Rocketmahn
Contributor
Ok - so I broke down an bought a Kent Tooling reel.
Kent Tooling Link
I though that I would post a quick review here since information on this product is hard to find on the US side of the "pond".
Man! Is it well constructed! This thing will last longer than I will!
It appears to made from 316 Stainless as does all of the screws, nuts etc. There are no sharp edges or burrs anywhere (I checked...).
All nuts have nylon inserts so they are self locking.
It has the mongo size clip link. Mine has 100 meters of line.
I ordered the right hand narrow version.
Although it is easy to deploy the line with either hand, to wind it up you need to hold it in the left hand and wind with the right.
It worked well on land with dry-suit gloves on.
I have not taken it for a dive yet.
This reel is a ratcheting reel. The ratchet can be engaged and disengaged by depressing the black thumb knob with either the left or right thumb.
The knob can also be turned to permanently disengage the ratchet.
The line guide (the big "eye of a needle") that the line feeds through can be be moved from the 1 O'Clock position to the 3 O'Clock position if you prefer the line to feed out directly opposite of the handle grip.
Between the bottom 180 degrees of the spool and the handle frame is a solid spacer that fills the gap between the spool and frame so the line cannot get caught in that space. I could fit 1, but not 2, sheets of paper in the gap! (Being made in England they "Minded The Gap"!)
Oh yeah - it comes with a "spare parts kit" too - a few nuts, washer, axle. etc.
OK - thats the highlights of the good stuff.
There are two things that I don't like about the reel.
One it's a little on the heavy side - it weighs over 3lbs. so don't drop it on your foot!
But if you happen to drop a tank or two on it you should take the TANKS in for an inspection because you will not hurt this reel!!
The second item that I didn't like was the "Shipping" cost.
I placed the order over the phone via Skype to England and the connection wasn't the best.
It showed up in 2-3 days after I ordered it via registered mail at a shipping cost of about $60 (^%$#@). I'm still not sure how that happened. I learned the hard way that a "quid" is equal to a "Pound" (A dollar equals a buck..). When he said shipping was 40 quid I was thinking 1 quid = 1/4 pound - NOT! My mistake - I should have asked..
Anyway here are a few photos of the product.
.
Kent Tooling Link
I though that I would post a quick review here since information on this product is hard to find on the US side of the "pond".
Man! Is it well constructed! This thing will last longer than I will!
It appears to made from 316 Stainless as does all of the screws, nuts etc. There are no sharp edges or burrs anywhere (I checked...).
All nuts have nylon inserts so they are self locking.
It has the mongo size clip link. Mine has 100 meters of line.
I ordered the right hand narrow version.
Although it is easy to deploy the line with either hand, to wind it up you need to hold it in the left hand and wind with the right.
It worked well on land with dry-suit gloves on.
I have not taken it for a dive yet.
This reel is a ratcheting reel. The ratchet can be engaged and disengaged by depressing the black thumb knob with either the left or right thumb.
The knob can also be turned to permanently disengage the ratchet.
The line guide (the big "eye of a needle") that the line feeds through can be be moved from the 1 O'Clock position to the 3 O'Clock position if you prefer the line to feed out directly opposite of the handle grip.
Between the bottom 180 degrees of the spool and the handle frame is a solid spacer that fills the gap between the spool and frame so the line cannot get caught in that space. I could fit 1, but not 2, sheets of paper in the gap! (Being made in England they "Minded The Gap"!)
Oh yeah - it comes with a "spare parts kit" too - a few nuts, washer, axle. etc.
OK - thats the highlights of the good stuff.
There are two things that I don't like about the reel.
One it's a little on the heavy side - it weighs over 3lbs. so don't drop it on your foot!
But if you happen to drop a tank or two on it you should take the TANKS in for an inspection because you will not hurt this reel!!
The second item that I didn't like was the "Shipping" cost.
I placed the order over the phone via Skype to England and the connection wasn't the best.
It showed up in 2-3 days after I ordered it via registered mail at a shipping cost of about $60 (^%$#@). I'm still not sure how that happened. I learned the hard way that a "quid" is equal to a "Pound" (A dollar equals a buck..). When he said shipping was 40 quid I was thinking 1 quid = 1/4 pound - NOT! My mistake - I should have asked..
Anyway here are a few photos of the product.
.
Attachments
Last edited: