😱$43!!! KASTKING ZEPHYR BFS 🔥 Initial look

Hey guys!
In this video we’re gonna take a look at the Kastking Zephyr BFS reel. After seeing the price drop to $43 USD on AliExpress I couldn’t help myself and picked up a copy. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much but have been really pleasantly surprised! Great job on this ‪@rawrfishing‬ !!!
I can’t say if the sale is still on but if you’re interested in picking one of these reels up please consider using the affiliate link to purchase the reel. I make a small commission on each purchase made using the link.
KastKing Zephyr BFS Fishing Reel
s.click.aliexp...
Thank you always so much for watching and cheers!
#kastking #kastkingzephyr #bfsfishing #baitfinessesystem #fishing #seasir #shimano #budgetbfsfishing #darkwolfultra #tsurinoya #linnhue #budgetbfs #bass #bassfishing #trout #troutfishing #aliexpress #daiwa #lews #abugarcia #fishingreviews #crappiefishing

[@JohnSorlie]

This one and the Tsurinoya Spirit Fox FX 50HL was my first BFS reels, Love them both, lets thank Jimbo over at raWr Fishing for the Zephyr, because of him and the community Kastking made the Zephyr. Its a Historic importan reel, probably the first "low price" Bfs reel with good features. Use them both, both reels have caught fish. Both reels work as intended.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey John! I never had a chance to use the spirit fox but watched many videos on it. To be honest, I never owned any of the first CDM bfs reels because I was a bit skeptical of how they’d perform. If I were have picked one I think it would’ve been the iFishband gh100. That being said, I have been super impressed with the zephyr and how smooth it is. I really wish the handle didn’t hVe Eva foam knobs though… a very odd choice imho. Anyhow thank you for sharing and cheers my friend!

[@zankyou101]

I already have the clicker version of this reel which I paid last year $70+. For those who want a budget BFS reel, $43 shipped is a great deal. On your link page to the reel right now it indicates $4 off with min $30 purchase which knocks the price to sub $40. For that price, even though I already have one, it's hard to resist not getting another.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Eric! Yea it’s hard to argue with this reel going for sun $50 let alone sub $40. I had sort of written this reel off as it is the first go by kastking at bfs. I’m glad I gave it a chance though as it is a phenomenal buy at sub $50. Super smooth(still can’t believe how smooth and am wondering how long that will last) on casts, quite lightweight, palming is good as well. I just really dislike the handle choice… Eva foam just screams “cheap” to me and doesn’t really inspire much confidence in a good quality experience with the reel. I was much happier after swapping the handle out for my ve2 handle with bearings 😆. I’m excited to tear this thing apart and see how we can squeeze some extra performance out of it haha. Cheers buddy!

[@zankyou101]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL So straight out of the box without any modifications to the handle, bearings or the magnetic braking system, which Kastking do you prefer, Zephyr or Valiant Eagle 2?

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@zankyou101 man… I think… for the money I prefer the zephyr haha. Only if it’s under $50 though. The normal price they want for this reel is a bit silly as the VE2 is around the $75 pricepoint. So far the zephyr feels smoother than the ve2 and has brakes that are more consistent. I’ll have to use it more and see what I think but so far from initial impressions the zephyr seems a better buy but only if it’s under $50.

[@catchacow1927]

Great video! I love Rawr fishing, Jimmy is great 👍🏻

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey catcha cow! I wholeheartedly agree. One of the first channels I watched on bfs content something like over 3 years ago haha. It’s crazy to see how far his channel has come and awesome to see that he’s still going =). Cheers my friend!

[@RonMTube]

I have the original, non clicker version. Glad you're having a good experience. For me, it's a reel that I only use with 1/8 oz (3.5 g) or heavier. Never had any success with it on lighter lures. Amazing that you can get down to 1 g. Even when tossing something like a Ned rig at 5.5 g it still gives me birds nest problems. I have to keep the brakes set very high no what the situation. Back when it was the first affordable BFS reel in the US market, I'd frequently recommend it to people starting out in BFS who did not intend on going super light. I think the only reason I still use mine is because it matches my Major Craft Benkei so nicely.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Ron! Thank you for the kind words! I will admit that getting this reel to cast sub 1g I had to tweak the reel a bit. The first thing is to use a rod that will allow you to cast that low. Here’s the kicker though, I actually added spool tension. I think adding the spool tension allows my casts to have more acceleration in them which lets me get my sub 1g to a suitable speed to cast. Very odd I know but I get the added benefit of fewer birds nests on lure touchdown. Kind of a neat finding imho. Give it a try and let me know if it works out for you! Cheers my friend!

