Paul, The effort you put in to bring this reel back really shows. Congratulations on a job well done. Finding a proper handle for it will take some time, but in the meantime you can enjoy using the reel and no one but us forum members will probably know the difference. My eyes think they see the ser...

I use Cal's drag grease from Mystic Parts ( https://www.mysticparts.com/.) Packaged for the hobbyist in small containers, so you don't have to purchase a pound of the stuff.

There are a lot of opinions on what grease to use. Everyone has a favorite. I would suggest using a grease that is made for fishing reels. Automotive grease tends to be a bit to thick for my use, so I stay away from it when servicing a fishing reel. I also stay away from white lithium grease. I've c...

I would think that the 900 is a medium duty reel. The 908 is a ultra light reel meant for 2 to 6 lb. test line. The nice thing about the 900 series is the 5 to 1 retrieve rate, which is a bit faster than the 400 series (4 to 1) reels. It also has a skirted spool. Basically, your reel is a 300 with f...

A Mitchell 300 bail can be tripped manually without modifying anything. A bit of a fidgety procedure, as you have to rotate the reel so the trip was within easy reach of your left hand. Just move the lever out of the notch and the spring will close the bail. 1954 Mitchell Reel smaller.jpg Those litt...

Going by this chart: https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/dating-m ... l-numbers/, I would say you are correct.

Regards,

Ed Horan

Welcome Mark! Looks like you have some house cleaning to do to get get all of that hardened grease out of there. I've found myself in the same situation with reels that I picked up also. My experience is that cell photos during the take-apart will help with putting it back together. Also, with regar...

Bill, See this link: https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/dating-mitchell-reels-by-serial-numbers/. It might be of some help. Serial #'s can be confusing. If your serial # is posted right, it should be a 1955 version and shouldn't have the "300" engraved or stamped on the reel. Folks with more k...

Ted,

I've purchased parts from him, but it seems the only way to contact him is through his eBay stores.
https://www.ebay.com/str/jeffsoldfishinglures.

Check out the links on the home page. There's a lot of information there.
https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/mitchell ... l-history/
https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/dating-m ... l-numbers/

Good Luck and Welcome.

Ed

Hmmm..... #2 seems to have more small compartments than the one I have. Thanks for posting the photos!.

Ed

EDIT: I've looked at mine and it appears to have some missing panels.

Kim, Would like to know just what belongs in these kits. I understand your weather issues, as I have that problem also. Snow with some fierce winds.
Should be back to normal for March around the middle of the week. No rush on seeing the kit. Thanks in advance.

Ed

It's missing a lot of the original stuff. I'm pretty sure I know where it came from. It was Christmas gift to a friend many years ago that never really got used as he wasn't a Mitchell fan. He gave the spool cases away. He showed me the reel back before I was 20 yrs. old. I just turned 70, lol. Unfo...

Kim, Please excuse the off color of my cell phone photos. I'm afraid the case isn't as red as seeing it in person.

Ed

Hi Schrak, I have a 300 reel that appears to never have been used. The spools still have the Garcia-Bonnyl bands holding the line in place. Both spools show signs of being oiled. I've often thought that oil or grease on drag washers was counter intuitive also, but have learned that for the drag wash...

Hi Don, I had a similar problem on a early 300 I acquired. My suggestion would be to go slow and try to manipulate by hand the bail until it clears the spool. Then unscrew the the bail on the unsprung side to see if the eye still lines up with the screw hole. It may take a little further tweaking an...

For what it's worth, I have a reel with serial # 556423. No "300". I had posted that information on the old forum. I acquired it about 3 yrs. ago and use it regularly. It has most of it's paint, but the bail has lost some of it's finish. The fish don't seem to mind though.

My 908 and 909 have a 5 to 1 retrieve according to the print on the skirt.

I own a 908 right handed & 909 left handed set of reels from the 900 numbered group. My reels are the ultra light reels of the series. Nice reels, fast retrieve.

Hi Schrack, I'm no expert by any means, but I've found that " Many say 1/8 of an inch from max capacity" seems to work on just about any of the different spinning reels that I've used. I've noticed the line goes out smoother when it is near the top of the spool. Too much line on the spool ...

I'm no expert by any means, but I can't help but wonder if there are too many shims stacked behind the pinion? Someone may have taken it apart in the past and reassembled the pinion shim stack without regard to the shim placement. Stiff performance could be that the pinion is meshing with the drive ...

Here's a youtuber's approach to what Wallace does in his video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O9aiiscTO4. I've used this channel to fix a number of reels. Dennis calls his channel 2nd Chance Tackle and he repairs all sorts of reels, including Mitchell. His channel started out as an instructional...

I'm glad to see the site back up and running. I look forward to increasing my knowledge of all things Mitchell. Thanks to all involved in bringing the site back to life!!