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| My dad needs a new musky reel. He bought me the Abu Garcia 6500C3 about 10 years ago and it has been great. I would get him the exact same reel, but I'm reading about broken plastic parts on the C4 versions of the reel. Is the 6500C3 also prone to this problem? |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | With proper use and maintenance, Abu's will work fine for the weekend warrior. I'm sure there are other opinions but if you are not a guide or tournament fishermen, you don't always need the $300 rod and the $400 reel. If you can afford it great. But I have a C3 and a C4 that have issues from time to time but I've caught plenty of muskies on them as well. That's just my .02. |
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Posts: 2330
Location: Chisholm, MN | When I first started fishing A LOT, I went through a couple c4's in a summer. That was mostly due to using big baits that pull hard. The gears wore down pretty quick. I actually liked the reel though. So, if you are not using double 10 blade bucktails or other big stuff all the time, I think they are great. It won't take long for a cowgirl to burn up those reels though. A Daiwa Saltist is not really that much more money than a c4, and it will last a lot longer. |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | Kirby Budrow - 12/16/2010 10:54 AM
When I first started fishing A LOT, I went through a couple c4's in a summer. That was mostly due to using big baits that pull hard. The gears wore down pretty quick. I actually liked the reel though. So, if you are not using double 10 blade bucktails or other big stuff all the time, I think they are great. It won't take long for a cowgirl to burn up those reels though. A Daiwa Saltist is not really that much more money than a c4, and it will last a lot longer.
The C4 is Abu's high speed reel and is definitely not made for big blades. The C3 would be a better option for an all around reel and will be able to handle big blades once in a while. If you are expecting to be throwing ONLY bigger baits, you may want to look at the Abu Revos.
My C4 is 3 years old and still works great. I use it for topwaters, jerkbaits, small bucktails, and ripping smaller cranks. I've always taken the time in winter to take each reel apart and thoroughly clean it. The only thing I've had to replace was the pawl and worm gear which is expected to wear with use.
There should be no reason to ruin 2 C4's in one summer unless you're really hard on your gear. And in that case, no reel is going to last all that long. |
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Posts: 8785
| Provided that you use them for what they were designed for, and you keep them clean and oiled, the C3 and C4 are great reels for the price. Had to change the gears on my C4 after several seasons or hard (and often improper) use. Simple fix. My C3 is still going strong after several seasons, but I really don't use it that much. I am on Record #3. 2 failed A/R bearings, and two bent handles. Both were still within the warranty, so they were replaced free of charge. I like the record, but if you have one you'll need to keep a spare handle handy. The C4 is NOT an all around reel. Jerkbaits, walk the dog lures, and gliders? Yes. Anything that pulls hard or weighs a lot? No. I really like the Revo Toro, and will probably get a winch for double 10's. I've had to change pawls/worm gears on most of my Abu's, but that's a part that wears out on any reel if you use it enough. You can make them last longer if you are dilligent about keeping them clean and oiled, but they will still wear out eventualy.
If your father fishes 50 days a year and regularly throws double 10's or big rubber baits, etc. A C3 may not be the best choice. If he fishes 20 days a year with smaller more "traditional" presentations? Properly maintained, a C3 will give him years of service. For the money, they are a good value as long as you are willing to maintain them. When something does go wrong? Parts are easy to get, cheap, and easy to replace. Another benefit is that many are interchangeable, so if you have one go down on the water you can "pirate" parts off a different reel on the fly.
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Posts: 2330
Location: Chisholm, MN | I think that the c4's are great reels for anything but big baits. |
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Posts: 582
| Really depends on what he plans to throw for lures. I started out with Abu's but i don't use them anymore. for the price of an Abu i just feel their are better reels. Take the Cardiff by Shimano for example. Its' $100 and it works quite well. I mainly use Calcutta's and AC300's now and have a few Revo's but they are all over $200 but again, they work for pretty much anything you want to throw.
I also have a Pflueger Trion 66 which cost exactly what a C4 costs and IMO, it's a pretty good reel, better than the C4. As mentioned above, the C3/C4 reels aren't very good for large baits, large blades etc... They just wear out quick under heavy pressure. |
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