The market for spinning equipment is now oversaturated. Its budget segment is especially popular. Rybakov is attracted to him by the fact that some of his brands are approaching the level of the middle class in manufacturing quality.
Regarding inertialess coils, according to the price / quality criterion, products of the Ukrainian brand, known in the CIS markets, stand out on it. This article will discuss some of the particularly popular flagship coils.
When buying Flagman reels for spinning, two conditions must be met. First, bring along a spinning rod and, after attaching, try how compatible they are. Advantage should be given to Flagman rods. Secondly, you should pay attention to the size of the spools, which is determined by the intensity of the forest. If the mark of the reel has the number 2000, this means that 100 meters of fishing line 0.2 mm is placed on the spool, if 3000 - 100 meters of fishing line 0.3 mm, etc. The reel up to 2000 belongs to the light, ultralight class. If the spinning ultralight weighs 70-100 g, then, having attached a coil of 350 g to it, you will feel discomfort.
Classifications
To be more precise, the Flagman inertialess coils are classified according to the signs of functionality:
- Gear ratio, i.e., by the speed of the winding line.
- The weight of the bait.
- The weight and size of the coil itself.
Gear ratio
Slow-moving ones have a large spool and a gear ratio from 3.5 to 1 to 4.5 to 1. It is more convenient to catch large fish on them. These are Flagman feeder coils, which are less suited to lightness. Similar models are often supplemented by a byte runner.
Medium-speed ones are characterized by a smaller spool and a gear ratio from 4.6 to 1 to 5.2 to 1. They are equally suitable for lures and feeder fishing. In the first quality, heavy baits (wobblers, jerkbaits, castmaster) are suitable for them.
The high-speed ones are equipped with a small coil, have a transmission number exceeding 5.2 to 1, and are intended for the flashing of perch, asp, sabrefish.
By bait weight, reel weight (displayed in the brand number)
According to the weight of the bait used and the number in the marking, three classes of inertia reels can be distinguished:
- For the lung, the number is from 750 to 2000, the weight of the bait is up to 15 g.
- For an average number from 2001 to 3000, the weight of the bait is up to 35 g.
- For a heavy number from 4000 to 6000, the weight of the bait is up to 100 g.
By the size of the coil, the smallest in the marking has the number 1000, in further gradations it increases by 500. Currently, the flagship 5000 is the most popular coil.
Below is a list of current current brands from the Flagman brand.
Consider several new running models of this brand.
Coil “Flagship Sensor”
The Flagman Sensor 3000 is the most affordable Flagman Spinning Reel. In terms of performance, it is universal. With its help, you can fish on the river, pond from the shore or from a boat.
Since she is the cheapest representative of her brand, she should be especially carefully checked when buying. At a price of $ 16-17, one should not obviously hope for exhaustive quality control of production. However, despite the fact that the Flagman Sensor coil has a simple structure, when checking it when buying, there are no sounds when the handle is rotated, its movement is uneven, there should be no backlash of the main components. In the budget series, there may be significant variation in build quality.
In its main purpose, this Flagship coil is a feeder accessory, although it can also be used for lures. The word "feeder", as you know, means the English version of donkey. With it, special rods with quivertypes (bite signaling devices) are used. The name of this catch comes from the word feed, which translates as “feed, food,” because in addition to bait on a hook, it uses a fish-attracting feeder.
Characteristics
Inspection after purchase reveals its minimum configuration: box, the product itself and the kinematic diagram, which can easily be downloaded via the Internet link on the diagram itself. The device, judging by the attached description, is characterized by:
- Size - 25.06 mm.
- Type 5 to 1 transmission gear.
- The presence of two bearings.
- Bypass clutch.
- The capacity of the spool for fishing line is 0.12 mm - 150 m, 0.15 mm - 130 m.
Judging by the inscription on the company box, computer-made balancing of the product.
Testing
When checking the kinematics of the coil, pay attention to an easy start and a very good indicator along the way. There is practically no longitudinal backlash, more precisely, it is 0.4-0.5 mm, this is a very good indicator for the rocker rod or spool feed. The product also shows a minimum longitudinal backlash of the rotor and the complete absence of lateral backlash. It is dynamic: the minimum movement of the handle is transmitted to the rotor.
The only drawback of this flagship coil is the axial play in the knob (the handle that is held by the fingers by the handle). If desired, it should, of course, be finalized, i.e., by introducing the washer, the vibrations should be removed. However, our inspection showed that the assembly of this budget coil is decent.
Sensor disassembly
When disassembling the friction mechanism, both strengths and design flaws are exposed. We’ll make a reservation right away regarding weak structural moments; in a friction nut, the assembly is assembled not on the basis of screw joints, but using ordinary “dogs” - plastic fasteners. This does not give reliability to this node in the long run.
However, further disassembly does not find flaws. There are 6 washers in the friction unit (three filter and three metal), which is a good indicator. The profile of the working area of the spool is wedge-shaped (not wedge-shaped, but wedge-shaped). That is, the diameter of the working area of the skirt is higher than the diameter of the working area of the side. The wedge is directed to the side of the spool. Remarkably (level above the price category) a ratchet is made.
