You’ll never know how important it is to keep your fishing reel oiled and well-lubricated until you could feel the internal gears grinding with each other. Not maintaining your fishing reels properly can result in jammed reels, rust, corrosion, and decreased lifespan for your reels. This is why it is so essential that you’re regularly applying fishing reel oil and grease to extend your precious fishing gear’s lifespan.
There are many controversies when it comes to deciding the best fishing reel oil in the market is. Ask any fisherman or angler, and he or she will probably give you ten different answers! Well, this post will help you get through that controversy.
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Best Fishing Reel Oil & Grease We Will Cover Today
1. Best Choice-PENN Reel Oil
2. Best Overall-Lucas Oil Product 10690
3. Best Baitcasting-Abu Garcia
4. Best Synthetic-Liquid Bearings
5. Best Low Viscosity-Ardent Reel Butter Oil
Fishing Reel Reviews!
1. PENN Reel Oil
Specifications :
- Manufacturer: PENN
- Item Weight: 4 ounces
The PENN synthetic reel oil is perfect for lubricating handle knobs, worm gears, ball bearings, line rollers, and fishing reels. This lubricant offers excellent corrosion and wear protection and is formulated to provide optimum lubrication protection against rust and corrosion. Other mentionable features include a smoother operation for extended smooth results during longer casting and retrieval.
The PENN comes in a six-dripper bottle of oil per pack. It is also available in a 4-ounce bottle with a dripper.
The PENN is highly recommended by professionals worldwide and made using only the best quality components. If you want one of the best fishing reel oils that assure quality and durability, we can’t recommend PENN Reel synthetic reel enough.
Pros
- Great performance and quality
- Lightweight
- Value for money
- Includes a dripper
- Astonishingly pocket friendly
Cons
- Hard to dispense accurately
2. Lucas Oil Product 10690
Specifications :
- Manufacturer: Lucas Oil
- Brand: Lucas Oil
- Item Weight: 0.81 ounces
- Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 1.3 x 3 inches
- Item model number: 10690
If you’re looking for an all-rounder lubricating oil for fishing reels, we highly recommend the Lucas fishing reel oil. This oil is formulated from various oils and additives that lubricate all moving parts in fishing reels. This lubricant penetrates inside tighter spaces lubricating high-speed bearings.
It also protects from rust and corrosion in all adverse conditions. Additionally, it works excellently on folding knives, golf carts, motorcycle joints, bicycle brake pads, etc. Lucas comes in a 1oz. Bottle with a precision needle applicator. The needle applicator comes in handy for one-drop applications to put the right amount into hard-to-reach areas.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Value for money
- Includes a precision needle applicator
Cons
- Nothing to mention
3. Abu Garcia Reel Grease
Specifications :
- Manufacturer: Abu Garcia
- Brand: Abu Garcia Reel Grease
- Item Weight: 1.6 ounces
- Product Dimensions: 7 x 3.2 x 1 inches
- Item model number: ABUGRS
Whether you’ve bait cast reels or any other fishing reels, if you’re looking for one of the best fishing reel grease that rivals the performance of fishing reel oils, Abu Garcia Reel Grease is the way to go. This specially formulated fishing grease has a low-viscosity formula and is ideally suited for lubricating high-performance parts. The grease is heat and cold-resistant and provides excellent protection against corrosion.
The Abu Garcia Reel Grease is perfect for those who like to maintain their fishing gear, including servicing their baitcasters and spinning reels. This grease is also very economical to use, making it one of the best fishing reel greases at a budget on the market.
Pros
- Great performance
- Low viscosity formula
- Easy to apply
- Value for money
- Economical
- Pocket friendly
Cons
- Didn’t find any
4. Liquid Bearings synthetic oil for baitcasting reels
Specifications :
- Manufacturer: Liquid Bearings
- Brand: Liquid Bearings Baitcasting Reel Oil
- Item Weight: 2 ounces
Liquid Bearings is a synthetic fishing reel oil that outperforms all other options currently available in the market. This oil has impressive low and high-temperature characteristics, which is a requirement when it comes to proper lubrication of fishing reels and other fishing gears. As the Liquid Bearings Baitcasting Reel Oil is synthetic oil, it performs better. It does not leave any sticky deposits or residue commonly seen in petroleum-based or other conventional oils.
It’s safe to use the Liquid Bearings on your reels immediately, even if you’ve been using petroleum-based oils. This oil is fully compatible with petroleum-based or other conventional oils and is formulated to clean or evaporate older oils and residue over time.
