Info request on Shimano AX 2000

[progresst]

New to the forum, glad I found you guys.

I have a guy who wants to sell me 2 Shimano AX 2000 for $45.00. Only problem is that they are both 10 years old BUT have never been used. I am having trouble locating information on these reels but newer models (circa 2004 and up) look to be a pretty high end reel?

Is this a good deal given they are 10 years old? Do you know if these will hold up in Saltwater?

Thanks for your guidance.

[lemaymiami]

Those reels were modestly priced, mostly freshwater models (rear drags as a rule never did well in saltwater....) that were first brought to market in 1993.... The starting date for any Shimano (or other imported make) is important since they're only obligated to bring in parts for repair the first seven years... If any needed parts aren't in someone's old inventory when you need them - you're just out of luck. I currently have three older Shimano Stradic 4000FEs that I can no longer get pinion gears for (first issue on that model was 1997...) so they just sit and gather dust. One day I'll sell them as parts reels.

For the money, as purely throw-away reels, you might get some service out of them - but if you break anything on them you're going to be in a bad way.... If it were me I'd look at current models, pick a low end or medium end model, and go from there... If you plan on saltwater use avoid rear drags like the plague. I've never repaired one for one of my customers that didn't have a short life (so I get to repair it again and again if parts are available...).

For anyone new to the salt, my usual advice is to stick with reel makes that you can always get parts for, that's usually Penn, Daiwa, and Shimano...

Hope this helps, I don't have a shop but have been building and repairing gear locally for many years when I'm not on the water....

Tight Lines
Capt Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666

ps... just posted a new fishing report on the Florida reports board.

[progresst]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback- I did not know that about rear drag. I have always bought cheap junk over the years even for saltwater since we rarely did any fishing once we moved off the water...Since last February when we bought a boat I am finding I am fishing every weekend and the typical Walmart crap is just not holding up. I spend more time fixing gear than fishing it seems. That said, I am going to start buying better gear and am checking the local Craigslist and some yards sales over the next few weeks.

I did a stroll through Bass Pro and it looks like I can get a pretty decent new Shimano for about $100.00 that has shielded bearings? Is there anything beside shielded bearings I should consider when looking for new/used reels? I fish mostly backbay...

[lemaymiami]

Shimano builds pretty good reels - all the way up to very, very good reels, it just depends on how much you want to spend...

Many reel manufacturers these days make your choices a bit easier by keeping the size constant (i.e., 2000, 3000, 4000 series) while changing the quality as you go up in price... A good place to start in the 2000 series is the Shimano Spheros. I've torn down one or two and thought they were solidly built. Not sure of the price since I rarely purchase retail for anything....

I see lots of questions about this brand or that model, mainly from someone trying to match a particular rod or reel. I go about it a bit differently. I start with the size line that I want to use (10lb mono for anything under 30-40lb fish inshore, some would want 12lb or 15lb gear for the same fish - it's a matter of choice and whether you're going to be tossing lures or soaking bait...), then look for a reel that will hold about 200yds of that line size.... As far as rods go, I look at how the blank (I build all my own gear, have for many years now...) or completed rod is designated by the manufacturer. Somewhere on the rod it will say "8-17lb line, or 10-20lb line, etc" and will list a range of lures it will handle, say 1/4 to 5/8oz lures.... If I'm intending to use mono line on the rig I want the rod to be a bit on the stiff side since mono stretches under load. A rod for 10lb mono would have a rating of no less than 8-17lb line for my uses, I even use blanks rated 10-20lb. With mono I want more rod not less... I go the other direction using braid. Since braid has no stretch at all I want a rod that's a bit on the soft side.... A 10-20lb blank is perfect for 20lb braid...

By the way that Speros 2000 is perfect for 10-12lb mono or 20-30lb braid...

Tight Lines
Bob LeMay