Aluminum Reel's..Islander, Trophy, RST etc...

Whole in the Water said:
Here is a review of the MR3 that some may find interesting.

http://www.ramblingfisherman.com/2011/10/islander-reels-mr3-product-review/

While I like my MR3 reel very much (bought it slighty used for $400) I agree with all the points made in this review as I have experienced them all myself ( line creep, no free spool, etc.) and I don't fish as much as a guide does. IMO for $600 this reel should not have any of these issues. So I think it is time that Islander fixed these problems by redesigning the reel.

I may check out this new 2012 Okuma reel in the spring when it is available....http://www.okumafishingteam.com/2012_Okuma_Catalog_FB/loader.swf found on page 128 in the 2012 catalog

​
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MikeP and I worked together last summer, and he used his MR2's and I was jealous. If you read my review you will see how I outlined the problems with the MR3, the biggest one is the ported back cover that was a very big design flaw, as well as not having a free spool function. Line creep was just an irritation, and would happen all the time especially later in the season.

I looked closely at the Okuma mooching reels, and I hope to reviewing them next summer because I really like the idea of carbon drag systems. Way less maintenance.
 
Echo DHA on not using white grease on cork drag...big problem. Another big problem with the MR3 is the drag adjusting knob will hit on some anglers fingers when they do not immediately let go of the reel handle when a fish runs suddenly. When this happens (a lot with rookies) their fingers jam in the drag adjusting knob and back the drag completely off. I have seen some people who didn't let go to the point it was extremely hard to adjust the drag back on. So, while nice the MR3 has its problems also.
 
DHA said:
White lithium grease can be used on the clicker pawls and springs, as well as the shaft tension spring, but not on the cork. The best lube for the cork is super lube oil, but I have been trying the gel and it seems to be fine. Don't over lube the cork, but you don't want it dry either. Just play around, you can't hurt it.

DHA.
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I heard that you should use super lube and some graphite powder on the cork drag for best performance on a MR3. Anybody else know about this?

I bought my reel used with this mix on it and I have not had any line creep issues and my drag is buttery smooth. I also have the non-ported guide model with out all the holes drilled into it so it stays drier.
 
Like I previously mentioned, I have not had any issues with line creep on my Islander reels, accept when the cork was over oiled on my MR2's, however the odd time when fishing super deep with my MR3's, I need to crank the drag right down and then there is no creep. I have often thought about replacing the cork with Teflon or similar, but I am waiting for one of my reels to fail before I start playing, as I have no warranty left on them anyway. The splash and dunk tests on the TREND reel should be interesting, plus it is raining this weekend anyway.

DHA.
 
Anyone using the islander lx 4.8 on here... in the market, love my islanders but one is sitting on the ocean floor now... rest in peace buddy.... Anyways, I know that they are fly reels and not really supposed to hold mono but I've seen a few out my way being used and just was looking for some input on them.... thanks in advance.
 
Whole in the Water said:
So anybody out there know anything about using graphite and super lube on MR3 cork drags???
Click to expand...

I believe Mi Chica just did that recently, but he has not fished them yet to see if it has improved the creep issues on his MR2's. I have not tried it yet, I was waiting to see how he made out with it.

DHA.
 
Nope haven't tried that mixture yet...I'll wait to see what the report are for those that are bolder than I.
 
Whole in the Water said:
So anybody out there know anything about using graphite and super lube on MR3 cork drags???
Click to expand...

My mistake, Mi Chica did not do this. Now I can't remember who talked to me about it. After doing more research tonight, I found all kinds of data sharing the abrasive properties of graphite powders. Many, many entries speak about combining graphite and various lubes for certain jobs, however most speak about the abrasiveness of the compound. I am not convinced at this point that it is a good alternative solution only because I would be concerned about losing the protective anodized finish of my reel.

DHA.
 
Islander recommends this in their maintenance manual for Mr3 reels
 
so why not install a super slim Teflon or graphite washer
which would be installed to to wear out eventually (dependent on hours used wear and tear)
rather than any other part
ie the cork or damage the inside of the reel Anodizing????

that would be my thought

as the reel ages and the more it is used its either the bearing wears or
the cork would wear due to the compression time after time
and hence the reel giving up to line creep

dries out gets smaller
just like an old hammer shaft put in an bucket of water it swells locks up
dires out wobbles about go's loose kinda thing....lol
 
How does the TFO Pacific II compare in retrieval rate with the islander MR3? Is it similar in size or closer to the MR2?
 
You have to find a fine balance on putting any oil/lube/grease whatever you put on a small dap will generally do it , too much and it really slips all I do is put a tiny bit on the trophy bearing upper and lower and a little on the cork spread it around then wipe it off with a bit of paper towel I want just a little on there you dont need to soak it just lube it up...

wolf
 
Sorry it has taken me a while to get these pictures but here they are. You can see there is significant finish loss on both reels. The two reels were serviced multiple times over the 2 guiding seasons he fished with them.
 

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Don't really know what the problem is with the loss of the anodizing on the inside of the reel is? The anodizing is more of a cosmetic thing to give the reels some colour without using paint that would just quickly flake off. While it is true that anodzing does provide protection against corrosion and oxidation with all the lube on the inside of a reel can't see much of this happening.

Perhaps the only concern might be the difference in the level of surface resistance that anodizing may provide over straight polished aluminum. I don't know if this would be a factor or not in the drag performance.
 
Do you guys find a big difference between MR2's and MR3's in terms of performance? Other than the free spool switch which I find useless for anything I'd ever use it for.
 
SerengetiGuide said:
Do you guys find a big difference between MR2's and MR3's in terms of performance? Other than the free spool switch which I find useless for anything I'd ever use it for.
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I have both. Fished them with clients for years. I like aspects of both, and feel that the MR3 is best for the simple reason the retrieve is faster. MR3 is not without its faults....which are, clients fingers jam in the drag adjustment knob backing off the drag while playing fish...not good. Also the drag tends to skip/slip if wet particularly if you do not service the reel regularly, which can be tough in-season after back to back days. Neither of the MR's have a nice sounding clicker - pretty lame actually. As for MR2 - has way smoother drag. A lot less issues, and I do like option to free spool when dragging bottom on the banks. MR3 sucks for that as you have to back off drag all the way etc. Both reels have line creep unless cranked down big time. My preference is MR3 again because the larger arbour allows for faster retrieve. If you get the MR3 don't get the one with the drilled out back, go for solid back to help keep the cork drag dry.
 
Agree with the finger jam, never had that happen once, had it backed off to zero drag but that was users fault. Also when wet I find they can skip, but that's only with ported back I've found and I just keep them in covers till use and usually stops it as well
 
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