Favero Millenium Floor Reel

Several years ago when our club bought their first set of Favero reels I figured we were taking a chance.  Since then they have been more and more popular so if there are any hidden faults a lot of us will be in the same boat.

Favero reels use the springs to transfer current between the cable spooling around the drum and the stationary socket at the base of the reel.  This eliminates the need for slip-ring and brushes or other connectors.  Most of the electrical connections are soldered.  All of this combines to mean there is little risk of intermittent off-targets.  Unfortunately it can also make any repairs more difficult and time consuming.

The reel is equipped with a centrifugal brake that will limit the speed of the cable if a fencer at the far end of the strip accidentally drops the end-socket .  The brake mechanism does wear out over time and should be replaced every few years - fortunately this looks to be the one thing that should be easy to replace and it’s not too expensive.

These reels are heavier than most (roughly twice the weight of an Uhlmann “turtle”).  This may make them a little more difficult to carry but it also helps eliminate the need to tape the reels down to keep them from wandering down the strip (in fact I once saw a reel that someone had put down so that the cable exited perpendicular to the strip - even with the cable making a 90-degree bend it didn't generate enough of a moment to rotate the reel around in toward the fencer.

My only concern about these reels is long term durability.  After more than five years the only repairs I've had to make have included replacing a plastic casing for a fencer end socket which was cracked when we first got the reel (most likely damaged during shipping), replacing the odd retaining clip that went missing from the fencer end socket, and replacing the plastic guide where the cable comes out of the reel (the cable will wear grooves into the plastic if it isn't pulled straight out, similar to Uhlmann reels).  None of these repairs were difficult (although it was a bit of an annoyance having to remove the fencer end socket simply to replace a cheap piece of plastic) so I have to say that things are looking pretty good.  I dread the day when I will finally have to replace the spring pack but right now it looks like that day may still be many years away. 

Faver reels are available from a number of vendors, including Fencing.net, Absolute Fencing Gear, American Fencing Supply, Blade, Fencing Post, Swordmasters, Tripplette Competition Arms and Zivkovic.