7000 vs 7000 vs 7000 vs 7000

Abu 7000C3 vs Abu 7000iHSN vs 7500i C3 vs Omoto 7000 CSM

• A friend of mine stopped by with the blue Omoto one day and asked about a couple modifications. What resulted was a little mini test that for me got a little out of hand. It wound up costing me a worm gear and 3 spools of mono.

• One of the things you see on forums is someone comparing a 5 year old brand x reel that has been rode hard and put up wet, to a brand new fresh out of the box brand x reel. What they don't seem to remember is the 5 yr. old reel used to work like new, once upon a time.

• • So with the help of the Omoto's owner we did a comparison of the Omoto CSM and the 7000C3.

• Omoto likes to compare the the 7000 AB3 to the Abu 7000iC3, so I decided to throw that reel into the mix as well.

• Then I added one more, an Abu 7000iHSN which is the narrow spool version of the standard 7000iC3.

• The The red 7000C3 is, well anyway it was an unused box queen. The Omoto CSM was new and unused. The 7000iHSN was new and unused. The 7500iC3 had seen some light use last fall.

My Impressions

• With the working parts being interchangeable the Omoto can be no better than the older Abu 7000C3. It is however different. What Omoto did along with a heavier clicker spring, was very slightly reposition the frame posts, add an Instant anit-reverse bearing, (IAR) and install carbon drag washers. The Abu 7000C3 makes an audible click when drag is being pulled, this feature was left off the Omoto. The 7000iC3 has a much different feel than the other two 7000's because of it's free spool release lever and it's larger anti-reverse bearing that off sets the handle.

Comparing drags

• When the 7000C3 was being made carbon fiber drags had not yet became popular. Since the Omoto CSM and the two Abu 7000iC3 had carbon fiber drags, I installed greased carbon fiber drags on the Abu C3. I tore the Omoto and 7000iHSN down and greased the drags to keep everything fair. The 7500iC3's drag had been greased last fall. Omoto doesn't say but since R------- advertises 22 lbs. of drag. That is the standard I used. That did not seem realistic but I used 22lbs as the test weight anyway.

• The drags were tested the same way repeated 3ft. pulls and adjusted in increments until 22 lbs. was reached on the Shimano spring scale. The line guide was centered and traveling towards the handle on all the reels when I started pulling.

• While in the process of increasing the drag the Omoto CSM became jerky at 10 lbs. So I stopped and traced the problem back to the worm gear. I installed an Abu 7000C3 worm gear and that fixed the problem. During the second pull the the instant anti reverse slipped at 19 lbs. causing it to fall back hard on it's anti-reverse dog. I did a second pull at and it slipped hard again. Even with a new worm gear and greased drag a rough spot remained.

• I believe the drag on the 7000C3 was originally rated at 15 lbs. It pulled 22 lbs., it was smooth and consistent and easy to adjust.

• The Abu 75000iC3 is rated for 15 lbs of drag. It pulled 22 lbs and was smooth and consistent and easy to adjust.

• The 7000iHSN is rated for 17 lbs of drag. It pulled 22 lbs and stayed smooth and consistent.and easy to adjust.

• Omoto uses a single drag spring where the Abu 7000C3 use two and the 7000iC# uses three. Overall the Abu's had a little smoother drag than the Omoto. The Abu's were easier to adjust in 1 lb increments than the Omoto. Due I believe to Omoto using a single drag spring.

• Caution use these and all reels at the factory recommended drag settings.

• Hold the Omoto to 15 lbs. Maximum, regardless of retailer advertising.

While it is possible to crank all these reels down to 22 lbs of drag. None of these reels were designed for 22 lbs. of drag. Abu rates the 7000 series at 15lbs. of drag and the iHSN narrow spool and non-levelwind CT's at 17lbs. of drag. On all these reels the frame seems to be the weak link that limits drag. Just because they survived it in my test (more or less anyway) does not mean they will survive that abuse long term. While none of these reels have the drag rating of some of the newer reels coming out, they will survive 19 lbs of drag much longer than a 6500 size reel with it's drag locked down to 19 lbs.

Gear sets

• Two things remain constant when comparing gear sets. The higher numerically you go the more line you can retrieve with each turn of the handle but the weaker the gear set becomes. It does not mater if you are trying to crank in a big cat or just hanging on while he is pulling drag. Either way the gears are rotating and under strain.

• The Omoto's only option is a 5.5:1 ratio, for an old school reel that seems a bit high to me. Abu's standard ratio is 4.1:1, with 5.3:1 available in the narrow spool iHSN Big Game and CT Mag. As rule I prefer the lower 4.1:1 ratio but in the narrow spool iHSN Big Game I liked the 5.3:1 gears. Since the 5.3:1 gears are larger and thicker the the 6500 gears, they should be quite reliable.

• 4.1:1 ratio 22” of line per turn.

• 5.3:1 ratio 28” of line per turn.

• 5.5:1 ratio 29” of line per turn (aprox)

Anti-Reverse

• The Omoto CSM has an IAR bearing along with a backup anti-reverse dog.

• The old Abu 7000C3 uses a anti-reverse dog. Very solid and time proven but lacks the instant stop of the newer reels.

• The 7500iC3 and 7000iHSN have a larger anti-reverse bearing than the Omoto, plus a backup anti-reverse dog. It is a stronger anti-reverse system the the Omoto or the older Abu.

