This page is intended as a quick guide to the best practices when maintaining your Daiwa reels.
How can I minimise damage to my reel during use?
Saltwater is your number one enemy, followed closely by sand or dirt. Try your best not to get saltwater or sand onto or into your gear.
- Cradle your outfit in your arm rather than laying it in the sand
- Put your gear away whilst travelling in a boat to avoid exposure to salt spray
Do I need to maintain my reel after using it?
Yes, absolutely. Simple maintenance will prolong the life of your reel, and ensure that it continues to function with optimum performance.
My Reel is Magsealed. How do I service it?
All Magsealed reels should be returned to the Daiwa Australia service centre for servicing of Magsealed components.
My Reel is Magsealed. Is it waterproof?
Absolutely NO!
Magsealed is a barrier designed to reduce water and dust penetration into the reel through the most common points of entry during normal use.
Magsealed does not completely waterproof or dust proof your reel!
How often should I wash my reel?
If you fish in saltwater, it is inevitable you will get small amounts on your gear and what you do from there is quite important. Simply leaving it to sit on your gear can be the start of problems.
Whether you fish in freshwater or saltwater, Daiwa Australia recommends washing your gear after every outing.
How do I wash my reel?
The best defence against saltwater is a light spray of freshwater to wash it away.
- Tighten the drags to avoid water contamination of the drag stack.
- Using a garden hose, tighten the nozzle right down until only a fine mist is coming out. Lightly “mist” over the outside of the reel to remove any residual salt. Then spray the rod paying attention to the guides.
- Afterwards, grip the outfit near the reel seat and shake off any excess water. DO NOT bang the rod butt on the ground or hard surface.
- Loosen the drag right back so as not to compress the drag washers.
- Let your gear air dry out of the sun.
What do I do if my reel gets completely “dunked” in water?
Total immersion in water of any kind, but particularly saltwater, is bad news for a reel.
Daiwa Australia recommends you have the reel stripped and rebuilt by our service centre.
What do I do if my reel gets completely “dunked” in saltwater?
If your reel has been immersed in saltwater, follow these steps as quickly as possible:
- Spray the reel with fresh water using a hose
- Shake out the water
- Have the reel stripped and rebuilt by our service centre as soon as possible (be sure to advise our service team that the reel has been submerged)
NB: We recommend that your reel is returned to our service centre immediately. Salt water could start damaging reel components within days.
Can I use Penetrating Lubricant Sprays on my reel?
Daiwa does not recommend the use of aerosol style penetrating lubricant sprays directly on or in any of our reels.
These sprays have a tendency to do more long term harm to the reel than any short term benefits that they may have. These sprays tend to dissolve and strip away the grease from inside bearings and gears leaving them dry and more prone to long term corrosion.
These lubricant sprays can be sprayed onto a clean rag and safely wiped over the reel.
Should I oil/grease my reel?
Oils should not be used on internal mechanical parts of Daiwa reels as they will also eventually thin grease reducing lubrication of the bearings and gears.
Oils & Grease are good in a few key areas outlined below.
Grease
- When using grease in your Daiwa reel it is most effectively used in moderate amounts on parts that contact and move on other parts
- Grease is the best lubricant used in Australia’s hot climate
- Daiwa recommends applying grease directly to individual parts with a small paintbrush or similar tool rather than squeezing an unnecessary amount from outside the reel body
Oil
Oil is most often used in reels intended for cold climates where grease becomes too thick.
The three places where oil is very useful for Australian conditions is:
- The handle knob bearings of all reels
- Line roller bearings of spinning reels
- Spool bearings of bait cast reels
In these situations oil can be used often but should be used in tiny amounts. One drop is more than enough for each bearing and any more will be a waste.
Please note, never put oil down the main shaft of a spinning reel as this is the most common cause of a slipping anti reverse.