Mitchell Reel Forum

This came along for cheap, or, what passes for cheap these days, under $20. I replaced a rusty bail with a nice roller bail, and spent two evenings getting the spool off the axle, as it had seized in place. Some rust cleanup, cleaned, lubed, adjusted, back in service.

The first three digits of the serial are 298. I’ve never seen a 351, I don’t believe they were cataloged in my part of the world when I was looking.



Seems for all the world to be a high speed 301. Very smooth running after a service.

Ted

That appears to be one of the last 351 reels made in about 1963. It was replaced by the 401 in that year.

It is indeed a faster 300 originally being marketed as the Rapid. To accommodate the larger gears inside they had to make a different anti-reverse dog and reposition it too.

It also has a different A/R operating lever which the 300 would receive a few years later.

Great information, thanks. No wonder I never saw one, I was born in 1961, and bought my first Mitchell, a 301 I still own, in 1975, or so.
I’m glad nobody tried to beat the spool off the axle, I’m sure it frustrated the heck out of somebody. I like it when there is a small capacity spool on a reel I buy.

Ted