Which one is better, brass gears or aluminum gears?
At present, the mainstream reel gear materials are brass and super duralumin. These two materials are mainly -
Brass gear:
The characteristics of brass lie in its good strength and durability, as well as the comfort of rocking transmission. In terms of application scope, brass gears are suitable for some reels with high loads and strict requirements for wheel body rigidity; but the disadvantage is that brass The weight of the gear is relatively heavy, which will obviously increase its own weight on many reels that are more lightweight and flexible today, so most of them are used on reels that require higher load requirements.
Processing
In terms of processing technology, the technology of brass gears is mature and relatively easy to process. The raw materials are also cheap and the hardness is relatively soft. For example: brass (C3604) with a Vickers hardness of ≥80. Common brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. the hardness is not very high, so the processing difficulty is relatively small (higher strength brass has too high hardness, such as C6782, but this type of brass is not suitable for use as small gears because excessive hardness will damage other gear components, which will not be discussed for the time being), so brass gears It is mostly used on some reels that require high strength and high load for fishing or some entry-level reels.
Duralumin gear:
Duralumin gears are generally made of high-strength aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy is lighter. Although its strength is basically the same as brass, and the operating sensitivity of winding and winding is also high, its durability is not as good as that of brass gears. It is generally used normally. There will be no difference, but when it is continuously used under high load, its durability will decrease over time. Once there are some small problems with the aluminum teeth, small wear or defects in the gear engagement part will be very frustrating. The comfort of wire winding has been significantly reduced, which is what everyone calls the tooth feel (of course, generally mild tooth feel does not affect the use, but there will be a slight discount in the use experience). This is why many people nowadays have a negative impression of aluminum tooth cores. The surface of the aluminum teeth will also shorten the drying time of the gear grease, so if fishing is frequent, the period of frequent oiling and maintenance will be shortened. However, the benefit of aluminum teeth is that it can significantly reduce the weight of the reel and improve the sensitivity of the take-up and winding. It is the best choice for some reels that require less demanding fishing environments and demands. For example, for many common small and medium-sized reels used for bass fishing and reels used for fine fishing (including spinning wheels), aluminum teeth will greatly improve the comfort of use.
Processing
Although super-duralumin teeth are very light, they are difficult to process and the material cost is relatively expensive. Take A7075 as an example (the processing process of other duralumins is slightly the same). Its Vickers hardness is 170 and its specific gravity is 2.8. It is very light (yellow Copper has a specific gravity of 8.5 (heavier), and its hardness is much higher than brass, so it is relatively difficult to process, and the processing process of hard aluminum is more cumbersome, so the cost goes up, so that there are basically few people You will see reels with super-hard aluminum teeth on entry-level or cheap reels (entry-level and cheap reels generally use copper teeth or zinc alloy teeth). This type of aluminum teeth are basically used in Some mid-to-high-end cable reels are used because the cost is relatively high.
Maintenance
Because its surface (relatively microscopic angle) is relatively rough on the copper teeth, the advantage is that the adhesion of lubricating grease will be better, and the grease will not be easily lost during use, which will better protect the gear set and extend the use and maintenance cycle.
On the aluminum gear side, because the surface is relatively smooth, the adhesion of lubricating grease on it is relatively weak. During use, more grease will be lost, resulting in weaker protection for the gear set, and the grease will dry out easily. Once the grease deteriorates faster, it will feel uncomfortable when used. Because the sensitivity of aluminum teeth is higher, the discomfort caused to the user will also be amplified. This is why many reels equipped with aluminum teeth find the gear after using them for a period of time. There are some reasons for the noise. In this way, the maintenance cycle is also shortened. If the frequency of fishing is high, regular maintenance is required. Of course, some manufacturers have now developed high-viscosity grease for aluminum teeth, which will have relatively strong adhesion, so there are Some improvements.
Other aspectsCurrently, the most popular gear material for general-purpose reels is a combination of super-hard aluminum main teeth and brass small teeth. The durability of the entire gear set is improved through gear meshing of different materials. In other applications that require high-strength operation Among the reels with high load demand, brass is the main one. However, because the current reel market is also in a state of uneven quality, brass and aluminum teeth are not necessarily completely equal, because these It is also related to its machining accuracy, craftsmanship and overall design. It does not mean that some reels will be good or bad as long as they use brass or aluminum teeth. If the aluminum teeth are properly maintained, there will be no problem in using them for several years. Yes, and it’s not uncommon for brass to have chips or other minor problems, and vice versa. Therefore, these cannot be generalized, but depends on the overall quality. If you analyze them alone, it is easy to make logical errors.
Nowadays, some large factories have very high technology in metal processing and forging, and they have made some progress in upgrading gear processing in recent years, so the concept of aluminum teeth and brass teeth may slowly change in the future. For example, The gear used in the recently launched 18 Stella example has a special technical treatment on the surface of the gear, which makes the winding of Stella feel very smooth. Other manufacturers also have their own construction of this type of technology, and the final result is It is a better user experience.
Brass and aluminum teeth will always coexist in the future. The choice of aluminum and copper teeth actually depends entirely on the application requirements, rather than absolute good or bad. In other words, what you want to use it for, usually fishing needs or fine work. For fishing needs, aluminum teeth have more advantages and can provide better usability and portability; if you need high-intensity fishing needs, use large baits, and cope with large fish needs, copper-teeth reels are more suitable. The summary is what kind of wheels do what job. Just like choosing a car, you cannot use an ordinary family car to pull tons of goods, nor can you use a truck pulling several tons as a vehicle for family transportation. Don't turn your needs upside down.
Finally, when using the equipment in your hand, you must also understand the equipment in your hand. No matter how the reel is made and designed, it is still a thing composed of multiple internal parts, so no matter how high-end or good it is It is inevitable that products produced by high-end manufacturers will not malfunction. This is just like how people can eat whole grains without getting sick. If there are problems, just solve them and reduce some obsessions. You must know that no matter what you pay attention to, its main function It is for fishing and a tool, and the other value-added things it brings (such as collection, sentimental value) are not completely necessary, so when choosing, you need to choose rationally, prioritize and prioritize, and I wish you all the best. Experience more fun while fishing.
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