My Take On Brand Loyalty

[Quitlimpin]

Never say: " from this well I will never drink" ...... you end up drowned in it.

Thanks to Raul. I saw this quote in another thread and it really got me thinking. This quote rings especially true for me with regards to my reels. I started off fishing Quantum reels as a youngster. I thought that they were "it". That is, until I got my hands on a gen 1 Revo STX. This was a game changer for me. All of the sudden, I was an Abu guy. I ended up with 3 or 4 STX's and 2 SX's. All was fine and good for a year or two. I got a nice little bonus from work and decided to grab a Curado E7. I was blown away. I had never felt a reel so smooth and easy to use. Next thing I know, I'm ditching the Revos and "upgrading" to Shimanos. Somewhere along the line, I got my hands on a Zillion. Wow! What a machine this dude was. So here I go again...traded a couple Curados for Zillions. I grabbed a Sol, an Alphas and a 153 HSTA. I was officially a Daiwa guy!

But, I wasn't satisfied. I missed the power of my Revos and the reliability of my Curados. Then, the light bulb went off in my thick head. They were all great reels that served their own purpose. Each one did certain things better than others. I have wasted so much time, effort, and money over the years attempting to pigeonhole myself into using only one manufacturer. My lineup presently has several of each of the "big 3" and honestly, I'm pretty stoked with my current arsenal. My obsession at the moment is pimping out my Daiwa's, but I'm sure that will change, and I'm cool with that.

Now for my rods, I'm definitely a Loomis guy, or maybe it's Dobyns, or it could be Lamiglas........

[tomustang]

It would definitely help if reels were cheaper so it didn't feel like too much of a gamble when trying them out.

[bassh8er]

I was a strict BPS guy but bought a Curado 50e and 200e. The Shimanos are nice reels and their longevity is well known so I know they are going to be dependable.

I will say, however, that I will take my BPS Prolite Finesse over my 50e any day.

[new2BC4bass]

I was a strict BPS guy but bought a Curado 50e and 200e. The Shimanos are nice reels and their longevity is well known so I know they are going to be dependable.

I will say, however, that I will take my BPS Prolite Finesse over my 50e any day.

 

Wow.  Never used, or seen, a Prolite Finesse reel, but they must be the cat's meow!  I love my 51E.

 

I started out where the OP is right now......with reels from several manufacturers.  I don't see that ever changing.  I have mostly Daiwas, but have a Gen 1 STX that travels to Florida every year with me, a couple older Chronarchs, a Lews TP, 3 Abu Black Mac 1600 round reels, Pflueger Patriarch XT and a couple Trions.  Somehow my Daiwa collection just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

 

I'm currently in the process of upgrading a Sol, and plan on upgrading the 1600s before the weather warms up.  It will be my first attempt at working on reels.  I no longer can afford to send my reels out for professional cleaning, so I will be learning how to do that as well.

 

My rods are all over the ballpark as well.  Daiwa, Fenwick, Airrus, Tec Spec, Berkley, Falcon, Shimano, Cabela's, Abu and plan on trying ***, Powell, Pinnacle, maybe an Okuma.

[skeletor6]

Thanks to Raul. I saw this quote in another thread and it really got me thinking. This quote rings especially true for me with regards to my reels. I started off fishing Quantum reels as a youngster. I thought that they were "it". That is, until I got my hands on a gen 1 Revo STX. This was a game changer for me. All of the sudden, I was an Abu guy. I ended up with 3 or 4 STX's and 2 SX's. All was fine and good for a year or two. I got a nice little bonus from work and decided to grab a Curado E7. I was blown away. I had never felt a reel so smooth and easy to use. Next thing I know, I'm ditching the Revos and "upgrading" to Shimanos. Somewhere along the line, I got my hands on a Zillion. Wow! What a machine this dude was. So here I go again...traded a couple Curados for Zillions. I grabbed a Sol, an Alphas and a 153 HSTA. I was officially a Daiwa guy!

