There's no denying that Daiwa's Tatula CT and Fuego CT are fantastic reels at an even more fantastic price. On eBay, you can grab a Tatula CT for ~$97 from various sellers, and you can get a Fuego CT for ~$65. So, the question then becomes, do I spend an extra $30 on the Tatula, or is the Fuego good enough?
I've had that question myself, and when I first created an account here, I made a thread asking about reel recommendations. Many people recommended these two reels, and most of those people suggested going for the Tatula if possible, because of the TWS, because of 2 extra bearings, and because the whole thing is aluminum, including the two side plates. So, despite the fact that I was set on getting a Casitas, I started looking into these reels. Over on another forum(I don't want to say it by name, because I'm not affiliated with them and don't know how the moderation team feels about "advertising" a "competitor"), someone last year made a thread complaining about their Tatula CT. The biggest gripe was that Daiwa AU described the Tatula CT as having an aluminum side plate, but after taking apart the reel, this user found composite("plastic"). In that thread is a picture of the side plate, as well as a screenshot of Daiwa's description which does indeed indicate an aluminum side plate.
Looking deeper into this discrepancy, I pulled up the parts diagram for the Tatula CT as well as for the Fuego, to figure out what was actually different between them. I'll have a picture of the diagrams below, but while I was looking, I noticed part #51. The Fuego's shows a honeycomb pattern, indicating a composite side plate, while the Tatula's showed no pattern, seemingly indicating a difference in composition. Still though, the Tatula CT is actually a few grams lighter than the Fuego, despite the T-Wing and the parts required to move it back and forth. This didn't add up. With the slightly heavier line guide and a few bits of plastic to make it interface with the thumb bar, there's no way that the side plate could be aluminum as well and still result in a lighter reel considering the generally shared parts.
Then, I decided to look up the Tatula CT Type R, and in that diagram, you can clearly see the same honeycomb pattern found in the Fuego. The Tatula SV TW diagram tells the same story. Assuming that the Tatula CT is not defying physics and that Daiwa wouldn't be using cheaper materials in their more expensive reels, I came to the conclusion that the Tatula CT does not actually have aluminum side plates(or at least on the gear side). From there, I looked at the other differences, specifically the bearing count. After combing through each part listed on both of the diagrams, I realized that they share the same number of bearings. The only part in the diagrams that wasn't broken down fully was the handle itself(part #94 in both diagrams). Therefore, the only potential place that 2 extra bearings could exist, is in the two handle knobs.
Okay, so at that point I was ready to make this thread, mostly to dispel the idea that the Tatula CT has aluminum side plates, but to point out just how similar these reels actually are. Still though, I decided to contact Daiwa myself to get some confirmation either way from them. This is the email I received:
Cool, so it's confirmed then. The Tatula CT does not have aluminum side plates. So what are the differences, really? Well, there are only a handful of parts listed that are different. The frame, the two side plates, a stabilizer bar, the spool tension knob, handle nut and plate, as well as the brake adjustment knob, are all different. Most of these differences are because of the color of paint used(frame, side plates, etc), and some are different because of the design and the way that Daiwa marks the gear ratios in the Tatula(brake adjustment knob, handle nut plate, etc). Beyond that, the worm shaft and a few more level wind parts are different because of the TWS. There's a single bearing retainer that's different(part #49), though the Tatula CT Type R shares the exact same retainer as the Fuego CT, so take that for what you will. The last difference is that there are 2 extra bearings, one in each handle knob.
The entire spool assembly is the same model number, the main bearings are all the same model numbers, the gears, the drive shaft, the drag star and washer system, the thumb bar, they're all the same.
Here's a picture of the two parts diagrams, highlighting each bearing, as well as the single retainer that's different:
To put it simply, the Tatula CT and the Fuego CT are the same reel, with the exceptions of the TWS and two handle knob bearings, which are the reasons for an extra $30. Are those differences worth an extra $30? I can't say because it will largely depend on you. I will say that I absolutely love my Fuego CT, and that Daiwa's more expensive reels are fantastic as well.
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