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fin-nor Ahab reels

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gonfshn

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I am looking at purchasing a Fin-nor Ahab 8 reel. I have done some research and found out they are now being manufactured in China. Several people have suggested I look for an original Ahab 8 instead of buying the newer Ahabs. Does anyone have experience with the newer Ahabs versus the original style and have an opinion? Also, any ideas on where I can find an original style Ahab 8? I would appreciate any feedback.

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gonfshn,

 

How do you plan to use this reel, for the surf or on a boat? If you are going to use it in the surf, I suggest you look at just about anything else. I have an older 8A and it is not tolerant of splashes and sand. It has agreat drag and excels as a boat reel though.

I ate one anchovy, and that is why I did not eat two anchovies.

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There's a thread here in the Main Forum on Fin-Nor Ahab vs. Penn Slammer. As for the context of the thread, I agree with ptmike in that the newer Ahab's are superior to the old. I've had both in several sizes. The only Ahab I currently have is the newer Ahab 8. Again, I prefer it to the older models.

Being a light tackle reel that sees general use on shore, boat and kayak, it seems to be holding up much better than the others.

The only negatives I can point to are that they are generally heavier than most reels in their size range. Being a smaller reel to begin with, this doesn't bother me at all. And, they are not the most "braid friendly" reels going. Managable, but they do better with mono or Fireline over braid.

 

 

 

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That thread is http://www.stripersonline.com/surfta...d.php?t=525377.

 

John B is right, they don't take water well, although the newer ones are better than the old. A lot of guys I know just use them from boats, but I'm not one of them. If I know I'll be getting wet I grab my VS.

 

Off the top of my head I would estimate that he new ones are about 20% or so lighter than the old.

 

Personally I don't care much for the 8, not a big drop in either size or weight from a 12, and with the 12 you can put on much more line. It is the same reel with a different size rotor and spool.

the artist formerly known as ptmike
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Thanks for the replies. I plan on using the Ahab from a boat fishing mostly for redfish and speckle trout. I have a couple of Penn Slammers that I really like, but have heard good things about the Fin-Nors. It is encouraging to hear that the newer ones are as good, or better than the original Ahabs. For the money I would hope they hold up. Any idea what the original Ahab 8's are going for?

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Old ones are sometimes on Ebay for $2-250, but USA ones were last made in 1995, so expect them used and beat. New ones for $140-180.

 

Parts are not a problem now that Fin Nor has been bought by Zebco - it is the same parts department as Van Staal. Most parts are interchangeable with the exception of the anti reverse. I laid in a supply this spring, the price is very reasonable, and replacement of the old parts with the new ones is desirable - they are made of better materials (pot metal vs stainless alloys in most cases).

the artist formerly known as ptmike
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View PostSo to the guys in this thread that know, what's the best for the surf?

 

Not claiming that I know, but....

 

I replaced my 8A with a Penn Slammer. The Slammer handled braid better, was a little lighter (even though it was larger) and the drag was just as good. And the slammer didn't mind getting splashed by saltwater.

 

I've since relegated the slammer (and the rod it is on) to backup in favor of a van staal on a similar rod

I ate one anchovy, and that is why I did not eat two anchovies.

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I have only had one of the Quantum reels and had imediate trouble with the anti reverse. Same thing with the Okumas and cabelas Salt Strikers that I used for surf casting. Maybe I am just getting the cheaper end of these lines, but it is hard to spend more money on a line of reels that have handled so poorly. I am hoping to spend a little more money on the front end and not have to replace reels after a seaseon or so of use. I am fishing for reds with a Slammer 360 and a 4400 ss and have had good luck with them both. The Fin-Nor seems like a step up in quality, especially at a used reel price. The Van Staal is still way out of my range, By the way, I saw a bailless Van Staal on Amazon.com for less than $300. Seemed like a heckuva deal. John P.- how much are you asking for your older Ahab 8?

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I have an older fin-nor Ahab 8 and had major issues getting basic replacement parts for the features they were known for - superior drags. Used to be based out of Ft Lauderdale FL, went bankrupt than Zebco purchased a few years back. I ran into a service rep at one of the winter shows who said they were "trying to make some of the older parts". My recommendation would be to stay away from this aging line of reels that's on life support, there are too many other reels out there.

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cb - if you still have the reel and want parts the# is 800-444-5581 x 6975 and her name is Roberta. They dragged their feet getting a supply of parts available for the 1st year, but I ordered back in March and had them in a week. You need to order by the corresponding new part #, not the one from the schematic that came with the old Ahab.

 

If you order any parts I would recommend replacing the oscillating slider gear assembly ($1.15) and the oscillating slider assembly ($1.60) at the same time. The new handles were $27. These are the parts that go the most.

 

If you have a problem with the part #'s pm me, I have a new schematic.

the artist formerly known as ptmike
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