ZPI Bearings vs. Boca Bearings

[cadman]

I am in the process of upgrading my bearings on my Revo MGX. This is a several part question. I am interested in Tackle Traps ZPI - Office ZPI" 5x11x4 and 3x10x4 Set, which are Sic ball bearings.

1. In your opinion are these bearings better than any that Boca sells? I don't want to start an argument just want your opinion.
2. It says to use their oil for the bearings, can I use TSI 321 or yellow rocket fuel?
3. Do you guys clean these bearing, if so with what? I have always used naphtha, and had excellent results, I just wanted to make sure that naphtha won't damage the ceramic balls.

Thanks in advance

[bronzefly]

In my opinion, the ZPI bearings are far superior to the BOCA bearings. They are more quiet, smoother, and generally higher quality. The BOCA bearings are good bearings, but they simply aren't as good as the ZPI for me.

I use ZPI oil on all my ZPI bearings. They manufacture all of them and have their own formula, and a single bottle will last you a very long time. The same goes for Hedgehog Studio bearings - I use either their Medium Light or Ultra Light oil on those.

If you're asking about cleaning brand new bearings, I don't clean new ZPI bearings - they come clean and lubed with ZPI oil from the factory. BOCA bearings can benefit from a thorough flush, cleaning, and re-lube even when new.

Hopefully others will share some insight here too. The Tackle Trap has all these items available!

ZPI, Hedgehog Studio, and BOCA spool bearings

Oil, Grease, and Lubricants

[rockchalk06]

I have had two sets of Boca Orange Seals. I ended up getting rid of them due to noise. I had to put so much oil in them to make them quiet, that I killed any distance I would have gained over the stock bearings.

I have been using the Hedgehog ZR bearings for almost 2 years now with excellent results. I did buy a set of ZPI's from the trap and use them in my Metanium V2. It may be just me, but I can't tell a difference in performance of ZPI's to ZR's. It could be I don't fish enough side by side to see the difference, but for me ZR's are the way to go. ZPI's are almost double the price of a ZR too.

If your mind is set on either Boca or ZPI, choose the ZPI's.

[bronzefly]

That is another good option folks may want to consider. Hedgehog Studio ZR bearings are the best value bearing I've used. They are very nice, smooth, quiet, offer a nice performance increase over most stock spool bearings, and are more affordable than the SiC ZPI or Hedgehog models.

[cadman]

That is another good option folks may want to consider. Hedgehog Studio ZR bearings are the best value bearing I've used. They are very nice, smooth, quiet, offer a nice performance increase over most stock spool bearings, and are more affordable than the SiC ZPI or Hedgehog models.

Do you stock these at "Tackle Trap" for my reel? Disregard this, I apparently didn't see the link you posted.

[hungry_cow]

Do you use the extra long cast or nano finesse oil for the ZPI bearings?

My experience also matches up what others have said. Boca orange seals are nice bearings and a good upgrade on most reels but they do make a bit of noise, the ZPI and Hedgehog bearings seem to be a tad better and quiter. I can't really notice a difference between the ZPI or Hedgehog, both are top notch. Also in general the nicer the reel the better the stock bearings and lesser the upgrade. If your upgrading the bearings on a $150 reel it can be a big difference but on a $500 plus reels the stock bearings are nice enough I don't notice that much of a difference.

[Strewth]

For many Daiwa/Shimano reels which are midrange and above, the benefits from upgraded bearings are small if they are flushed and lubed with TSI 321. That being said, the ZRs are quiet, easy to service because of being open on one side, and give effortless casting. TSI works great for all stainless bearings and lasts for months,even in the salt where it provides additional protection against rust.

[bronzefly]

Do you use the extra long cast or nano finesse oil for the ZPI bearings?

I use ZPI Extra Long Cast. On "BFS" set ups, I'm using the Hedgehog AIR BFS bearings and use their Ultra Light oil for those.

[LgMouthGambler]

Hedgehog ZRs are the best bang for the buck you are gonna find. They are incredible the way they perform, and dont break the bank. the Bocas are like Chinese garbage in comparison in my opinion. Hit up the guys at The Tackle Trap for the best service around the world.

[cadman]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the input. Placed an order to Tackle Trap on Saturday to try out the "ZR" bearings. I know to replace the spool bearing and the sideplate bearing (non-drag side). Do you guys leave all the other bearings in your reels stock?

[rockchalk06]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the input. Placed an order to Tackle Trap on Saturday to try out the "ZR" bearings. I know to replace the spool bearing and the sideplate bearing (non-drag side). Do you guys leave all the other bearings in your reels stock?

Depends on the age of the reel. If it's a new reel or one with low to no use, I do not. The only time I replace bearings, other than spool bearings, is due to age or if one goes bad.

The other bearings in the reel will help with tolerances and retrieve. They won't help or increase casting distance.

[cadman]

Just a follow up on bearings and what I've found about my rod and reel. Well I got the ZR bearings from Tackle Trap about a month ago. Put the bearings straight into my used Revo MGX and started casting away. Well at that time I just wasn't impressed, so I figured there must be something wrong here: Here are the specs

Abu Revo MGX with 10 lb Berkley XL
Loomis NRX 803C JWR
3/16 oz jig with trailer, that actually weighs 3/8 oz (11 grams)

Back to the story, as I was casting I didn't seem to get the distance I should, actually I was getting less than before the bearing swap. All said and done I figured it out after fishing the reel for about a month. Turned all the brakes off my reel, adjusted my spool tension and wham, it all fell into place. I can seem to cast this jig a country mile. Seems the more I use the reel the better the bearings get.
With that I want to thank everyone for their help. Also thanks to Tackle Trap for the great prices and service. I will be ordering another NRX rod and some more bearings in the upcoming months for the remainder of my MGX's.

[Fishing4Fun]

Thanks for the detailed follow up. Sounds like they were a worth upgrade indeed. Can't go wrong with Gary and crew

[cadman]

Thanks for the detailed follow up. Sounds like they were a worth upgrade indeed. Can't go wrong with Gary and crew

Definitely worth the upgrade. I bought 4 Revo MMGX reels for a really good price, and the reels were in very good to excellent conditon cosmetically and mechanically. However the bearings seemed worn. Once I put the ZR bearings in there and cleaned/lubed it now it feels like a new reel. I will upgrade the other three as well after seeing the improvement with this one.