# Line conversion chart



## gnappi

I've been looking for a millimeter (metric) line diameter to pound strength conversion chart to figure out some of the idiotic metric only markings on the spools of some imported reels. The one I found below and it appears to be reasonably accurate, has anyone here run into the same problem and solved it?


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## onthewater102

You're going about it wrong - you're trying to convert a measurement in MM which is the diameter of the line vs. the break strength of the line which varies depending on the type of line.

The break strengths are usually based on nylon monofilament, so find a few spools of mono labeled in both LB break strength and that list the line diameter and you should be good...you might have to convert inches to MM at that point, 1"=25.4mm. Any spool of line I've used recently has the line diameter listed somewhere in one system or the other.

With all the superlines out there and their break strengths being 2x or more the strength of similarly sized mono I wish the reel manufacturers would stop using the meaningless break strength as it's only the diameter of the line that determines how many times that line can be wound around the same spool. Capacity is a function of the diameter, not the break strength. Also, significant changes in the size of the line impact the reel brake's ability to avoid backlashes.

For instance, 20lb Suffix 832 braid is the equivalent diameter of 6lb monofilament, or .009", making it over 3x as strong as the equivalent in mono. If you put that on a bait caster rated for 12lb - 20lb mono line (with 12lb mono being .014") you will get nothing but birds nests because you're using a line 64% of the size that the braking system on your reel is rated to handle. Buying your superline according to the diameter should have you putting 50lb - 80lb Suffix 832 on a reel rated for 12lb to 20lb line.

With superlines I try to stay with thickness equivalent to mono rated 2lbs lower than the reel is rated for, yes I have a few more birdsnests especially in the wind, but I get a much thinner line that is still strong which slices through most weeds rather than accumulating a huge heavy mat on every fish I catch.


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## gnappi

I understand that the thickness in MM does not correlate to BREAKING strength, but foreign reels do not list length capacity in POUND TEST, only in line millimeters in thickness and spool capacity in length. So I guess I have to re-state my question:

Given .xx mm of line with a spool capacity of yy meters and that mono available in the U.S is listed in pound test how does one figure out some sort of equivalence?


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## stinkfoot

Ask the manufacturer.


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## gnappi

stinkfoot said:


> Ask the manufacturer.



Yeah, Shimano U.S is worthless. I THEY knew it would be in the box with all of their reels


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## stinkfoot

gnappi said:


> stinkfoot said:
> 
> 
> 
> Ask the manufacturer.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, Shimano U.S is worthless. I THEY knew it would be in the box with all of their reels
Click to expand...

I meant ask the line manufacturer for their breaking strain in lbs(or kg). They will all be different.


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## richg99

I guess I am confused, or just too dumb to understand what the issue is.

On both baitcasters (most of the time) and on my spinning rods, I put on some 8 lb (or so) mono....maybe ten wraps, just to keep the braid from spinning on the spool...and then fill the rest of the spool with either 20 lb or 30 lb Powerline braid. Every year or so, I reverse the braid.

Of course, I get backlashes if I cast a too light lure into the wind with the baitcaster. No big deal, because I can normally pull it out in a few seconds. That is one of the features that I love about braid. If a backlash happens more than a few times, I tighten down on the tension knob or use the magnetic tensioner if available.

I rarely get tangles with the spinning rods. When I do, they come out pretty quickly, too. 

I did buy some Chinese line at the suggestion of a friend. It works OK on my baitcasters, but, because it doesn't have a slick coating, it tangles more on the spinners. Using a candle and drawing the line through it may help put a wax finish on. Throwing it away would probably be the best solution, though.

So, what was the question???

richg99


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## gnappi

OK, I'll make it simple /simpler (hopefully) with a hypothetical reel purchase with *hypothetical* specs? 