[@blicky308]

That's a great price , bought mine for 70 almost two years ago and I absolutely love it for bass fishing paired on a UL 5 ' 0 Ugly Stik .

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

At the time it was a good buy for $70 as there were many premier CDM bfs reels on the market. I’d say the zephyr is still very relevant today but because it’s simply an older design it’s harder to stomach the $70 price tag especially now that kk has their newer bfs designs. Still, at under $50 I think the reel is a phenomenal buy. I wouldn’t pay over $50 for one currently though… I’d just step up to a DWU/Genius or Acura reel for that price. Thank you for sharing and cheers my friend!

[@AlluzHH]

Damn, that's one horrible rod

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Alluz! While I do appreciate you taking the time to comment and share your thoughts I do ask that you do it in a manner that is a bit less demeaning. I’d like my channel to be a place where we people can share information and their thoughts without being so negative. There’s enough of that out there in the world. I hope you understand and that you feel like you want to be a part of the community! Cheers my friend!

[@vin18m]

Was tempted to grab one of these for bush bashing land based fishing here in Australia. Seems to be a bit of a tank and at that price you’re not really going to be too concerned about beating it up a bit. Salt water compatibility is also a big feature. Would be interesting to see this compared to the budget BFS offerings from the big JDM brands, like the SLX BFS.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Vince! If you’re considering from a value standpoint the zephyr wins hands down. If you’re talking from a standpoint of upgrading to make the reels more capable then the Curado/slx/scorpion bfs reels win because of the availability of aftermarket spools. The shimanos are quite heavy for my taste but will probably outlast the zephyr over many years of use but… you can just buy a new budget reel with the savings. This is all only if you can get the zephyr under $50. Hope that helps Vince!

[@rawrfishing]

Such a fun little reel for the L and ML rods! Enjoy

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Jimmy! I completely agree! It’s a bit more at home on the L/ML side but I’ve been really surprised with the smoothness of the reel. A great value at under $50 hands down. It’s a bit harder to stomach above $50 though so hopefully this will be the new asking price sooner rather than later. Thanks for doing such great work on the reel! It’s kind of mind blowing that it’s still relevant after 2-3 years of it being on the market. Awesome job my friend! Cheers!

[@davidwilliams1805]

I really like it! Thanks for sharing!

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Thank you David! Cheers my friend!!!

[@jackdobson3156]

I got the Zephyr when it first launched, was around £70-80 to ship to UK Now it's so cheap I might get a spare

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Jack! I think that’s a good call. Right now, it’s selling for a great price!

[@jinsuozhang9432]

The link has Left Hand version now.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Very nice! They finally restocked on the LH zephyrs. Awesome to see and thanks for sharing Jinsuo!

[@thefeverfishing]

🔥

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Finally got to releasing the video and it’s still on sale!!! 🙌🙌🙌

[@stevedixon5318]

Love mine, dang thing will cast a country mile with the right rod and line

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Steve! Haha, in my experience I have found mine to be a good reel. I don’t quite like the handle knobs or handle but that’s just personal preference. Thank you for sharing and cheers my friend!

[@jinsuozhang9432]

This is a good deal, but there is no Left hand available. If need Left hand, maybe KastKing Sharky III $47 is a good alternative solution

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Jinsuo! I can’t really recommend the reel without ever having used it unfortunately but $47 seems to be a decent price for the sharky 3. Also not too sure that it can be used for bfs applications? Cheers!

[@jinsuozhang9432]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL You are right, Sharky 3 is versatile reel, not pure BFS due to its spool diameter and capacity

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Yea they may share the same frame or a similar design but the spool design is totally different unfortunately…

[@MrNoMDI]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Hi Peter! Sharky3 and Zéphyr have compatible frames. I used the Zephyr frame with the Sharky spool and dynamic brake to get a particularly light and efficient long-distance casting reel! 😉👍

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Sharky3 has dynamic brakes??? What… why didn’t they use those on the bfs reel… maybe for consistency? I’m gonna have to check out the sharky3 now… hahaha dangit Nomdi!!!

[@dirkvanderpoel6797]

Thanks for the upload. I am also thinking about replacing the handle of my zephyr but I know nothing about fitting sizes. Do you know what sizes fits?

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Dirk! My pleasure! You can search for a handle opening size of 8mm x 5mm. Abu Garcia handles should be the same size. Hope that helps and cheers!

[@dirkvanderpoel6797]

Thank you very much! I wrote something back to you this morning but somehow it disappeared or otherwise I can't see it here. Anyway I am going to search for a handle on AliExpress. Greetings from Holland

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@dirkvanderpoel6797 gomexus has some handles for kastking reels. They’ve got a very budget friendly $15 handle that’s 85mm in length and comes with some nice rubbery handle knobs. I can get you a link if you want to check it out. Cheers!

