makes perfect sense. ::respekt: well said/stated Sir!

Please keep us in the loop with your findings.
 
P

PatrickC

Senior Member
Sounds like the long explanation for you should have bought...

Penn / Shimmie / Daiwa.

:lol:1

Sorry bud, couldnt resist..... :walk
 
C

Chicken of the Sea

Senior Member
Don't mind Patrick guys, he's just miff because he can barely remember a time any of his reels managed to land anything 3 digit :fbash. You asked for it buddy ;) .

As for Fluke's response, thanks very much for that makes a lot of sense. Explains how too tight a clearance could have caused the problem and I agree that some flex is allowable as long as the spool does not fail or buckle. I may still get the reel replaced before correcting the problem as the spool took a bit of damage from grinding against the housing I'd rather start fresh. Will see if I can get the replacement direct from sensation with the correction already performed.
 
P

PatrickC

Senior Member
Ouch... low blow :lol:1

 

Actually its more likely to be the fact that I spent the entire day on the beach and not able to wet a line! bw_l_)
 
E

Enigma

Moderator
Hi Guys.

For some reason the last batch of 400 reels all had exactly the same problem. The drive shaft bearing casing is 0.5mm thicker than all previous and subsequent reels.

I know this because we did all the relevant tests and measurements at an engineering works and subsequently have had 200 of the reels machined to the correct tolerance at the manufacturers cost. It's just more convenient and much cheaper than sending the reels back.

They are now all to the same tolerances as the previous and subsequent reels released by the manufacturer. (same as my reels - I have 3)

The reel you have is definitely one of those that were not machined to spec.

Take it back to your tackle store or any tackle store to be returned to Sensation or if you feel more comfortable post it to me (PM me for Address) and we'll get a new spool and left side plate put in the reel for you and shipped back at Sensations cost.
 
C

Chicken of the Sea

Senior Member
Enigma wrote:
Hi Guys.

For some reason the last batch of 400 reels all had exactly the same problem. The drive shaft bearing casing is 0.5mm thicker than all previous and subsequent reels.

I know this because we did all the relevant tests and measurements at an engineering works and subsequently have had 200 of the reels machined to the correct tolerance at the manufacturers cost. It's just more convenient and much cheaper than sending the reels back.

They are now all to the same tolerances as the previous and subsequent reels released by the manufacturer. (same as my reels - I have 3)

The reel you have is definitely one of those that were not machined to spec.

Take it back to your tackle store or any tackle store to be returned to Sensation or if you feel more comfortable post it to me (PM me for Address) and we'll get a new spool and left side plate put in the reel for you and shipped back at Sensations cost.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for that Enigma much appreciated. I will let you know shortly if I will be sending it to you or through my tackle shop. Feeling much better about things now will definitely give the Banax another go at some beeeg fish ;)
 
M

Mr. Goodcat

Member
Hi Chicken,

I also got one in the latter part of last year. I used mine in jbay but other than a small raggie it didn't land any big fish.

When I started packing my gear away I noticed the same grinding noise you heard. I thought it might be sand or something so i opened it up but it was clean without any debris in the way. Now that I read your post I remember reading a post a while back on the same issue.

I think I will also take it back to the tackle shop, I really enjoy the reel so it's a pity about this happening.
 
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