Dry 2020 Metanium Drag Stacks?

[kunia13]

I noticed both of my 2020 Metaniums have quite high drag resistance with the star fully backed off. I took one of them apart few minutes ago and found that the drag stack has almost no grease. There was a bit of 'dust' underneath the main great too. Even the gears were somewhat lacking in lube.
I cleaned the dust out, greased the stack plus the gears and what a difference!
The drag has almost no resistance fully back off (just like 16 met) and has a very smooth, linear drag pressure as the drag gets tighten up. I have to do it to the other one too.
Anyone else experiencing this "issue"? Other than the drag, the reels are butter smooth in every aspect.
Both are JDM models, 6.2 and 8.1 gear rations (8.1 got the lube treatment)
Thx

[dennis_rf]

Same resistance with the star backed off, haven’t opened mine yet. After what you’ve described sounds like I should it’s a JDM HG lefty. But wait... doesn’t my Bantam behave the same way? (That one received a lube Job last October)

[kunia13]

Dunno...Don't have a bantam so I can't tell. Both of mine are JDM lefty too. 6.2 and 8.1
I also got JDM 16 met, aldebran 30 and bfs, scorpion, bfs Calcutta, few steezes and they're all pretty much free handle spin with the drag fully backed off. The ones that I opened up had the drag assembly greased.
If people know and feel comfortable opening up their reels I'd highly recommend it just to check it out. I'm glad I did. After 3 hours of fishing and a few fish I can definitely say that the lubed metanium feels smoother, retrieve and drag.

[kunia13]

Dunno...Don't have a bantam so I can't tell. Both of mine are JDM lefty too. 6.2 and 8.1
I also got JDM 16 met, aldebran 30 and bfs, scorpion, bfs Calcutta, few steezes and they're all pretty much free handle spin with the drag fully backed off. The ones that I opened up had the drag assembly greased.
If people know and feel comfortable opening up their reels I'd highly recommend it just to check it out. I'm glad I did. After 3 hours of fishing and a few fish I can definitely say that the lubed metanium feels smoother, retrieve and drag.

Side note...not that I care about handle free spins...it's all that dust and particles from the drag stack that accumulate inside the reel which can cause premature gear and drag wear. Plus it's smoother Bonus

[slipperybob]

Seems to have been kind of this way for quite some time on many of the Shimano low profiles. If I remember right, even my old Chronarch D was sort of like this.

[StymoDe]

noticed the same thing on my new JDM Met 20, quite a resistance with star drag fully back off... my question: where is the drag stack and how to get to it?
thanks!

[BRONZEBACK32]

Yup, done mine a while back and it makes a huge improvement.

[mrpao]

All my Bantams are the same way. Lots of resistance with the drag backed off.
My metaniums are not quite as high on the resistance but still there.