[@dirkvanderpoel6797]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Yes please send me the link

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@dirkvanderpoel6797 hey dirk! Hope this works and it is an affiliate link. If you would prefer to use a non affiliate link let me know and I can share that with you as well! s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DBj1DJX Cheers!

[@fieqakim]

I have really bad experience with kastking reel..but that just my personal experience

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Nankai! I’m there with you. My experience with them has been very hit and miss but I think being in the situation I am affords me the ability to overlook the downsides in order to look at reels in a holistic approach. I do realize that kk has a good deal of work to do to repair and elevate their brand image but it’s interesting to see that they were on a really good bfs path to begin with. I’m not really sure what happened between this reel and the current generation of bfs reels… in any case, I do hope they work on improving as losing a player in a small niche wouldn’t be very beneficial to everyone imho… anywho, thank you for sharing your experience and cheers my friend!

[@fieqakim]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL i do agree that for some reason we have to overlook the downsides depending on what flaws the reel have..for minor damage that not effect the reel perfomance might be ok to overlook it..but if that happen several times of course the customer will be affected and less trust on their brand..for me they surely need to pay more attention to the quality of their reels (finishing products) before they are marketed or send to customers to avoid any disappointment that will effect their brand images..in my opinion this issue could be fix easily if they're selling parts for customer to buy..at least it will extend the life span of the reel,just change the parts that damaged and its good to be used again..

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@fieqakim hey Nankai! Yes I agree. I think this may be an issue with their OEM. I wonder how much control they have over their OEMs quality control… I am not sure as I do not work in the manufacturing industry…

[@fieqakim]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL let put the reel review aside..now you're the only person that trully understand what i mean by that comment..and that is awesome..i'm not condemming the brands..just sharing what i thought the best solutions as a user..afterall your video gives some insight to others in making reel selection..you earn my respect 👍

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

I agree Nankai! I hope that manufactures can accept constructive criticism and improve on things that they’re consumers are looking for =). Cheers my friend!

[@faithfamilyfirearms]

I just bought one last night for $36.67.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey faithfamily! Right on! Not a bad price at all. Ooc where did you pick yours up from? Cheers my friendn

[@faithfamilyfirearms]

​@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I got it from AliExpress. Pairing it with a 6' 5" light Tsirinoya Sagacity. The BFS addiction happens quick. Ha

[@zankyou101]

New model Kastking Zephyr reel recently came out for $49.99. Lots of the reel info on the kastking website but I cannot find the line capacity. Not sure if the reel is still for BFS,

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Eric! I definitely noticed that the other day as well. Looks like they did a bit of updating on the zephyr and seemingly made it a non bfs oriented reel. Kind of an interesting choice to move it out of the bfs world but maybe they’re considering making their newer models the bfs models? I’m not sure… this actually might be a US specific reel as well as I did not see it available on aliexpress. I like the updated look and like/dislike what they did with the magnet ring. I only mention dislike because individual magnets are somewhat tunable depending on whether your specific reel can remove them. The ring seems like it would be a more efficient braking system but not tunable. In any case, curious to see where kastking goes in the future as it’s been a minute since we’ve seen anything bfs oriented from them. Thanks for bringing this up and hope you have a great weekend! Cheers my friend!

[@kevingreen1915]

Great video. Can you link the handle you used. I want to swap out my stock handle.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Kevin! Would you believe it or not but that handle is actually from the kastking valiant eagle 2 haha. I’m not sure if you can just buy this handle separately but even if you did you’d have to upgrade the bushings in it if you want it to feel nicer. I know that gomexus makes a really nice 85mm handle that has some really nice handle knobs with bearings pre-installed for not too much money. I can add a link if you’d like to see what those are like. Cheers my friend!

[@kevingreen1915]

A link to the gonexus 85 mm handle would me much appreciated. Not sure what would fit the zephyr.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@kevingreen1915 hey Kevin! See if this works: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCQlE61 If you can’t use that link I’ll leave it in the video description. I do want to inform you that it is an affiliate link and that I do earn a small commission. Please make sure you choose the 85mm size as the 100mm is a bit too large for the reel. Cheers!

[@co-polyLINE]

Thanks my friend...i actually confused why in the US market sold this at 70$ while at my country sold this as low as you said 40$...what knobs are those my, friend i kinda like it...can't wait for teardown as so i can disect mine...heheh good day!!

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Irvin! I have my guesses but cannot confirm as to why there is such a big price difference. I’m wondering if this sale price will even be permanent as the kastking aliexpress store prices have been all over the place recently. The handle is actually from their new valiant eagle 2 but you need to add bearings to make it feel nice. If you want to look at a good aftermarket handle I suggest looking at the 85mm gomexus handle. I really like the rubber/silicone(?) knobs they use and they come with bearings. I can try to post an affiliate link if you are interested. Cheers!

