|
Rev up your
fishing with Abu Garcia's Revo SX20 Spinning Reel
| Date: |
11/19/14 |
| Tackle type: |
Reel |
| Manufacturer: |
Abu Garcia |
| Reviewer: |
Wolbugger |
Total Score: 7.32 -
GOOD
Introduction:
If you do any
kind of finesse fishing, there's a high probability that you own at least one
spinning outfit. Sure, a lightweight baitcasting setup can work well for many
light-duty applications, but often times a spinning combo is the superior
choice. Since I am a very confident finesse angler, a minimum of one spinning
outfit accompanies me on most bass fishing ventures. In my eyes, it is the most
precise and productive way to probe deeper waters with the smallest offerings.
|
Abu Garcia Revo SX20
Spinning Reel Specifications |
|
Line Capacity |
Mono: 135 yards of 4 pound
Braid: 125 yards of 8 pound |
|
Retrieve Ratio |
5.1:1 |
|
Inches Per Turn (IPT)
tested |
27 |
|
Weight |
8.2 ounces |
|
Handle length |
50 millimeters |
|
Bearings |
8+1 |
|
Bearings Per Knob |
2 bushings 0 bearings |
|
Roller Guide Bearings |
1 |
|
Origin |
China |
|
MSRP |
$159.95 |
There's no arguing that this is an attractive reel.
Impressions
and Quality: Abu Garcia's moderately-priced Revo
SX20 is a pleasing reel to look at. The first obvious resemblance that came to
mind is that it looks similar to my Shimano Stradic Ci4+. The body is comprised
of an X-Craftic alloy frame and C6 carbon body for reduced weight and added
corrosion protection. Its red and black color scheme looks up-to-date and
matches nicely on a variety of rods, especially those with carbon fiber or foam
grips. Own a Veracity or Vendetta2 rod? This is your reel.
The body is a mixture of both matte and shiny surfaces and exhibited very little
flex.
Quality with this reel is satisfying enough. There is
seemingly nothing to gripe about until an extremely close inspection is
performed; then a few very minor and hard-to-notice things pop up. Some of the
lettering and machining is not as crisp as I'd like to see, and there's a bit of
discoloration in one small section of the anodizing on the handle. A few of the
tolerances could be slightly tweaked as well.
I like the chunky bail arm and braid-friendly spool.
|
Quality Ratings
for Abu Garcia Revo SX20 Spinning Reel |
|
Finish (1-5) |
Construction Tolerances(1-5) |
Handle Tolerance(1-5) |
Knob Tolerance (1-5) |
Total
|
Possible
|
Rating (=Tot/Poss * 10)
|
|
3 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
15 |
20 |
7.5 |
Fishing with Capt. Steve Dall of Poseidon's Choice charters.
Performance:
My testing areas included local waters here in South Florida targeting
largemouth bass and snook. Since the line capacity of the SX20 is pretty low
with mono, I used the reel strictly with 20 pound braid mounted on a Daiwa Steez
SVF spinning rod.
The thin, compact body keeps the reel looking nice and streamlined.
Casting:
I found the SX20 to be an excellent reel in regards to casting. The arbor on the
machined aluminum spool is extremely thick and cuts down on annoying line
memory. The spool lip also has a bit of an angle to it which helps line flow off
more freely. If your fishing involves casting light baits this reel is a fine
choice.
A snook comes to hand
while tossing plugs in a Southwest Florida canal.
Retrieve:
Although this Revo feels good when turning the handle, it's not completely
butter smooth. Utilizing a brass main gear and one piece gear box design,
there's still a very slight “geary” feel apparent within the reel—far from being
a deal breaker—but it's there. Besides that minor gripe, it does feel quite
solid and lacks any kind of loose or wobbly characteristics. Hook setting power
is excellent, with no handle back play.
The drag knob flange could be a bit taller for easier adjustments.
|
Sweet Drag Performance
for Abu Garcia Revo SX20 Spinning Reel |
|
Turns backed off from locked drag>> |
.5 |
.75 |
1 |
1.25 |
1.5 |
Avg % Change |
|
Start-up |
3.8 |
3 |
3 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
|
Sustained |
3.6 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
2.3 |
2 |
|
Lowest Value |
3.5 |
2.9 |
2.7 |
2.1 |
1.9 |
|
Change in Start-up vs. Sustained |
5.4% |
4.1% |
3.5% |
4.4% |
8.8% |
5.2% |
|
Biggest Drop From Sustained |
4.7% |
8.7% |
6.6% |
7.1% |
10% |
7.4% |
|
To measure the
drag on this reel, the drag star was fully tightened, then backed off
half a turn and strapped to the machine for the first test. With each
successive test, the drag was backed off another quarter turn. |
The sweet drag performance chart above shows the level of consistency of the
SX20 spinning reel.
Next Section: The Carbon Matrix Drag Stack
|
