Are EFR electroautomatic fly reels waterproof?
EFR electroautomatic fly reels are water resistant, but we currently refrain from calling them waterproof. Don't worry about your EFR when the rain starts pouring down, or if the EFR gets in touch with a bit of water occasionally. It will not break, even when submerged under water for a short time. Anyway please avoid water contact and if your EFR got in contact with water, please open the battery lid and let the reel dry thoroughly. Oh and one more thing:
DO NOT EXPOSE TO SALT WATER!
The mechanical and electrical parts inside EFR electroautomatic fly reels are sensible to salt water and will get damaged when exposed to salt water.
How long do the batteries last?
Well, this depends a lot on how you fish and also on how you use the ElectroAutomatic Drive system. If you reel in more often or if you reel in electrically while the fishing line is pulled by some water current, the PowerPack will drain faster. And of course the tendency is to reel in a lot more often with Electroautomatic Fly Reels, than with conventional reels - because it's so convenient and fast.
In simple words: When we go out fishing, a full charge now typically keeps us happy for about 3-4 sessions or about 6-8 hours of flyfishing or even more.
In a test without drag on the liine and with the new high quality motor and a fully charched PowerPack we could run the motor about 40 minutes before it slowed down significantly (tested running the motor for 30 seconds every 5 minutes).
Assuming a conservative 30 minutes of motor runtime and if you activate the motor for 10 seconds every 5 minutes - which is quite a lot when you are out there flyfishing - you can enjoy the electroautomatic convenience for about 15 hours before you need to recharge (or reeling in manually).
We will try to soon gather and add more information about the "motor runtime in real flyfishing situations" and post it here. Our main problem with this is, that we tend to get distracted when we are at a river and thus find it hard to "measure" the number of times we reel in during multiple sessions.
What happens if I run out of battery power?
On the one hand the rechargeble batteries will not run out of power suddenly, but the power and speed of your EFR electroautomatic fly reel will slowly decrease. On the other hand, due to the EasyDrill or DirectDrill Handle, you sill have a fully functional traditional fly reel if the batteries are really empty some day. Simply use the handle to reel in line or to drill a fish, just as you would on a classic fly reel. Last but not least, you can take a break and recharge your electroautomatic fly reel using a standard USB outlet and a MicroUSB cable. About 10 Minutes of recharge should give you enough power for another hour or two.
How long does it take to recharge the batteries?
Of course this depends a lot on how much you drained the batteries. A "regular full charge" typically takes about 1 hour. If the batteries are completely drained (beyond the point that you will typically discharage them in regular use) the charger may need to pre-charge them at a very low current for a few hours to avoid damage. In this case charging may take up to 12 hours.
Are EFR electroautomatic fly reels robust?
We try to build EFR electroautomatic fly reels as robust and long-lasting as possible and constantly try to improve the construction. But please beware that especially the motor and the electronic components in EFR electroautomatic fly reels are rather fragile parts and will probably not last a lifetime and should be considered wear and tear parts. To compensate for this weakness, the design allows to replace these parts easily and we will be happy to provide spare parts for a fair price or repair your EFR for fair hourly rates on request. Please contact us if you experience problems or other inconveniences with EFR electroautomatic fly reels.
Is there a version for left handed persons or can the fly reel be modified for left handed casting (aka right hand operation)?
Due to the construction (asymmetric design of various parts) it is not possible to modify EFR reels for left handed casting at the moment. But on request we can produce a mirrored version of our fly reels (or the few asymmetric parts) for left handed operation. Just contact us and expect a bit higher delivery time.
Is there a version that allows complete one handed operation?
Officially not yet. But we are working hard to develop an electroautomatic fly reel that can be operated by the casting hand completely. The goal is to be able to retrieve line, to extend line and ideally even to adjust the brake/drag force - all with your casting hand. We do already have a few prototypes ready for test and we would be very interested to provide them to special customers willing to test them and provide feedback. Alternatively we can also develop versions with controls in other locations or detached from the reel (connected by cable), if your movement is limited somehow.
Please contact us if you are interested to test a version allowing complete one handed operation, with controls in a different position or detached from the reel or if you are looking for a fly reel with any other "fancy" features.
