Any of you guys ever had one? What did you think of it? Mb

I have an original Bantam from the early 1980's. The early reels had a level wind but no thumb bar.

I still use mine and I've had no problems with it.

Well I tend to like Shimano reels, it was sitting on a makeshift table at a garage sale. I had allready rounded up a new Collins camp hatchet with sheath, a full size single bit axe in nice shape and a antique double bit Fayette Plumb axe head with a new handle un installed and asked how much? He said $45 so I really don't have much in it. The reel has a push button spool release and a thumb rest above the spool.
It's smooth and functions fine seems to be filled with either 10 or 12 lb mono. I put it on an old antique solid glass casting rod that was grandpa's. I tied on a 1/2 oz bell type sinker and cast it a few times in the yard. With the spool drag cranked down pretty tight it still had the propensity to over speed and backlash. Any mechanical correction to the backlash? It looks like it would still make a deep depth jigging rod. Mb

I think I bought my first one in 1984.Great reels easy service.I loved them because they were lightweight and hardly ever backlashed.If they did it was easy to get out.I became a Shimano user ever since.These days I use Shimano Calcuttas.I have five of them all bought used for around $75 each.They are very dependable and easy to service and built to last.

I was in Walmart a few years ago and they had a close out on rods. They had an ultra lite Shakespeare bait caster in the close out barrel. It was $5.00. I bought it without a real need because it was such a nice rod for cheap.

When I got home I paired it up with the Bantam which had been sitting on the shelf for awhile. I loaded the Bantam up with 14 lb. braid and tested it out with some Ned Rigs. It was a great combination. In the past 2 years I caught a lot of bass on that setup and the Bantam fits right in with the light lures, line and rod.

The Bantam reels came with magnetic backlash control on the left side of the reel and some without.The reels without are adjusted with the spool tension cap located on the right side of the reel near the handle.The way to adjust it is to put whatever your casting on your line,example a 1\4oz weight.Reel it up near the tip,tighten the spool tension cap just enough that the 1\4oz weight will not fall when the spool is disengaged for casting.Now hold the rod and reel out like 90 degrees from your body,with the spool disengaged for casting,loosen the spool cap just enough that the weight will fall but the spool also stops when the weight reaches the floor.This along with just a little thumb drag on the spool should give you very good casting control.

i bought a Bantam back around '79 or early '80s. wish i would have kept it. as i recall mine was fairly decent size, and no magnetic anti backlash .smooth as silk though.

From my Memory the first Shimano reel imported into the U.S. was the Bantam 100. Shimano had been making the Lew Childre BBI speed spool which Shimano "Patented in Japan" and the rest is history.

Yes bought one from the original bass pro in Springfield.mid 80s probbly It was high tec for its day with the magnetic brake I really liked it and used it tor years till it was stolen out of my boat
I recently bought the fancy model with wood grips and gold inlay with matching rod. I thought I payed dearly for it at 70 dollars but that reel commands some big prices on eBay some over 300