Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Reels are the hottest topic for TackleTour. Everyone wants to know what the latest and greatest is and how they compare to the old guard. What's the best for light stuff, or what's your suggestion for heavy cover. Do we really need different retrieve ratios? It's all in here.
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Ajaxin
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Ajaxin » Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:36 pm

Ovidiu-Andrei wrote:Great pics man...tks.
How does it feel then compared with the Metanium MGL?!? :big grin:
You can feel the weight difference for sure. The Bantam MGL feels very solid and well built. I like what Bantam said in a post, it feels like a conquest in a low profile form. Is it as smooth? I can't tell you until I crank it under some load. I still can't get over the detachable side plate its very satisfying to open and close. I can't give any honest comparisons without fishing the reel. Sure it feels great out of the box but so do most reels.

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by chreim20 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:58 pm

LgMouthGambler wrote:Anybody else find it interesting that it looks like there is a screw at the end of the crankshaft and wormshaft? Did they do way with the C clips?

Yes, I see that, I'm curious how the worm gear is configured with the one piece frame and side plate, like how would you access it, you know? Also, why do they still use the Dartanium Drag washers? Why not put two carbon drag washers instead of one? I also see the drag washer is on the inside of the drive gear instead of hugging the outside of the drive gear. Also, what is part number 41 for? Some different things going on for sure.

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arrowslinger1
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by arrowslinger1 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:02 pm

So does it have an 84 or 90 mm handle?
Is the handle side aluminum or ci4 type material.
Thanks for all the pics- that’s awesome!!

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LgMouthGambler
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by LgMouthGambler » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:30 pm

arrowslinger1 wrote:So does it have an 84 or 90 mm handle?
Is the handle side aluminum or ci4 type material.
Thanks for all the pics- that’s awesome!!
Its supposed to be all aluminum.
<")))><{

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Ajaxin
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Ajaxin » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:45 pm

arrowslinger1 wrote:So does it have an 84 or 90 mm handle?
Is the handle side aluminum or ci4 type material.
Thanks for all the pics- that’s awesome!!
I honestly had a hard time telling if it was aluminum or not which is why I snapped that photo. It felt to heavy to be a composite material like in the Chronarch CI4.

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Strewth » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:08 pm

Great to see an all-metal body and brass gears (the sooner alloy gears disappear the better!). Only disappointment is the spool porting on the sides, which is a direct avenue for water to get into the reel. This could be a serious issue with braid in saltwater.

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Big-Bass » Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:07 pm

I think this is going to be the best Shimano reel that has been released in a decade!

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by karirick » Thu Feb 22, 2018 6:49 pm

Ajaxin wrote:Image
Metanium MGL Weight
Image
Bantam MGL Weight
Image
Metanium MGL Spool
Image
Bantam MGL Spool
Image
Bantam top Metanium bottom
Image
Bantam MGL drive gear
Image
Bantam MGL pinion
Image
Bantam MGL side plate
Image
Bantam MGL drive gear carbon drag washer
Image
Bantam MGL Dartainium drag washer
Image
Looks great but the picture shows the handle on the wrong side? Maybe is a mirror image:)

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Kurt L » Thu Feb 22, 2018 7:29 pm

Big-Bass wrote:I think this is going to be the best Shimano reel that has been released in a decade!
+1 on this! it will be a big winner for Shimano, I have been a Shimano die hard for the last 25 years, but I have moved to Daiwa on my last 5 or 6+ reels, I'm done with Shimano spinning reels until the next Generation comes out hopefully the next will be better [-o< but Daiwa totally came through and filled the gap with the LT Series. I will be back in the Shimano bait casting Camp with the Bantam MGL, ASAP!

Kurt

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by DirtyD64 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:14 pm

Kurt L wrote:
Big-Bass wrote:I think this is going to be the best Shimano reel that has been released in a decade!
+1 on this! it will be a big winner for Shimano, I have been a Shimano die hard for the last 25 years, but I have moved to Daiwa on my last 5 or 6+ reels, I'm done with Shimano spinning reels until the next Generation comes out hopefully the next will be better [-o< but Daiwa totally came through and filled the gap with the LT Series. I will be back in the Shimano bait casting Camp with the Bantam MGL, ASAP!

Kurt

We are almost dead opposite, I love the new SV series, all of them (love the Shimano I own too), but I am scared to pull the trigger on the LT Daiwa's and more confident in the Stradic's and up. This Bantam should be a great reel, really interested to see how the levelwind holds in place though, that must be some interesting design or something simple I haven't thought of yet.

Now just need that shallow spool to come out for the Bantam, hate to say it but after those pics I kinda wanna go JDM Metanium for the shallower spool.

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by alafly » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:13 am

lol~~~~~~~~

](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)
ss30378 wrote:
Ajaxin wrote:Just got my hands on the Bantam MGL haven't opened the box yet. Anyone have any requests for photos?
Do you have to ask???
"North" of America...

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alafly
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by alafly » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:28 am

Awesome! \:D/ \:D/ \:D/
Ajaxin wrote:Image
Metanium MGL Weight
Image
Bantam MGL Weight
Image
Metanium MGL Spool
Image
Bantam MGL Spool
Image
Bantam top Metanium bottom
Image
Bantam MGL drive gear
Image
Bantam MGL pinion
Image
Bantam MGL side plate
Image
Bantam MGL drive gear carbon drag washer
Image
Bantam MGL Dartainium drag washer
Image
"North" of America...

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Ajaxin
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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Ajaxin » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:34 am

alafly wrote:lol~~~~~~~~

](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)
ss30378 wrote:
Ajaxin wrote:Just got my hands on the Bantam MGL haven't opened the box yet. Anyone have any requests for photos?
Do you have to ask???
Lol What I meant was does anyone have any specific photo requests for a particular part or area. I should have been more clear :lol:

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by DirtyD64 » Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:43 am

Ajaxin wrote:
alafly wrote:lol~~~~~~~~

](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)
ss30378 wrote:
Ajaxin wrote:Just got my hands on the Bantam MGL haven't opened the box yet. Anyone have any requests for photos?
Do you have to ask???
Lol What I meant was does anyone have any specific photo requests for a particular part or area. I should have been more clear :lol:

What does the level wind construction/design look like??? That is the only mystery, now that the bearing dilemma has been solved, now I am confused with nothing to wonder about...

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Re: Bantam MGL Who has their hands on one?

Post by Ovidiu-Andrei » Fri Feb 23, 2018 11:34 am

So, does the Bantam has Silent Tune like the Met MGL? That bearing on the spool?

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