I actually just got an Air ceramic bearing for it in the mail today. So now both the honeycomb and black spool have one. All twelve of my main bass reels now have hedgehog ceramics of one flavor or another, along with two extra spools. I love those bearings. They really do bring out the most in a setup.Aquaftm45 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:20 pmSwap out that big MB spool bearing for an AIR or ZPI, (or a Micro) and you will notice quite the difference whatever you are throwing. Don't forget the sideplate bearing. The stock bearing creates too much continued inertia, especially considering the thin, tapered inductor.poisonokie wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:37 pmSince I last posted here I've acquired a zonda honeycomb spool, thanks Winstondry, and IMO it is made for use with ML-M rods, 1/8-5/8oz or more, 8-14# or 20-40# braid. It is awesome for spinnerbaits, keitechs, and other typical bass baits that aren't particularly aerodynamic. I haven't tried skipping with it yet, but I'll probably give it a go this weekend. I have a feeling it will be very good indeed. In any case, I wouldn't go selling that work of art before at least trying it out first. I certainly wouldn't trade it for an Alphas SV spool, purple or otherwise. That's just me, though.
I like the hedgehog tool. You just need to be careful and make sure that 1) it's perfectly aligned (get a bright headlamp or something so you can see it) and 2) you're not trying to push a smashed spool pin end through the axle. If you fail to do either of the above, you'll bend/snap off the thin end of the "cross wrench" that you use to push the pin all the way out. Luckily, it's only $8 if you do mess it up and sometimes you don't even need that part as you can sometimes pull it out by hand once you screw it halfway out. Most of the time you do need it, though, especially on the thicker axles like those on the honeycomb spool that require an 1150 bearing.
I somehow did this with a Zillion TWS spool and wound up having to pull out the spool pin with a set of wire cutters. Miraculously, it didn't harm the spool and I was able to just throw in a new spool pin.
If you do place an order for a set of bearings and a tool from Hedgehog, do yourself a favor a throw in that three pack of spool pins just in case. It will be $5 well spent.