A Little Review And Comparison Revo Sx, Quantum Smoke, Exo, And Daiwa Tautla

[Chance_Taker4]

I wanted to post this thread in hope to help people during their buying purchase or just give knowledge of the reels. First I want to tell everyone that I am partial to Abu Gear. All my rods and reels were Abu until this season. I bought a new Daiwa Tatula and traded for a Quantum Smoke and Exo. This is just a review of all 4 reels and what I liked about them.

 

Abu Garcia Revo Sx.

I have used this reel since they came out. I absolutely loved the Gen 2 but was really disappointed when I got a hold of the Gen 3. The Gen 3 just seems like when they tried to reduce weight they did it cheaply. It feel cheap and all four I had/have the gears grinded when I would cast and reel it. I tried to greese the gears and it helped a little but it just wasn't as smooth as the gen 2. It has the top of the line drag system and bearing but the little stuff seem to be a non consideration. It does still have great casting distance and I do have 1 of the 4 I bought and use it all the time.

 

Daiwa Tatula.

There is not much I can say about this reel but amazing. It is the farthest casting reel I have used. It is also the smoothest. It is not as light as the SX but the weight distribution on this reel makes you feel like you are only holding a rod. I find this as a plus for this reel since it is the "heaviest" reel of the 4. It is quiet, smooth and I can't say enough about the casting distance. It doubles the distance I get with the Revo. This reel is great for crankbait fishing.

 

Quantum Smoke.

I traded my SXs for the Smoke I have and the Exo because of all the negativity Quantum has been getting lately. I wanted to try these out and see for myself. I have the Smoke 150 with their new ACS3 brake system. I found this brake system better than a reel with just magnetic or centrifugal reel. It casts a little farther than SX but nowhere near the Tatula. It is as quiet as the Taula but not as smooth. This is a great reel and when I have the extra cash I will buy a couple more of these.

 

Quantum Exo

This reel is the most expensive of all of them and I feel that the price is for the gimmick that is the "exoskeleton" design to cut weight. It is the lightest of the reels but not by much actually it weighs the same as the BPS Carbonlite reel but costs $150 more than the Carbonlite. It casts as far as the Tatula but it has the same problem the SX has with gear grinding. The grinding makes it slight difficult to reel in and makes you have to work to get your bait as far as the Tatula. The brakes in this reel are the same as the Smoke however they are set inside the reel instead of with a dial. This real as a new drag system made with ceramic and carbon, and steel. I really like the drag system in this reel.

 

A general break down in my opinion would go like this:

 

Brake: Quantum Smoke/Exo

Drag: Quantum Exo

Feel: Daiwa Tatula

Castability: Tatula

Smoothness: Tatula

Quietness: Quantum Smoke

 

I would rank these reel as such:

Daiwa Tatula ($149.99)

Quantum Smoke 150 ($219.99)

Abu Garcia Revo SX ($159.99)

Quantum Exo 100 ($249.99)

 

Feel free to post your opinions on these reels or how they compare to other reels. I did not compare any Shimanos in here on purpose. Every thread I read about reels have so many replies advising to get a Shimano reel. Personally I don't see how they are "better" than other reels. My preference is Daiwa or Abu Garcia. As well I would buy more Quantums in the future I don't see where the bad reutation they get comes from. I believe new Quantums are better than New Revos.

[tcbass]

What are the date ranges for the Abu Revo SX Gen II and III?

[Chance_Taker4]

^{The Gen 3 came out in the End of 2012. The Gen 2 cam out I believe 2008. And the Gen 1 came out in 2006.}

[smalljaw67]

I agree with your review for the most part, I don't have the EXO but I do have 2 Smokes. I have a 2nd generation Revo Premier and when they introduced the 3rd generation I had the same feeling you did, it was like the made the reel from really good and solid to cheap, I won't buy a Gen 3 model. The Tatula is a reel I wanted to like but after using my Premier and then the 2 Smoke reels for so long it just feels like a brick to me, it also feel really wide but this is do to the way I palm a reel. I guess those that palm a reel in a way that the bulge from the ACS brakes on Quantum reels bothers them have no problem with the Tatula but those, like myself, who don't mind that bulge, have a hard time as it seems we hold the reel right where the Tatula gets wide on the top to accommodate the TWS. I don't think what you felt was gears grinding in the Revo and the EXO, what you felt was the same thing you feel in the Okuma reels, well at least the ones that had the elliptical gear deal going on, the reels were smooth but they had a "geared" feeling, I actually know anglers that like that.  

