Do you trust aluminum gears?

Reels are the hottest topic for TackleTour. Everyone wants to know what the latest and greatest is and how they compare to the old guard. What's the best for light stuff, or what's your suggestion for heavy cover. Do we really need different retrieve ratios? It's all in here.
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Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by DirtyD64 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:00 am

Do you trust aluminum gears? If so, which ones have been good, which ones have been bad?

I know there were issues mentioned a while back on the original Metanium MGL (2016), and I recently saw someone that stated their new Zillion had gotten rough (that might have been the US brass geared version though). Nowadays I don't hear much about them being an issue. I am very excited for the new Conquest BFS to come out, but somewhat let down by the aluminum gears. I am pretty sure they are the identical set from the Aldebaran BFS. This might not be such a bad thing though; I haven't heard a single report (yet) of an Aldebaran BFS getting rough. I also rationalized in my head that all of my spinning reels have aluminum gears, and they work fine, so why can't I trust a casting reel's aluminum gears?

From my experience, all of my Stradics, Ci4+FA, Ci4+FB, and Stradic FL have held up fine and still all feel very smooth. My SS/SV is still smooth, it is the 7.1 ratio with aluminum gears. My Zillion SV1000 from Japan is close to the smoothest reel I own, with 7.1 aluminum gears. So for me, I don't really have a reason not to trust aluminum gears. Just one of those things you hear people generally mention negatively, and this has swayed my opinion even though my own experience tells otherwise.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by Slazmo » Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:22 pm

Aluminium spinning gears vs baitcaster gears are different. Totally fine in spinning reels.

Aluminium gears in baitcaster reels should only be brass (or it's alloys) or stainless steel.

Personally the difference in weight I'd happily take on board for the fact of durability.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by hoohoorjoo » Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:36 pm

I've landed several 6-10# fish on a single og Steez 100ha, and that reel was as smooth as new after 3 years of hard fishing and hundreds of fish. I sold it off for the "latest and greatest", but still miss it. Come to think of it, I owned 6 of them and never had a problem with any gears.
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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by doomtrprz71 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:42 pm

I've heard some bad experiences with aluminum gears but I have to say my steez A has been most impressive.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by Dalleinf » Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:56 pm

Yes

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by dragon1 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 4:29 pm

I trust the right alloy of aluminum and gear design per applied usage. I haven't ever destroyed an OG Steez gear set, but I have never used them in the same manner as brass gears for heavy torque cranking techs.

The aluminum set in my Alde MG7 are still nice and smooth, but I can definitely feel the wear on them, granted it is MG and also almost 15 years old...these days it sports an Avail BFS super shallow spool and light braid to leader and my guess is that it'll last for quite some time to come so long as I use it for techs that match up well to it's gear design.

Aside just gear material, gear ratio and gear cut/step/size/design is also important.
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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by Just_Bass » Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm

Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by DirtyD64 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:04 am

doomtrprz71 wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:42 pm
I've heard some bad experiences with aluminum gears but I have to say my steez A has been most impressive.
I forgot I owned this reel, my original Steez A had great gears too. I had a levelwind issue on it though and had it fixed then sold it. I assume the newer version has the "hyperdrive" gear design of the Zillion.
Just_Bass wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.
I haven't heard of anyone mentioning the Alphas SVTW gears going bad. That worries me because I love my Alphas.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by dragon1 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:07 am

Just_Bass wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.
One should never pull snags by applying force to the reel the rod. This "maneuver" is also notoriously responsible for broken rods, bent shafts on Daiwa spinners and deformation of BC spools and hard on gears. That's why I always carry a couple sets of gloves to wrap line and pull out snags or snap the line.
"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of that heavenly glory."

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by dragon1 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:08 am

DirtyD64 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:04 am
doomtrprz71 wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:42 pm
I've heard some bad experiences with aluminum gears but I have to say my steez A has been most impressive.
I forgot I owned this reel, my original Steez A had great gears too. I had a levelwind issue on it though and had it fixed then sold it. I assume the newer version has the "hyperdrive" gear design of the Zillion.
Just_Bass wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.
I haven't heard of anyone mentioning the Alphas SVTW gears going bad. That worries me because I love my Alphas.
There's something to the "me pulling snags all day" thang as well.
"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of that heavenly glory."

