21 Antares DC Main Gear

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Shadowcaster1969
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21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Sun May 09, 2021 3:32 am

Hi,

Can Anyone advise if the 2021 Antares DC Main Gear is made of Aluminum? Or have they switched materials to Brass or Marine Bronze?

Reason I ask is that my 16 Antares DC HG and 18 DC MD both had Dur-Aluminim gear, and I have lots of problems with gear roughness and freeplay after landing bigger fishes on heavy drag. I do have some older Antares with Brass gears, including a 20+ year old Antares Version 2 and do not have this problem despite landing many biggies on heavy drag.

If Shimano continus to use Aluminium main gear for the 21 Antares, I might give it a pass...

Your advise is much appreciated, thanks in advance!

Best Regards.

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rp346
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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by rp346 » Sun May 09, 2021 6:22 am

It is Brass.....

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by rp346 » Sun May 09, 2021 6:39 am

Interesting because my 2016 DC HG and 2016 DC have brass gears ....

Shadowcaster1969
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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Sun May 09, 2021 6:17 pm

Thanks rp346! Good to hear that Shimano has decided to make the new Antares main gear with brass!

I've been having issues with both the 16 and 18 Antares DC main gear just after landing one or 2 big fishes on heavy drag. The reel's gearing becoming very rough, as in it feels like there is sand in between the main and pinion gear, and there is significant back play on the reel handle. I sent the reels in to the Shimano agent for servicing and checks and was told that the Aluminium main gear and pinion gears are badly worned and needed to be replaced. On the handle free play part, the reel mechanic speculated that it was probably due to a combination of the durability of the one way bearing and the design of the reel. I had not modify the drag and has a 4.5kg drag setting (Max stated by Shimano was 6kg) with PE3 braided line, so I don't think I had used the reel beyond it's intended design limits?

It was also surprising to me that the 18 DC MD was worst off despite it being marketed as a Monster Drive reel.

This was one of the 2 fishs landed with gthe 18 DC MD before issues started developing with the reel. To be fair to the Shimano reels these fellow fight hard with long powerful runs, and takes quite some time to land... But I have no issues landing them with other baitcasters. The older Antares Ver 2, the current generation Conquest, and the Daiwa Morethan PE-XH all did well with no issues. I guess I can only attribute their success to their Brass or Bronze Main+Pinion gears?


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y2k88
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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by y2k88 » Mon May 10, 2021 1:18 am

My thought is that the smoothness of micro module gears doesn't last long when the frame and bearings can't hold a tight enough tolerance. Like too much play. Surprised it's an issue for the antares though.

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Slazmo » Mon May 10, 2021 3:07 am

Shadowcaster1969 wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:17 pm
It was also surprising to me that the 18 DC MD was worst off despite it being marketed as a Monster Drive reel.
Nothing Monster about the gearset in that reel - absolutely disappointing to look into that reel knowing how expensive it is...

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by SSS » Tue May 11, 2021 6:39 pm

Stop landing dinosaurs with a fishing reel and you won't have any problems

Shadowcaster1969
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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Wed May 12, 2021 7:34 am

I just noticed that the 2021 Antares DC has 11+1 bearings while the 18 DC MD only has 10+1. Can anyone confirm the extra bearing is added to the drive/pinion shaft such that the 2021 Antares DC is now supported on both sides by ball bearings? This should add more rigidity to the drive train. I suspect my problems with the DC MD's main+pinion gear wearing out on heavy drag may be caused by lack of rigidity of the drive train under heavy drag load, and coupled with the fact that the main gear is made out of softer Aluminium as opposed to stronger Brass, thus causing more strain and excessive wear on the main and pinion gear... Does this hypothesis make sense?
Last edited by Shadowcaster1969 on Wed May 12, 2021 7:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Wed May 12, 2021 7:38 am

SSS wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 6:39 pm
Stop landing dinosaurs with a fishing reel and you won't have any problems
SSS, I can't speak for all fisherman but one of my 2 wet dreams when I go fishing is to land dinosaurs each time and everytime I wet my line! :)