This will improve your reel casting performance as well as handle turnings. The bottle is made of top-quality LDPE, and the included stainless needle enables users to apply the oil drop-by-drop on the reel, unlike other oil bottles where the oil just “drools” out.
Overall, a fantastic fishing reel oil for everyone, whether you’re fishing in freshwater or saltwater.
Pros
- 100% synthetic
- Perfect for saltwater or freshwater reels
- Superior corrosion prevention
- Odor-less
- Easy to apply
- Comes with 1/2″ and 1-1/2″ needles with a tip scabbard
Cons
- Didn’t find any
5. Ardent Reel Butter Oil
Specifications :
- Manufacturer: Ardent
- Brand: Ardent Reel Butter Oil
- Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
- Item Weight 0.16 ounces
Ardent Reel Butter Oil is a high-performance 100% synthetic lubricant formulated for fishing reels. This reel butter oil works by penetrating critical components and parts of the reel, such as the shaft, ball bearing systems, and other sections where there’s a lot of friction involved. This reel butter oil bonds perfectly with steel, brass, and plastic surfaces.
The Ardent Reel Butter Oil is a low-viscosity lubricant with high surface tension characteristics for reducing wear and noise. This reel lubricant works consistently under all weather and temperatures and equally performs well on freshwater and saltwater fishing reels.
Another advantage of using this butter oil for lubricating your fishing reels and other fishing gear is that it contains an anti-gumming agent that ensures optimum lubrication for your fishing reels.
If you’re looking for a good-performing reel butter oil for your fishing reels, gears, or worm shafts, that will ensure a quieter, smoother, and decent lubricating performance, we can’t recommend Ardent Reel Butter Oil enough.
Pros
- 100% fully synthetic product
- Great performance
- Pocket friendly
- Long-lasting lubrication
- Flushes dirt and foreign debris
Cons
Lacks a precision applicator
Fishing Reel Oil Benefits
The benefits of using a good fishing reel oil or grease are pretty obvious. It will extend the useful life of your fishing reels and other fishing gear. When you’re fishing, especially in saltwater, it’s highly likely your equipment will face water damage and corrosion. When your reels get exposed to saltwater, salt and other tiny minerals are left behind. These will accumulate and gradually wear out your fishing gear.
Furthermore, dirt, dust, and other small particles will eventually get inside the bearings and gears and will wear and tear the components over time. Lubrication will prevent this damage. If you’re serious about extending your reels’ life and other fishing gear, it’s also essential you clean them regularly.
After all, you won’t drive your car without doing regular oil changes and other maintenance, so what’s stopping you from doing the same with your fishing reels?
Fishing Reel Oil vs. Fishing Reel Grease
In general, fishing reel grease is applied to gears and components that mesh together. On the other hand, fishing reel oil is used for parts that rub together in tight spots such as knobs, ball bearings, crank handles, and sliding mechanisms. The significant difference between reel oil and reel grease is viscosity. Viscosity refers to the thickness of the fluid.
Reel grease is more viscous, making it stay in place in moving parts like gears or ball bearings. If the oil is applied to these parts, it will sling off. The grease’s “stickiness” makes it cling to almost any surface whatever your fishing gear is made of.
Meanwhile, fishing reel oil is lighter and less viscous than grease. As it is less “sticky” than grease, the oil tends to move or pass away where it’s applied. This is why it is necessary to apply lubricants regularly. We recommend not using oil on gears or bearings as it can bind with metal-containing particles causing further friction and consequently causing more wear and tear.
How To Put Oil In Fishing Reel
Lubricating your fishing reel is simple. The first thing to do is to make the spool lose, which can be done by turning the drag knob counterclockwise. Take a cotton swab and rub alcohol or any other cleaning agent to wipe down all the surfaces. Do this thoroughly until all the old grease and grime have been removed. Once all the surfaces have been cleaned thoroughly, apply one or a couple of drops of fishing oil to the fishing line roller. Apply oil on the ball bearings, bail arm assembly, and handle. Don’t put too much oil; a little will get the job done.
Fishing Reel Oil Buyer’s Guide
As mentioned previously, there’s plenty of controversy among anglers when it comes to deciding the best fishing reel oil. The issue becomes exacerbated as everyone has his or her favorite oil. Some folks prefer the all-rounder good-old WD40, whereas some swear by Vaseline. Puns asides, both of these options fare poorly when it comes to an effective fishing reel lubricant.
Here we’ll talk about what everybody should look for when buying a fishing reel oil. Let’s get to it:
What to look for in a fishing reel oil?