When disassembling the rotor, the plastic neck is separated, behind it there is a curly metal washer, which should prevent the neck from turning on the secondary gear. In the roller of the logger - fluoroplastic coupling 5.8 by 2.5. The movie itself is quite massive, the manufacturer says that it is coated with titanium nitride.
The return mechanism is standard: two metal gander, a spring, a plastic element connecting the gander and the spring. Each of the shoulders of the rotor rotates on bronze bushings.
Thus, we disassembled the gearbox housing of the coil. Thirty teeth are contained on the primary gear, 6 on the secondary. As for the overrunning clutch - this solution is used in the budget class, but the rocker rod feed is at its best. A design flaw is the fluoroplastic sleeve, which over time will begin to grind the axis of the drive wheel.
The handle is prefabricated, has a tension screw, made partially of metal, partially of plastic. Knob is not separable.
Output
As a result, you can praise the accuracy of the assembly, because the drive washers of 0.3 mm provide an almost silent operation of the mechanism, unlike similar cheap models that use washers 0.7 mm thick. Thus, the Flagman Sensor in quality, against the background of Chinese counterparts, can be considered one of the leaders in the segment of cheap spinning reels.
Sherman Flagship Coil: Features
New in 2017, Flagman Sherman Pro for the feeder is manufactured in three versions: with the index of 3000, 4000 and 5000. In this article we will consider the first of them. The coil is interesting for lovers of both carp fishing and feeders in the extra heavy class, who prefer Flagman carp reels, that is, models containing a figure from 5000 in their name.
We will carry out a post-purchase inspection. The coil lies in an inexpensive cloth case. The box contains the product specifications. Reduction of 4.7 to 1. Units and details are sound: aluminum cone spool, 6 ball bearings. Forest capacity - 190 m for fishing line 0.33 mm. The coil weighs 480 g and exhausts 83 cm in one turn of the handle. It works with feeders up to 100 grams, comfortable weights - 60-80 grams.
The case is made of black plastic with an aluminum handle, the spool is aluminum, the perforation on the spool is in the form of letters PRO. The handle is comfortable, the knob is made of rubberized comfortable material. The clip is iron, round, conveniently removed.
Rating
Testing shows the absence of backlash in the horizontal plane. The clutch button works fine. Demonstrates a good easy smooth ride when driving the handle. The backstop works well.
As a drawback, you can call the sharp edge at the spool skirt near the clip. According to fishermen, the British Preston reel has the same drawback, which can cause the braid in the clip to break. It is corrected by the owner with the help of a natfel. Thus, Flagman Sherman Pro can be attributed to a series of front-wheel reels that work harmoniously with modern lightweight rods. With low weight, it demonstrates good draft performance.
Flagman armadale
Flagman carp reels have significantly strengthened their market position with the economy-class Flagman Armadale Big Pit.
We will carry out its post-purchase inspection. Packaging is the simplest, low-cost case. Options are minimal. The coil itself is made in dark colors. Matte color alternates with glossy on the handle, spool, bow. 6 + 1 gearbox, worm gear, low profile spool, anatomical knob.
We disassemble the spool, separate its main part, the friction nut, 6 washers of medium diameter (3 metal, 3 felt).
Spool refers to small-scale. Near the skirt, the diameter is 61 mm, under the side 59 mm, the height of the working area is 30 mm, the diameter along the side is 65 mm. Successfully placed on her clip for fixing the fishing line. On the friction nut there is a rubber seal that prevents moisture and sand from entering the kinematic part.
We characterize the rotor of the coil: its neck is not crimped, it is strengthened by a nut. Sleeves are mounted on the shoulders of the rotor. A simple layer roller with one ball bearing (5.8 mm by 2.5 mm). The rotor also has two PTFE bushings, 2 gander in the return mechanism, a plastic pusher.
The next item to consider is the handle of the reel. The material of its manufacture is metal, the assembly handle, it is held together by a tension screw. Knob - non-separable.
A good implementation is the feed of the coil rod: an endless screw rotating on two ball bearings of 3.6 mm by 2.5 mm. The rod pusher is equipped with two guides. The slider cover on the pusher is fixed with two screws. Such a design in its price category looks very successful.
The driving wheel with a diameter of 37 mm rotates on sufficiently powerful bearings 9 by 17 by 5. The driven shaft rotates on a single bearing 8 by 16 by 5.
Coil weight (after assembly) - 555 g.
Flagman Armadale Big Pit Coil Findings
It really can be considered a breakthrough in the design of domestic inertialess coils. The world fishing champion of 2011, Alexei Strashny, took part in the development of the product. The flagship duplicates the know-how of expensive models that have already made a name for themselves.
