BDT 1967,
Actually, no, I'm not really suprised it's grinding. That's not a slam on Abu Garcia, as I really love their Revo's. It's a slam on inexpensive baitcasters. I haven't had much luck at all with $50 baitcast reels at all, and I've been asked to try a few over the years from various manufacturers. I've never had one of those last a whole day of hard fishing.
I will say that quite a few companies are building some totally rediculous reels at astronomical prices. I won't name names, but when you start looking at half a grand for a single reel, I scoff at the pricetag.
The reels I would consider to be appropriate for any angler that plans on using them more than once in a great while will normally cost $100 and more. I've seen some for less. They are out there, but they aren't the norm.
What I normally see for $50 is a graphite frame, which is the first point of flex. Heat it up on a summer day in the sun and the next thing you know, the spool is rubbing on the inside of the frame. Couple that with either cheap bearings, or delrin / teflon bushings instead of bearings, and you have a reel that doesn't really cast far, gets affected a lot by heat and cold, and makes noise.
I also fully agree with what was written above. I always take apart a new reel and lube it. No matter what the brand of reel is, I find Daiwa blue grease and Yellow Rocket Fuel oil to work the best for me. I've tried others, and always come back to that combo.
All the best,
Glenn