But, I wasn't satisfied. I missed the power of my Revos and the reliability of my Curados. Then, the light bulb went off in my thick head. They were all great reels that served their own purpose. Each one did certain things better than others. I have wasted so much time, effort, and money over the years attempting to pigeonhole myself into using only one manufacturer. My lineup presently has several of each of the "big 3" and honestly, I'm pretty stoked with my current arsenal. My obsession at the moment is pimping out my Daiwa's, but I'm sure that will change, and I'm cool with that.

Now for my rods, I'm definitely a Loomis guy, or maybe it's Dobyns, or it could be Lamiglas........

 

Are you sure you didn't just buy different reels in search for "the best reel". I find this much different from brand loyalty. I don't see how someone can be in search of "brand loyalty". If you had "brand loyalty" you would have never made the switch to go out and try something outside of said brand. I feel there is a difference between the two.

 

I get your point though, I do find that each product has its own strengths and weaknesses. Also, I purposefully enjoy buying different gear from different manufacturers just to see what is out there. I find that aspect of buying gear interesting and fun. It also makes you more well-rounded in terms of being able to know the strengths and weaknesses that some companies have against each other.

 

I feel there is not a company that dominates all aspects of a certain market. "Brand loyalists" will argue that point, but if I were to give out my choices for "The best rod under <$50, <$100, <$150, <$200, <$250, <$300, <$600" You will probably see about 5 different name brands which supports the idea about not sticking to just one brand. 

[sarcazmo]

Brand loyalty is ok in moderation... Loyalty to one thing to the exclusion of others is pointless.  Why limit yourself?

[War Eagle 44]

I fall on the exact opposite end of this discussion. I started out buying reels from many different brands, Shimano, Garcia, Quantum, & Daiwa. I'm now a 100% Shimano guy as far as reels are concerned. Not knocking any of the other brands, they all make some really good tackle, it just simply came down to enjoyment while fishing for me. I just enjoy using Shimano reels more than any other brand I've tried, granted I haven't tried any of the newer reels from Daiwa, Quantum, Garcia, or Lews so who knows maybe I'd like one of them more now. I won't find out any time soon though because I'm still 110% satisfied with my Shimano gear. I guess I fall into "if it ant broke don't fix it" category.

 

I'm also not really purchasing many newer Shimano's either due to being happy with what I already have. The newest model Chronarch I have is the B, I only have two E model Curados (51 & 301), and my Stella is the FD version. The majority of my fishing I do with Citica E's and my Chronarch B even though I have more high end gear, I rarely use it. 

 

I'm not trying to say my way is the "right" way and you're wrong I'm simply saying I get more enjoyment out of having all the same brand reels. I didn't settle on Shimano because they're "Shimano" I picked them due to real world fishing experiences and what works best for me. It could have easily been Daiwa, I had plenty of their higher end gear to test. I used to own a Pixy, TDZ, Alphas, Steez, Fuego, & Zillion. All really really good reels, I just prefered Shimano.

 

In the end as long as you're enjoying yourself participating in this great sport of bass fishing then it really doesn't matter what gear you're using. Simply fish what makes you the happiest and enjoy it. 

[skeletor6]

I fall on the exact opposite end of this discussion. I started out buying reels from many different brands, Shimano, Garcia, Quantum, & Daiwa. I'm now a 100% Shimano guy as far as reels are concerned. Not knocking any of the other brands, they all make some really good tackle, it just simply came down to enjoyment while fishing for me. I just enjoy using Shimano reels more than any other brand I've tried, granted I haven't tried any of the newer reels from Daiwa, Quantum, Garcia, or Lews so who knows maybe I'd like one of them more now. I won't find out any time soon though because I'm still 110% satisfied with my Shimano gear. I guess I fall into "if it ant broke don't fix it" category.

 

I'm also not really purchasing many newer Shimano's either due to being happy with what I already have. The newest model Chronarch I have is the B, I only have two E model Curados (51 & 301), and my Stella is the FD version. The majority of my fishing I do with Citica E's and my Chronarch B even though I have more high end gear, I rarely use it. 