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by tincanary » Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:52 am

I have the original gearset in my '75 2500C, the main gear is aluminum. The reel has definitely been used quite a bit in its 48 year life, and the gears are smooth as can be. I'm not scared as long as the gears are made from quality aluminum. If ABU could make great gears 5 decades back, I'm sure Daiwa and Shimano can, or they are using an alloy that's crap compared to what Sweden was producing way back then.

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by Just_Bass » Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:00 am

dragon1 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:08 am
DirtyD64 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:04 am
doomtrprz71 wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:42 pm
I've heard some bad experiences with aluminum gears but I have to say my steez A has been most impressive.
I forgot I owned this reel, my original Steez A had great gears too. I had a levelwind issue on it though and had it fixed then sold it. I assume the newer version has the "hyperdrive" gear design of the Zillion.
Just_Bass wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.
I haven't heard of anyone mentioning the Alphas SVTW gears going bad. That worries me because I love my Alphas.
There's something to the "me pulling snags all day" thang as well.
Possibility, why I give Shimano another chance with SLX DC XT. This time I’ll try not to pull snagged with reel, if I remember of course. I trust more of Daiwa digi gear than fine teeth MM gear though. Or maybe nowadays Shimano and Daiwa use third party companies for parts(big reel manufacturers in korea and China) and those parts are not as good as old stock, quality and material wise?

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by dragon1 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 1:56 pm

tincanary wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:52 am
I have the original gearset in my '75 2500C, the main gear is aluminum. The reel has definitely been used quite a bit in its 48 year life, and the gears are smooth as can be. I'm not scared as long as the gears are made from quality aluminum. If ABU could make great gears 5 decades back, I'm sure Daiwa and Shimano can, or they are using an alloy that's crap compared to what Sweden was producing way back then.

Yep, material, design, cut/step, manufacturing process, lots of factors...OG Abu gears and some other OG Daiwa and Shimano gears were made to "wear in and not wear out".
"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of that heavenly glory."

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by dragon1 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 1:59 pm

Just_Bass wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:00 am
dragon1 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:08 am
DirtyD64 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:04 am
doomtrprz71 wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:42 pm
I've heard some bad experiences with aluminum gears but I have to say my steez A has been most impressive.
I forgot I owned this reel, my original Steez A had great gears too. I had a levelwind issue on it though and had it fixed then sold it. I assume the newer version has the "hyperdrive" gear design of the Zillion.
Just_Bass wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:48 pm
Really depends, landing 10lb fish is not as abused as pulling snag with the reel or cranking some big deep crank. I have brass Shimano gears gone bad on a few reels as well as brass from Alphas SV TW. My alde mg 7 and core 50mg as smooth as it can be when sold.
I assume me pulling snag all days ruin the gear set while my finesse reels land numbers of big bass but nothing happens.
I haven't heard of anyone mentioning the Alphas SVTW gears going bad. That worries me because I love my Alphas.
There's something to the "me pulling snags all day" thang as well.
Possibility, why I give Shimano another chance with SLX DC XT. This time I’ll try not to pull snagged with reel, if I remember of course. I trust more of Daiwa digi gear than fine teeth MM gear though. Or maybe nowadays Shimano and Daiwa use third party companies for parts(big reel manufacturers in korea and China) and those parts are not as good as old stock, quality and material wise?
Possibly on the OEM for gear manufacturing or metal supply...I recall many thousands of tons of metal coil being recalled a few years back for Nissan/Infiniti because the quality and strength of the steel would not pass their QC and US standards for strength and safety for vehicle production. This jacked up the supply chain quite a bit as well, even without the implementation of the PlanDVirus.
"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of that heavenly glory."

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Re: Do you trust aluminum gears?

Post by flipper502 » Mon Feb 06, 2023 8:36 am

Yes. I have OG Chronarch MGs and TDZs that have seen 100's of days on the water and still going strong. I tend to use the reels for what they were made for, and have other reels for deep cranking, punching etc.

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