to clean or not to clean...

[coreynov902]

Just wondering how much use you guys think a reel needs to have before taking it apart and cleaning/greasing/oiling it? I only get to fish on weekends, and even then it's not every weekend. Living in Iowa, I have about a six-month season for getting out and fishing. And there are days where I'll only use one or two reels throughout the entire day. I got a new Daiwa Tatula SV TWS reel before this season and I'm wondering if I should bother tearing it down and cleaning it. It's still buttery smooth right now, but I did use it on most outings this year, so it got more use than a couple of my other reels. Just wanting opinions/thoughts. Thanks!

[kickerfish1]

A few thoughts...
if the reel is making noise on the cast
if the reel doesn’t feel as smooth
if the performance seems to be less than it was on day one
if the frame of the reel is dirty and there is dirt and moss on parts of the reel like worm gear
if you are bored during the winter

[joebone1]

i only monkey with a reel if it is making noise - usually a bearing has been moved out of it's intended position - discovered this on some lew's reels after my son broke two side frames - when the reel makes noise i open it up push the bearing holder out and reposition it. if i have a lot of moss in the cross bar, i will knock it out, but other than that i really don't bother cleaning or greasing and i have a lot of reels that are getting old. just my take.

[DaveP]

If it needs it during the year, do it for any of the above reasons. I like to clean all of mine during late winter to get ready for spring.

[davidsa]

I fish new reels for 1 year before I have them broken down. If they make noise, I send them in for warranty (1 time in my life and I own dozens).

After year 1, I do full clean 1 time every 2 years and bearing clean on off years.

I fish like 20 days a year. Imagine like 10 reels on deck. So "average" reels are getting 2 days of use a year???

[Jeff Hahn]

I clean my reels after each season. Some might have been used heavily since March. Others might have been used only a few times. But, I like the peace of mind knowing that I start each season with equipment that is ready to go and will last all year.

[iabass8]

Im in iowa. Winter is long and boring. I clean all 18 +/- of mine every year even if it saw minimal use.

[coreynov902]

Thanks for the input and advice. I usually clean my reels once every 1-2 years, and I know I've got a couple reels that I need to take apart this winter. I just hate taking a reel apart when it still feels like new, so I think I'll wait to do the Tatula SV TWS reel until after next season.

[Aric11]

I soak and oil the bearings no less than once or twice a year depending on usage. I will clean out the cavity the bearings sit in as well. As far as cleaning up the frame and doing an entire tear down clean/grease and rebuild once every 2 years is usually all that's needed. That's provided you don't have any issues come up during that time frame. A couple times a year I will also take an air blower to the outside frame and knock out any of the boogers built up from braided line coating, dirt/grease etc. I pay especially close attention to the level wind area when I do this.

[catdude28]

I will take a brand new reel out of the box, tear it down, clean it, and put it back with proper grease and oil, including flushing the bearings. The factory tends to put so much grease in that performance is not optimum. After that, I do the same with all of my reels once over the winter so that each spring each of my reels has been serviced.

[wmitch2]

Reels need to be cleaned on the outside as needed. I clean my spinning reals yearly and re oil. Baitcasters the same or any time there's a noise or drag. Most guys OVER OIL !! Bearings only need 1 drop ! I use only Hot Sauce. and never any type of Grease !! All my reels are Shimano Sustains and Curado SF's and are well over 10+ yrs old and still working great !!

[481VSangler]

A few thoughts...
if the reel is making noise on the cast
if the reel doesn’t feel as smooth
if the performance seems to be less than it was on day one
if the frame of the reel is dirty and there is dirt and moss on parts of the reel like worm gear
if you are bored during the winter

May not be applicable to OP, but I'd add saltwater use and whether or not they're used bank fishing to that list. I give mine a good exterior wipe down and q-tip the nooks and crannies the every couple of outings since I bank fish 95% of the time now and they usually get put on the ground at some point. I use all my bass gear in saltwater too, so they get at least one complete tear down and clean/relube annually. If I have an extended saltwater trip, I'll do a complete clean and lube afterwards. Aside from that, I just add a drop of oil to the bearings if/when they need it. May be a little overkill, but half my reels are 10 years old and still feel like new. I just like tinkering with things and the gear itself is part of the hobby for me too, so that's definitely part of it.

[Flex]

once a year, unless I find something not working properly, then it comes apart asap.

[HalBrown]

I am also an annual cleaner, respooler in Dec or Jan each year, all of them (14) Keeps me from going nuts because I cannot fish.