Scored on 157 verified owner verdicts, from 520 comments read across 9 communities
TL;DR
Owners overwhelmingly love this baitcaster for being light, smooth-casting, and tough enough to last many years of hard use without problems. The most common knocks are a learning curve when tuning it in and a handful who feel it's pricey next to rivals like Shimano or Lew's. It's a solid pick for anglers wanting a dependable, lightweight reel in the mid-price range, including first-time baitcaster users.
76% of 157 verified owners recommend the Abu Garcia Revo SX, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
520 comments reviewed · scored on the 157 clearest verdicts
76%
Recommend
120 owners
11%
Neutral
16 owners
13%
Don't recommend
21 owners
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
86%
63
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer). They line up with what owners say on Reddit and forums — within a few points — so we count them here. When YouTube comments skew too far from other trusted sources, we leave them out.owner comments
74%
34
Other forumsStripersonline, Ultimatebass, Bbcboards, Bassresource, Austinbassfishing
70%
33
2Coolfishing
67%
27
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
100%
3
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
3
Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 76%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. Affiliate blogs is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Holds up for years of regular use with no issues · 12 · 8%
Light and easy to palm, comfortable to fish all day · 9 · 6%
Casts smoothly and gets good distance · 9 · 6%
Strong value for the money, often found on sale · 8 · 5%
Feels well-built and higher quality than budget reels · 5 · 3%
What owners flag
Some feel it's overpriced or beaten by rivals like Shimano and Lew's · 4 · 3%
Finicky to dial in, with backlashes and nests on mono · 3 · 2%
A few find it heavier than competing reels · 2 · 1%
Who it's for
A great fit if
Value seekers wanting quality around $150-160
Beginners learning baitcasting on a forgiving reel
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
520 reviewed · 160 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube▲ recommend
“never had a problem with them ill always have love for them. Id buy one!”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“am still unable to cast more than 30 to
40 feet.”
Reddit— neutral
“the revo sx series has a huge jump in drag power over similar class reels if that is any concern. On the downside, the worm gear on these do wear out quicker than others but that is a cheap replacement.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“Lew's speed spool LFS is better than Abu Garcia Revo SX. I have both. Abu Garcia is overpriced and overhyped”
YouTube— neutral
“it just feels to big and bulky in my hand. Also the dial knob, does rub against my inner finger and does get annoying after a while.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I haven't had any problems out of my Abu Garcia Revo SX reels.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“As for the reel, I have mine paired up with an Abu Garcia Revo SX baitcasting reel and I absolutely love it. Awesome reel for the price.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I currently use an Abu Garcia Revo SX as my all around casting reel and though I like the external breaking system it's a pretty finicky reel for the price point and don't think I'd buy one again unless I got a screaming deal.”
2 Cool Fishing Forum— neutral
“All I use is Revo's and they hold up great, except the MGX, magnesium and saltwater don't mix. I would suggest the Revo Sx ,just for the fact that it has a magnetic cast control.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“just sent mine back because it WILL not cast baits in the 1/8--1/6--1/16 ie flicker shads #4--#5's”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I just bought the Abu Garcia revo sx reel. Its about 160 but worth every penny. Its really light and very smooth. I highly recommend it.”
BBCBoards— neutral
“I like the Tatula better than the gen3 revo sx. I chose the Tatula this time over the gen3 because it felt closer to the gen2 revo sx series. The gen2 is superior over gen3.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“The Revo SX is a heavy thing man. But I cant afford a lighter reel rn.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I have no issue running all Abu gear if I had the choice because I will still catch fish regardless.”
2 Cool Fishing Forum— neutral
“I was given 3 different Revos a few years ago and 2 of the 3 have held up great. One had some of the metal trim turn green even with rinsing after each trip.”
2 Cool Fishing Forum— neutral
“Stick with your Revos they work great, the only problem with them is the chrome plated pieces like to turn green and look like ****.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“The one that gives me the most trouble is strung up with mono. I get awful nests...so frustrating that I've stopped using the entire set up. This also happens to be an Abu Garcia...Revo SX.”
Reddit⚠ product linkThis comment contains a link to buy the product. Not a confirmed affiliate link, but a buy link in an opinion can be a form of marketing — weigh it accordingly.▲ recommend
“I have 3, and love them all. My oldest one I've had for three years without any issues.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I've been using an Abu Garcia Revo s for over a year and just picked up an SX and love them.”
2 Cool Fishing Forum— neutral
“I can tell you any revo less than the stx will not hold up to the salt. I have revo inshore for salt and sx for bass fishing.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I also have an Abu garcia revo sx with msrp 160 bucks. The baitcasters are almost identical at least on the outside and the supreme is smoother, I would def buy one again”
BassResource— neutral
“the Revo series especially are SUPER smooth, but honestly...put some d**n grease on your reels before you sell them, Abu.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“The only bait caster I have and don’t like the quality is a abu Garcia revo sx. After the abu Garcia I will never buy anything that’s not shimano.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“The abu Garcia revo sx is another reel I have that performs well, I got it on sale for $110 so I wouldn’t spend the normal price of $160 on it myself.”
StripersOnline (SurfTalk)ⓘ good to know
“I myself have two Revo X Inshore LP's (sealed baitcasters for salt) that are 100-200 size reels that I use on 7FT and 8FT rods for back bay and light inshore”
Redditⓘ good to know
“Revo SX has a relatively advanced brake system which can actually work against you if you dont know how to set it up.”