Applicator: Always buy a fishing reel oil with an applicator. A suitable applicator will make it easy for you to get oil into the places or components you want, especially hard-to-reach ones. Ensure your fishing oil has a good seal; after all, you don’t want your oil to be leaking all over your tackle box.
TFE or Tetrafluoroethylene: Fishing reel oils that contain TFE or Tetrafluoroethylene are not ideal as they include microscopic solids that eventually tend to solidify and leave a residue. This will make the components jam.
Thermal Performance: This is important, especially if you fish in colder temperatures. So make sure your fishing reel oil performs in subzero temperatures.
Alternative Oils For Reel Lubrication
We already mentioned the three crucial things you need to check when buying any fishing oil. Said that many anglers still prefer to use their trusty old-school lubricants like 3-in-1 oil and other machine oils even though the market is full of various well-performing dedicated fishing reel oils. Sure, the 3-in-1 oil will work reasonably well for a while, but it is not the ideal candidate when it comes to a good fishing reel oil.
Firstly, it’s not fully synthetic. How’s that an issue? Well, it means that your fishing reel can rust or corrode if exposed to saltwater. Secondly, alternative lubricants like these will sooner or later get “gummy,” which will jam up your reel. We aren’t against using 3-in-1 or even motor oil for lubricating your fishing reels, but only do it when you are out of options. Under normal conditions, always use something that is specially formulated for fishing gear.
You’re probably wondering what’s wrong with using WD40 as a replacement for fishing reel lubricant. Our answer is simple—DON’T DO IT! WD40 was never meant to be a lubricant. It’s a solvent and was designed to be used for preventing rust and degreasing.
Fishing Reel Oil FAQs
1. What kind of oil do you use on a fishing reel?
In general, we always recommend you use dedicated fishing oils for lubricating and cleaning your reels and other fishing gear. Use synthetic oils over conventional oils, which are mostly petroleum-based. Synthetic reel oils are the best oil for lubricating your reels because they’ve higher longevity and can perform under extremely high temperatures.
Furthermore, most synthetic oils are made from environmentally friendly chemicals, and they don’t vaporize quickly as they’re less volatile, unlike conventional petroleum-based alternatives.
2. Is 3-in-1 oil ok for fishing reels?
3-in-1 oils are multi-purpose lubricating oils that can clean, lubricates, and remove rust. This is why many anglers prefer using 3-in-1 oil to lubricate and clean their fishing reels and other fishing gear. You can use 3-in-1 oil if you’re just want to lubricate something where there is less resistance between the components and while lubricating small components without taking anything apart.
Do not use 3-in-1 oil when the surface you want to lubricate is exposed to grime, dust, or dirt. These unwanted elements can eventually gum up and cause more friction. Also, you also don’t want to use 3-in-1 oil on surfaces when there is a lot of water exposure as the water will wash the oil away. And finally, don’t use 3-in-1 oil on surfaces where the oil will drip because these oils are low in viscosity.
3. Can you use WD-40 on fishing reels?
No, you should never use WD 40 for lubricating your fishing reels or other fishing gear. See, the thing is WD-40 is a solvent, or should we say a degreaser. WD-40 effectively breaks downs, grease, and oil. Use it on your fishing reel; it will eliminate whatever lubrication there is and will corrode it. So, never use it to lubricate a reel.
4. Can you use gun oil on fishing reels?
Yes, you can use gun oil for lubricating fishing reels. Many gun oils are highlighted on the bottle so that it can be used for lubricating fishing reels. Like fishing reel oils, gun oils are high-viscosity oils, making them ideal for lubricating fishing reels and other fishing gear. However, don’t put any oils inside the reel.
5. Why do fishing reels need lubrication?
Whether you’re fishing in saltwater or freshwater, the minerals and other elements in the water will get in and dry your fishing reels. These are often abrasive and corrosive to metals. If you don’t clean or lubricate your reels, the deposited mineral can wear the bearings and other internal mechanisms such as gears and bushing of the reel over time.
If these minerals harden, they’ll cause your reel to work correctly and eventually destroy it, forcing you to replace your older reel with a new one. Therefore, it is necessary to lubricate your reels using the
correct reel oil to prolong the life of the reels.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Fishing reel maintenance is an ongoing process; it’s not something you do once a year and forgets about it. Regularly applying oil and grease will not only make your fishing reel work smoothly, but it will also extend the life of your reels and other fishing gears.
Just make sure you use the right grease and oil for lubrication, and not something that will compromise the performance of your reels or destroy them like 3-in-1 oils or degreasing solvents like WD-40. Happy fishing!
