Reel maintanance?

[nova12]

Is it ok to use normal oil to oil my reels as ive done this and the bloke at the tackle shop says you shouldnt use normal oil you have to buy proper reel oil? Is this true does it make a diffrence ive been using it for a year with no problems?
Just some asda maintanance oil i use little 250mm plastic bottle

 

[iain t]

Use sewing machine oil. It's a very fine oil that is perfect for reels. The outside parts i spray with a clear electrical silicon oil.

 

[bullet]

Can't see why that would be a problem.....
Except for the turnover of the tackle shop

 

[barbelboi]

Pretty much the same as above - I'll use any light oil on the bearings very occasionally. Otherwise it's a rub down on the outside with WD40.

 

[Philip]

Agree wth the above although if i am honest i cant remember the last time i actually cleaned a reel !

I seem to recall in the past when you brought a new reel they sometimes supplied a little tube of oil/grease in the box as well. Cant remember the last time i saw that either. Nowadays your not even guarenteed a spare spool!

 

[thecrow]

Are you talking about a centre pin or fixedspool reels?

 

[nova12]

Fixed spool and runners

 

[maggot_dangler]

Well i must be the odd one out .

I use Castrol LM grease in the gearboxes of all my reels keeps the water out better than light oil (fixed spool) and very light oil on the Centre Pin .

PG ...

 

[thecrow]

Fixed spool and runners

Sorry do you mean bait runners? oil on the outside of a fixed spool could attract grit.

 

[Keith M]

I use sewing machine oil on my centrepins and multipliers and basic 3in1 Oil inside my fixed spools.

One word of warning: Don't use WD40 to lubricate your reels as it isn't a lubricant and can leave a sticky residue as it dries out. It's ok for cleaning out dirty oil and grease from inside reels and removing dampness (as long as you keep it away from critical bearings) but make sure you wipe it out properly afterwards before you use a proper lubricant.

NB: When I was a lot younger I ruined a centrepin with bearings because I used WD40 (thinking it was a lubricant) and the bearings were clogged up with a sticky residue that I couldn't remove fully.

Keith

 

[sam vimes]

I have plenty of reels that get nothing more than a good wipe down. That's been good enough to see them last and stay working perfectly well for over twenty years. The reels that have maintenance ports get the odd drop of oil when I remember. Only my centrepins get a regular routine oiling, but I generally avoid oil on the bearings of those pins that have them. You can do more harm than good by oiling modern high quality bearings.

I'd go so far as to suggest that modern sealed fixed spool reels don't really require any user servicing. If there's a maintenance port, by all means use it. If oiling means taking a side plate off, don't bother.

 

[symonh2000]

I have oiled my Sea fishing fixed spool with 3 in 1 before now with no issues. the line roller was the bit which needed it most.

Never really felt the need to oil the freshwater ones.

 

[binka]

Sewing machine oil for me on the 'pins when I feel they need it and not religiously after each session, they're a slave to me and not the other way around and they're often out too frequently to faff about with in between.

Grease on touching parts of fixed spool reels such as the drag knob and the assembly beneath and that's once a season.

I used to take the side plate off of reels years ago and messed about with lubrication, always to adverse affect and so I don't bother nowadays and they're no worse for it.

 

[trotter2]

3 in 1 or sewing machine oil is all I use, avoid wd40.
You can use grease on the cogs if you like. You don't need out flash mate.

 

[barbelboi]

Why avoid WD40 - for me it's a must on the outside of the reel, the 'inerds' usually take care of themselves on a decent reel............

 

[maggot_dangler]

Why avoid WD40 - for me it's a must on the outside of the reel, the 'inerds' usually take care of themselves on a decent reel............

If you see what WD40 does to the levers in mortice locks you would never go near the stuff the amount of locks i go to that are almost impossible to open with the key and 95% of the time it is caused by WD40 going thick and sticky dreadfull stuff ..


PG ...

 

[barbelboi]

If you see what WD40 does to the levers in mortice locks you would never go near the stuff the amount of locks i go to that are almost impossible to open with the key and 95% of the time it is caused by WD40 going thick and sticky dreadfull stuff ..


PG ...

Let's put this in perspective - it's the dog's for wiping over the outside of a f/s reel, if you can't see that then you're missing something. I've never suggested using it on the inside the 'WD' gives it away (Water Displacement) WD40 displaces moisture and it quickly dries out making it ideal for the purpose as stated. As mentioned earlier, any decent f/s reel would need little or no lubrication to the internals during it's lifetime............

 

[thecrow]

Grandsons motocross bike always get the WD40 treatment after cleaning, it gets sprayed on and then wiped. It does 2 jobs firstly it dispels water left on it from cleaning secondly it leaves a protective barrier that makes cleaning easier next race meeting. It doesn't seem to do it any harm. We have been using it like this for years.


upload pic


Nothing to do with reels I know but its just to illustrate that WD40 has some very good uses.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

My shimano reels came wth a small tube of oil
That's what I use