07/08/2026
Bearing vs Bushing – Real Case Example
Since we already opened this model, let me share a real story.
A few years ago, one of my customers bought a small-size reel — the Seaborg 300MJL.
I advised him many times that this reel is not designed for heavy bottom fishing.
But he insisted. His reason — his fishing spot is only around 60 meters deep, and he read reviews saying the reel is powerful.
After purchase, the “drama series” began.
Every 1–2 months, the reel would come back to me for servicing.
Normally, I prefer to keep everything original from the factory.
But after 3–4 repeated issues, I gave up — and decided to fix the problem permanently.
Small reels like this rely heavily on bearings to handle load.
But when constantly used for heavy pulling, the bearings tend to fail easily — especially for heavy users (this customer has his own boat).
To solve this, I replaced the frequently damaged bearing part with a bushing.
This idea actually comes from larger, high-end machines.
Result:
The reel still works as normal.
Only difference — high speed dropped slightly from 180 to around 165.
Alhamdulillah, after that modification…
It has been 4–5 years, and the customer has never returned for the same issue.
Sometimes, durability matters more than speed.