Clickers

• The Abu 7000C3 and Omoto have the same clickers with Omoto using a different spring. They will wake up most people, the Omoto's was a little louder. The clicker arm hits the nylon axle gear.

• The Abu 7000iC3 and 7000iHSN have a clicker similar to a Alphamar and Fathom. The clicker arm hits against a metal gear on the axle. They are louder and stronger than the other two clickers.

• • Line capacity

• • • Abu 7000C3 - 270 yds of 20 lb mono
  • • Omoto 7000 CSM - 270 yds of 20 lb mono
  • • Abu 7000i C3 - 270 yds of 20 lb mono
  • • Abu 7000iH SN – 220 yds of 17 lb mono......................260 yds of 50 lb braid

Casting

• • • To keep every thing fair all the bearings and worm gears were cleaned and re-lubed with Abu Silicate oil. I had to clean oil off the brake weights of the Omoto and on both the Abu's 7000i's, I had to clean grease off the brake weights. I used Stren original 20Lb mono with 30 feet of 40 lb top shot on all the reels except the 7500iC3 it was already spooled with 65 lb Suffix 832. All the casting was done with a 7'6” MH Nite Stick Pro, throwing 3 and 5 oz bank sinkers.
  • • The Omoto CSM and Abu 7000iC3 use the same brake weight set up. The difference being Abu uses fiber weights and Omoto uses plastic weights. Take care adjusting, because once the side plate comes off, the weights can fall off the spool.
  • • The two 7000i reels use four plastic weights that can be turned on or off with out fear of loosing them. To cast pull the lever back to disengage the gears. To engage the gears you can push the lever forward or just turn the handle.
  • • Plus or minus there was no real world difference in casting distance between them when using 5 oz weights. With 3 oz the 7000iHSH had a 20 ft advantage. It was easier to lobe a 1 oz weight with the little 7000iHSN than with the larger reels. That was not really a surprise since smaller reels always cast lighter weights better than larger reels. All these reels were very controllable to cast. Final casting adjustment on all reels was 2 brake weights and no friction from the cast control knob. In the Omoto's case the magnets were also turned off. On the 7500iC3 and 7000iHSN I could still turn off one more brake weight with out loosing control of the spool.

Conclusion

• • • I felt the Omoto's anti-reverse was a bit under engineered for a 7000 size reel, with the 22 lbs.of drag advertised. When the Omoto's worm gear was replaced a rough spot remained when pulling drag. Since this reel was in to have Abu 4.1:1 gears put in it, I went ahead and did that and retested the drag. This time it pulled 18 lbs and was smooth and consistent with the added benefit of Abu's alarm when drag is being pulled. The gears may have suffered some damage when the anti-reverse bearing slipped. I have found problems with Omoto's internal fit and finish before. Parts like the worm gear don't have the same polish as their Abu counter parts. Omoto may have borrowed the design of their competition and lowed the cost. What they have not done is maintain quality and as a result it is a good serviceable reel but not a great reel.
  • • Since the 7000C3 is no longer made I won't say a lot about it. It was and is a great reel that just lacked a couple up grades that the newer reels have. (instant-anti-reverse & carbon fiber drag) Inspite of what it lacked it is still a more refined reel than the Omoto. The addition of a carbon fiber drag made a huge improvement in this reel.
  • • I hear people bashing the 7000I C3 because it is made in China. Get over it. As far as I can see it is every bit as well built as the Swedish models. The only extra plastic or nylon are the two clutch gears. These gears are not a stressed component and should hold up well, so there is no need for more expensive brass gearing here. Replacement cost for them is only $2.58 and $2.83. My only complaint is Abu puts grease on the centrifugal brakes on every sample I have seen. The fix is to remove the handle side and clean the centrifugal brakes with hot soap and water. Then wipe the brake drum with a rag and and some brake cleaner after that put a drop of oil on the shaft where it rides on the pinion gear. The 7000i's are an all new reel with an entirely different feel than the old 7000C3's and Omoto. The 7000i C3 has a large anti-reverse bearing and a side mounted free spool lever and as a result it feels a bit heavy on the handle side when mounted on a rod. That same anti-reverse also makes the 7000iC3, stronger than the Omoto CSM and the Abu 7000C3.
  • • The 7000iHSN is a narrow spool version of the 7000i and has a line capacity closer to a 6500 size reel. In all other respects it identical to the 7000iC3 with a more balanced feel. So if you are someone who abuses 6500's then this might be a reel to consider. The strength of a 7000 in a 6500 size reel. Weighing in at 8.7 oz. more than a 6500C3, it's like a 6500 on steroids. It can pair up well with a 15/30 Ugly White Cat or a Cat Fight rod.

A quick note on the Ming Yang.

• • I also had a Ming Yang here and you will notice, I did not waste a lot of time on the Ming Yang.
• • The Ming Yang is a 7000 size reel with a 6000 size drive shaft. It's internals are stamped out of what appears to be a soft metal. The power handle is so heavy it would engage the spool on a moderate cast. On the drag test the lower metal drag washer stripped at 15 lbs and damaged the drive shaft. Putting the reel out of commission for any further testing. For your money you can do better, enough said about this reel.
• I'll let you draw your own conclusions about these reels. For myself the 7000iHSN is a favorite.