Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

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.
QUAKEnSHAKE
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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by QUAKEnSHAKE » Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:20 am

Well if you can do distance comparison videos better Im interested & eagerly waiting to view them.
And yes on his very first video I saw with him using the wheel I thought that was not a very accurate way to measure but as long as each reel is measured the same way so be it.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by bigturtle » Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:27 am

QUAKEnSHAKE wrote:
bigturtle wrote:
QUAKEnSHAKE wrote: I agree with this. In THE REEL TEST video the Z did actually get the farthest distance. Against Shimanos most important reel in their line-up the Curado K the Z without using ballbearing had the longest cast.
No it didnt, curado K out cast the concept z in reel test. Look at the 11:20 mark
Yes it did. Re-read my statement.
Are we talking about the same video? if so, it clearly shows K out-casting the Z, even if by a tiny amount
https://youtu.be/74-1u5uHwtA?t=676

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by joekaz » Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:45 am

Sometimes The Reel Test guy uses two different rod brands when doing a shootout between two reels. :roll:

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by grantman83 » Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:59 am

I think he is referencing that the concept z had the longest single cast out of the whole test at like 212 feet. The k had the highest overall average
Yield not to misfortunes but advance against them

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by bigturtle » Sat Jan 13, 2018 10:17 am

grantman83 wrote:I think he is referencing that the concept z had the longest single cast out of the whole test at like 212 feet. The k had the highest overall average
ohhhh I see, I thought he was talking about the final results :oops:

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by QUAKEnSHAKE » Sat Jan 13, 2018 11:12 am

bigturtle wrote:
grantman83 wrote:I think he is referencing that the concept z had the longest single cast out of the whole test at like 212 feet. The k had the highest overall average
ohhhh I see, I thought he was talking about the final results :oops:
That's ok bigturtle, maybe the way I did phrase it was not so clear. I was referring to longest single cast. :big grin:

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by Cracker » Sat Jan 13, 2018 11:16 am

grantman83 wrote:I think he is referencing that the concept z had the longest single cast out of the whole test at like 212 feet. The k had the highest overall average
With gusting wind as it was, it is not a surprise couple casts could go out of the ordinary by distance.
Under the roof all casts would have less dispersion.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by ScoobyDoo » Sat Jan 13, 2018 1:26 pm

joekaz wrote:Sometimes The Reel Test guy uses two different rod brands when doing a shootout between two reels. :roll:
For reel????

damn....

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by bigturtle » Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:35 pm

https://youtu.be/pYNEm4I6H8E?t=934
Remember this? big head-scratcher on so many levels

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by ScoobyDoo » Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:44 pm

I swapped out the czb bearing at the base of the handle shaft where it meets the frame.
And the play I had whined about like a "britney spears fan who got grounded and can't go to the concert" in the handle has been diminished noticeable. As in no longer there. Which is exactly what I had assumed.

Also noticed some grey residue around all the contact points. On the spool bearings and pinion support bearing.
And the oil turned grey at the AR clutch sleeve.
Just pointing that out.

Every CZB bushing in the reel had the same type of tolerance...Spool bearings, pinion support bearing, handle shaft bearing.

The handle knobs aren't shimmed very well either...they rock as well as move in and out.

The chattering on the cast is no doubt ((at least to me)) a direct result of the spool shaft chattering around within the gaps of the bushing.

Everything else about the reel is seemingly nice.
Reels in the 200$ range and using the120 quantum accurist as an example of a reel that's pretty tough and come in at a cheaper price. It offers a bearing supported pinion. A handle shaft supported in frame and above the ar clutch by ball bearings. And love or hate quantum. It's a very solid reel. Solid enough that lots of saltwater guys drop 2-8ounces of lead with it all day long bottom fishing.


