3-Tand TX-80 and Vikn V-80 Fly Reel Review

Feb 27, 2018 · 3 min read

3-Tand TX-80 and Vikn V-80 Fly Reel Review

Silver machined aluminum fly reel with large-arbor vented spool, red Trident logo and 3-Tand engraving

Please remember that there are no ads on this page and 100% of our funding comes from your purchases, so if you find this review to be informative, please help us keep the reviews coming by purchasing your next fly reel from us. Another review, another new reel brand! It’s super cool that we get to see so many new companies and are flattered to test their products. 3-Tand is new to the fly game, but has TONS of experience in fishing. From big names like ZeeBaas and Van Staal comes 3-Tand and as you might expect from that heritage, there’s some serious performance in these reels. Why are we reviewing 2 reels in one post? Well, simply there’s so much about these two reels that’s really similar that it really didn’t make sense to try and separate them. 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

Both reels weigh in at 7.7-ish ounces. It’s a really decent weight for an 8-weight!

Drag

Disassembled fly reel parts: silver machined aluminum spool with circular cutouts and red anodized hub

One of the key differences between the two reels is drag. The TX-80 is a beast. With over 12lbs of drag it breaks into our top 10 for the category. The V-80 is also no slouch with 7.4lbs. Both reels show quite a drop off when you back them off a bit to figure out how much of that drag is usable. That’s when things start to go bad. At half drag, you get only 4% of total. These reels would have been a lot better off if the drag was stopped here, but you can continue to turn the drag another 1.75 steps which brings you to a near centerpin .05lbs of drag on the bottom end. If you’re unlucky to turn it that far, you’ll be looking at a serious rats nest.

Drag Test Graphs

Blue line drag force graph for 3-Tand TX-80 fly reel showing rapid rise to ~12-13 lbs and steady performance over distance

Blue line force vs distance chart for 3-Tand V-80 fly reel drag test, white grid background, steady 7-8 lb range

Sound

Silent on the incoming, muted on the way out. If sound is important to you, these will disappoint.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The other big difference between the reels is the spool design. The V-80 has an awesome super large arbor that picks up line at a blistering 9.7” per turn. The TX-80 is still decent, but quite a bit slower by a full inch per turn. Both reels have tons of capacity.

Looks & Ergonomics

3-Tand has gone minimal in appearance for sure. All of their reels are grey there’s no fancy colors. I think they are a fine looking reel. Reel manufacturers are super into things like hidden counter weights – I’m not sure it really matters to me. Ditto on the rubber reel foot. One thing that does matter is the really nice big game handle both reels are equipped with. The drag knob on both reels is pretty small and not that great, but it it’s a little better on the TX-80 as it seems they figured out that trying to turn a dime on a flat surface isn’t ideal….

Finish and durability

Silver machined aluminum fly reel spool with ventilated spokes and red drag insert, Trident TX-80/Vikn V-80

I don’t know if it’s the color or the finish, but both reels held up really well to scratch, but a little less well to drops.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + $0. Awesome! Price: $325 for the TX and $430 for the V-80

Conclusion

Do you want big drag or big arbor? That is the question… All in all, these reels did pretty well. In our test drag is king and the TX-80 came out on top in terms of overall performance than the Vikn. Due to their similarities, I would personally look at the fishing that I was doing regularly and decide if pickup or drag strength was more important and make my decision based on that. If your price range is $3-400, 3-Tand is definitely a brand to consider. Along with the Taylor Revolution and the super lightweight Sage Spectrum LT, they round out the mid-priced brands to consider.

Pros

Great handle
Very good drag performance for a mid priced reel

Cons

Another bad drag knob
Not the best sounding reels

Written by

Ben Freeman

Ben Freeman founded Trident Fly Fishing in 2012 to cut through the marketing fluff and provide anglers with the technical info they actually need. He’s built his reputation by putting gear to the ultimate test in the world’s most unforgiving fisheries. With fishing stamps from over 22 countries and 17+ states, Ben’s passport is a roadmap of bucket list angling—from landing a 25lb Golden Dorado in Bolivia and 150lb Arapaima in Guyana to sight-casting for Roosterfish off the beaches in Baja. Whether it’s battling 60+mph winds to land a 20lb Rainbow at Jurassic Lake or a full day of casting 8in streamers in Mongolia, Ben has spent decades ensuring his gear performs when a trip of a lifetime is on the line.

At Trident, Ben serves as the lead gear geek, specializing in the deep-dive mechanics of rods, reels, and lines. Over the past 15 years, he's reviewed 250+ fly rods and 150+ fly reels and is likely one of the most prolific rod reviewers in the world. But he doesn't just curate the catalog; he scrutinizes every taper and drag system through the lens of a traveling angler who knows what it's like to have gear fail a thousand miles from home. For Ben, the mission is simple: leverage his experience across nearly 100 species to ensure that when you head into the wild, you’re equipped with gear that has been vetted by someone who has actually been there.

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