My first Daiwa Tatula LT 1000 New - defective?

[ultralight]

Just received my first spinning Daiwa Tatula LT in size 1000. Arrived today.

The reel arrived with the drag tightened very tight. So I loosened it. But the spool did not loosen as expected - it was very tight. Then I forced the spool to spin by hand for one or two revolutions (Without turning the handle) and it loosened up. But it felt 'grainy' for lack of a better word. I have owned three Daiwa Fuego 1000A, Two Daiwa Luvias 1003 and three Daiwa Presso 1003 (older vintage but still 100%) so I know what the Daiwa drag feels like. (Not to mention about a dozen more that I puchased for others.)

After I loosened the spool by spinning it, everytime I tighten the drag,it quickly gets very high drag. And then when I loosen the knob, including TAKING the knob off, the drag remains very tight until I forcibly spin it one or two revolutions. This is 100% repeatable.

Questions:

1. Does the Tatula 1000 have drags that feel 'grainy'? My other size 1003 is just silky smooth which matters as I fish 2 lbs test 90 percent of the time.

2. Presumably this is defective? Or is there something I missed about these critters?

Note that I also have four Daiwa Fuego LT in size 4000 and they are smoooth - especially at their price point.

Thanks in advance for any help.

UL

[Bronzeye]

I hope that those who have the Tatula LT in the 1000 size will add their thoughts, but as the owner of a Tatula LT in the 3000 size, I'll give my reaction.

I don't recall my reel arriving with a tightened-down drag; I would have been concerned about drag washer compression if it had. It sounds to me like that is what your reel has, and I wonder whether someone returned that reel after tightening down the drag.

That the spool remains under tight drag after you take the knob off is weird.

[Tim Kelly]

Unless you're doing something very peculiar, sounds like the reel's broken or not assembled properly.

[ultralight]

Thanks. Contacted the seller to exchange. Appreciate the comments.