Looking for something a little different in your angling arsenal? If you’re a little tired of your traditional baitcasting reels, you might want to give the Abu Garcia Revo SX a try.
The quality, durability, and reliability that Abu Garcia is renowned for as a leader in baitcasting reels is present in this model, but the style is decidedly different.
In this Abu Garcia Revo SX review, we’ll elaborate on just how different the reel is from traditional, baitcasting rivals. Moreover, we will compare its standard features in terms of the quality you’ve come to expect from an Abu Garcia reel.
The quality, durability, and reliability that Abu Garcia is renowned for as a leader in baitcasting reels is present in this model, but the style is decidedly different.
Low Profile
The most obvious difference is easy to spot, it is even the focus of Abu Garcia’s marketing plan on this baitcaster. Low profile, means the reel is offset from the rod mounting brackets with a unique foot and handle placement that has the crank offset and lower than the rod mounts.
This might take a little getting used to for many fishermen who have used traditional baitcasting reels with the handle slightly above and to the left or right of the rod. You won’t find this on the Abu Garcia Revo SX.
Some reviewers rave about the handle placement, claiming less fatigue and easier operation, while others claim just the opposite, saying the low placement of the handle creates an unfamiliar, unnatural motion.
You’ll have to pick one up and try it yourself to see if this is a good choice for you.
The Basics of the Abu Garcia Revo SX
Let’s start with the two versions this reel comes in, the Revo4 Sx and the Revo4 Sx-Hs. They’re both available in left-hand or right-hand versions but the left-hand versions are a little more expensive.
These reels aren’t cheap, but they won’t break the bank for most anglers either. These are middle to upper priced reels.
You can buy dozens of reels costing half or even a third of this unique baitcaster, but as is always the case when you take a closer look at competing models, you get more bang for the buck with a proven manufacturer like Abu Garcia.
Revo4 Sx Basics
Constructed of an X2- Craftic alloy frame for enhanced corrosion resistance, with C6 carbon side plates, a brass dragger gear, and nine stainless steel ball bearings, along with one stainless steel roller bearing, these reel has top-shelf components.
A stainless steel handle ensures long life, and the combination of materials makes this reel good for both salt and freshwater fishing.
The Revo4 Sx has ample line capacity with 175-yards of 10-pound test, 145-yards of 12, and 100-yards of 15-pound monofilament limits.
As usual, the braided capacity is substantially larger since braided line has a smaller diameter. You can wind 190-yards of 20-pound braid, 140-yards of 30 or 100-yards of powerful 50-pound test braided line on this reel.
A gear ration of 6:6.1 makes this a great choice for largemouth bass fishing. The retrieval rate of 27 inches per crank is brisk, but not blazing, and the 24-pound drag will give you a fighting chance against almost every denizen of the deep you might hook.
The reel arrives without line so you can choose the specific type and strength of the line without worrying how long the line has been on the reel, and whether it’s weakened due to UV radiation as you do with some pre-spooled reels.
Revo 4 Sx-HS basics
This baitcasting reel is just a bit different from the base Revo4 SX. This reel is for different applications than the SX we are discussing and makes for the perfect complement in your arsenal.
This is a slightly different reel than the base Revo4 Sx. The difference is in the gear ratio, this reel is faster at 7.3:1 and has a faster line retrieval rate in response to the higher gear ratio. You’ll reel in lures at 30 inches per crank. That’s fast for some applications, but a good rate for surface fishing largemouth bass, or bone fishing in shallow saltwater.
Beyond the basics With The Abu Garcia Revo SX Review
Let’s start with the obvious question, why a low profile reel? Taking this from a positive viewpoint it transfers power more easily for some fishermen. The lower crank keeps your off-hand, (the rod hand) higher for a quicker reaction when a strike occurs, that’s the idea anyway. The metrics for speed of reaction aren’t out there to prove this, but the anecdotal evidence backs up the claim. Think of how hand placement on a baseball bat improves hitting performance for some batters, while it doesn’t affect or adversely affects others. The low-profile design offers those types of ergonomic options.
The low-profile style has more moving parts. The crank is offset, so as the handle spins the driveshaft, it has to transfer power up to the spool. In a traditional reel, the action is inline, so no additional components are needed to drive the main gears attached to the spool.
The jury is out on the durability of this design since it is new to the market. However, the quality of materials chosen by Abu Garcia, and their history of smooth functioning, long-last reels are in favor of a more durable product.
Why does this sound like the Periodic Table?
If you’ve had chemistry, you’re familiar with the Periodic Table of Elements. Sometimes when you’re researching a reel, it seems the chemists and metallurgy people have taken over the marketing department at your favorite sporting goods manufacturer.