 

I'm not trying to say my way is the "right" way and you're wrong I'm simply saying I get more enjoyment out of having all the same brand reels. I didn't settle on Shimano because they're "Shimano" I picked them due to real world fishing experiences and what works best for me. It could have easily been Daiwa, I had plenty of their higher end gear to test. I used to own a Pixy, TDZ, Alphas, Steez, Fuego, & Zillion. All really really good reels, I just prefered Shimano.

 

In the end as long as you're enjoying yourself participating in this great sport of bass fishing then it really doesn't matter what gear you're using. Simply fish what makes you the happiest and enjoy it. 

 

It sounds to me like the shimano "brand" was not the driving force for the reel changes. You just found what you thought to be the best reel at a certain pricepoint. So, you made the logical choice to change everything to what you felt best. As long as you did not think they were great because they carried the name "Shimano" then I dont find that being "Brand Loyal". 

 

I see you mentioned "as far as reels" are concerned". That leads me to assume you fish rods other than Shimano. Thus, you are not "brand loyal" in that aspect either. I feel like too many people get tagged with that term, when in reality it is not the brand that drove them there, it is the products performance.

[SirSnookalot]

From my perspective brand loyalty can breed narrow mindedness, you may just overlook an item of equal or better performance or better value.  No question that BR is a very pro Shimano board, they do make some nice equipment.  Some of the other forums I'm on and the places I fish Shimano is not near as popular.  I like my  2 stradics and my 2 spheros, when they don't need repair.....lol, but do they fish better than my Abus, Penns, Pfluegers, Daiwas and Quantums, the answer is no.  Would I buy Shimano again, sure but I'd buy the other brands as well, it boils down to the whim of the day.

[War Eagle 44]

It sounds to me like the shimano "brand" was not the driving force for the reel changes. You just found what you thought to be the best reel at a certain pricepoint. So, you made the logical choice to change everything to what you felt best. As long as you did not think they were great because they carried the name "Shimano" then I dont find that being "Brand Loyal". 

 

I see you mentioned "as far as reels" are concerned". That leads me to assume you fish rods other than Shimano. Thus, you are not "brand loyal" in that aspect either. I feel like too many people get tagged with that term, when in reality it is not the brand that drove them there, it is the products performance.

Yes I came to my Shimano reels only conclusion after trying 4 major brands, but I might be more of a brand loyalist now because when looking for a new reel I only look at Shimano. I look at it as I've found what works best for me so no need to try anything else. I'm perfectly aware that's really close minded of me but hey what can I say. 

 

As far as rods go I fish Powells mostly with some Shimano and GLoomis sprinkled in. I also have one Falcon that I really like.

[rockchalk06]

I have always been a brand loyalty whor$ much like the resident LMG . After coming to this board I started looking at other brands and hearing all the claims, I finally bought a Shimano product and couldn't be happier. I can't say it's better than my Abu's but for what I bought it for, it works great.

As was said earlier in the thread, if you keep to one brand because of loyalty or being narrow minded, you miss out on some really good stuff out there. I kept with one brand of rod for the whole loyalty thing, and made due with what I had. I needed a rod for a certain technique and what was available didn't cut it for me. For me being the important part. I found a different brand of rod, after opening my mind, and my first cast I was like "holy Hanna".

[*Hootie]

Brand loyalty is ok in moderation... Loyalty to one thing to the exclusion of others is pointless. Why limit yourself?

Very well said. My feelings exactly.

Hootie

[*Hootie]

They're killing you here LMG.....narrow minded?....

limited?......WOW!!!!

Hootie

[LgMouthGambler]

They're killing you here LMG.....narrow minded?....

limited?......WOW!!!!

Hootie

Call it what they will. Ive tried others, but nothing came close to my Shimanos, so there is where I lay. Lol. Its not that it just has the name, its that it has the form and function that works for me.

[rockchalk06]

Call it what they will. Ive tried others, but nothing came close to my Shimanos, so there is where I lay. Lol. Its not that it just has the name, its that it has the form and function that works for me.