Sustainability and Integrity
Ecological and social sustainability and integrity are very important to us. So let's be honest from the start: At the moment we are far from where we want to be with respect to these values. EFR Reels are designed in a way that they can easily be repaired by almost anyone and we try to choose production partners that share our values and we ask questions where we feel need for improvement. But as mentioned, we still have a lot of work to do and we will do it in the near future. Currently we don't really know where, for instance some electronic components, come from and under what conditions they are produced. But we will inquire and we will soon add an overview of what we know to what extent. We think that full transparency about the supply chain and even the distribution of profit is utmost important to provide product that is produced fair and sustainable.
So even though we are currently a bit ashamed about our lack of knowledge and the lack of a nice presentation of the relevant data, we at least want to be honest from the start:
* Metal parts: Currently produced in China and in Austria. So far we don't really know anything about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production appart from a "good feeling" based on answers to some questions we raised.
* Synthetic parts: Currently produced in the US. So far we have no clue about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production.
* Electronic parts: Currently sourced from all over the world. So far we have no clue about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production.
* Electronics and mechanical assembly: Currently done in Switzerland by ourselves. Here we are sure the the work conditions are fair and we take care to minimize waste and energy consumption. Actually the hourly rate that we "pay" to ourselves is only about EUR 50, while regular comparable jobs are paying about 2-3 times higher rates. But at the moment this rather symbolic price is acceptable for all of us.
* Split of profit: Currently the cost of the raw material and parts is around EUR 190-290 per reel (approx. EUR 130-230 for metal/synthetic parts and about EUR 60 for electronics). The assembly of electronics and mechanical parts currently takes us about 4-8 hours per reel. As mentioned above we calculate an hourly rate of about EUR 50 per hour (while in Switzerland it would be necessary to calculate with a hourly rate of EUR 100 to 150 to create a viable business). Last but not least we spent and spend hundreds of hours for the development, engineering and testing, prototypes and administrative effort etc. etc. So far this effort is not paid at all, but at the moment this is acceptable for us.
We sincerely hope to give you an idea where we stand and why the prices are as they are. And of course we are always open for questions or inputs on how to improve.
Repair and Care
We will soon update more detailed information about repairing and maintaining EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reels, but we lack a bit of time currently. Generally speaking you should take care of and maintain your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel like any other fishing reel: Keep it dry and clean. Additionally from time to time you should remove the spool and add a drop of oil on the ball bearing and the motor shaft. Last but not least you should avoid exposure to water, excessive heat and cold and recharge the PowerPack before storing the reel for longer time and ideally recharge it every 2-3 month if you don't use it that long.
And of course you have any right to repair your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel in any way, as long as you take the full responsibility, take care of yourself and don't sell the reel afterwards without describing the repair.
If you have a specific question about maintaining or repairing your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel, just contact us and we will happily try to support you!
Spare Parts
We will soon update our web shop, at least with the most important spare parts (e.g. Spool, PowerPack, Clutch, Motor, etc.). Until then or if you need a specific spare part not listed (e.g. a special screw, metal part, electronic component, etc.) please contact us. We will be happy to provide you any part (given that we have stock) for a fair price or even a specification if you prefer this and if it is an off-the-shelf part (e.g. for screws and similar).
Warranty
Currently EFR is a private collaboration of a few fellows. Thus currently EFR Electroautomatic fly reels are produced and sold on a non-commercial basis and formally without any warranty. But we constantly improve the reliability and robustness of our fly reels and we are convinced that the EFR electroautomatic fly reels last many years of normal use for recreational flyfishing (motor, gear/clutch and rechargable batteries are considered wear and tear parts and may have to be replaced more frequently). And we are absolutely willing to provide spare parts or repair your EFR electroautomatic fly reel for minimal cost if it broke down during normal use or even for free.
Disposal
If your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel is broken and you don't want to repair it or have it repaired by us or someone else, consider donating it to a friend or to another person, that may be happy to repair it.
If your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel is broken beyond repair, please dispose it properly like other electronic goods. Do not just throw it away but hand it to an appropriate recycling or disposal service. Alternatively you can send the reel back to us or contact us for guidance on how to dispose it properly.
Returns
If you do not like your EFR electroautomatic fly reel, you can return it within 14 days from the date you received it. To be eligible for a return, your fly reel should be unused and be returned in the original packaging. We will inspect the reel and initiate a refund, if it is in good condition.
Note that you will have to cover the costs for shipping for returning your item. Shipping costs are nonrefundable.
If you have questions about how to return your EFR, please contact us.
You have another question?
Please contact us if you have any further questions or if you want to give us feedback about EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reels. We constantly improve our products and we are looking for your input and ideas.
