robster80 Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 picked up an older gen 1 cumara spinning rod and trying to figure out what reel i am going to pair it with....would kind of like to stick to shimano but would like to keep the price under 130ish.....ive looked at some reviews for their saros,symetre,sahara reels and while theres plenty of favorable reviews theres always a few that really dislike the reels and have had some issues. just wondering if anyone here owns any of those reels and have had any issues and can help me figure out which one would be the best for the money. Quote
Bigchunk Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Ive had a symetre for a while, been in salt and everything, still works fine its the older olive green one not the darker moss green. But now im a stradic fan, a little extra but its sweet Quote
robster80 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Posted March 21, 2015 yea im thinking i might stick my bass pro spinning reel on it for now and just set aside some money here and there for the Stradic...the bait monkey is killing me lately...i can at least keep him at bay for a little while Quote
OntarioFishingGuy Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Symetre is a nice, but the bail wire comes pretty close to my knuckles when retrieving. If you are willing to spend a bit more, go with the Stradic FJ. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 Shimanos Smooth, excellent line management, never a wind knot, good drag performance. Bearings corrode, bails get floppy, shortage of parts, lackluster customer service. Get a Pflueger president for less money for years of dependable service. 2 Quote
Super User F14A-B Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 Shimanos Smooth, excellent line management, never a wind knot, good drag performance. Bearings corrode, bails get floppy, shortage of parts, lackluster customer service. Get a Pflueger president for less money for years of dependable service. Lots of metals corrode in a saltwater environment. As far as freshwater use, I've never lost a bearing as a result of corrosion failure. I would second the Plueger as a inexspensive option, not a very refined reel, not great on line management, but it's a solid option. Quote
Penguino Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Pluefger Supreme is your best option under 100$. From what I have heard, the new symetres are not as good as the older models. 2 Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 Lots of metals corrode in a saltwater environment. As far as freshwater use, I've never lost a bearing as a result of corrosion failure. I would second the Plueger as a inexspensive option, not a very refined reel, not great on line management, but it's a solid option. When a company markets their product as "saltwater approved" and the parts can corrode more than the competition's, that's when the reel should be made more durable or remove "approved" status. 1 Quote
Super User F14A-B Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 When a company markets their product as "saltwater approved" and the parts can corrode more than the competition's, that's when the reel should be made more durable or remove "approved" status.I know where your going with this.. Let me first say, I don't disagree with you on the point of "saltwater approved" issue, but I still have not seen any issues of freshwater fail rates on bearings due to corrosion.like I said, lots of metals corrode in a saltwater environment. Sounds like wrong tool, wrong enviroment. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 21, 2015 Super User Posted March 21, 2015 Bail wires or assemblies having to be replaced (2 times each on 2 reels) should have nothing to do with species or being used in saltwater. They get loose IMO because of the quality of the workmanship. Do we not close the bails by hand? Parts not being available has nothing to do with saltwater, or the occasional poor performance of customer service. Shimano certainly is an acceptable reel in freshwater. There good reels but I don't elevate them to star status. Quote
Penguino Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Bail wires or assemblies having to be replaced (2 times each on 2 reels) should have nothing to do with species or being used in saltwater. They get loose IMO because of the quality of the workmanship. Do we not close the bails by hand? Parts not being available has nothing to do with saltwater, or the occasional poor performance of customer service. Shimano certainly is an acceptable reel in freshwater. There good reels but I don't elevate them to star status. Shimano reels have also got cheaper.. The new under 100$ reels are all made of graphite. Like the Symetre, Sahara and under. If you are going to buy a shimano reel, then just go with the Stradic FI. Graphite spinning reels are pretty notorious for flexing under big fish. Quote
Sherlock 60 Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Love my older Symetres. I have 3 FH models. Absolutely adore my two Stradic FJs. Save up and get the Stradic. Never had a problem with any of them. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 22, 2015 Super User Posted March 22, 2015 Shimano reels have also got cheaper.. The new under 100$ reels are all made of graphite. Like the Symetre, Sahara and under. If you are going to buy a shimano reel, then just go with the Stradic FI. Graphite spinning reels are pretty notorious for flexing under big fish. It's hard to get much cheaper for a decent reel than a Pflueger trion, mine is 8-10 years smoother than silk and as ul it has caught dozens of bass 22" and over with out flexing. Shimano does make some very fine products, stellas are very good, but one expect that when spending over $600. Their high end and mid range conventional reels are very good performers, even the TLD which is a graphite reel is a solid workhorse. A spheros is in the same price range as a stradic, built pretty tough, too bad no more 3-4000 are made. Stradic and above are good reels, below I feel competition gives me more bang for my buck. Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted March 22, 2015 Super User Posted March 22, 2015 I have several Saharas & Symetres that have been in service for many years now. Fine workhorse reels. No doubt. However, as of late Shimano has increased considerably in cost ($20.00 across the board) and the newer ones don't appear to be as smooth as the older models. Maybe it's just me. In any case, I've been trying out new Pfluegers as of late, now having the President and Trion. We'll see, over the next several years, if this was a good switch or not. They certainly "feel" smoother than the Shimanos. Just not sure if they can hold up as well. Definitely worth your look-see. Quote
Penguino Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 In the under 100$ price range, essentially, Pluefger spinning reels are the best you will get. Quote
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