[@co-polyLINE]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL we have gomexus aftermarket items here but may i ask why 85 mm my friend? Does the handle length affect the performance? I'm just curious...i can't believe you've cast it in 1 gram bait or lure they...how did you tune for that low setting i wanted to try it...hehe

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Irvin! The stock handle is close to that length. The 100mm handle is a bit long and makes the retrieve feel awkward. With a longer handle you can gain some torque but it takes longer to go through a full stroke so your retrieve rate can be affected. Hope that helps!

[@co-polyLINE]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL ok i get it...that realy make sense...it is the matter of torque and speed... now i know behind it hehehe...how did ypu cast that 1 gram lure for me i'm having a hard time casting a 2 gram in my lowest setting as i am comfortable with although fishable distance but having a hard time with accuracy....hehehehe

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@co-polyLINE a lot has to do with the rod as well. It doesn’t cast 1g very well mind you. On a purpose built rod and reel for those weights you’ll get much further and much more accurate casts. I think on an acehawk ag venom and this reel stock I was getting around 15 ft casts but very inaccurate and I would get quite a few blow ups. It was quite windy though and so I’ll have to give it another test. I think maybe swapping the bearings and also making the brakes stronger may help but there’s really only so much you can do. I’ll see what we can squeeze out of the reel though. It may be something and it may be nothing… I have some parts to order haha 😆. Cheers!

[@JoaoVitor-gm8xo]

my friend, which is better curado bfs , scorpion bfs or Daiwa alpha ar tw ?

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Joao! Unfortunately I haven’t actually tested or used an alphas air tw so I can’t really compare the two. What were you planning on using it for?

[@RicardoReview]

Just crying in here, can't get it at that price the left handed version :(

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Ricardo out of curiosity what price is listed for your region? Is the link being listed as a deal of sorts?

[@RicardoReview]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I think is worldwide, at least USA+EU I have it at 51,38€ that includes a 23% VAT with free shipping, so it's the same price.

[@ozzybwild]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL To give you a quick feedback: It shows 48€ for right hand only with drag clicker when I click your link from germany. It shows "kastking official store" as the seller. HOWEVER: when I manually search for "kastking zephyr" it only shows me one offer from "kastking official store", which has left and right handed versions available, either with or without clicker but for 61/62€ respectively. So the good news is your offer/affiliate link works and is a great deal for anyone interested. The bad news is that I had tons of struggle with kastking, terrible customer service after I got a mangled reel box with a reel that made funny sounds, they later sent a broken zephyr ul rod to me making "snappy" sounds when gently waving it around, and always struggled or tried to blackmail me for extra payment to replace. OH, they also cheated at tax declaration so I had to pay 20€ extra on the zephyr rod for local customs fees with no compensation while they took the money I paid for customs on aliexpress - an ABSOLUTE NO-NO! At the end of the day I went through aliexpress support refunds multiple times with kastking and can only strongly advise against supporting that company - even the smallest sellers on aliexpress are way more friendly and have better customer support than that bunch. Out of three reels and a rod they managed to send one reel and the rod with defects/issues, denied all support, had me go "the hard way" with aliexpress support refunds AND cheated me out of 20€ for their tax fraud. - Stay away, there are way better and nicer companies out there.-

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@RicardoReview ohhhh sorry just re-read your comment. Yea it seems they are out of stock of the left handed version… I’m hoping they’ll restock but it doesn’t seem like we can message them as there is no store listed oddly.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Ozzy! Wow… that is definitely a no no for sure… I can’t speak to the companies themselves and I’d certainly hope that they all follow the law but then again I do not speak for these companies… I’m sorry to hear about your poor experience and can only hope that they learn from their mistakes and improve the customer experience. It’s really easy to see how a bad purchasing experience can really sour a companies reputation… Thank you for sharing your experience and insight and cheers my friend!

[@patrickhartman6818]

Watching a older video that has a junkie reel in it LOL

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

Hey Patrick! Hahaha that was ages ago in another lifetime 😆. Even still the reel is completely terrible but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone nowadays. Cheers my friend!

[@patrickhartman6818]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL of corse I have it but it hasn't been on a rod in over a year.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! Haha same… I wonder if I should throw it on a rod and use it in a salt setup 😅. Cheers my friend!

[@patrickhartman6818]

@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL lol I thought of giving it 1 more chance.

[@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL]

@@patrickhartman6818 haha that would be more than fair of you! 🙌🙌🙌 Cheers Patrick!