Vintage Ultralight

[Smead]

These kind of threads always meander...no problem at all.

If I needed a workhorse reel and had around a hundred $$ budget, my personal first choice would be an SS700...it's just an tank and will last you.

That Shakespeare 2200 025 is a great reel too!

[Johnny A]

The only remaining item from my earliest fishing years as a youngster, early to mid 1970’s. Japan made South Bend 25 spincast. South Bend was a pretty prominent name in fishing back then, anyone else remember them ?

5AA4D419-EEAF-4BFE-B9C4-DCA7C26D2DB4.jpeg
E38961BC-17B8-446D-B89D-9DDD22B17751.jpeg

I had one! Also had a Heddon spinning reel with without a roller on the bail so the line cut it!

[uljersey]

I am unapologetically a huge Daiwa SS fan. My 700 just gets better & smoother as the years go by. From a strictly functional perspective it just does everything a spinner needs a to do very well - casts great, manages line great, superb drag and it’s durability is unmatched. It is a perfect example of “beauty in simplicity”

[toddmc]

Nice! I remember my grandpa having some of those. My first combo in the 70's was a Berkley rod and a Penguin ultralight reel. I thought that I was big-time when I had a Shimano extra small ultralight with Rapidfire in the 80's. All of my Shimano ultralights of that era broke and Rapidfire really sucked. I still have a Daiwa SS700 that is one of the best ultralights ever made. I have been meaning to replace it because it is very worn, but I have been doing more BFS over the last few years.

Lots of love for that SS 700!!

It's so simple that you might only need to replace the bearings...unless the main gear and pinion are worn...at least you can still get a new one though!

Some past threads on the reel.

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=65921

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=79718

The SS700 is still smooth because I have taken great care of it, but it has caught well over 10,000 fish. I have only had to replace the bail spring after 20 years Unfortunately, the folding handle has a lot of play. I have seen solid JDM replacements, but they cost more than the reel. My kids use the reel now. I keep threatening to buy something Daiwa JDM to replace it.

[Smead]

I'm not certain that even modern higher end JDM could match the kind of service your SS700 has provided!

[Smead]

While looking around, I discovered that there is an SS850 as well!

[doug in co]

Discovering why that little 850 Spinlite cost as much as the 860 surf casting reel...a bronze main gear and probably a steel pinion, will check with a magnet when I get it completely apart.

I have the A&F 150 Three, which I believe is a rebranded Spinlite..
Fixed it up and fished it, it works well. Mine unfortunately has worn out gears which grind rather. Tried a variety of oils and greases with no luck yet. It's bad enough that I don't like fishing it, feels like a coffee grinder, sad face..

[Smead]

Indeed it is a Langley 850B.

You might try to put a shim or two behind the main gear and housing to account for any gear wear; that could fix it unless the bushings are really worn. There are numerous Mitchell shims on Ebay you could try; you'll want to get ones 0.1mm in thickness, about .004". I'd suggest the Mitchell 300 baffle plate washer, P/N 81012, the ID should be right for your reels main gear shaft.

Another fix is to look for a Langley 850B or a Zebco 850, also on Ebay, and swap out the main gear and pinion.

https://www.reelschematic.com/wp-conten ... %20850.pdf

Nice pic of a reel with box and accessories.

[tincanary]

I too love vintage ultralights.



I also have a Penn 420SS and a Daiwa SS 700. Next on my pick-up list is a DAM Quick 110N Microlite.

[Smead]

That Cardinal 3 is built like a tank!

All you mentioned are neat reels...and command higher costs to acquire then too...at least the SS700 is still in production.

I like the old DAM Quick Microlight 265..they go high, even rashed & bashed up ones usually; probably for parts, which are difficult to find. Parts are always an issue on most of the older reels really; for example, there's a clear plastic shim on the 265s that goes between the main gear and housing on whatever side the handle is attached to. If you lack that shim, the reel can feel rough.

I was just lookin at some Penn 420s.

I like Mitchell 308s, but you have to work with the reels a bit to learn their oddities regarding line lay...there's a lot of other ways to screw them up too. They are easy to take apart, usually a good thing, unless whoever did it put them back together wrong. Mitchell was also odd in sticking to line guides for most of their reels until the 1970s and not really having decent line rollers until the early 1980s.

[tincanary]

That Cardinal 3 is built like a tank!

All you mentioned are neat reels...and command higher costs to acquire then too...at least the SS700 is still in production.

I like the old DAM Quick Microlight 265..they go high, even rashed & bashed up ones usually; probably for parts, which are difficult to find. Parts are always an issue on most of the older reels really; for example, there's a clear plastic shim on the 265s that goes between the main gear and housing on whatever side the handle is attached to. If you lack that shim, the reel can feel rough.

I was just lookin at some Penn 420s.

I like Mitchell 308s, but you have to work with the reels a bit to learn their oddities regarding line lay...there's a lot of other ways to screw them up too. They are easy to take apart, usually a good thing, unless whoever did it put them back together wrong. Mitchell was also odd in sticking to line guides for most of their reels until the 1970s and not really having decent line rollers until the early 1980s.

The Cardinal 3 is still in production through Daysprout out of Japan. Abu manufactures the parts and final assembly is done in Japan, the reel foot has no stamping other than 'Made in Sweden'. They are very limited run reels, usually put out in batches of 1000 or less every couple of years or so. The prices range from about $350 to $450 depending on if it's a CDL or not. Their newest one should be out next month. My particular Cardinal 3 was a gamble. A guy had it listed on eBay and had very poor pictures. I was the sole bidder and got it for a steal, turned out to be in very nice shape. I added an Avail shallow spool, IOS Factory bail springs, and some homemade carbon drag washers. I really love the fulcrum drag, wish that was still around in something more widely produced.

[Smead]

I wasn't aware that the repro's were still being made...so that's pleasant news...not surprised at the cost at all for a short run reel with that kind of quality in design and materials.

Sometimes you do really get lucky with Ebay!

[doug in co]

You might try to put a shim or two behind the main gear and housing to account for any gear wear; that could fix it unless the bushings are really worn.

thanks, good idea.. I have a collection of teflon washers of various thickness, will try those..

[doug in co]

I like Mitchell 308s, but you have to work with the reels a bit to learn their oddities regarding line lay...there's a lot of other ways to screw them up too. They are easy to take apart, usually a good thing, unless whoever did it put them back together wrong. Mitchell was also odd in sticking to line guides for most of their reels until the 1970s and not really having decent line rollers until the early 1980s.

my 308 still going strong after 45 years..
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=34 ... #msg402326

[Smead]

You might try to put a shim or two behind the main gear and housing to account for any gear wear; that could fix it unless the bushings are really worn.

thanks, good idea.. I have a collection of teflon washers of various thickness, will try those..

You're welcome...go thin as possible at first, it might not take much, like .004"-.008".