|
Finesse
at the Entry Level: Abu Garcia's Revo S20 Spinning Reel
(continued)
 Drag:
For a small spinning reel the power of the drag is
quite good. With it winched down as hard as my thin fingers would allow the S20
put down around 16 pounds of pressure when measured on a hand scale—impressive
since Abu advertises a 12 pound maximum. The smoothness is plenty good enough,
but there is a slight “bump” in its consistency.

The drag performed pretty well but I did notice it wasn't 100% consistent.

The guts of the S20 are revealed....
|
Sweet Drag Performance
for
Abu Garcia Revo S20 Spinning Reel |
|
Turns backed off from locked drag> |
.5 |
.75 |
1 |
1.25 |
1.5 |
Avg % Change |
|
Start-up |
3 |
2.7 |
2.3 |
1.8 |
1.6 |
|
Sustained |
3 |
2.7 |
2.3 |
1.8 |
1.6 |
|
Lowest Value |
2.9 |
2.5 |
2.2 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
|
Change in Start-up vs. Sustained |
.8% |
1.5% |
2% |
3% |
.8% |
1.6% |
|
Biggest Drop From Sustained |
4.9% |
5.2% |
6.6% |
13.2% |
7.3% |
7.4% |
|
To measure the drag on this reel, the drag
was fully tightened, then backed off half a turn and strapped to the
machine for the first test. With each successive test, the drag was
backed off another quarter turn. |

The thin and compact body gives the reel a nice form.
Performance Ratings for
Abu Garcia Revo S20
Spinning Reel |
Retrieve (1-5) |
Drag (1-5) |
Power (1-5) |
Bail Operation (1-5) |
Line Twist (1-5) |
Total |
Possible |
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10) |
4 |
|
|
|
5 |
22 |
25 |
|
Ergonomics:
Coming in just a few tenths heavier than the pricier Revo SX20 model, our S20
tester displayed a weight of 8.5 ounces—lighter than several other reels in its
class. I not only thought these two reels felt and performed like virtual clones
of each other, but they also utilize the same shape and basic body structure. A
narrow, compact frame means this reel is anything but bulky, and the handle is
also equally slim and compact. I thought it was quite comfortable and provided a
sure grip at all times, but its looks didn't really click with me. I'm also not
real fond of the drag knob; it needs to be taller and easier to grab.

The rubber handle utilizes a plastic plug in the end displaying the Abu Garcia
name.
Features Ratings for
Abu Garcia Revo S20 Spinning Reel |
Spool Bearing (1-2) |
Line Roller Bearing
(1-2) |
Water Resistant Drag (1-3) |
Back Reel
(1-3) |
Spare Spool
(1-2) |
Reel Cover (1-2) |
Total |
Possible |
Rating (= Tot/Pos * 10) |
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
1 |
10 |
14 |
|

Slow oscillation means that line wraps onto the spool evenly.
Durability:
I
didn't come across any mechanical issues while testing the Revo S20.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test it on any truly demanding species, but I
was pleased with how it held up and retained its new feeling. Cosmetically, I
was again pleased, but the finish is definitely not scratch resistant. The white
portion of the body now wears a couple tiny battle scars from clanking around on
a bass boat. This is not exactly a surprise, but it should be noted.

The bail wire is quite beefy compared to the thin wire you find on many other
reels.
Price and
Applications:
All Revo S
models are affordably priced at an MSRP of $129.99. This is a fair price,
however my personal view is that both the S and SX pricing could be lessened by
20–30 dollars. Of course this would cause some overlap,
so that's not likely. If you're looking for a finesse spinning reel, the S20
will fit right in. Fill it up with either light braid or six or eight pound
mono, and it will work well for throwing everything from a weightless worm to a
drop shot rig. Don't overlook it for certain medium-duty techniques or light
saltwater fishing, either.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Abu
Garcia
Revo
S20
Spinning
Reel
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
The reel
features
good
quality
overall. |
7.5 |
|
Performance |
Easy to
cast but
the drag
is a
little
bumpy. |
8.8 |
|
Price |
Not bad
but I'd
be more
excited
if it
was
priced
at least
20
dollars
less. |
6.5 |
|
Features |
Close to
the same
features
as the
SX20
model. |
7.14 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
This is
a slim,
compact
reel
that
doesn't
weigh a
ton.
While
the
handle
is
comfortable,
it looks
a bit on
the
cheap
side in
appearance. |
6.5 |
|
Application |
Works
good for
light to
medium
duty
bass and
light
saltwater
fishing. |
7 |
|
Total
Score
|
7.24 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus
|
|
+ Fresh
looks |
- Drag
pressure
is good
but not
100%
consistent |
|
+
Compact
body |
- Could
be
slightly
more
refined |
|
+
Powerful
max drag |
|
|
+
Versatile
line
capacity |
|

A healthy largemouth while throwing a jerkbait on the Revo S20!
Conclusion:
I spent
a fair amount of
time fishing both
the Revo S20 and
SX20 spinning reels.
Cosmetics aside, I
really couldn't
discern a noticeable
difference in feel
or performance with
these models. For
most buyers, it will
likely come down to
pure looks when
deciding between the
two. If you like how
they both look and
want to save 30
bucks, I think
you'll be quite
content with the
Revo S20!
Looking for the
Abu Garcia Revo S?
Try
Tackle Warehouse.
|