I would love to see a concept z That incorporated a CZB bearing above the ar clutch and had tighter tolerances...but I have no clue if that wold be possible. I don't know how tight you can go before performance is lost or wear rates go up. But just moving the CZB's by hand you can feel them wiggle and clearly see them. The casting performance is without a doubt good enough and on par with ball bearing reels.
But I guess the trade off for not needing any maintenance comes with a loss in refinement.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by SSS » Sat Jan 13, 2018 4:11 pm

Rippin-lips wrote:The zero adjuster makes perfect sense. It comes preset for optimal performance. A lot of users don’t understand how it should be setup for the best results. This feature has now eliminated that issue. It’s not something they’re pushing like the tws but it is handy.
what if you swap spools and the shaft isn't exactly the same lenght? I still need to adjust it.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by SSS » Sat Jan 13, 2018 4:12 pm

ScoobyDoo wrote:
SSS wrote:
ScoobyDoo wrote:
QUAKEnSHAKE wrote:
SSS wrote:They had trouble competing with Daiwa and Shimano. Without a gimmick and a lot of paid youtubers, its very hard to get noticed when the other two delivering quality

Megabass, Daiwa, Shimano 4life. Rest can go away. :!:
They all have gimmicks daiwas T wing and sv, shimanos micro module and mgl and megabass doesnt even make their own reels.
T wing isn't a gimmick.
Whether it gains me distance or not I can't tell...never took it off and put on a standard levelwind. But it eliminates that bouncing off the rev limiter sound and sensation that happens on all non dsg levelwind reels as the line comes off the spool off center from the line guide. And i like the way stiffer lines come off the spool. If you've ever cast an open frame or non levelwind reel.(not sure if you have) but it offers that kind of smoothness. If daiwa put it in their lexa 400 which already has the furthest spaced levelwind from the spool ....It would have some serious long range bomber potential...Minus the greased spool bearings

Micro module is a gimmick in my opninion. I have owned plenty and it's no different in feel than gears in this concept or other reels. I don't feel the gears in the concept z any more than I do in an antares or steez. Look at van staal gears....they'd be called micro module 3x.....but it's still a coffee grinder :) (different gear cut but same idea of tiny teeth)

Now....the biggest gimmick i've seen...though it wasn't pushed at all...just given a name to something silly.......Daiwa's Zero Adjuster...now that is funny
Zero Adjuster is certainly dumb. But so is X-Ship. Its not even a feature worthy lol.
A dual bearing supported pinion is one of the best things to ever be put in a baitcaster. On spinners....Shimano and daiwa support the pinion in two spots below the ar clutch..where others do it above and below the ar clutch. But shimano has done that for a long time they just gave it a name in their spinners recently. They say other things make up x ship...but those are the most important at least in baitcasters.


Xship is no gimmick.

Think about it this way...On a star drag. The drag runs off of the pinion gear. Spool shaft is keyed to the pinion. when a fish takes drag the pinion turns the main gear. Keeping that pinion isolated from any movement goes a long way in keeping a reel feeling like newer longer. The downfall being..in saltwater that bearing is pretty exposed.
Oh but im absolutely NOT implying its a bad thing. Just saying that its not worth writing XShip on the box when Daiwa had it forever and didn't even bother calling it as a feature.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by bigturtle » Sat Jan 13, 2018 4:54 pm

SSS wrote:Oh but im absolutely NOT implying its a bad thing. Just saying that its not worth writing XShip on the box when Daiwa had it forever and didn't even bother calling it as a feature.
I agree, but it is a useful feature when compared to something like their S3D spool (increased stability and reduced vibration, ya when was the last time a spool vibrated on the cast due to poor stability. at the speed which a spool spins during cast, any instability would shake your reel :lol: ), which I think is pretty dumb. Their Micro Module Gearing....Im not feeling it either.
SSS wrote:
Rippin-lips wrote:The zero adjuster makes perfect sense. It comes preset for optimal performance. A lot of users don’t understand how it should be setup for the best results. This feature has now eliminated that issue. It’s not something they’re pushing like the tws but it is handy.
what if you swap spools and the shaft isn't exactly the same lenght? I still need to adjust it.
I dont think iv had an issue with different length spool shafts, but iv only exchanged spools on daiwa reels. I think the Zero Adjuster is a legit feature, given that the Antares DC doesnt even come with a spool tension knob. I very rarely touch my spool tension after I set it so the spool has 1-1.5mm total wiggle room.

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by fffishing » Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:28 am

https://youtu.be/wm4XyKf9J3U
So far,so better??? :mrgreen:

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Re: Concept Z initial impressions. Did I expect too much?

Post by spencerinstl » Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:36 am

ScoobyDoo wrote:I swapped out the czb bearing at the base of the handle shaft where it meets the frame.
And the play I had whined about like a "britney spears fan who got grounded and can't go to the concert" in the handle has been diminished noticeable. As in no longer there. Which is exactly what I had assumed.
What did you swap the czb bushing out with?
Thanks for the epiphany captain obvious

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