NEW MITCHELL 300 SPINNING REEL VS. OLD MITCHELL 300 SPINNING REEL 

To purchase a MITCHELL SPINNING REEL - amzn.to/4cDIE5u

I was 12 when I got a 300 back in 68 for Christmas…..best Christmas presy ever …..I felt I had arrived at big boy fishing ….👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧.

I'll take a Vintage 300 over a modern one any day. They're easier to work on and last forever

I only use vintage Mitchell’s, caught first fish on my friends dad 300 it in 1978, he was the envy of everyone at the pond. I use them all over the world. Great little video and would tell anyone and everyone to have a Mitchell 300, 400 or match and an older rod. This is the best way to fish a summer’s evening. 👍👍👍

Back in the day, I won’t say how far back, this reel was king. I recently bought two new ones and put them on old school rods and the feel is so much better than I remember.

I'm still using a Mitchell 300 I bought used in the Summer of "69. Garcia Mitchell makes a 400 and a 410 that are both "high speed" retrieves (5+/1). The reverse rotation makes it so you can point at the spool and wind the line right onto your finger for casting, Also there is a 330 and a 440 that are Auto Bail. You touch and release the bail without touching the line. Great reels for casting braid all day. I love my Mitchell reels. If you've never fished a 308 or 408 (hs) with the Planomatic retrieve your missing out. I enjoy your videos , keep up the good work and Thanks.

Those old Mitchell 300's bring back a mountain of memories. Fishing with my grandfather on Van Ettan Lake in Oscoda, Michigan as a kid. Pulling Erie Dearie's behind his 16ft Lund and bringing a mess of walleye into the boat. Watching him catch Pike off the dock with a frozen smelt on a bobber. All his reels were Mitchell 300's as was my first reel. Thanks for getting dirt in my eye this morning Dave. ;-)

Still have my old Garcia Mitchell 300. A 1966 graduation present from my parents. Couple of years ago in Florida, picked up a “new” 300…like it also. Loved your video. Keep up the great work.

The french did something right for a change…an iconic reel the old 300

Mitchell 300 best reel ever made I've had my collection for 40 years. Still a great reel for.....everything

I have 2 Mitchell 300's that are over 50 years old. They work like new, right now its the only reel I use!

I have a pile of older Mitchell’s that were made in France. I love them!

Grew up using the old 300's, great reels. I'll try a new model now also. Thanks!

I still have my 300 bought in 1967 along with the 7' fiber glass rod that my brother-in-law talked me into when I got out of the USAF . Also the rod and reel we got my dad for Father's Day the next year. We would use the shallow spool with lighter line for pan fish and the deep spool for walleye and northerns. I got my biggest bass, 6#4oz on that light rod and line. Always loved that set-up.

I use the old Mitchells mainly for dunking. I found the vintage 300 size to be very good for catching bonefishes loaded with 300yds of 8 pound mono. You need to keep a spare handle in your gear because they break due to age and use. I had two handles break recently and was happy to see the parts are still available through online vendors. Oh, and I have 20 vintage Mitchells from the 308 to 488, ten are the 300s. When I see them at the flea markets, I can't help but buy them, usually for less than $20.

I fished my Dad’s old Mitchell as a kid, so a couple years ago I bought one off eBay. I use it for crappie and bluegill on a new fiberglass Fenwick. 4 lb. test, what a great lightweight setup. The older Mitchell’s are quirky but since I grew up with one, it’s like a bit of Americana.

Very good tutorial on Mitchell spinning reels. Grew up using closed face reels and never had the chance to use a Mitchell spinning reel. They have definitely stood the test of time, though!

Got one for a 10th birthday gift in 1976. It still works and is in great shape. I don’t use it anymore it’s displayed with some other antique fishing gear.

Great video. FYI - I still use my 1970s Mitchell 300s and love them. Mine has a deep spool and a shallow spool as well. We always put our heavy line on the deep spool and lighter weight line on the shallow spool. That way, you can switch from Trout to Catfish by simply swapping out the spools.

The old Mitchell 300s don't have the modern tech. In many ways this is a good thing. They are very easy to take apart and service. Spare parts (especially bail springs) are not hard to find. They have a very elegant and simple design which is likely why they last so long. They may be a bit on the heavier side and that is because of the mostly metal parts. Parts for many newer reels may not be available in the future as manufacturers move on to newer models that do not have rearward and reverse compatibility. If you are a fan of rugged and timeless devices the older Mitchell 300 series is unbeatable.