The reason is that the materials, along with the design either make or break the reel. You can have the best design ever imagined for a reel, fill it with pot metal and plastic and it will never make it into anyone’s hands since the reviews will be terrible.
On the other side, you can use the highest quality materials with a clunky design and it won’t make anyone’s top 10 list either.
Abu Garcia is known for using high-end materials, even in their low and mid-range reels. The Revo4 Sx is one of those unique products that meld top-quality materials, with top-quality design.
The X2 Craftic alloy frame is a proprietary material used by Abu Garica for its strength and corrosion resistance. They are not the same thing, corrosion can ruin the strongest metal, and corrosion-resistant material can lack the strength for a good product. When you find a material with both qualities, you use it, as Abu Garica has.
C6 Carbon side plates are a step above the traditional graphite construction of many reels. This carbon fiber product is stronger than steel per gram and more corrosion resistant. The C6 carbon is also more temperature resistant than traditional graphite, meaning the reel won’t crack in extreme cold.
Brass has been the favorite gear material for anglers since the early 20th century. Brass is the original corrosion-resistant alloy, hailing to us from ancient times. A brass gear won’t corrode or wear out from salt spray, saltwater, or sediment building up around it.
The final component is stainless steel. This steel is harder than traditional steel and resistant to every corrosive agent you’ll ever find on the water.
The handle and bearings of this reel are made of this durable material.
Bearings, it’s all about the bearings
With everything else being equal, always buy the reel with the most ball bearings. The reason is the action, more ball bearings mean smoother action. Smooth action applies power evenly when retrieving a lure, and more importantly, does the same thing with a fish battling on the other end.
The Abu Garcia Revo SX has an impressive nine ball bearings housed inside. This ensures a smooth, steady retrieve without the hesitation, and slippage you find in lower-cost reels.
The single roller bearing is also stainless steel and lays down the incoming line smoothly on the spool on each retrieve. These bearings will take tens of thousands of full retrieves in the lifetime of the reel and offer the same action 10 years from now that they do out of the box.
How much line is enough?
Line capacity is an important consideration in some fishing styles, and not so important in others. If you’re tossing topwater baits into lily pads for largemouth bass, you don’t need 150-yards of line. You can get the job done with just a few dozen yards of braided or monofilament line.
If you’re trolling, jigging far offshore or trying long casts into a lake, or surfcasting, line capacity is important.
The Abu Garcia Revo SX has a good capacity rating for a reel this size. You can carry almost 200-yards of line in 20-pound braid, that’s more than enough even for drift fishing on a fast-moving river for salmon.
Gears, gears, gears
We delved into chemistry a little while back, now it’s time for a little basic math. Gear ratio is the equation you need to understand in determining how fast each crank will turn the spool. The relationship of the spool to the crank determines how many inches of the line will come back to the reel per crank.
No, it is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Turn the crank, watch the line come it, that’s pretty basic.
The Abu Garcia Revo SX and the Abu Garcia Revo SX HS have gear ratios of 6:6.1 and 7:3.1 respectively. That means the HS brings the line back a little faster. The higher the ratio, the higher the retrieve. Slow ratios in the 5:5.1 range mean more power, but slower line retrieval speed.
For bass fishing, these are excellent gear ratios. Since baitcasting reels are often the reel of choice for largemouth bass fishing, the gear ratio is important.
The speed of both versions of this reel will offer natural presentations of buzzbaits, crankbaits, jitterbugs, and even plastic worms, making fishing for bass a little easier over the course of a full day on the water.
Alternatives to the Abu Garcia Revo SX
$42.99Shop on AmazonNot everyone has an unlimited budget when it comes to bass fishing. If you’re a novice, getting a youngster started on the sport, or just need a good reel at a low price, this is the one to choose.
03/30/2024 06:05 pm GMT
Conclusion
The quality, durability, and reliability that Abu Garcia is renowned for as a leader in baitcasting reels is present in this model, but the style is decidedly different.
This reel isn’t cheap. You can buy two or three good-quality reels for the price of one Abu Garcia Revo SX. The difference is design, the low profile is a unique feature that appeals to some anglers, but maybe not so much to others.
In this Abu Garcia Revo SX review, I’m sure you’ve noticed this reel has all the features Abu Garcia is known for, packed into an attractive package.
The reel is durable, suitable for saltwater fishing, and designed to provide excellent quality performance in a wide variety of settings.
If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, this might be the reel for you.
For more guidance on choosing a fishing reel, check out the pages below:
