I sent it in for service...I'll know the outcome in a week-and-a-half. I tried to buy parts for it. I found plenty of schematics...but, as old as the reel is, parts availability wasn't looking good.
Captain Ahab said:
I am not sure what a Size 3 reel is? Most reels are in the 1000s - like 1500 - 6000
Spinning reels start out at size 1, which would be your micro-lite and ice fishing gear. The higher in number, the bigger the reel and spool. Twos are for panfishing. Threes, generally bass walley. Fours, Pike, heavy trolling. Most brands carry sizes 1-4. Some brands have a size 5. Most the Wal-mart stuff is a product line limited to a size 2-3.
In the mean time, I test drove a Shimano Sahara, Quantum Accurist PTi, Catalyst PTi, EXO PTi, Flueger President, Diawa Arid and last years "B list" model. I was trying to keep it between $70 and $90 with the exeption of the Catalyst PTi at $120, and the moonshot EXO. The Flueger was hands down the smoothest reel in the bunch. Im apprehesive about the gratuitous use of plastic. I just couldn't get over the thought in the back of my head that this reel was a Wal-mart Shakespear with a Flueger sticker. It looked cheap. The Diawa's felt like Wal-mart reels. They were clunky and off balanced. I could not find anything "on paper" that really justified the cost. The Shimano Sahara impressed me. It was balanced well, and contained the most cast/alloy constuction out of any of them, sans the EXO. The overall winding was a little rough. The sales guy had explained it's a Shimano thing. Winding it felt more like you were winding a crank on a machine rather than higher buck fishing reel. There was a little bit of resistance, and you knew you were turning some ball bearings. The Quantum EXO is Zebco's top of the line spinner. It's no frills, all cast aluinum reel, extreemly light, over $200 sticker. Honestly, it was out of balance, resisance in winding, to close the bail took a heck of smack on the crank. I think yer just paying for the metalurgy on this one. The Catalyst was pretty nice. Good balance, smoother than the Shimano, not as smooth as the Flueger, and contained a lot of metal case parts. I picked up the Accurist, played with it for a min. and told the guy, "I know what's gonna happen. Parts will be unavailable and I'm gonna end up buying this reel". The Accurist was probably the best in the spectrum. Smoother, and better balanced than the $100+ Catalyst and $200 EXO. The big seller for me was the bail close device. With my old Pulse, the bail close device is magnetic, there's no mechanical levers or cams to spin and trip to close the bail. Start cranking and it closes with no effort. All magnetic, no metal-to-metal components. The $200 EXO had the lever close device. Catch the lever in the wrong spot, coupled with the continuous anti-reverse, the reel would get "stuck" and require a full palm and some force to the crank arm to snap the bail closed. The Diawas were this way too. The Shimano wasn't all that bad, it required a little force, but it was tolerable. The Fluger had enough lash in the anti-reverse that this wasn't really a problem. Catalyst was minimal, as was the Accurist. I know I'm gonna end up buying the Accurist.
What I've learned over the years is 1.) Quality....it counts. Buy once, buy good stuff. 2.) "Test Drive" everything. Find a tackle shop and handle the reels. Chances are the guy behind the counter is bored outta his mind and wouldn't mind a conversation. 2.5) Don't buy a reel, mail order...1 to 5 star reviews on websites don't hold a candle to the wind to hands on. 3.)Support the little guy...buy local tackle. I show up to a shop with a broken reel in hand. The guy asks me my name and finds the bill of sale from 2002 in the computer. "Ok, we'll take it apart and asses, no charge, and call ya with a quote." he says. "With these ones it's ususally part XYZ that goes and will be between $9 and $11 or assembly ABC, which is $16 to $21 to replace" :? Lets see Cableas do that.