My brother and I had Mitchell 300’s back in the 70’s . Thanks for the nice review. Brought back some memories for me.

I 've actually found some new old stock 300s and am giving them to my grandkids I've had mine since I was a teenager and it still works fine. I tell them you will have this reel for the rest of your life. The best reel ever made in my opinion.

I gave my nephew all my tackle as I'm worn out arthritis, two classic Mitchell's 300,s from 1963... He has been using one and an old guy wanted to but , not for sale at any price...

My observation with the deeper old spool was for larger weight line diameter. We used them for river fishing for Carp. Mostly 12 to 16 lb. test back then. We always brought extra line because we would lose big Carp and line with it. We didn't have the money for extra spools. Now they are all over the internet. Now I have 308's, 408's, 300's and love finding classic Mitchells. Life is good..

I just found 2 of my old grandfathers 300’s so thanks for this video. Very informative

I own two Mitchell reels, amongst the rest of my collection those are the favorites 🤙🏽

I appreciate this comparison, but they are so different it’s really not logical to lump them together. In my opinion the traditional 304 and 300 are some of the best built commercial reels ever made. Anyone who has disassembled and reassembled a 1940-1990 era 300 knows what I mean. Not only are they good looking on the outside, but they are beautiful on the inside as well. Durable, stylish and very functional. I’m glad you are bringing this dialog out into the public forum, but there is a good chance I’ll never own a modern 300, nor would I want to.

I bought my first when I was 13 it cost $21 that was a days wage in 1969 but I used it for ever still got stuck back with my Pflugerville Supreme my shakespear wonder cast and original Abu ambassador 5000 all great reel for there time

I have a dozen of the old mitchell 300 reels. Every time I see one at a yard sale, I snag it up!

Nice video. I have an old Mitchell 300 from the '70s and it works just like new. Back in the day, Mitchell DID make a skirted spool version, known as the 300S. I have two of them. The only issue I ever had with the 300 was sometimes the line would get tangled up between the back of the spool and the innards of the reel. When I later found the 300S, I bought one. I recently got another one off of EBay. While the new 300 may be more advanced, I am sad it is made in China, like most everything else. I do have a newer 300 I got several years ago, but don't know what I did with it. It is somewhere in the house. I will stick with my antiques.

My one-and-only go-to reel is a lefty Mitchell 307, which, according to its serial number, was made in 1957. I seem to catch as many sporty fish like snook, tarpon, pompano, and jack crevalle as my buddies do. The counter-clockwise rotation is perfect for me because the rapidly-unwinding line hits the front of my index finger during those casts where the flying lure must be stopped at the edge of the mangroves or under a dock. Also, I took the bail off decades ago and manually hook the line with my left index finger while turning the handle to begin my retrieve. By the way, those old-fashioned drags had an loud screech when a big fish was taking line. Really gets the attention of your fellow anglers up and down the pier or bridge and seems to make the event more exciting for everyone!

I really like my old 300 and 330 Mitchell reels and I 😇🙏🎣

a Lubrication Port? Never knew it. Thanks. Reels are disposable today. The old reels are still here because of serviceability.

Thank you for the great video, Sir.

Love the Mitchell 300

The old ones were better made. I have owned both. Bought my first one at age 11, 53 years ago.

Sir Been doing that way for some 60 years and never had trouble with line twist

I love my 300 and Conlon rod combos

We had 300's way back in the day...the quiet ones sounded like coffee grinders.. And replacing a bail spring was a good opportunity to invent cuss words..

Right you brought up memories for me also. It started of with my dad having a 400 when was a kid so his woul be from the 60's and what I loved about it was the sound of the drag 👍 that would get me going just hearing that sound. And around the 80's I found a used 300a almost knew and that was my baby nobody was aloud to use it I would lown out my knew stuff but not old Betsy and I still have I to this day it's my trolling real 👍

I bought a Modern Mitchell 300. Put it with Ulgy Stick GX2 spinning rod. Cheap but a great combo. Killer Largemouth Bass catcher. 30 pd Suffix 832 braided green moss line. Lipless crankbait burner. Shawn.

