The last 308

I bought a misterious " 310UL " . It was the last 308 .

	The last 308 The last 308 was made in China .
	Birthday It may mean " Dec / 1999 " . It nearly last lot .
	310UL ?! But its name was 310UL . True 310UL had smaller spool and resin rotor . Is it mistake ?
	It is not mistake It is not MITCHELL's mistake . The spec of manual is same between 308 and 310UL . Americans could not recognize 308 and 310UL , because Americans could not count the number . We know it by their presidential election .
	Main gear Main gear is zinc face gear .
	Improve ? Its teeth is wider than older cut gear . It may have more durability . But the pinion is same to older . Why can they rotate ?
	Slackness These gears may rotate by the slackness of main gear bushing . It is not best way ...
	Winding shape It is tapered .
	I changed the slider to 0.9mm off-set .
	It leveled . It means spool had 0.9mm of off-set .
	Bail spring The left is 310UL . Coils are less than older one . It will break within one year .
	Bail arm This type has been used since 80's . It makes tangles . MITCHELL keeps this defect for 20 years ! See the page of " The problem of the bail arm " .
	Drag Its not smooth .
	Grease This type washers is improved by this grease . SHIMANO's drag grease for bait reels .
	Bail and guide roller These are good . One piece SUS wire and the guide roller with bushing .

308 was born in 1960 . We must give high praise . So , I feel regret at this last 308 . Tapered line winding , tangling bail , breakable bail spring , wrong drag ...These 4 defect has been kept since `80's . But these 4 defects needed 20 years for kill the 308 . We can know how many anglers loved this reel .

If MITCHELL solved these defects and improved gears and kept good bail , 308 might be living now .

I feel regret .

In the field I used it after improved the 4 defects . Its gear is not so smoother than Japanese . But it is not wrong . It doesn't have Planamatic . But distance and rotation is good . It can wind line 100% on spool . Zinc gear makes stable rotation .

Spool is smoother than French " Carbon spool " . It doesn't wear the line .

It is good . So , I feel regret again . (2004/5/30)

MITCHELL spinning reels