Visser 2nd gen tear down/ six month review

[Benfromnbx]

Here is a tear down of my gen 2 Visser #4. I’ve fished two of these reels hard over the last 6 months from the kayak in Ri. They have proven to be reliable and have needed minimal maintenance to keep spinning. I wouldn’t say they came out of the box perfect (little sticky) but I will say any questions or parts I needed were almost instantly answered/fulfilled by Visser.  I’m a rookie poster so hope this scatter brain post is helpful.  These reels will serve proudly next to my saltiga bj’s, Certate’s and saragosa’s.The drag knob is fully sealed internally and features a coil spring for preload and drag progression.  The nylon disc that interfaces with the clicker detent is a little cheesy though and showing signs of wear.  I wish the knob clicker disc was swapped out for a quality stainless piece and the design of the under spool clicker were rethought. If that happens I would call the drag perfect for my needs as a northeast inshore angler.The full drag stack assembles on the hub is quite impressive.  The drag consists of  large upper and lower drag discs.The upper pressure disc  (in the tweasers) has a small detent bearing in it to click when u turn your drag knob.  I greased my drag washers with automatic grease similar to how daiwas tournament grease functions.  It allows me to set my drag soft for less start up inertia but when a fish starts running the grease rapidly expands causing the drag to automatically tighten. Love this ****.  Visser is playing around with a magic black powder (probably graphene or moly)  that they are treating the  drag washers with I have no experience with it yet though so can’t comment.  The Visser drag has impressed.  It has next to no start up inertia and plenty of stopping power when u need it.  It’s fully sealed too with oil seals at the top and bottom. It has plenty of drag washers to divide out the work load more evenly than it’s surf reel competition as well. The entire hub is supported by two large cartridge bearing for great spools support under load and minimal tilting.  U can’t shim it for different line thicknesses though but thankfully I had no issues with line lay. The (harder than alloy) titanium spools lip is a nice touch to.  This reel is a GREAT caster.Drag is fully sealed and not surprisingly very similar to a VS.  This oring retains the upper pressure plate to the main drag hub.  The infamous drag clicker.  Mine worked fine and was assembled correctly on both reels.  I dislike the sound though it’s quieter than a muffled wader fart! Three stainless bolts hold the very rigid and lightweight alloy rotor to the beefy stainless rotors interior hub.Bail wire retaining nut doubles as the rollers counter weight.  Nicely done.Polymer bushing that the bail arm rotates on.  The bail arm assembly is magnificent!  Best I have ever felt!  Smooth as silk with an aggressive index and toggle point.  Pic shows the well advertised bail spring piston. The line roller assembly is a single bearing affair.  It is sealed on both sides and and is still spinning ok after six months.  I do wish it had two bearings in it so that it was more rigid.  Single bearing line rollers can lean under high drag setting causing the bearing to prematurely wear.  Handle shaft had some light corrosion from the factory on it? I brushed it with a wire brush and sprayed it with corrosion x.  Hasn’t came back since.  Not sure if it was a byproduct of an acid bath or what but worth noting.  Upgrade bearings for the handle knob assembly.  Fully sealed and more corrosion resistant.Weird rubber cap that seals the outside of the knob.  It works though!The handle knob spins on two cartridge bearings. It is sealed on the inside by this small oring and on the outside by a weird rubber cap.  On one of my reels the knob bearings were rough because they were slightly over-shimmed.  I replaced both with ceramic hybrid bocas’s but a custom bushing would be more appropriate at this location.The bottom of the rotor nut has a oring that seals against the rotors interior hub.  The rotor nut is very wide/supportive and has a nice silicone rubber shaft seal pressed into it.  I would like to see a bushing or a small bearing mounted inside it to insulate the mainshaft from the pinions rotation but we can’t get everything we want can we.The anti reverse bearing sits directly into the body not into a flange offering a direct connection during hookup.  The bolt on flange pictures protects the rear of the rotor from loose loops of line. FYI The bolts that hold the flange on lead directly to the gearbox so a little bit of thread locker here is a necessity. Thankfully that was done at the factory. 