There is a difference between being narrow minded refusing to use a product because of brand name and refusing because of a negative issue or being unhappy. In your case you had an issue with a different brand of product and chose something different

[tomustang]

I play with many brands as much as I can. But I have a ton of shimano reels, why? Well because they were CHEEEEEEAP! Why not get 1 citica 200e for $49, 6 curado 200e's for $74 (DSG), 2 curado 50e's for $100 (BPS), and a 301e for $130 (Cabelas) and all new?

 

I DSG for their clearance sale and whoever that guy was that posted the thread

[*Hootie]

Call it what they will. Ive tried others, but nothing came close to my Shimanos, so there is where I lay. Lol. Its not that it just has the name, its that it has the form and function that works for me.

 

 

I know I can't say I'm brand loyal....YET.... but I sure do LOVE my Chronarchs and Curados.

 

Hootie

[LgMouthGambler]

I know I can't say I'm brand loyal....YET.... but I sure do LOVE my Chronarchs and Curados.

Hootie

Youll get there in due time, lol.

[*Hootie]

Someone mentioned in a post above, " the big three", meaning Shimano, Abu Garcia, and Daiwa, as they probably no doubt are the big three.

I can remember back when the biggies consisted of, Pflueger, Shakespeare, South Bend, Langley, and a few others. Then in  the early 50's, along came Abu Garcia, and they slowly pushed everyone else to the back of the bus. They pretty much owned the show for the next 30 yrs. Then, fast forward to the late 70's, early 80's. First low profile reel, Lews Speed Spool, first ones manufactured by Shimano. Then about 1980 Shimano started making their own low profile reels, beginning with the Shimano Bantam 100. Lews had to find another builder, I believe it was Ryobi, then along came Daiwa, all three gaining ground on Abu Garcia, and eventually moving out in front. So the big three became Shimano , Lews, and Daiwa. { I think for a while, Abu Garcia and Shimano probably tied for top position}.Then after the death of Lew Childres, the Lews man, Lews dropped out of the market for many years. Now Lews is back, and back with a vengeance. Will Lews move into top position? I don't know, and no matter what you say, you don't know either. I remember when no one, not me, not the pros thought anyone could push Abu Garcia out of first place. I heard Hank Parker say, he didn't think any reel could make him put down his Abu Garcia 4600C's, until he picked up a Revo.

          So, here we are 2013, some awesome low profile reels, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, yes, Shimano leading the pack, and no doubt, will for some time. But who knows whats next. You have Lews. Quantum, Okumo, still have Pflueger, Browning, Ardent, yes, and even some store brands, i.e. BPS, Pro Qualifier, Johnny Morris, all jockeying for position.

      I do know this, we should be thankful for Shimano. They keep all the other guys trying harder. And be thankful for all the other guys. They keep Shimano on their toes. Also, know this, we are the actual winners. We get to fish with some of the finest fishing tackle ever made, thanks to good "ole" competition. God bless the tackle manufacturers, and God bless bass fishing.

       And that, "fellers", is my take on brand loyalty....... Good Day....

 

Hootie

[LgMouthGambler]

Someone mentioned in a post above, " the big three", meaning Shimano, Abu Garcia, and Daiwa, as they probably no doubt are the big three.

I can remember back when the biggies consisted of, Pflueger, Shakespeare, South Bend, Langley, and a few others. Then in the early 50's, along came Abu Garcia, and they slowly pushed everyone else to the back of the bus. They pretty much owned the show for the next 30 yrs. Then, fast forward to the late 70's, early 80's. First low profile reel, Lews Speed Spool, first ones manufactured by Shimano. Then about 1980 Shimano started making their own low profile reels, beginning with the Shimano Bantam 100. Lews had to find another builder, I believe it was Ryobi, then along came Daiwa, all three gaining ground on Abu Garcia, and eventually moving out in front. So the big three became Shimano , Lews, and Daiwa. { I think for a while, Abu Garcia and Shimano probably tied for top position}.Then after the death of Lew Childres, the Lews man, Lews dropped out of the market for many years. Now Lews is back, and back with a vengeance. Will Lews move into top position? I don't know, and no matter what you say, you don't know either. I remember when no one, not me, not the pros thought anyone could push Abu Garcia out of first place. I heard Hank Parker say, he didn't think any reel could make him put down his Abu Garcia 4600C's, until he picked up a Revo.

