Aftco lightweight rollers

[Lil' Tunny]

What are your thoughts on the light rollers? Never used em before and thinking about putting them on a #30 all purpose rod. There less than half the price of sic ringed guides and seem to offer 0 line wear on fast fish. Being made of graphite, do they hold up to bangs and abuse?

[thetackletrap]

What are your thoughts on the light rollers? Never used em before and thinking about putting them on a #30 all purpose rod. There less than half the price of sic ringed guides and seem to offer 0 line wear on fast fish. Being made of graphite, do they hold up to bangs and abuse?

Lt you looking at the Aftco L series where the hood snaps open open to access the rollers?

[Lil' Tunny]

Lt you looking at the Aftco L series where the hood snaps open open to access the rollers?

Yeah, that's the only kind I see. They say there rated for 10-40# line. The stripper has 2 feet and the rest are single footed.

[thetackletrap]

Yeah, that's the only kind I see. They say there rated for 10-40# line. The stripper has 2 feet and the rest are single footed.

They seem nice and I like that they are light. But I am not sure about the plastic hood that pops out to access the rollers. They may become weak after time. I do not have any or have built with them so my 2 cents are limited here. Give it a try and let me reel in the fish this spring to help you out.LOL

[CanyonRunnerMate]

they are very light and work great. I built my friend a set of 6, 6.5' live bait sailfish rods using them for 20lb test. The only concren you will have with them are knot clearance. If you are going to use them on trolling rods or some kind of application where a bimini will be necessary....30# test just clears, anything heavier will get caught. Also, 100lb wind-ons and heavier might have a had time getting the serve through.
If you won't be using the rod for anything like this, or will be using 30lb test or under I highly reccomend them! If not, I would look at fugi SiC, the have a similar look call power oval. Or go with another brand like AMTAK. I have had good results with their guides and you will save some money. Or plain and simple go with the hardaloy from fugi, they are plain, simple and effective!
Justin

[thetackletrap]

they are very light and work great. I built my friend a set of 6, 6.5' live bait sailfish rods using them for 20lb test. The only concren you will have with them are knot clearance. If you are going to use them on trolling rods or some kind of application where a bimini will be necessary....30# test just clears, anything heavier will get caught. Also, 100lb wind-ons and heavier might have a had time getting the serve through.
If you won't be using the rod for anything like this, or will be using 30lb test or under I highly reccomend them! If not, I would look at fugi SiC, the have a similar look call power oval. Or go with another brand like AMTAK. I have had good results with their guides and you will save some money. Or plain and simple go with the hardaloy from fugi, they are plain, simple and effective!
Justin

How did the feet lay on the blank? and did you have to grind them like a stainless foot? I've been using the fuji sic HD boat guide where the is a single foot to both sides inside the double outer foot. They are called USG series. No complaints yet for them other then an arm and leg to buy them.

[CanyonRunnerMate]

yes, just like most guides, they required some filing...but more like fine sanding because of plastic like material. If you put these on a grinder you will melt the foot right off. But as the guide size increases so does the crown under the guide foot. if they are sized right they kinda snap on....you then sand them to get a smooth transistion form the guide foot to the blank, mostly on the sides...the tip of the foot has a nice transistion already, just need to take some burrs off from the molding process. One thing thats nice is you never have to worry about the guide foot cracking because of how flexible these guides are. I would definately use them again in the right application.
Justin

[Lil' Tunny]

Good info. wasn't thinking about knot clearance. Going to give them a try.

[paul708]

Lil'Tunny..how did the lightweight rollers work out?

[Lil' Tunny]

Lil'Tunny..how did the lightweight rollers work out?

Never got them. Got a deal on a set of fuji ringed sic's. So just used the sic. Maybe this winter i'll wrap one with the light rollers.