Abu Garcia Revo SX Low Profile Reel

How well is it built?

The X2-Cräftic alloy frame is the backbone of the Revo SX, and it's built to stay rigid when you're cranking a heavy lure or leaning into a good fish.

It's paired with C6 carbon sideplates to keep the body strong without extra bulk, and the asymmetrical shape is designed to balance weight, strength and ergonomics in the palm.

Inside, the D2 Gear design and Duragear Gen II gears are built for torque, and the bearing count is generous.

With nine stainless-steel ball bearings and one roller bearing, it has two more ball bearings than the Revo5 X, which should help keep the retrieve smooth over a long day of casting.

For me, the 90mm bowed aluminium handle with oversized knobs finishes it off well, as it gives you plenty to grip when you're winding a deep-diving crankbait. To be fair, it isn't as heavily built as the Beast 300, which is a large-format reel for big swimbaits.

For a do-it-all low-profile reel, though, I think the build is excellent.

How well does it cast and retrieve?

The EXD Concept design is aimed squarely at casting performance, and the IVCB-6 system gives you a very wide range of brake settings. It's a centrifugal brake, so it slows the spool late in the cast and stops it overrunning into a bird's nest.

That range matters when you swap from a light soft plastic to a heavier jerkbait on the same rod.

Gear ratio is the other big choice. The 7.3:1 model winds in faster, which suits jerkbaits, soft plastics and picking up slack quickly, while the 6.7:1 model gives you a bit more cranking power for crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Which one should you pick?

If you mostly twitch and jig your lures, I'd go for the 7.3:1.

Overall, it's a low-profile reel that palms easily through a long day of casting and working lures. I think its casting control should suit pretty much any medium lure you'll use for UK predators, which is why it scores so well.

How useful is the drag system?

The Power Stack Carbon Matrix drag goes up to 25lb, which is a lot of stopping power for a compact low-profile reel.

You won't need all of it for perch and zander, but it gives you plenty in reserve when a big pike heads for weed or a snag, and it lets you fish strong braid with confidence.

It has 5lb more drag than the Revo5 X, which tops out at 20lb, and 10lb more than the 15lb Power Disk drag on the Abu Garcia Max X.

That said, a smooth drag matters more than the top figure, and a stacked carbon drag like this one should give steady, even pressure when a fish runs.

If you want a drag clicker and more power for 8in swimbaits, the Beast 300 has both, and its 5.8:1 model goes up to 30lb. For medium lures, though, the Revo SX has all the drag you're likely to need, and I'd say the 8.8 is fair.

Is it good value for money?

Is the Revo SX worth the extra over the Revo5 X? If you fish lures a lot, I think it is. You get the X2-Cräftic alloy frame in place of a C6 carbon one, two more ball bearings, IVCB-6 braking instead of MagTrax and an extra 5lb of drag.

It's dearer than the Revo5 X, though, so it's a step up rather than a budget buy.

Next to the Beast 300, it's the more compact and more versatile reel for medium lures, from soft plastics and jerkbaits to crankbaits and spinnerbaits, while the Beast 300 is the specialist for A-Rigs and big swimbaits that need extra line capacity.

If you mainly throw those big baits, the Beast 300 makes more sense.

Overall, I'd recommend the Revo SX to anyone who wants one quality low-profile baitcaster for perch, zander and pike on medium lures, whether they fish from the bank or a boat and want a reel they won't outgrow.