How much oil you putting in your ice reels?

[Remps17]

Been slowly cleaning out all the junk grease from my ice reels and putting oil as a replacement. How much you guys putting on the gear and bearings? Drop or two or loader up?

Thanks.

[DR.SPECKLER]

I put a few drops.they dont get casted and retrieved as much as a open water scenario.

[RapShack]

Grease is the proper lubricant for the gears and oil is not a substitute.  You'll literally just be wasting oil and potentially causing more problems in the long run.  For the sort of light duty that reels pull for ice fishing you could probably just run the gears dry but there will be zero performance benefit over just doing it the right way.

For the bearings one drop a piece.

[lundin-loading]

Frabill subzero on all the gears and shafts, quantum hit sauce on the bearings and clutch assembly.

[Hugh-Boone]

Oil for bearings and grease on gears. Bearings usually just need one drop of oil winter or summer, to much and they will actually run worse. Grease is lightly brushed on to all bushings or gears. That's how I have been doing it.   

[IceAddict87]

You are supposed to oil them?

[Remps17]

What grease you guys using that doesn’t gunk up your reels, I haven’t found one yet.  I don’t spin fish in summer so these reels are only for winter. I fish all the way down to -30 and get sick of good reels stiffen up  in the Cold

[bullpine]

What grease you guys using that doesn’t gunk up your reels, I haven’t found one yet.  I don’t spin fish in summer so these reels are only for winter. I fish all the way down to -30 and get sick of good reels stiffen up  in the Cold

30 below, no fun for you or the reels outside.

[Remps17]

30 below, no fun for you or the reels outside.

Alberta, Sask and Manitoba. Bit chilly

[RapShack]

Can't say I've ever had to test it but I've got a tube of some South Bend reel grease that I got god knows where that claims it's good to -45F.  I think white lithium grease is rated at something close to that as well.  One thing is to not over do it with the grease, that's how they get gunked up. Before you put the side plate back on stick the handle in the hole and spin the gears through a few rotations to get things settled and then use a cotton swab or something to get all the extra stuff out.

[slipperybob]

Grease in the Line Roller (bushing and/or bearing), grease on gears. 

Oil on bearings.

Since I mostly just hide in the warmed up shelter, I haven't a need to change out the factory grease.  When I was younger, I used to do it.  It was just the retail shelf Zebco oil and grease.  Then I changed to Xtreme Reel+ oil. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

Idk i repair reels as a side job including cleaning over stuffed old greased reels.ive seen no worn parts replacing grease with drops of oil in a icefishing reel.but if you do use grease ht tip up grease is decent and cheap or a dab of frabill sub zero.a tip to see if you added to much grease is put them in the freezer overnight.a well built reel will have a brass main gear that would take decades to show any wear using a few drops of a good oil such as hot sauce or liberty synthetic oil.

[tm37]

You are supposed to oil them?

[filetandrelease]

 Decades I’ve used sewing machine oil

[Rebelss]

After a thorough cleaning, use just a bit of synthetic or silicone grease on the gears mating surfaces or teeth. 
Try to stay away from the garage greases, like lithium or bearing grease, there's far better. Those are too heavy.
A drop of oil on all bearings; and on spinning reels on the main shaft, rotor, and bail pivots. I use the same oil I use on all my handguns. There isn't a whole lot of difference in these oils,  3 in 1 oil  or sewing machine oil like Filetandrelease said is just fine. Hotsauce or Frabill or Shimano, not any discernible difference IMO. In all my years of repairing reels, I've never seen one worn out from not using a certain oil. It's the grit, sand, crap, and lack of maintenance that does 'em in.

[Dtinsf]

On my open water rods I've always used the same grease as I use to grease my farm equipment or wheel bearing grease. I haven't had any problems yet.

I've never greased my ice fishing reels. Some of them are 20+ years old, but I would recommend using grease that is rated to -30 or lower.

[river_scum]

none i use what came in them.  only problem i ever had was with my bait casters.  sometimes after the drop its so cold they wont engage again.  never had any problem with spinning reels yet. usually only gets down to around 10* here though.

[rkymtnfisher]

I use a product made for moving parts like bolts on firearms. "Gunslick" use a very thin application. As with guns, I wipe it off with cotton rags after a thin application. I hunted for over 30 years in Alaska in temps as low as 35 below and this is what worked best for me. I use it on all of our winter reels and no problems, but we usually only ice fish down to about 15 below now. Good Luck

[CowDawg]

White Lithium grease for the internal gears.

1-2 drops of 3in1 oil if there's a squeaky or sticky handle.

[HardwaterPiker]

Been fishing for almost 60 years and I guess I don't ever recall oiling or greasing a fishing reel.  If they get a little dirt on them, I dunk them in the lake and continue fishing.  If a part breaks, I buy a new one, which isn't very often. I actually have the same rod and reel my Dad bought me when I was 14.  The rod is a 6 1/2 foot med/light yellow Eagle Claw paired with a Mitchell 300 reel.

Mitchell 300, now there's a flashback to my youth. I wish I had that reel back now.

[Iceassin]

Been fishing for almost 60 years and I guess I don't ever recall oiling or greasing a fishing reel.  If they get a little dirt on them, I dunk them in the lake and continue fishing.  If a part breaks, I buy a new one, which isn't very often. I actually have the same rod and reel my Dad bought me when I was 14.  The rod is a 6 1/2 foot med/light yellow Eagle Claw paired with a Mitchell 300 reel.

Same here. My reels are probably 5 years old and get a lot of heavy use in the winter. Dropped in the water/snow/slush... all of the time. Never regreased...still work like a charm. I think that's why they're called ice fishing reels. Designed for such. 🤷‍♂️

[DR.SPECKLER]

Only problem with the old mitchell 300 or mitchell/garcia reels are the bail springs get weak but readily available.rock solid vintage spinng reels.

[RapShack]

Ice fishing is a cake walk for reels.  Trouble starts when they got dropped in the mud, or when you're chucking big heavy baits with lots of drag over and over again, braid + baitcasters has caused me some headaches as well.  If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[esox_xtm]

Thorough cleaning: junk grease and oil out. Very think coat of grease on gears (ABU Precision Grease) and oil on everything else (special blend).

Don't take much but makes a big difference!

[wallydiven]

Thorough cleaning: junk grease and oil out. Very think coat of grease on gears (ABU Precision Grease) and oil on everything else (special blend).

Don't take much but makes a big difference!

I think my oldish gears may need some lube. What would you suggest? 

[Remps17]

Ice fishing is a cake walk for reels.  Trouble starts when they got dropped in the mud, or when you're chucking big heavy baits with lots of drag over and over again, braid + baitcasters has caused me some headaches as well.  If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Just that little detail of -30.

I know the reels don’t get much wear on them compared to open water Reels but open water reels don’t deal with the grease turning into gunk in -30.

[stripernut]

Use the same reels for soft and hard water, never have needed to regrease any of my Shimano reels, some are over 20 years (Stratics). Saltwater reels; that is a different story...

[Remps17]

I am supervised how many guys DONT deal with their reels tightening up in the cold. Maybe I am fishing in colder weather or every reel I buy is a dud haha.

I bought a Shimano sienna last year for a pike rod that was unusable in cold weather. The only reel I bought that doesn’t get affected by the cold is a Stradic but that is a $230 CAD reel. The couple Piscifun Carbon x reels are both effected by the cold.

Maybe it’s just me. Haha