The rotors hub assembly intersects the anti reverse oil seal to close out water from this sensitive area. I love that the rotor uses a stainless hub to offer more rigidity than an all aluminum assembly.  There is also a matrix type aater deglector to keep low pressure spray from even getting to the seal.  Cool **** A+.The anti reverse housing cap is easily removed for service and has a oring on the rear and a oil seal on the front that intersects the rotors central hub assembly. The oils seal on the front of it was over greased from the factory.  I used slick honey grease at this location to reduce stiction from the heavy factory lube.Service port.  Great for u surf guys to check for water intrusion.  Again a quality machined peice with a nicely fitted oring.The oscillation gear pin has this mounted oring and brass bearing mounted to its embedded pin. Thing of beauty.The side covers oring gland wasn’t finished very well.  U can see that the threads are cut all the way down to the bottom so the oring doesn’t have a perfectly smooth gland to sit in.  Not a big deal since the body is sealed at both openings by oil seals on the gear axle so this oring is just for keeping crap out of the cap.The new gen2 traverse block mounted to the mainshaft.  Two quality machined peices.  The main upgrade of the gen2 is this traverse block.  In the first gen the traverse block slid directly on the body under load this one rolls on two permanently mounted  cartridge bearing.  It definitely improves the reels feel under load but it’s not perfect.  I do prefer the rail mounted traverse guides that are used in reels like the makaira and saragosa because they stabilize the rear section of the main shaft better and allow the designers to open the ID of the pinion bore to minimize friction and contact with the mainshaft.The revised side cover (3 bolts instead of two) and oscillating gear. I love seeing a machined gear instead of a cast one.  The oscillation gear has an imbedded stainless pin with brass bearing/oring on it to keep friction and clunks to a minimum. The side cover is sealed around its edge with a round oring not a custom gasket unfortunately. The handle opening is sealed with another quality oil seal that mounts inside the side cover and the handle cap is sealed with a redundant but appreciated oring. I replaced the side cover bolt orings with nylon washers (against Robs wishes).  I hate it when stainless bolt heads sit directly against alloy.  It usually damages the finish and opens the material up to the possibility of corrosion.I had no issues with the anti reverse it fits snugly in the main body and has been reliable in normal NE fishing temps of 90-40 degrees.  It is of the plastic spring variety so it won’t last forever.  I would prefer the INA clutches that are found in the makaira’s and x series van staals but this reel isn’t 1000$ either.This is the pinion/shaft/anti reverse assembly. The pinion is very well supported by three bearing but doesn’t feature any provisions for reduced shaft contact.  It touches the main shaft all the way through its bore. It was heavily greased from the factory and was one of the causes of stickiness  in the drivetrain.  I used Motorex supergliss 32 slideway oil to lube it and it made a huge difference. I would love to see the inside of the pinion oversized so that it doesn’t touch the shaft but that’s impossible with the current design since the pinion is being used to stabilize the rear of the main shaft.   This is another part Visser is playing with. It’s a 17-4 pinion. I used it in one of the reels for six months. It features a slightly wider bearing at the tail that can handle more side load from the main gear.  After my six month tear down the reel with the brass pinion and smaller tail bearing had a little roughness to it (just the rear bearing) proving to me that the stainless pinion is a good option for an upgrade or for guys like me who commonly reel against a fish putting the pinion under huge side loads.  Not sure if it is available for sale yet or if it will be included with the upcoming models. The main gear is a two piece all stainless construction.  The main part of the gear is one solid piece (axle and main gear are all one piece) then the oscillation gear is pressed into the main gears axle.  I like it better than the bolted or press fit versions commonly used by others.  It ensures that the main gear will never slip on it axle since it is part of the axle.  The stock drivetrain held up great.  Looks like about 70% of the gear teeth are being utilized with minimal wear for both. The stock pinion. It’s a quality brass machined piece with rather large smooth teeth.  I would describe the gear feel as “pretty good”. Its no shimano but it gets better with use and can definitely benefit from a gear specific grease.  The stock alloy anodized spool shaft.This stainless spool shaft (17-4) is something Visser is playing around with.  It’s a beast and I think should be available to purchase soon if not already as an upgrade for hacks like me.  I fish primarily night time surf from a kayak in heavy current so when I snag I need to clear it and get away from the rocks and the swells. I have been known to bend a spool shaft from time to time. The stock alloy spool shaft is light and works perfectly fine but the stainless 17-4 is surely stronger. 

Ok hope this helps with some of the questions I’ve seen posted.  All in all I like the reels. They are far from perfect but if you’re like me and like weird new stuff they might be right for u!  I’ll be smiling next year fishing mine!

 

[Joe Paranee]

Nice write up

 

i have a few Visser’s and fished a #4 & 8 a lot this past season and really like them 

 

 

[Goldy]

Very nice write up from a gear head.  Nice job and welcome. 
 

I didn’t catch what you greased the main gear with when you put it back together?   Have you considered running it with motor oil?  
 

cc: @ged @FishingmaniYaks

[70bbvette]

My question is how waterproof are they when reeled underwater ?I really want this reel to succeed.So much lighter than the other waterproof reels

[recoil]

Excellent!  I may be looking into one of these now.

[Benfromnbx]

3 hours ago, Goldy said:

Very nice write up from a gear head.  Nice job and welcome. 
 

I didn’t catch what you greased the main gear with when you put it back together?   Have you considered running it with motor oil?  
 

cc: @ged @FishingmaniYaks

Krytox 215 for the gear.  I have used slide way oils and gear oils before for some vs reels.  I won’t use it in anything that has a plastic spring type AR bearing or a slow speed oscillation system.  They are pretty sensitive (clutches can slip/heavy feeling) to oils especially when cold.  I like motorex supergliss 68 and 32 for summer and winter.  

