Ergonomics:
It is in the ergonomics department that the Winch could use some possible
refinement. While the Winch is easy to palm it does weigh more than every reel
in the low speed shootout minus the Daiwa Crazy Cranker. It balances out well
with most rods, but on ultralight graphite based cranking rods the reel does
feel a bit heavy. This is the sacrifice that anglers must make for that robust
brass gearing and quality metal construction.
Another look at the two tone
finish of the Winch
The knobs on the Winch are
the same standard ones found on the rest of the series and while there is
nothing wrong with them we would have liked to see slightly larger knobs on a
reel so adept at deep power cranking. When it comes time to access the cast
control system the Winch requires that anglers remove the non-handle sideplate.
On the handle side is the screw
release for the sideplate
When we timed the
adjustment versus all the other reels the Winch took the longest time to make
changes to the cast control system. The Daiwa Crazy Cranker and Quantum Energy
were by far the easiest to fine-tune in the field with their externally
adjustable cast control systems, and the quick release sideplate on the Shimano
Curado was just a few seconds slower to change.
The Winch requires anglers to
remove the sideplate to adjust the brakeweights in the cast control system
Durability:
The Winch gets high marks in terms of durability and is built like a tank. The
rigid and solid construction gives anglers confidence that should this reel get
dropped on the deck little would happen. We didn’t experience any problems with
the master gearing or drive shaft, all in all the Winch not only survived our
extensive field tests but didn’t even break a sweat after all these months. The
finish still looks as good as new and the guts of the reel continue to perform
just like the reel did when it left the factory.
The inside of the non-handle
sideplate
Price & Applications:
The Winch retails for a very reasonable 199 dollars, that is only 20 dollars
more than the Shimano Curado and 10 dollars more than the Quantum Energy. The
Winch features a metal sideplate construction and a much greater bearing count
than both of those competing reels so the slight cost difference is justifiable.
The Revo Winch doesn't have a
ceramic insert like other Revo reels, probably in an effort to reduce cost but
also because the vast majority of anglers will use mono or fluorocarbon for deep
cranking. We had to stress the reel with braid, and it survived just fine
The Winch also boasts a
high line capacity at 12/175 which makes this a very good choice for inshore
fishing where extra line is necessary to allow larger fish to run. The powerful
drag system will stop these fish in their tracks. The company also goes the
extra mile with coatings and components that are designed to resist corrosion.
All of this makes this cranking reel better than the competitors for a wide
variety of fishing applications.
Zander cranks up a Clear Lake bass
with the Winch
the competition and the cast control adjustments require a bit more time to
adjust, if muscle is what you are after then the Revo Winch delivers in spades
when it comes to both a corrosion resistant durable master gearing and a robust
drag that puts other reels in the class to shame. Though not perfect it is these
outstanding merits combined with the reasonable price that make the Revo a
winner of our Editors Choice Award. 