You live in the U.S and want to buy a reel for using say 15 AND / or 25 pound test @ ~250 and ~175 yards respectively. Of course the spool will have to be deep enough to accommodate that much MONO line, AND the assumption that the drag on this reel will be sufficient to slow down fish much larger than a bluegill. 

Now the reel maker only has on their spool 0.xx mm @ xxx meters, and some have 0.xx mm @ yyy yds. which in and of itself is mixed metric and Imperial or U.S. standard.

Carrying this thought a bit further...

You also MAY want two spools, a shallower one for light test so you don't have to use 400 yards of 15 pound test and a deeper one for heavier 25 pound test line. 

Lest we forget the majority of the World uses the metric system and shopping for products we are no longer confined to buying products made in or distributed for U.S. use exclusively.

*Here's a sample of specs on a reel made for use outside of the U.S.

Model /Line capacity(mm/m)
Model A 0.3/150 0.37/100
Model B 0.35.125 0.4/100
Model C 0.4/120 0.45/100
Model D 0.4/150 0.45/100*

So tell me how do you know what reel, (or spare spool) to buy? I'm hoping I made that clear? 

So WHAT THE FREAK is .3mm/.35mm/.4mm/.45 in *pound test*. So I ask again is there a conversion chart? *It can't be THIS hard* to understand, or maybe all those years technical writing at IBM left me needing remedial English lessons?


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## richg99

Model /Line capacity(mm/m)
Model A 0.3/150 0.37/100
Model B 0.35.125 0.4/100
Model C 0.4/120 0.45/100
Model D 0.4/150 0.45/100

Well, when you put it like that...ask Google

Power Pro Spectra Braided Line Moss Green
Line Dia.	8lb	30lb
Inches	.005	.011
Millimeters	.13	.28
Equiv. Mono Diameter	1lb	8lb

Sounds like 30 lb. braid is .28 mm; and 150 meters is pretty close to 150 yards.

I'd guess that, using those two sets of data .....a smart guy can figure out whatever he wants. 

As I said, I just buy a reel and put enough line on it to catch a fish. 

As far as not wanting to put a ton of line onto a too deep reel, just increase the amount of cheap mono that you use as backing. 

Other than a 7 lb. bonefish, I've never had a fish nearly spool me yet. Guess I only catch small fish.

Have fun on a Sunday Morning! Ha Ha

regards, richg99


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## Johnny

Gary - this question comes up occasionally on the non-boaters website, https://www.pierandsurf.com
about the line issues....... but, these guys are chasing fish in the +20# range so the maximum
amount of line within their specified strength capacity is imperative.
also - mono vs braid is also a hot topic, no matter what the weather is.
I guess I have been lucky so far and the reels I have have both metric and SAE numbers on the reel.
If I purchase a nice reel, I look for the extra reels on ebay.
I asked my wife (who is Chinese) to look at your chart and she said it is in Japanese and she could not
decipher it....... and she is just as "attentive" to reel capacity as anyone on the planet.



.


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## onthewater102

Use the table here for the thickness of mono at various break strengths and multiply the imperial measurement by 25.4 to get MM then you've got your table for reference that you're after.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Sufix-reg-Advanced-Braided-Superline/1398685.uts


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## SeaFaring

I think the reason this is so hard is that even if you limit yourself to a specific type of line, say, nylon monofilament, there is enough variation among manufacturers that specifying x yards of y lb test will have errors that piss people off. The different companies use different resins and manufacturing processes, so a certain 14 lb mono may be significantly thinner than another. 

By specifying capacity in diameters, reel makers wash their hands of this problem and leave it to anglers to sort out what they need. 

The only real way to solve the problem is to pick the specific line you want to use in the lb test you need (my most recent line acquisition was 4lb Trilene XL), look up the diameter, and compare that to the reel specs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## beetlespin

Just use 6lb Trilene XT and be done with it :lol:


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## LDUBS

beetlespin said:


> Just use 6lb Trilene XT and be done with it :lol:




Thanks. My head was starting to hurt. :LOL2:


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