EFR electroautomatic fly reels are water resistant, but we currently refrain from calling them waterproof. Don't worry about your EFR when the rain starts pouring down, or if the EFR gets in touch with a bit of water occasionally. It will not break, even when submerged under water for a short time. Anyway please avoid water contact and if your EFR got in contact with water, please open the battery lid and let the reel dry thoroughly. Oh and one more thing:
DO NOT EXPOSE TO SALT WATER!
The mechanical and electrical parts inside EFR electroautomatic fly reels are sensible to salt water and will get damaged when exposed to salt water.
How long do the batteries last?
Well, this depends a lot on how you fish and also on how you use the ElectroAutomatic Drive system. If you reel in more often or if you reel in electrically while the fishing line is pulled by some water current, the PowerPack will drain faster. And of course the tendency is to reel in a lot more often with Electroautomatic Fly Reels, than with conventional reels - because it's so convenient and fast.
In simple words: When we go out fishing, a full charge now typically keeps us happy for about 3-4 sessions or about 6-8 hours of flyfishing or even more.
In a test without drag on the liine and with the new high quality motor and a fully charched PowerPack we could run the motor about 40 minutes before it slowed down significantly (tested running the motor for 30 seconds every 5 minutes).
Assuming a conservative 30 minutes of motor runtime and if you activate the motor for 10 seconds every 5 minutes - which is quite a lot when you are out there flyfishing - you can enjoy the electroautomatic convenience for about 15 hours before you need to recharge (or reeling in manually).
We will try to soon gather and add more information about the "motor runtime in real flyfishing situations" and post it here. Our main problem with this is, that we tend to get distracted when we are at a river and thus find it hard to "measure" the number of times we reel in during multiple sessions.
What happens if I run out of battery power?
On the one hand the rechargeble batteries will not run out of power suddenly, but the power and speed of your EFR electroautomatic fly reel will slowly decrease. On the other hand, due to the EasyDrill or DirectDrill Handle, you sill have a fully functional traditional fly reel if the batteries are really empty some day. Simply use the handle to reel in line or to drill a fish, just as you would on a classic fly reel. Last but not least, you can take a break and recharge your electroautomatic fly reel using a standard USB outlet and a MicroUSB cable. About 10 Minutes of recharge should give you enough power for another hour or two.
How long does it take to recharge the batteries?
Of course this depends a lot on how much you drained the batteries. A "regular full charge" typically takes about 1 hour. If the batteries are completely drained (beyond the point that you will typically discharage them in regular use) the charger may need to pre-charge them at a very low current for a few hours to avoid damage. In this case charging may take up to 12 hours.
Are EFR electroautomatic fly reels robust?
We try to build EFR electroautomatic fly reels as robust and long-lasting as possible and constantly try to improve the construction. But please beware that especially the motor and the electronic components in EFR electroautomatic fly reels are rather fragile parts and will probably not last a lifetime and should be considered wear and tear parts. To compensate for this weakness, the design allows to replace these parts easily and we will be happy to provide spare parts for a fair price or repair your EFR for fair hourly rates on request. Please contact us if you experience problems or other inconveniences with EFR electroautomatic fly reels.
Is there a version for left handed persons or can the fly reel be modified for left handed casting (aka right hand operation)?
Due to the construction (asymmetric design of various parts) it is not possible to modify EFR reels for left handed casting at the moment. But on request we can produce a mirrored version of our fly reels (or the few asymmetric parts) for left handed operation. Just contact us and expect a bit higher delivery time.
Is there a version that allows complete one handed operation?
Officially not yet. But we are working hard to develop an electroautomatic fly reel that can be operated by the casting hand completely. The goal is to be able to retrieve line, to extend line and ideally even to adjust the brake/drag force - all with your casting hand. We do already have a few prototypes ready for test and we would be very interested to provide them to special customers willing to test them and provide feedback. Alternatively we can also develop versions with controls in other locations or detached from the reel (connected by cable), if your movement is limited somehow.
Please contact us if you are interested to test a version allowing complete one handed operation, with controls in a different position or detached from the reel or if you are looking for a fly reel with any other "fancy" features.
Sustainability and Integrity
Ecological and social sustainability and integrity are very important to us. So let's be honest from the start: At the moment we are far from where we want to be with respect to these values. EFR Reels are designed in a way that they can easily be repaired by almost anyone and we try to choose production partners that share our values and we ask questions where we feel need for improvement. But as mentioned, we still have a lot of work to do and we will do it in the near future. Currently we don't really know where, for instance some electronic components, come from and under what conditions they are produced. But we will inquire and we will soon add an overview of what we know to what extent. We think that full transparency about the supply chain and even the distribution of profit is utmost important to provide product that is produced fair and sustainable.