[hatrix]

I love my tatulas. They have become my favorite reels to use for there smoothness and casting. I still like my lews for pitching baits just because they are a little smaller and I have become so accustom to palming them over the years. I think they cast so well cause of the breaking system. They are never jerky like my lews sometimes on a hard cast. I think sometimes the pins stick and it causes a little jerk in my rod. It is probably because of dirt but they are still both great reels for smoothness and casting.

[Dramer77]

I feel like you got revos that's have issues.. I have a gen 3 sx ,stx and mgx.. And the sx cats plenty far send is fairly smooth on retrieve.. There's no way a tatula could cast twice as far as my SX..

[CTGalloway21]

I have used all but the Exo.  I like the Revo and Tatula.  Not the biggest fan of the Smoke.  If I had to buy another one today, I would get another Tatula off Amazon for $95

[Hogsticker]

I'd list em like this. 1 Tatula. I'd buy one if they weren't so dang big, or my hands were smaller? The other 3 I'm gonna take a pass on. Not because they are ABU, they are so so, but the Quantum, no thanks. 

I'd rank the braking -

1) Tat. Magforce Z is the bomb. From the ease of adjustment (even the location) to the effectivness of the system. Best magnetic system bar none.

I guess #2 would be the ACS. Not bad. External cent adjustments. Now just that dang bulge. You can keep the other two.

[hatrix]

I'd list em like this. 1 Tatula. I'd buy one if they weren't so dang big, or my hands were smaller? The other 3 I'm gonna take a pass on. Not because they are ABU, they are so so, but the Quantum, no thanks.

I'd rank the braking -

1) Tat. Magforce Z is the bomb. From the ease of adjustment (even the location) to the effectivness of the system. Best magnetic system bar none.

I guess #2 would be the ACS. Not bad. External cent adjustments. Now just that dang bulge. You can keep the other two.

I do agree that the diawa breaking system is the bees knees. It's just makes sense on why it works so well.

[Chance_Taker4]

I feel like you got revos that's have issues.. I have a gen 3 sx ,stx and mgx.. And the sx cats plenty far send is fairly smooth on retrieve.. There's no way a tatula could cast twice as far as my SX..

The Gen 3 SXs that I had I bought on the day they came out. It may have been that they were too new. AS for the casting My SX would go about 20-25 yards and the spool would stop. My Tatual I can cast 35-40 yards and have to stop the spool from spinning.

 

I agree with your review for the most part, I don't have the EXO but I do have 2 Smokes. I have a 2nd generation Revo Premier and when they introduced the 3rd generation I had the same feeling you did, it was like the made the reel from really good and solid to cheap, I won't buy a Gen 3 model. The Tatula is a reel I wanted to like but after using my Premier and then the 2 Smoke reels for so long it just feels like a brick to me, it also feel really wide but this is do to the way I palm a reel. I guess those that palm a reel in a way that the bulge from the ACS brakes on Quantum reels bothers them have no problem with the Tatula but those, like myself, who don't mind that bulge, have a hard time as it seems we hold the reel right where the Tatula gets wide on the top to accommodate the TWS. I don't think what you felt was gears grinding in the Revo and the EXO, what you felt was the same thing you feel in the Okuma reels, well at least the ones that had the elliptical gear deal going on, the reels were smooth but they had a "geared" feeling, I actually know anglers that like that.  

 

I started using Quantums when I first learned baitcasting. I like the bulge especially because I have big hands and wide fingers. This is the same reason I like the Tatula the spool is wider and easier for me. The grinding sounds like the gears but it doesn't effect casting so you could be on to something.

I'd list em like this. 1 Tatula. I'd buy one if they weren't so dang big, or my hands were smaller? The other 3 I'm gonna take a pass on. Not because they are ABU, they are so so, but the Quantum, no thanks. 

I'd rank the braking -

1) Tat. Magforce Z is the bomb. From the ease of adjustment (even the location) to the effectivness of the system. Best magnetic system bar none.

I guess #2 would be the ACS. Not bad. External cent adjustments. Now just that dang bulge. You can keep the other two.

Abu Garcia just keeps going down hill. And I still haven't found the reason for the bad reputation for Quantums. They are overpriced for sure but the product they produce is competitive stuff to me. The Smoke should start at $150 not $200 and the EXO should start at $200. I believe they are using KVD name to up their prices. The mix between centrifugal and Magnetic that quantum put in their Smoke 150s and EXOs are great just as great are the brakes system in the BPS Carbonlite reel. If we are talking just magnetic brakes the Tatula wins hands down and just centrifugal brakes I would say the Shimano Citica has the best set.