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Penn fathom vs akios 656

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Hi ! I am using a relic of an Abu at present and have yet to see an Akios. Does anyone know how one can covert a Penn 500L from bushes to bearings? Possibly including centrifugal brakes.

 

 

Penn 500L is not compatible to centrifugal brakes, sorry. But if the reel has an aluminum spool a magnet can be adapted to work.

If being stupid got us into this mess, how come being stupid can't get us out?
I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all.

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Thank you. Where can I check for how to convert the Penn 550 to magnetic cast control?

 

 

 

A Penn 550 is a spinning reel.

 

 

 

Does your 500L have a Chrome spool?

If being stupid got us into this mess, how come being stupid can't get us out?
I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all.

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  • 1 month later...
No one has mentioned line retrieve. If your chasing albies or fish mostly tins, the Penns 40" over the Akios 23" retrieve might be important.

 

Penn Fathom 25N

Line capacity 320 yards of 20# mono

Retrieve 40"

 

Akios 757 SCM

Line capacity 320 yards of 20# mono

Retrieve 40.5"

 

The Akios 757 is available in 3 different gear ratios.

S-Line 4.3:1 and 5.5:1

Shuttle (SCM) 5.8:1

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  • 6 years later...
On 7/16/2013 at 7:29 AM, Awesome John said:

I just purchased the Penn Fathom 15... its a casting monster.. " I kid you not"

 

I had to use 4 brakes to control it.. spectacular free spool...I average 120 yards on a smooth Hatteras cast without too much grunting ......

and its a very STRONG ALL METAL REEL...:th: I qam getting a magnetic mod for ir form Hatteras Jacks..

 

I plan to get an Akios but that price is ridiculous... :(

John, I'd say the Akios S-series CTM and the Fathoms are actually in the same price ballpark. The now-discontinued FTH15 was a good casting reel, and the only gripe I had with it (disassembly to adjust the centrifugal brakes) has been replaced with easily adjusted, effective mag brakes in the FTHII15. The Fathom II 15 is an excellent reel; as is the 656 CTM. The 757 CTM beats the Fathom 25N as a casting reel though. I'll conduct a shootout between my 757 and my 25N next month to illustrate this. 

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I had an Akios 656 and did not like it.  It seemed to me like a direct copy of an Abu reel but not as precisely built or as refined. Also I did not like the fact that there was (apparently) only one source for Akios parts in the US, some guy who appeared to be operating out of his house. Not that there’s anything wrong with home-based businesses, (I own one,) but I’d rather have a more robust parts network behind any reel I own.

 

My two cents: stick with the tried and true.

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On 1/18/2020 at 2:27 PM, Where R All The Fish said:

I had an Akios 656 and did not like it.  It seemed to me like a direct copy of an Abu reel but not as precisely built or as refined. Also I did not like the fact that there was (apparently) only one source for Akios parts in the US, some guy who appeared to be operating out of his house. Not that there’s anything wrong with home-based businesses, (I own one,) but I’d rather have a more robust parts network behind any reel I own.

 

My two cents: stick with the tried and true.

Abu parts are thinning out for the older 6500s, like the CS models. I was checking ereplacements for a part and had to go to Mikes. There are a lot of parts Abu refers over to ereplacements. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/26/2020 at 9:57 AM, fishhappy said:

Abu parts are thinning out for the older 6500s, like the CS models. I was checking ereplacements for a part and had to go to Mikes. There are a lot of parts Abu refers over to ereplacements. 

Dads Ol' Tackle has a lot of Abu 6500 parts.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

Plenty  of parts for abus....more then i can say for modern penns shimanos etc etc most times all you can do is buy a whole reel and at that time the seller thinks he has a goldmine shimano dawia  etc etc anyway and the price is twice as much as it was new ...i have over 100 abus mostly 4000 size and smalller .and old penns i can go online and buy what ever i need for my 40 yr old plus reels anytime.so IMO id go with a 7000 abu for heavy  surf and 6000 for anything smaller.

Edited by Redneck69
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  • 3 months later...

Akios 656 is same as ABU 65 similar to Fathom 12.Fathom 15 is same as 525's.

Fathom 12's are the Peach Brimmed right up on mono mag cleaned out of blue grease dab of thin oil in each bearing is the beast not quite p there with a well turned out 65 but as a distance beach fishing reel it's Tops! as ABU's etc are ok casting but weak/slow on retrieve can be taken to 6+-1 but then weak gearing and 5.3-1 is Kitty fiddling speed as all the twirling but takes weeks to get in! lol

 

Fathom 12 Brimmed isn't far behind 15 on line capacity but try 15 brimmed becomes unwieldy "Rotating mass".

 

Have original 65CT 70's reel.

Akios 656 mm3 pretty rubbish as spindle flexes in part from softer metal/Thinner end but also having alloy side plates allows flex there as flat so once thumb over spool on cast push spool down so once released it's jumping around at high speed so spool rubs on frame edge!.Common fault reel smells of burning!

Penn torque 100 525 size nearly as slightly less line cap great boat/pier/Heavy shore reel but not in mag 525 casting range as spool&spindle in one more like the GS range but cleaned out with TSF321 oil isn't too bad.

Have/Had 525 T's still have a few ones running a slidey plate as need ratchet for what use for but also have an S mag extra which custom mono magged as the S mag mag tray breaks.

 

Have both Fathom 12's and 15's all mono magged mostly use the 12's and also have a 12 non mag running ABU fibre blocks as removed OE bits leaving pins so can run 3 tiny blocks or 2 small/big? just a test bed.

 

Also have some others like 65 Chrome rocket and Shimano Speedmaster 11CFS and CS the original high speed reels! the 11CS is Mono magged.

 

Over in This tiddly UK have the new Akios nitron F15 "mixed bag" Design/build issues!

The new Fathoms are Similar many wishing not sold MK1's the mag set up isn't right due to round magnets with that sliding metal cover so say 7 is too slow but 6 makes it a nesting machine as the amount isn't linear because of the round area but if they'd used a strip magnet would be ok.

 

Can't get my head round the "Casting special" uses same mag set up as the cooking models but with that big knob Which gets you in the wrist! and then increase the spool capacity which makes it a bit more boat like as too much for casting work with rotating mass!

 

when heard was coming out expected a decent factory mono magged reel with that knob having a light ratcheting like the star drag/end cap plus some marking so can see where your at for casting!

 

If they turned sideplate round 180 deg would be better with ratchet at bottom so comes to thumb easily as cup reel in hand and mag knob upper right so comes to hand easily as undo when casting like we install ours.

 

But to me the perfect Casting special would be a 12 set up with proper mono mag and side plate done right would knock all the others out of the water and would be on my list.

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The new fathom 12 has a small dial and is a awsome caster and a very sturdy feeling reel. The mag is perfect imo. If you want a fishing reel capable of huge distance while still being tough the fathom 2 12 is definitely it . The 12 holds plenty of .35 lb mono as well so thats not an issue. A great fishing cast will leave you about a half spool . Great reel.

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