So, here we are 2013, some awesome low profile reels, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, yes, Shimano leading the pack, and no doubt, will for some time. But who knows whats next. You have Lews. Quantum, Okumo, still have Pflueger, Browning, Ardent, yes, and even some store brands, i.e. BPS, Pro Qualifier, Johnny Morris, all jockeying for position.

I do know this, we should be thankful for Shimano. They keep all the other guys trying harder. And be thankful for all the other guys. They keep Shimano on their toes. Also, know this, we are the actual winners. We get to fish with some of the finest fishing tackle ever made, thanks to good "ole" competition. God bless the tackle manufacturers, and God bless bass fishing.

And that, "fellers", is my take on brand loyalty....... Good Day....

Hootie

Wow, pretty well said. Hes right. At this time in fishing, we have some of the finest and advanced technology in fishing equipment. Whats next? Who knows? The sport has come a long way since I started in '92 thats for sure. I applaud Hootie for one heck of a post.

[*Hootie]

Wow, pretty well said. Hes right. At this time in fishing, we have some of the finest and advanced technology in fishing equipment. Whats next? Who knows? The sport has come a long way since I started in '92 thats for sure. I applaud Hootie for one heck of a post.

 

 

Thank you much LMG.

 

Hootie

[jbone177]

Brand loyalty makes sense to me.  But it has its limitations.  I dont understand people knocking other brands when they themselves have little to no experience with them, just to try to justify their purchases/preferences.  But when someone has had great experiences with one brand and their product/customer service, I completely understand being loyal to a brand.

 

Im fortunate that I am just breaking into this sport again and dont really have any bias towards any brands (yet).  Im sure that will soon change.  I can already feel the bug biting as I look for my first baitcaster and rod combo.  It feels like the more settled I get on purchasing something the more attached to it I become.  Its weird LOL.   

[jhoffman]

A brands loyalty from me personally has always been built on performance and customer service. I might absolutely love a product but if it fails and you wont help me remedy it then I will not be back.

 

Two companies over the years have really stood out to me, both are not in the bass industry.

 

1: Elite Archery - 100% transferable warranty. I bought this bow in my lineup used. When the limbs splintered I sent it back and had a bow with new limbs sitting at my door a week later...no charge

 

2: Orvis - I lost a $700 rod/reel combo when I fell in over my shoulders in water on easter sunday two years ago in a raging trout stream. Dropped the rod to save my life. A week later when the water came down a young man caught it and returned it to me. The blank, all that was left was about 6" after the cork on a 9ft rod. I contacted them, told them the story, sent it back and they actually upgraded it to their newest version... no charge.

 

Its experiences like those that keep me coming back for life. Im a relatively new father, had I lost that rod and reel without someone backing me up there is no way I wouldve replaced it. I simply wouldnt have been able to afford to at that point in time.

[deep]

I fall on the exact opposite end of this discussion. I started out buying reels from many different brands, Shimano, Garcia, Quantum, & Daiwa. I'm now a 100% Shimano guy as far as reels are concerned. Not knocking any of the other brands, they all make some really good tackle, it just simply came down to enjoyment while fishing for me. I just enjoy using Shimano reels more than any other brand I've tried, granted I haven't tried any of the newer reels from Daiwa, Quantum, Garcia, or Lews so who knows maybe I'd like one of them more now. I won't find out any time soon though because I'm still 110% satisfied with my Shimano gear. I guess I fall into "if it ant broke don't fix it" category.

 

This!

[upnorthbassin]

I'm always looking for something new to try or looking for a good deal on something. That usually means a wide variety of stuff. If I do find something that I really like....a few months later I find something else that I like just as much. There are brands that I like but that doesn't mean that I will only use that brand. Maybe that will happen if I find perfection.