In the sixties the Mitchell 300 reels had a reputation for snaping off from the mounting foot. I had that happen to me. I ended up replacing it with a Shakespeare 2062, which I am still using today.

I still have my old 300 Mitchell my dad got me when I was about 7-8 years old. that was back around 1972. I don't know for sure it the reel was even new back then but It was to me. He put it on an Yellow Eagle Claw rod and I still have that reel and rod today. It just sets here in the house with all my newer rod and reels but it still works and is ready to go if I need it. I have a newer Mitchell 300 and I don't think it's ever going to make it as long as the older 300's have.

No doubt the new 300's will fail where the handle gears break because the little screw on the other side loosens or fails,very common on newer reels Check time to time so loose handle don't strip these Very smooth performance though I'll stick with my 60 year old French ones.

50 years from now that original 300 will still be going STRONG... it's a tank... so what if the newer model has a slightly higher gear ratio and lighter "feel"... I've got a couple of Shimano 2500RD's, and 3-4 extra reels with various lines... but I'll never give up my 3 nice old 300's

Nothing compares to the feeling of fishing with an old Mitchell 300 paired to a period rod or shouldering a classic blued steel and walnut rifle or shotgun for hunting.

Mitchell 300 was the favorite reel of salmon fishermen in Ireland long ago anyone who had one was a serious angler. Nice review

Best reels ever

I actually wore out my 300. The pins would walk out and the spool collapsed. It held up for 21 years.

The 300 was a blue collar reel Always worked and had no quite. The perfect design.

I use a old 300 as my go to reel with a 10 ft browning med action rod for river fishing the muddy,dirty,flowing Saskatchewan river using Pickeral rigs. Tough, bullet proof not worring about speed or super smoothness

I never thought of it years ago when that was what i used on my one and only fishing rod but the noise on that old 300 would drive me nuts these days.

Tks for the lovely video. Which spinning reel do you recommend for salt water inshore fishing? Something light in the 2500 to 3500 size range.

Now that I'm using vintage relt, the 10 year old me is running the rirst few seconds from pickup to hookset.els I inherited, 300's, 308's, and even some zebco and shakespear metal body spinning reels, I really wanna get in the habit of hand closing the bails. Great idea that never occorued to me, thank you! Ig I could just remove or leave the bailsprings out of their catch on one end until it becomes second nature. When that rod get's the bends sudden

I have 2 x 206s, 2 x 300s, 3 x 410s, and 4 x 440s which all get regular use. I also have a new 300. All get regular use. I prefer the older reels to be honest. The 440s are really good for trotting a float down the local rivers or bagging up on small ponds and canals.

Found several old Mitchell 302s (salt) from my grampas old sporting goods shop back in the 50s and am trying to refurb them. Lots of gunk, some broken parts meaning a sacrifice for parts, old grease, tons of loose washers and the bails are sticky. Winter is coming on, so at least I have something to do. Might get 2-3 useable old 302s by spring. 1 now, assuming the 'spare parts' are not critical.

I have a otco slip cast reel and it is crazy

I believe the deeper spool is for heavier linens not for just using less line with the shallow spool, I got my first 300 and 302 in France in 1968.

I love the old 300A they were brilliant reels, i had a 410A which had a faster retrieve than the 300A, there is a 300S which has a skirted spool of which i have 3 of at present …. Love mitchell’s

Superb video Knetters ! I was a very fanatical user of Mitchell reels especially for seafishing (the 498). The ones made in France where top notch engineered for life. They where to good ! Than came the competition of Daiwa and Shimano in the 80's and Mitchell couldn't follow the Japanese quality and innovation of these brands. That was a great pity. The modern reels of the so called Mitchell brand are lifeless junk. Pure fishing should bring back production back to France and make a fresh new start with the brand. It is not to late because there is a big demand for premium quality reels. Take for instance Abu Garcia Cardinals remakes which Pure Fishing sells for big money in Japan.

Have and restored my Grandpa’s early 70s 300. Still is a tank and will outlast my new generation 308 Pro, and 310pro.

Keep your new ones. Everything in Michigan I can cover with an old 300.

It spins counterclockwise so you can spin the nail by hand to close. Look at old pro anglers that used it they did that. I also will spin it by hand to close the bail before the lure hits the water.

The old 300's will be around long after the New 300's are in the trash. The newer reels do have some advantages though as you pointed out.

