ABU Conversion Tips

[The Great Wallsendo]

Got myself an ABU with a level wind that I'm humming and haa'ing over removing...

Point is I'm not going to be power casting (not that I ever could anyway) and will be using it for the rocks with 30-40lb straight through - ergo no leader knot to get jammed etc etc...sooo...is it vital to remove the level wind or do I stick with it?

 

[willywetegg]

Why would you want to remove it if you don't really need to

Point is I'm not going to be power casting (not that I ever could anyway) and will be using it for the rocks with 30-40lb straight through - ergo no leader knot to get jammed etc etc...sooo...is it vital to remove the level wind or do I stick with it?

Everything here says you don't need to.

Jim.

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

Very true Jim...I suppose what I'm asking is if anyone can give me just cause to do away with it? I've got another ABU and have used others where the previous owners have done away with them - any reason why? Unless of course the previous owners have used them with leaders on...but I was always led to believe that the 7000 was an out and out rock/light boat reel...

 

[willywetegg]

None of my reels have a level wind but a few have in the past. If I had one that I just intended to cast out on the rocks I wouldn't bother to change it Tony. No need to concentrate on your line if you get a fish on.

Jim.

 

[g-force]

If you're just using it with heavy line Tony it should be fine as long as it's doing a good job of laying the line evenly. I think when the worm gear (or whatever it's called) gets a bit worn they can start humping the line to one side or the other or not making a full pass across the spool.

Funnily enough, when I were a lad we regarded the 7000s as light line reels, I had mine loaded with 20lb & a leader, so we tended to remove the levelwind. The heavy line went on the 9000s & 12s (which was essentially a 9000 without the beaings & 2 speed retrieve). I think it's probably because lines have got a lot thinner for their breaking strain these days - I found an old bulk spool of the commercial mono I used to use on the rocks and it was a lot thicker than today's 35/40lb lines.

Cheers, Gary

 

[big sid]

Level Wind

Level Wind

Use Abu 7000 Syncro With & Without Shockleader,Haven't Had Any Major Problems. Sometimes On The Retreive The Knot May Get Stuck In The Level Wind As It Can In The Tip Ring,But I've Put That Down To The Angle The Rod Is Held At On The Retreive.If When Fishing With 30lb + Line I Don't Bother Adding Shockleader.
If You Were To Use The Reel For Light Boat Work And Using Braid I Find The Level Wind Very Useful.

 

[treeboa]

if you can lay line well you dont need a level wind, not always easy if you have a fast running fish or a lunker on the end.personally i pref the level wind on all of mine, more especially when heaving braid

 

[youngsteve]

Tony sorry mate but a level wind multiplier is for either flatty bashing or for boat fishing. Get a multipier like a slosh30 or saltist sh30, abu 9000 for the rocks. If you want a reel for just plopping it then you dont need too much control over the reel, level wind is no good if you need to wind as fast as poss to get tha fish up (level wind impeeds the retrieve ratio of the reel).

 

[john/r]

Why would you want to remove it if you don't really need to

Point is I'm not going to be power casting (not that I ever could anyway) and will be using it for the rocks with 30-40lb straight through - ergo no leader knot to get jammed etc etc...sooo...is it vital to remove the level wind or do I stick with it?

Everything here says you don't need to.

Jim.

agreed

 

[bozjc]

remove the level wind, easy job, did it to my 7000 yrs ago, still works a treat now and has never let me down ;D

 

[kingcod deano]

i would also remove the level wind as i have had problems with them sticking (and getting fingers trapped in lol ) but i suppose everyone is diffrent at the end of the day would you need it on or not ?

 

[willywetegg]

I don't particularly like level winds but if there's no need to remove it why bother. I agree with Boz, it's an easy job but again, if you don't need to why bother. As K D says if you have bother with it sticking get shot of it or repair it.

Youngsteve, why on earth would you need a level wind for flatty fishing, especially on a 7000?

Would you really use a 7000 for boat fishing? Maybe a few times if you were struggling to find the money to buy a boat reel but certainly not on a regular basis, it wouldn't last long if you did as that is not what it was made for.

You are not wrong about the retrieve ratio though but it is poor without the level wind and always was. That is why most of us use better reels with a better retrieve ratio these days.

Jim.

 

[harry barker]

I think when the worm gear (or whatever it's called) gets a bit worn they can start humping the line to one side or the other or not making a full pass across the spool.

.

Cheers, Gary [/QUOTE]
Its called a archimedes screw lay system,more useless infomation I'l get my coat::red:

 

[adam.d]

Do you use the reel in the lower position? if ya do then having a reel with a level wind you will almost certainly jam ya thumb under the top bar!

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

Do you use the reel in the lower position? if ya do then having a reel with a level wind you will almost certainly jam ya thumb under the top bar!

Actually just started doing it and found a marked difference in the ease of casting...cheers for the tip - guess I'll find out tonight

 

[5150]

Had a 6500 for years with the level wind on and only removed it when the drive gear for it got trashed, as a pretty average caster I can't say I noticed a great difference in casting with or without it to be honest.

 

[bozjc]

only way to spot a difference will be to remove the level wind bar, so easy to do.

i have found that the abu reel i have is still as good today as it was 10 years ago or more, if you look after them, they will last forever.
i removed level wind instad of buying a CT version with out the level wind, easy enough to cast with although as already mentioned, the ratio is a wee bit slow, but its ideal for fishing from the beach or pier.
mine has a snazzy bait running set-up that allows the fish to run a wee bit and then engage. think it was ment for bass fishing, but its an awesome really.

quite fancied one of the hi speed abu mags as my next reel.

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

No discernible difference (and my fingers didn't get trapped either )...I think going forward the only reason I'll have to remove if it starts to become faulty