So even though we are currently a bit ashamed about our lack of knowledge and the lack of a nice presentation of the relevant data, we at least want to be honest from the start:
* Metal parts: Currently produced in China and in Austria. So far we don't really know anything about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production appart from a "good feeling" based on answers to some questions we raised.
* Synthetic parts: Currently produced in the US. So far we have no clue about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production.
* Electronic parts: Currently sourced from all over the world. So far we have no clue about the work conditions or ecologic aspects of the production.
* Electronics and mechanical assembly: Currently done in Switzerland by ourselves. Here we are sure the the work conditions are fair and we take care to minimize waste and energy consumption. Actually the hourly rate that we "pay" to ourselves is only about EUR 50, while regular comparable jobs are paying about 2-3 times higher rates. But at the moment this rather symbolic price is acceptable for all of us.
* Split of profit: Currently the cost of the raw material and parts is around EUR 190-290 per reel (approx. EUR 130-230 for metal/synthetic parts and about EUR 60 for electronics). The assembly of electronics and mechanical parts currently takes us about 4-8 hours per reel. As mentioned above we calculate an hourly rate of about EUR 50 per hour (while in Switzerland it would be necessary to calculate with a hourly rate of EUR 100 to 150 to create a viable business). Last but not least we spent and spend hundreds of hours for the development, engineering and testing, prototypes and administrative effort etc. etc. So far this effort is not paid at all, but at the moment this is acceptable for us.
We sincerely hope to give you an idea where we stand and why the prices are as they are. And of course we are always open for questions or inputs on how to improve.
Repair and Care
We will soon update more detailed information about repairing and maintaining EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reels, but we lack a bit of time currently. Generally speaking you should take care of and maintain your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel like any other fishing reel: Keep it dry and clean. Additionally from time to time you should remove the spool and add a drop of oil on the ball bearing and the motor shaft. Last but not least you should avoid exposure to water, excessive heat and cold and recharge the PowerPack before storing the reel for longer time and ideally recharge it every 2-3 month if you don't use it that long.
And of course you have any right to repair your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel in any way, as long as you take the full responsibility, take care of yourself and don't sell the reel afterwards without describing the repair.
If you have a specific question about maintaining or repairing your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel, just contact us and we will happily try to support you!
Spare Parts
We will soon update our web shop, at least with the most important spare parts (e.g. Spool, PowerPack, Clutch, Motor, etc.). Until then or if you need a specific spare part not listed (e.g. a special screw, metal part, electronic component, etc.) please contact us. We will be happy to provide you any part (given that we have stock) for a fair price or even a specification if you prefer this and if it is an off-the-shelf part (e.g. for screws and similar).
Warranty
Currently EFR is a private collaboration of a few fellows. Thus currently EFR Electroautomatic fly reels are produced and sold on a non-commercial basis and formally without any warranty. But we constantly improve the reliability and robustness of our fly reels and we are convinced that the EFR electroautomatic fly reels last many years of normal use for recreational flyfishing (motor, gear/clutch and rechargable batteries are considered wear and tear parts and may have to be replaced more frequently). And we are absolutely willing to provide spare parts or repair your EFR electroautomatic fly reel for minimal cost if it broke down during normal use or even for free.
Disposal
If your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel is broken and you don't want to repair it or have it repaired by us or someone else, consider donating it to a friend or to another person, that may be happy to repair it.
If your EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reel is broken beyond repair, please dispose it properly like other electronic goods. Do not just throw it away but hand it to an appropriate recycling or disposal service. Alternatively you can send the reel back to us or contact us for guidance on how to dispose it properly.
Returns
If you do not like your EFR electroautomatic fly reel, you can return it within 14 days from the date you received it. To be eligible for a return, your fly reel should be unused and be returned in the original packaging. We will inspect the reel and initiate a refund, if it is in good condition.
Note that you will have to cover the costs for shipping for returning your item. Shipping costs are nonrefundable.
If you have questions about how to return your EFR, please contact us.
You have another question?
Please contact us if you have any further questions or if you want to give us feedback about EFR Electroautomatic Fly Reels. We constantly improve our products and we are looking for your input and ideas.