I love my 306 for surf casting, picked it up on eBay, $35

Just wondering where you can still get parts for the old Mitchell reels I have my fathers and I want to make it new again and use it in his memory because they are great reels it lasted him a lifetime

Definitely a classic. Another reel in that same price range that I really like is the pflueger president.

I'll stick with my older Mitchell 300s. That I've been using for the past 60 years I own seven of them along with other models.. I recently picked up a brand new 300 still in box at a estate sale. 👍

I am at the very start of the video. I am going to take a guess & say that the Mitchell 300 from the 60s & 70s was probably built solid & built to last a lifetime? My second guess is that the modern one is built to go fishing for maybe a season , 2 or 3.... just a guess? Personally when I want something that is built good, I hit the antique stores in my area. Sometimes you can make minor improvements to vintage antiques (basically give them a tune up) & sometimes there is no need to. Some items from the good old days were built to last a lifetime!

If you want a faster retrieval rate then use the 400series. Thats why they where created, to give the angler a choice.

hello, is the new Mitchell reel strong for fishing for barramundi and how much is the mitchell reel, thank you... warm greetings from Indonesia 😊🙏

Very interesting

Hi Dave Really enjoy your videos! Would you consider doing a short video on rod holders? May seem lame but for bank, dock, boat and trolling there are a lot of options out there. Just curious what has worked well for you.

what is the vintage one used for fishing for. mine is huge so i was wondering if it was saltwater

How do you compare the new Mitchell 300s to other modern reels? I love them, I think for the price there one of the nicer reels.

I had trouble. With the drag it would looen when i cast drove me nuts

Nice thanks

My grandfather used to talk up the 300 and I believe him 100 percent so I thought I would try out the 308 and I loved it for the 3 times I took it out before it completely ceased up this was due to just one drop and it was a little rough but not terrible maybe I got a faulty one but my lews Mach smash I could spike it into the ground and be fine

I just scored a 411 from a local thrift shop here in Australia. It is totally new in plastic box with paperwork and cardboard sleve over the plastic box. Other than a little damage to the cardboard, this is the same as if you bought it from a shop 55 years ago. It feels wrong to use it seeing as it is in collectors condition.

What rod is the old 300 attached to. I have a rod that looks just like that.

I have a Mitchell 300 one of the old ones and it's a left-sided one it says Abu Garcia Mitchell 300 it's my favorite real

I assume the parts aren't available for the old ones?

Good video. The new mitchell reels are very light, smooth and easy to use but the metal parts are made using coke can metal. I suspect they wont last anywhere near as long as the old French made reels

The "Bail Halo" seems wonderful until you experience a bird's nest and have to dig out your line.

Just got a vintage

☆☆☆SIR!!! You missed the most important feature! And no other reel i know of has it or does this- SOME of the 300's (for visual reference, say your rod is straight up & down and your retrieving.) the spool would go up/down only about 1/4 of the spool. IE: it would wind the line down the spool 1/3, up the spool a bit than down 1/3 and repeat until it was winding line at the bottom and do the same slight zig zag winding back to the top of the spool! Helps to secure the line better and prevent birds nest's , but Mainly *** supposedly give you longer casts!!! I know of no other reel that does that or what that model was, what that frature was called.. ANYONE? T.Y.

Hello friend, I want to congratulate you for your video about the fishing machine. I have had the same machine since 1986. I got it as a gift from my uncle, so now I want to ask you something, you must know more about the fishing machine. How many meters of thread does it collect on the reel, if it is of the following thicknesses of fishing line, for example: from 0.18 mm., 0.20 mm., and 0.23 mm. If you know, I will ask you for an answer, if not, then I will ask one of your fans for this question. You can also point me to a website, where I can read about this question of mine. GREETING

I just got done telling my dad these new reels will kick his old 300's butt, i still don't think he believes it

My first spinning reel I think I paid 12 dollars 50 years ago

A guy I used to work with loved the old 300s. When he'd hook a big fish, he'd have to click off the stop & reel backwards as the drag couldn't keep up with a big king salmon or steelhead. Even a decent sized carp would overload the poor drag system. One other thing is that you have to take extra bail springs when you go fishing... every time you look at the reel too hard, the bail spring breaks. I remember my dad had one when I was young & he had a baggie with extra bail springs in his tackle box. The aforementioned coworker was not in any way good with computers & asked me to get him a left handed 301 off fleabay - I did so & it arrived with the bail spring broken. The seller fixed it and half a dozen casts into the first fishing trip, it broke again and he had to use a Pflueger President off one of my spare rods.