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Gone Phishin » Wed May 12, 2021 7:47 am

Shadowcaster1969 wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 7:38 am
SSS wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 6:39 pm
Stop landing dinosaurs with a fishing reel and you won't have any problems
SSS, I can't speak for all fisherman but one of my 2 wet dreams when I go fishing is to land dinosaurs each time and everytime I wet my line! :)
:lol: =D> 8-)

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Wed May 12, 2021 7:50 am

Anyway, the 19 Morethan landed this 50 pounder with dignity, despite the fact that the fight lasted 35minutes and I almost got spooled twice. The reel is still as smooth as the day I took it out if the box.

Hope the 2021 Antares DC can regain it's Antares dignity and perform like Antares used to! :)

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by rp346 » Wed May 12, 2021 3:56 pm

Image
Yes there is an additional bearing on the drive shaft.

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by benjlwq » Thu May 13, 2021 1:01 am

Have you disassembled both your reels personally? I own an Antares DC MD as well, and I'm pretty sure the reel has a brass main gear.

Tackle tour also did a review of the Antares DC 2016
http://www.tackletour.com/review16shimantaresdcpg2.html
Where they also confirm that both the main gear and pinion gear are made out of brass.


It really is just the micromodule gears that wear really fast when used beyond their capabilities.

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Thu May 13, 2021 2:04 pm

rp346 wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 3:56 pm
Image
Yes there is an additional bearing on the drive shaft.
Thanks RP346!

Hopefully Shimano had sorted out the issues I faced with the 18 DC MD. Kind of disappointing when a top line reel series that I had depended on for 20+ years started feeling grindy and gritty on the retrieve just after a few outings... Looking forward to fish and test out the 21 Antares DC as soon as I can get my hands on one. :)

Unfortunately, all my local Shimano dealers have no clue when the reel is coming into their shops though. Some of them told me that the deteriorating COVID situation in Japan may be delaying the logistics. :?

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Re: 21 Antares DC Main Gear

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Thu May 13, 2021 2:32 pm

benjlwq wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 1:01 am
Have you disassembled both your reels personally? I own an Antares DC MD as well, and I'm pretty sure the reel has a brass main gear.

Tackle tour also did a review of the Antares DC 2016
http://www.tackletour.com/review16shimantaresdcpg2.html
Where they also confirm that both the main gear and pinion gear are made out of brass.


It really is just the micromodule gears that wear really fast when used beyond their capabilities.
Hi Benjlwq,

Thanks for pointing that out. :) Truth be told I have not seen the inside of the DC MD with my own eyes as I send my reels in to my local Shimano dealer for servicing. I'm rather ham-fisted and may do more harm and good trying to service the reel myself. :)

But I do recall the local dealer telling me that the DC MD uses a DurAluminium main gear instaed of Brass ones. When I first sent the reel in to them due to the bad grinding noise and severe handle back play, they changed out ALL the spool and drive shaft bearings, the one way bearing, and the main and pinion gear. They also advised me not to use the full 6kg drag setting and dial it back a little. The parts change out did solve the problem for a very short while, but the problems of grindy retrive and handle back-play came back just after a few sessions despite me dialing my drag setting back to 4-4.5kg, ~70% of what Shimano had stated what the reel was capable of producing.

I have similar problems with the 16 Antares DC but not nearly as serious as I what I had encountered on the DC MD. I'll have to ask my local Shimano reel technician if the 16 Antares DC main gear is Brass or Aluminium. :) I had assumed earlier that the 16 and 18 Antares DC have similar parts and design since they both had similar issues, although the 18 DC MD issue was a lot more severe.

Interestingly, I had been using my 10++ year old Antares DC7 and 20+ year old Antares VER 2 in similar (and perhaps even worse!) fishing situations with no issues at all... but finding speare parts for those reels is getting increasingly challenging.

Best Regards

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