PE diameters

[Sam Beeby]

is there an actual standard for what approximate diameters PE lines fit into?

 I realise that its hard for manufacturers to be exact because alot of the lines are only vaguely round, but i thought the whole point of the PE system was to standardise/set braid diametres so they could be compared easily. Anyone know??

[Robert Palcak]

Check out this thread mate...
http://www.gtpopping.com/forum/index.php?topic=804.0

[Sam Beeby]

yeah dunno if those are PE diameters. It puts PE5 at 0.37mm but daiwa PE5 is 0.32mm, and even standard braids like Tuffline 50lb (0.31mm) and fins prt 50lb (0.34mm) are closer to the PE4 in that table.  You'd get huge differences in line capacity there

[Andy Rowe]

[Andy Rowe]

Steve, whom I presume is Varivas, Hammerhead and Smith supplier in Aus. posted these diameters some time back;

"PE#6 = 0.405mm
PE#10 = 0.520mm
PE#12 = 0.570mm"

which confirm the corresponding PE diameters in the list I found;

PE No..mm
0.6...0.128
0.8...0.148
1.0...0.165
1.2...0.185
1.5...0.205
1.7...0.218
2.0...0.235
2.5...0.260
3.0...0.285
3.5...0.310
4.0...0.330
5.0...0.370
6.0...0.405
7.0...0.435
8.0...0.470
10.0...0.520
12.0...0.570
14.0...0.620
16.0...0.660
18.0...0.700
20.0...0.740
22.0...0.780
24.0...0.810
28.0...0.870

[Luke Wyrsta]

The problem is that there is no uniformity/regulation in the industry!

The PE standard from the Japanese is at least a step towards uniformity but there is are no regulation to force line manufacturers to abide by this unit of measurement. This also frustrates me for hook sizes too!

As for US braids, forget about including them in a PE topic. US manufacturers do their own thing and that's cool - at least it's more indicative i.e. actual breaking strain. One must remember that Jap braids are generally uniform in diameter can vary greatly in breaking strain, and it should be the other way around for the US but with breaking strains these days, who knows!

The one problem with PE diameters is that it is impossible to work out breaking strain from the number - generally speaking you can get ball park though.

[Sam Beeby]

There's a good article in this months fishing monthly by the platypus braid manufacturers talking about the US versus japanese methods of rating lines. They bascically say that the yanks don't have the same regard for diameter that the japanese do. Its all about selling your line at 40lb knowing full well that it actually breaks above 50lb, just so you can say that your 40 lb is better than another brands 40lb which breaks as stated - and in the process the lines can be quite bulky.  The Japanese in contrast build more or less to line diametre spec in the PE# system, so their breaking strains are more closley related to what the diameter suggest.

Its given me the shits lately because the line counter on my ishidai needs PE# specs. So if I put on a US brand 40lb, program the counter for PE4 , it can  actually out by up to 45m when the counter says 300m is out- way out!! I knew it would be out by a bit but not that much.
If you had one of those line counter electrics bottom bashing at browns in 500m you'd have no idea where you were at if using non PE# line.

 So I wanted to know the PE# system diameters so that I can buy only the yank stuff that has corresponding diameters. ie some yank 50lbs are getting fat for PE6 type diameters.

Apparently the daiwa accudepth and sensor 8 break 1:1 PE:lbs. The Saltiga Hyper PE is way over rated though
      PE3  50lb
      PE4 60lb
      PE5 75lb  like the best jigman

[Luke Wyrsta]

There's a good article in this months fishing monthly by the platypus braid manufacturers talking about the US versus japanese methods of rating lines. They bascically say that the yanks don't have the same regard for diameter that the japanese do. Its all about selling your line at 40lb knowing full well that it actually breaks above 50lb, just so you can say that your 40 lb is better than another brands 40lb which breaks as stated - and in the process the lines can be quite bulky.  The Japanese in contrast build more or less to line diametre spec in the PE# system, so their breaking strains are more closley related to what the diameter suggest.

Its given me the shits lately because the line counter on my ishidai needs PE# specs. So if I put on a US brand 40lb, program the counter for PE4 , it can  actually out by up to 45m when the counter says 300m is out- way out!! I knew it would be out by a bit but not that much.
If you had one of those line counter electrics bottom bashing at browns in 500m you'd have no idea where you were at if using non PE# line.

 So I wanted to know the PE# system diameters so that I can buy only the yank stuff that has corresponding diameters. ie some yank 50lbs are getting fat for PE6 type diameters.

Apparently the daiwa accudepth and sensor 8 break 1:1 PE:lbs. The Saltiga Hyper PE is way over rated though
      PE3  50lb
      PE4 60lb
      PE5 75lb  like the best jigman

That's all fair enough Sam - could you not just bite the bullet so to speak and just purchase a true PE braid?

[Sam Beeby]

It was when I had some metered braid on it that I realised that the counter was out. After all the dramas I probably would switch over if i could get a standard side plate for it.  As it stands though I forked out for the line counter reel (which makes it soooo easy to jig with) so I've got to justify it to myself by getting it sorted. I don't want to admit defeat.   

 The main advantage is that its way cheaper  to be able to  put on standard braids ( which  comes in bulk quantities for good prices) than to get metered jigman/YGK etc which costs a bomb. Also I never have to worry about how much backing will work with such and such a topshot so that it always fills to the brim etc - just fill it from scratch - no worries.