Best Spinning Reel Reviews 2018

Generally, the amount of money you’re willing to spend determines the quality, brand and features of the product you end up with. There are almost always several varieties of any product with different feature combinations, so you can strike a balance between functionality and cost. For items such as spinning reels, it’ll be far easier and less expensive in the long run to make a one-time investment in quality than make several purchases of cheaper products that will keep disappointing.

The prices of the spinning reels in our review range from $59.95 to $405, to give you an unbeatable price selection from top renowned brands featured in this review. While conducting our research, we stumbled on some cheap spinning reels made from flimsy materials and components. Since we wouldn’t want you to deal with products that will fall apart in no time, we decided to ignore them and present only trusted products and brands to you.

Choosing and buying great spinning reels may not be an easy feat, but once you understand the key features, your selection process becomes quite simplified. Here are some of the important features to look for:

• Size of the spinning reel
• Type of bearing system
• Number of bearings
• Type of drag
• Extra features
• Construction material

Spinning reels are generally designed to be compact in nature. Because they are handheld and hand-operated, it is necessary for them to come in sizes that can be easily managed. A good spinning reel should be extremely lightweight, so that you contend with only the weight of the fish at the end of the line. A spinning reel can weigh from eight pounds to about 23 pounds. There are a few heavy-duty spinning reels that are used by larger ships or vessels, but those ones are mounted on the fishing vessels and use some form of mechanized casting and reeling-in system.

Different brands equip their spinning rods with different types of bearings. A bearing system helps the moving parts of the spinning reel operate more freely and smoothly by reducing friction and heat between them. Bearings can be made from different materials, including graphite or aluminum. The most commonly used material is stainless steel, because it is corrosion-resistant, thus increasing the longevity of the reel. A common type of bearing is the ball bearing, which is mostly used in designing spinning reels. Some brands equip their spinning reels with other quality bearing types, such as the HPCR stainless steel bearings seen in the Abu Garcia Orra SX spinning reels.

The drag system in a spinning reel is actually a friction device. It works by producing friction that acts as a braking mechanism to checkmate the run of the fish at the end of the line. To achieve this friction, turn the drag knob on the spool. This applies pressure on a set of rotating washers attached to the spinning spool. This pressure then exerts friction on the line, thereby slowing the movement of the line so you can successfully reel it, and the fish, of course, in. Different brands use different brand systems and washers. The washers can be designed to function dry or with lots of oil. An oiled washer-drag system is preferable because the oil improves smooth operation.

The body of a spinning reel encases the gearbox and most of the moving parts. It can be constructed from either plastic, machined aluminum or graphite. If you’re interested in lightweight spinning reels, look for one with a graphite frame, as it’s the lightest among all the materials. Aluminum is the most durable, while plastic is less reliable but less expensive.

The number of bearings in a spinning reel plays an important role in how smoothly and nicely the reel operates. A five-bearing reel will spin longer and faster than a two-bearing reel. The five-bearing spinning reel will have a smoother operation than the two-bearing reel if both of them are carrying the same drag load. Since bearings reduce friction and heat build-up in the spinning reel, reels with fewer bearings will fall apart faster than ones with more bearings due to more friction and heat build-up. If you’re an occasional fisher, you can make do with a two-bearing spinning reel, but for the serious angler, a five-plus bearing spinning reel should be ideal for you.

The spinning reel handle is usually made from graphite or machined aluminum, with a soft-touch knob for easy and firm grip. Some brands fabricate their spinning reel’s handle so it can be swapped from left to right to suit the individual’s preference. The handle is rotated for the line and fish retrieval, after it’s been cast.

The gearbox located inside the body and connected to the spool spindle and the handle is designed solely to increase the number of spindle rotations per handle rotation. This is known as the gear ratio. It varies from brand to brand, and even among models from the same brand. A gear ratio of five to one simply means that for every one rotation of the handle, the spindle rotates five times. The higher the gear ratio, the higher the spool spindle rotation and the faster the line is reeled in.

Most spinning reels come with an anti-reverse lever, which may or may not be infinite. The anti-reverse lever prevents the reel from backward rotation when it’s engaged. If disengaged, the gearbox will have free rein to rotate in either direction. For an infinite anti-reverse system, the lever is permanently engaged, so there’s absolutely no room for the gearbox to rotate backwards.

A spinning reel is easy to use. They can be set up and running in just a matter of minutes. It’s also a low-maintenance tool, requiring you to rinse it out in fresh water after each use. The mechanism of its working parts is easy to understand and repair, while its parts are easy to come by when a replacement is needed.