Abu Garcia 6500’s have been my go to reels for all of my life like many others. From surf fishing to carp and catfishing they do it all. Strong reliable and easily maintained. They are one of the best reels ever produced in my opinion.
As bullet proof as they are they still need to be maintained. A good cleaning and oiling often will keep them going for years to come. Abu Garcia round reels are very easy to disassemble. On of my favorite things about them. I try to go through all my reels once a year.
One thing Abu Garcia is not known for is their drag systems. Most of my reels are pushing 15 years of age. Their drags were good for years, but never great. Always jerky and not smooth. I finally decided to break down and buy Carbontex drag washers for them. I found them on eBay for about $10. A small price to pay to not loose that monster fish! Changing the drag washers was a quick fix. I just wish I would have done this years ago!!! After a lot of research I decided to not use grease on the washers. Many reviews and suggestions were to run them dry. Even though the eBay link says to lightly grease them. I still have one reel to do and I may experiment with using drag grease. I will post a review on which way I like best on Instagram.
For the most part I have never had any issues out of my Abu Garcia reels. One part that I have had to replace multiple times are the level wind paws. They are inexpensive and easy to change out. These seem to only last a few years, but my reels see a lot of the beach. I am sure sand causes them to wear much faster. I always order a few extra and carry them with me on long fishing trips. If they go out and I don’t have another one I will take the paw out and put the cap back on. Then you can just use your thumb as a level wind.
I hope this video helps those who are sick of the old drags on their reels. As well as anyone who needs to know how to maintain their reels. Thank you for taking the time to read and watch! Here is the link to the Carbontex drag washers I used. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Abu-Garcia-c...