"Henry Hefner" wrote in message
...
All the talk lately about high end equipment, and here comes Sanford and
Son. I have never used a baitcaster. I have always been happy with my
spinning reels, and have read enough posts from bewildered baitcaster
wanna-be's to be put off from learning them. Well, I picked up one dirt
cheap at a garage sale, thinking that if I don't like it, I'm not out
much, and now I'm wondering what I have here. It's a Shimano Bantam XHS.
It even says that XHS is "xtra high speed". The model is partially worn:
BMP**0 where * is either 3 or 5, so maybe BMP550. It also says "Mag
Plus" and is marked 5.1/1
SNIP

It is a Bantam Mag Plus (BMP) 250. A great reel in its day. I still have
one that is 18 years old. Mine is actually the 251 (left hand retrieve).
To my knowledge, you can't find parts for them. I've tried. I wanted to
have it serviced, bearings replaced, etc., for nostalgia sake, but nobody
seems to have parts. That was my first "non-disposable" a/k/a "Wal-mart
29.95" reel I ever bought and it was a good one. It still works fine, just
a little more play than it used to have. Of course, now that I am used to
the automatic/instant anti-reverse, it has a lot of play!

K