Mitchell 300 Pros: Metal body, rotor, and spool mean the reel is rigid. (Not that it matters...) Will last a very, very long time with proper maintenance. Millions were made, so parts are still available. More corrosion-resistant than the newer Mitchell reels. Cons: Can't manually close the bail. Noisy. Not ambidextrous. Not smooth by today's standards. I consider the anti-reverse system on some versions to be weak. New Mitchell 300 Pros: Smooth, at first. True instant anti-reverse, without the noise. Light. Skirted spool reduces (but doesn't eliminate) instances of line wrapping around the spool's spindle. Cons: Gears are trash; they won't last anywhere near as long as those in the original 300. Body flex under load supposedly can allow gears to go slightly out of alignment, increasing friction and wear. (You shouldn't be reeling under load though, if you value your reel.) If you use it in salt water, you'd better be doing your maintenance if you don't want all those bearings and the anti-reverse system to rust. Good luck getting parts. Mitchell 300 reels were, back in the early days, high-end reels made in France. Modern Mitchell reels are budget reels made in China. If you want modern quality in a spinning reel you'll have to pay a LOT more than $50. But do you need it? My reels are frequently splashed with, and occasionally dunked in, salt water. The cheap bearings used in cheap reels rust surprisingly fast with just a little exposure to salt water. Do you know how long it takes to service 8 bearings that have been dunked in salt water? Do you know how much a reel with 8 corrosion-resistant bearings costs? OMG! I don't need a smooth reel with zero back-spin that costs $400 to catch fish; I just need one that works. My solution has been to purchase and restore older, simple, salt-tolerant reels. They're clunky and have their quirks but, when I dunk one, I know the innards will resist corrosion long enough to get it home for service, and servicing won't take too long. Your needs, priorities, and budget will be different. And remember: ALL reels require regular service.

The modern Mitchell is not a proper French made bonafide Mitchell its a Mitchell in name only . It’s one of the names bought buy the USA owned Pure Fishing Company made in China down to a price ,in the quest for the almighty dollar . It doesn’t matter how strong the bale Rota halo is ,the reel is only as strong as the bale arm that the bale roller & bale arm wire is attacked to ,which is cheap plastic as in a lot of modern reels . The cheap Chinese ball bearings may make the new fake Mitchell seem smooth ,but the bearings are cheap Chinese as is the cheap pot metal gears & wont be smooth for long . These new Mitchell’s won’t last a fraction of the time the original authentic ones have . The original shallow spools were for European competition course fishing & called match spools in the U.K. used for light line pond & canal fishing targeting fresh water fish . The standard spools were for 10 - 12 lb mono lines fishing for pike or light sea fishing or gathering mackerel.

You can't beat a Mitchell

Not even close and not deserving of the 300 model number. I hate modern mostly plastic reels with cheap components and only made to last until the next model comes out. The modern reels can't be serviced as many times either because the plastic screw holes will eventually strip out, while the old aluminum body spinning reels don't have this problem unless you screw them up. This is just something with the superior vintage spinning reels in general, the Mitchell's ate great but I will that the Shakespeare royal maroon series, Penn spinfisher series ( greenies and Z series ) are definitely superior. The D.A.M quick reels are bomb proof overbuilt tank like reels that are also hard to beat, but while they're overbuilt they're not too precise and are a bit clunky in operation. The modern reels have the technology, but if that doesn't factor in to the fishing you do then just skip the disposable modern Chinese junk in favor of the old reliable reels that were made to last by people who took pride in their work. Sure the reels weigh more, but they're so much stronger that you can often size down ( unless you need the line capacity) and use a Tennessee handle rod to position the reel wherever you want for balance.

Old ones are much better. Were my father's choice.

Highly disagree older is better

That Chinese "Mitchell" is an insult to the French brand Mitchell. Mitchell is a name bought by Pure Fishing, that has no heritage! To market dross reels!

Mitchell Stopped Making Excellent Reels in the 1950s Early 60s After that Just Crap

The new ones are chinese.

New ones are junk