Wanted/Nice Example: Harrison Industries #100 Auto-Max

[Kevin-Wa.State]

That's actually: Harrison Industries #100 Auto-Max Spinning Reel
Let me know what might be available out there. I would like to have a nice example in the box but, not mandatory.
Appreciate it.
You can email me at:
Also, looking for other early Harrison Hoge/Industries materials ie. Skitter Frogs, advertising materials, etc.
Thanks,
Kevin-Wa.State

[FSREPAIR]

Hi Kevin, Those reels are hard to come by, especially in working order and with the box. The Harrison 100 Auto Max are neat spin reels and well made except for the drive gear. The drive gears were made out of a fiber material and would wear out prematurely. I thought I had seen one recently on Ebay but from the description it sounded like the drive gear was shot. I have one with the box but I am not willing to part with it.

[Dr. Rob]

That sounds interesting. I like the name, Auto-Max. But what was Auto about the reel...was it an automatic two-speed?

[Guest]

The good old Auto Max. "Amazing new automatic pick up reel overcomes every disadvantage of full bail, finger bail, manual pick up, combines advantages of each." (They don't mention half-bails.)

The reel has a sharp, 3/4"-long pick up "thing" that automatically swings out to the edge of the spool cup when you crank backwards. When you start cranking forwards, the "thing" swings inward and either picks up the line or cuts it.

Patented in 1963, the reel was manufactured with a "micarta-leaded steel gearing combination." Micarta is a sort of generic name for a paper- or linen-plastic laminate (although the name may still be trademarked). The plastics used to make it seem to have varied a lot, and nowadays they use epoxies. It's been used for reel sideplates, airplane propellers, knife handles, and a zillion other things, including gears for lots of different purposes.

The best thing about the reel:
"The Auto Max is designed to do your thinking for you while you enjoy your fishing."

(That was before we started using talk-show hosts to do our thinking for us.)

Sorry, Kevin, but I want to hold onto my Auto Max, too. I've seen maybe a half-dozen in the last couple of decades.

[Steve]

Oops, the above was mine. That'll teach me to purge my cookie files.
Steve

[Midway Tommy D]

I've had a nice little Harrison Auto Max #100 for a few years but never got around to cleaning it until last week. Imagine my astonishment when I opened it up and found a cardboard, aka Micarta, main drive gear. I'd never seen or heard of such a thing before, Nylon yeah, but not fiber/resin. Overall, the reel seems to be made of decent quality materials, other than that silly Micarta main gear, and works quite smoothly. I was flabbergasted so I did some research and found this old thread. I thought I would expand on the discussion and add some photos, since there aren't any for reference, that will be archived for future queries.

Here are a couple of shots of the fiber/resin, Micarta, main gear. It has a reinforcing plate and anti-reverse ratchet gear on the back side. Note how close together the A/R ratchet teeth are:


I got the reel "mostly " disassembled and here are the cleaned parts ready to reassemble:


The reel has two encased ball bearings positioned between the body and the rotor cup. The inner bearing is held in place by a flanged sleeve which also retains a spring washer and flip/trip plate for the pickup "thingy" . I tried every way imaginable to release the sleeve, heat, ice, vinegar, etc., but it wouldn't budge. The bearing was quiet and smooth and the sleeve was fairly thin metal, so I opted to quit while I was ahead, clean them thoroughly in place and leave well enough alone. Here's the configuration:


The finger pickup "thingy" is retained in the rotor slot by a small square arm/shaft that also opens and closes the pickup when the trip mechanism is activated by hitting the flip/trip plate. The trip/flip mechanisms are permanently riveted to the rotor and I couldn't get the square shaft to slide out of the finger pickup shaft so I left well enough alone there, too. I didn't want to have to make replacement parts if something got bent or broken. The off side flip mechanism keeps the trip plate in the correct position to open and close the finger pickup. Open position, closed position and underside shown in these photos:


The finger pickup is a sharp little booger. I'm sure it needs to be checked regularly, and filed and polished quite often to prevent it from cutting line. Also, this reel has to have the smallest line roller I have ever seen, 1/4" long & 1/8" diameter.


The rotor is threaded, but it also has a secondary locking nut. Screw the rotor onto the worm gear tube, not too tight with just a little clearance, and then tighten down the nut against the rotor to keep it in the correct position. The A/R, worm gear tube and bearing are installed and ready to add the rotor cup:


An interesting spool and brake/drag configuration. The hex sleeve has a groove and snaps into the spool from the underside. The large Teflon washer goes between the main shaft and the spool. The medium Teflon washer goes inside the hex sleeve. The round sleeve goes inside the hex sleeve and then the 2 Teflon washers with the fiber washer in between them. Last is the knurled drag nut, which has an internal spring for tension adjustment. The spool has a line thread hole with a riveted brass line keeper on the inside flange. When the drag nut is screwed onto the main shaft, the spool, only, can be removed by opening the finger pickup, placing your thumb on the drag nut, fingers under the spool flange and popping it out of the retaining groove. Parts shown here:


All the parts installed and ready for final assembly:


It's all put back together and ready to "Rock & Roll" :


Here's a May 1967 Sarasota Herald ad, "After 11 Years Field Testing and Development", that I found. I wonder if they really tested and stressed that Micarta main gear throughout those 11 years?


The Harrison Auto Max #100 is a neat little reel, but interestingly enough, the auto flip line pickup and anti-reverse function make it a complicated and cumbersome reel to utilize efficiently. The A/R must be disengaged to open the finger pickup for casting but then the A/R should be immediately engaged to prevent a mistake of back reeling, which would open the pickup and allow line to free flow off the spool.

[jimbofish]

Thanks for that... nicely done. Looks like a decently made reel. Any indication of where it was made? Has sort of a European style to it.

IME the issue about the A/R seems to be inherent in reels that require a partial back-crank to disengage.

[Midway Tommy D]

Any indication of where it was made?

According to Ben's book, Harrison Industries, Newark, NJ.

[Chinook1]

Kevin-

Have you found your Harrison Auto Max? I have two actually and can send you pictures of both and let you decide. Just email me and I will send over pictures.

Thanks,

Steve