I have fished Daiwa, Shimano, Abu, and Quantum in that price range and had no real problems with any of them. I personally prefer Daiwas now and have sold all the others but that is just a personal preference. Best thing to do is get on ***.com and do the demo this reel that they have. They send you the one you want to try and if you like it you keep it and pay for it, if not send it back and try another till you find the one you like.