The ACE D-spool consists of a plastic drum with detachable end cap set on a hexagonal fixing to enable you to fit it to a cordless drill. What makes it clever is an internal clutch set within the drum body which stops the tool breaking if too much pressure is applied or the line which is being removed becomes snagged.
I’ve never really used a line stripper before; I’ve always been content to sit in front of the TV and take it off by hand before cutting it up and bagging it; normally takes me about 30 minutes per reel. With the D-Spool, I cleared my reel in around a minute, slid the end cap off, removed and cut the line to make it safe for disposal, then did my second reel in the space of 5 minutes!
It really is simple to use, the instructions included are clear with relevant pictures and easy directions. When you purchase your D-Spool however, be careful not to just rip off the paper liner on the drum as these contain the instructions. I expected to find them in the back of the cardboard insert within the plastic bubble pack, but that is not the case; be careful! Once I’d opened the package and read the instructions, I was ready to give it a go.
The line to be removed goes around a peg in the top of the drum body before the end cap is locked on top to trap the line within the tool. Fitted into the chuck of the cordless drill (low speed), carefully wind a few turns onto the drum then ensure tension on the line as it feeds on and it becomes easy to remove a full spool in seconds. The only time I had a problem was when I released tension on old, springy line and it didn’t go onto the D-Spool evenly; my fault. The clutch slips under reasonable tension but does not interfere with line stripping or slip unnecessarily but does just enough to prevent any breakages.
When finished, just unlock the end cap by twisting in the direction of the arrow and slide the line off the conical drum. Cutting through the discarded line before disposal means nothing gets tangled up in it later which makes it a safe method of getting rid of unwanted line.
The D-Spool Line Stripper is available at all good tackle shops or online from www.acecarp.com.