Model "Squadron 8000"
Coil "Flagship Squadron 8000 ”is intended for fishing carp and grass carp. It has a plastic case and a conical spool; it is equipped with an additional spool of increased capacity. The reel is equipped with a convenient clip. Its weight is 650 g. The Baitrunner system is used to clear fishing lines. Installed endless screw. There are slight backlash of the handle and spool, however, not interfering with the work. The gear ratio is 4.7 to 1. Forest intensity 425 m of fishing line 0.25 mm. 98 cm are twisted in one turn of the handle. 8 bearings are installed in the product. The Flagship 8000 reel is also available in Rocket Carp version, with a graphite body, weighing 860 g with eleven bearings and a gear ratio of 4.5 to 1, with a forest capacity of 380 m for fishing line 0.3 mm thick.
Model "Squadron 6000"
The coil has an aesthetic appearance: a matte dark lilac color with a glossy black spool, a handle. Flagman Squadron Feder 6000 (HD) belongs to the same lineup as the previous model. Used for extra heavy feeder rods. However, it is characterized by faster rewinding of forests. The product has a gear ratio of 5.5 to 1. There are 4 round and one needle bearing in the freewheel.
The front clutch easily adjusts to the desired load. The bow works well. The roller is a ball bearing. The handle is made of metal, the knob is made of neoprene. The shoulder of the handle is chosen well.
Instant stopper. There is no backlash. For 1 revolution, the coil exhausts 1 m of the cord, the stroke is quite smooth. Coil weight - 420 g.
An extra large capacity graphite spool is included. A cord 0.35 mm thick is placed on it 300 meters, 0.4 mm - 230 m, 0.45 mm can be wound 160 m.
Device
Low-profile aluminum spool allows winding cord without backing. There are two clips on it, with which you can fix two different distances. Around the clip, everything is rounded off, which means that there will be no cliffs of scaffolding when fixing. The rotor of the coil is graphite; a piece of lead was used to balance the rotor. The case is also graphite, very worthy aesthetically, fastened with four screws. The driving gear is aluminum, quite functional, mounted on two bearings, the driven gear on one. The drive roller is also mounted on the bearing.
Next, a spring, a pusher, a lever are removed - a traditional system of discarding the bow for flagship coils.
Coils Squadron
This line presents quite massive solid products, with a numerical code from 6000 to 8000. Coils are balanced thanks to bearings, their stroke is smooth and uniform. They are specialized for carp fishing. Moreover, the second is intended for larger fish that require long-term survival.
Master river
The Flagman Feeder Master River 50 is designed for feeder fishing, it has 7 bearings, a gear ratio of 5.5 to 1, and its weight is 407 g. The handle folds in one motion. Implemented a system of anti-twisting fishing line. With a fishing line thickness of 0.2 mm - 610 m, with 0.25 mm - 390 m. Includes 2 spools. One low profile metal is good for a cord. The coil has a front clutch. The mid-budget reel is equipped with a by-runner - a device for dumping fishing line when biting cyprinids. The coil works smoothly, there are no backlashes. Checking the operation of the main clutch also gives a positive result. The shoulder of the handle is convenient for fishing fish. There are no tangible backlashes.
Let’s explain how the byte runner works. When the rod is guarded on a carp, then the forest layer is closed and the forest is led through a system of signaling devices. If the carp bites, with the help of a byte-runner, it draws freely through the forest layer and signaling device without feeling resistance. This makes it possible for the fisherman to turn on the byte runner and make a cut.
Device disassembly
The coil housing is made of plastic. The main spool is small, made of aluminum, equipped with a bearing for softer rotation. The clip has an optimal configuration, but it is too small. The bobbin assembly is also technologically advanced: a ratchet, an adjusting washer. Safety straps that prevent the spool from spinning when fishing. The main fixture is a left-hand thread nut.
Then the byte-runner cover is removed by prying off the fixing bracket by removing the ratchet. The housing cover is mounted on 5 screws. The ratchet is removed, then the rod, pinion gear, carriage with a groove, guides, spurious gear with bearing. Gear material - solid aluminum.
The byte-runner system is quite simple - 2 springs, levers.
Thus, the factory assembly of the Flagman Feeder Master River 50 was carried out professionally. Individual parts are also solid. The reel can be recommended for feeder fishing of large fish.
Instead of a conclusion
Existing spinning reels of various price categories cost from 15 to several thousand dollars. The line of the Flagman brand considered by us is in its budget segment. However, judging by the reviews, products, especially those with seven to ten bearings and tested by computer, are comparable in their characteristics with more expensive ones.
Moreover, according to most fisherman reviews, super-expensive reels (premium) are not worth the money. After all, by and large it is plastic or carbon, aluminum, several bearings, a rod, etc. Technically, the device of the coil is not more complicated than a door lock. Therefore, those that cost $ 1,000 are over-advertised.
Compare, for example, 10 such coils and a car at $ 10,000. Are labor costs, energy costs, material costs for the production of coils comparable?
However, we do not deny the reels for 300 US dollars, since it is in this segment that really good quality is achieved. If there is any model produced not by the "gods" from Japan, you should look at the price / quality ratio.
In connection with the foregoing, we can advise novice fishermen not to wait for a miracle. Today, many experienced fishermen are used for feeder fishing and spinning the flagship reel. Pro reviews about individual models serve as guidelines for their colleagues. In particular, the Flagman Armadale Big Pit is commendable. Inertialess coils "Flagman" are in demand in the near abroad.