This page shows the gears of MITCHELL308/408.
1 Straight bevel gear with planamatic /70's308
Alminum gear with steel pinion. Pinion is supported by sus double thrust
ball bearing. It is noisy. But I don't feel so bad. Ratio is 4.4 to 1.
The pinion changed to brass on 80's.
2 Spiral bevel gear/70's408
The spiral bevel gear that enthuiasts hope to remake. It was used on 70's
408. This reel is tlansplanted. It is high efficiency. Ratio is 5.5 to
1. It corresponds to fast streams.
MITCHELL's "5.5", "5" of ratio are not "just5.5","just5.0". The number of gear teeth are less than "just" by a tooth. Therefore all teeth of gear meet to all teeth of pinion. So, wear and rube are uniform on every teeth. It makes long life.
3 Straight bevel gear without planamatic/80's308A
Alminum bevel gear with brass pinion. Ratio is 5 to 1. It is faster than 70's 308. Reason maybe that MITCHELL made only 300 series as classic model then.
4 Brass face gear/80's408
Brass face gear on 80's 408A. Pinion is brass too. Wear of pinion is fast.
But 5.5 to 1 ratio is useful.
5 Aluminum face gear/80's〜90's308A
Aluminum face gear like 4. Ratio is 5 to 1. Pinion is brass. Durability
and smoothness are better than 4. The shaft of gear changed from sus to
zinc plated steel. Presence 308 uses this type gear. But it is zinc die-cast.
6 Brass face gear with planamatic/90's308Pro･Pranamatic
4 with planamatic. Japan spesial.
7 Brass face gear with planamatic/90's308A Planamatic
5 with planamatic. But its gear is brass. The last Japan spesial model.
MITCHELL's gears have become poor. Acceptable gear maybe only the spiral
bevel gear for many anglers. Most MITCHELL fans hope to remake it.
But I accept other models. The owner of 2CV do not say that its engine is poor. The value of car is not desided only by engine. The value of reel is not desided only by gear. Even if Taiwanese 308, it keeps MITCHELL's tasts. All of reels on my pages are on the active list.