[Benfromnbx]

2 hours ago, 70bbvette said:

My question is how waterproof are they when reeled underwater ?I really want this reel to succeed.So much lighter than the other waterproof reels

I put both reels in a bucket of fresh water overnight before I originally tore them down, and gave them both a few turns while submerged and didn’t se any water in the body or the drag.  If I were using them in the surf I would put either tef-gel or silicone under the side cover and the side cover screws.  The side cover has a complex shape to it and would be very tough to seal.  A little help between the cover/body and the bodyscrew heads would be a good idea. I’m sure it would also voice the warranty.  

[plt391]

Nice job thanks for the info and taking time to share it

[shark lobster]

Nice write up funny how guys **** all over this reel when it came out ! Compared to the issues with the new vs  id say these issues with visser are slight !will see how Geds reel holds up to the vacuum test very curious to see this!

Edited December 27, 2022 by shark lobster

[Jig It]

Very nice breakdown and photos! I guess next step is for the reel and company is to pass the test of time.

 

I looked online but not able to find a reel diagram and parts list with costs, more a manufacturer question. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Jig It

[Goldy]

2 hours ago, Benfromnbx said:

Krytox 215 for the gear.  I have used slide way oils and gear oils before for some vs reels.  I won’t use it in anything that has a plastic spring type AR bearing or a slow speed oscillation system.  They are pretty sensitive (clutches can slip/heavy feeling) to oils especially when cold.  I like motorex supergliss 68 and 32 for summer and winter.  

Good info.

 

Also, noticed that you fished mostly from the yak.  Was this dunked at all in the Salt?  Just curious?   I see you did a submerge in freshwater which is great.  

 

Curious as to why you think silicone the side plate

[scoobydoo]

2 hours ago, Benfromnbx said:

Krytox 215 for the gear.  I have used slide way oils and gear oils before for some vs reels.  I won’t use it in anything that has a plastic spring type AR bearing or a slow speed oscillation system.  They are pretty sensitive (clutches can slip/heavy feeling) to oils especially when cold.  I like motorex supergliss 68 and 32 for summer and winter.  

I've used a few krytox greases.  (215 and 227)

 

For use in fishing reels, I found it didn't functin well.  It doesn't play well with corrosion X, or TSI oils which I use most often.

I've read all the mfr claims...and can't say I've seen it function real world in fishing reels.

 

I've even coated items that see frequent exposure and it didn't protect like I'd hoped.

Same can be said of the tef gel...feels like it'd protect really well...now it sits next to the others on the  "loob shelf of woe"

where remnants of unused loobs sit unused, and forgotten. 

 

Just tossing this out there.

Since your pretty techy. 

Try mixing tungsten disulfide with aquashield marine grease.

 

I've sent a few batches to my service centers...and since they've started using it.  None had a reel come back with gear wear issues.

It's all that I use in all my reels no matter the gear material/combo.

 

And it plays well with corrosion x so you can play with the mix and run it on levelwinds and oscillation gears without gumming up anything.  

 

Stays put on gears nicely.

 

 

[LB]

Welcome to SOL

Very well done and an easy to follow teardown, one great thing with RKs design of reels is the minimal amount of parts needed to make a solid reel. 

[Goldy]

57 mins ago, scoobydoo said:

I've used a few krytox greases.  (215 and 227)

 

For use in fishing reels, I found it didn't functin well.  It doesn't play well with corrosion X, or TSI oils which I use most often.

I've read all the mfr claims...and can't say I've seen it function real world in fishing reels.

 

I've even coated items that see frequent exposure and it didn't protect like I'd hoped.

Same can be said of the tef gel...feels like it'd protect really well...now it sits next to the others on the  "loob shelf of woe"

where remnants of unused loobs sit unused, and forgotten. 

 

Just tossing this out there.

Since your pretty techy. 

Try mixing tungsten disulfide with aquashield marine grease.

 

I've sent a few batches to my service centers...and since they've started using it.  None had a reel come back with gear wear issues.

It's all that I use in all my reels no matter the gear material/combo.

 

And it plays well with corrosion x so you can play with the mix and run it on levelwinds and oscillation gears without gumming up anything.  

 

Stays put on gears nicely.

 

 

Scoobs, I know @LB runs oil.. How come you don't run oil?  Just curious

[slicedcornbread]

12 mins ago, Goldy said:

Scoobs, I know @LB runs oil.. How come you don't run oil?  Just curious

Have you tried oil? A few years back, all the rage was putting Royal Purple gear oil in ZB reels. I converted four reels to the Royal Purple. One was mine, one my brothers and the other two was for a close friend. They all ended up leaking small amounts of the oil. I converted them back to the red ZB grease and no one had any issues. It sounded good in theory, but it just didn't pan out in my experience.