Big T,
My guess is that Islanders are probably done factory style where they are assembled in a line. John hand assembles each one and makes sure they spin and perform as they should. I remember when I first got my Islander IS, straight out of the box I spun it and it was pretty smooth and spun quite easily. Now when I was at the tackle shop and Eric showed me the reel and it was already turning like it's been worn in. He spun the the reel and it spun for quite a long time and was still spinning when he laid it on the counter. Now reading threads on another website, apparently you can upgrade the bearings on the Islander but I probably won't cause it's fine as is. I'm not sure what bearings my reel has cause I think Eric said that they had tried different ones. Other than that I couldn't tell you more cause I haven't used the new reel out on the river yet. One thing I like about the Islander is that the outer rim of the spool is nice for palmming/braking when slowing down a fish.
Dave Steele(Highwater Tackle) took apart the reel so that he could get familiarized with the inner workings with John's help. It was cool to watch cause if there is something wrong, I know that Dave can fix it. Also....if you are going to lube up this reel, John suggests using a really thin oil(sewing machine or gun oil). Opening up the reel can be easily done with a penny and actually recommended so that you don't damage the brass screw. That's pretty much it....if you have questions, you should contact John or Eric Milner cause they are more than willing to help.
Thanks again for the fast reply,I cant wait to pick them up
Author
Topic: Milner Reels (Read 11535 times)