Bearings In Daiwa Aird & Tatula Baitcasting Reels

[chugbug5]

Hello All,


I'm considering my first new baitcasting reel purchase in a long time to replace one of my trusty Daiwa TDHi's.  They've served me well over the years, and are still in great shape but I'd like to try one of the newer styles.  I was considering all the reels in the $150 ~ $200 price range.  But after reading a good review on Tackle Tour (http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwaairdcasting.html), I was considering adding the new Daiwa Aird to my list of prospects since it appeared to have similar specs.

I was adding all the reels to a spreadsheet, and one thing that glared back at me was the difference in the price of the Aird vs the number of bearings it has compaired to other reels of similar price or with similar bearings (both the review and Diawa's website say it has NINE bearings).  Other reels with the same or even less bearings are much more expensive (such as the Tatula which only has 7).  Concurrently, other reels with i the Airds price range have quite a few less bearings.

So since the parts list are available on the Diawa website, I decided to download and review the Aird and Tatula's parts lists to see where all their bearings were and how they compared to each other.  But when I reviewed the Aird parts list, I could only find THREE: one on either side of the level wind (#'s 52 & 66), and one on the right side of the spool shaft (#13).  The review said their were two in each of the knobs, so if they are counting those (which I think would be lame), that's still only SEVEN by my count.  So where are the other TWO?  The Roller bearing was counted separately (the total would be10 if you include it).


After not being able to find all the bearings, I decided to do a similar review of the Tatula's parts list.  I found FIVE out of the seven bearings for that reel.  So are the other two for that reel in the knobs too?


As I said, I haven't look at new reels for quite a while, so I'm not up on how they all count their bearings these days, but to me that kind seems like cheating.  You expect the bearings to be in the REEL not necessarily the handles.  Don't get me wrong, that's a nice feature, but say that's where they are.  No where in the reels online liturature does it say it has bearings in the handles.  Do other reel mfg's count them that way too?  Or is Daiwa trying to put lipstick on a pig by being able to say the Aird has NINE bearings?


Any thought would be appreciated.  Can anyone share where the rest of the bearings are on the Aird.  Is it typical for reel manufactures to include the bearings in the handles?  If so, how are you suppose to know that they're there?  Not everyone posts their parts lists online, AND besides, at least for Daiwa, they don't show the handle bearings in the parts list anyway (the handle is shown as ONE PART).


Thanks in advance for the advise.

Cordially...Chugbug5

[papajoe222]

The other two bearings are likely the spool bearings. One is located in the left side plate and the other on the right side of the spool.

Bearing counts aren't a good indication of either quality, or performance of a reel. They will increase the longevity of a poorly crafted reel, not that Daiwa reels are poorly crafted. Companies will add bearings to the reel knobs AND include them in the bearing count. Some even include the ARB rather than listing it separately.

You can find a Tatula in the $100 range and despite the fact that I don't own one, I would recommend it over the Arid.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

In the grand scheme of things bearings are cheap especially in the volume a reel manufacturer would buy. Bearing count is next to meaningless in evaluating the quality or performance of a reel. Better quality bearings on critical locations are much more important but can't be identified by published specs.

[chugbug5]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for your input. 

 

DVT, I think you're right.  The other bearing I couldn't find looks like it's part of the "Spool Assembly" (part #17).  It's shown in the exploded view, but not listed separately in the parts list.  The spool assembly parts are just grouped as a single line item. 

 

(DVT) You also raise a good point, and one I find hard to understand-- if bearing are so cheap, then why do they still use bushings in places instead of bearings?  The Aird is a very good example-- when I reviewed the parts list, where I expected to find bearings (because of the high bearing count), I found a bushing instead (under the cast control cap-- same as my TDHi's).  One could argue that since it does have a bearing closer to the spool (the one in the spool assembly), a bearing isn't necessary there?  But if that argument was true, then why would the Tatula have a bearing there instead of a similar bushing?

 

If I can't judge them by the bearing count, then what's the best criteria to use to get a good unbiased list of reel to consider?  Not all reels have reviews, or aren't always current.  All that's left is recommendations.  Soooo, what other reels can I consider that would be comparable to the Tatula?  Is the Quantum Energy PT a compoarable reel?  How about the Lew's BB1, or Tour MB?

 

Thanks again for the assistance!

 

Cordially...Chugbug

[J Francho]

Consumers of sub $100 reels consistently base their selection on bearing count. Daiwa has no choice but to add bearings in order to compete. There are four bearings in the handle, two to support the spool, two for the crank shaft and and AR bearing - minus the handle bearings, it's pretty much the same for all Daiwa reels.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'd put the Tatula in the same class as the Citica or maybe Curado, Revo S. I'm not as anti Quantum as some but would shy away from their lower end offerings. Lew's has some good reels but too many versions too similar to one another for me. I can't keep them straight without looking them up. Sub $100 I'd look no further than a BPS Pro Qualifier on sale. I'd guess a bushing is even cheaper than a cheap bearing. 25 cents is a lot when you buy thousands of something. Bushing is often made out to be a dirty word which isn't really fair. It all depends on the application. Once you get over $125 MSRP it's splitting hairs. You'd have to almost try to go wrong among the major brands. It would come down to features, palming comfort and of course the deal. 

[chugbug5]

Thanks for your input Francho!  I understand the issue with basing a decision on bearing count and price alone-- if that's what I was my only criteria, I'd just by the Aird because it's has the most bearing for the price (I was only curious about the Aird because it has the good review).  But I'm also interested in "quality and performance" because I want the reel to hold up as long as my Daiwa TDHi's.   But how do you measure those?

Papapajoe and DVT both stated that should be the bases to judge a decison on, but how do you dertermine that when you can't test out a reel, or even have the option to see and handle it before hand?  Everything I read on the manufacturers website seems to be mostly puffery, or their slant on a specific technology.

Here are the reels in my (serious) contender column:

1. Daiwa Tatula.
2. Daiwa Tatula Type R.
3. Lew's BB1 (the new one).
4. Lew's Tour-MB.
5. Quantum Energy PT.

Can anyone offer any recomendations on any one in partictular?  If so, WHY would you choose that one over any of the others?  Any that I shouldn't consider?    Does anyone consider the Tatula Type R worth the extra cost over the standard version?

 

Thanks again for the assistance!

Cordially...Chugbug

[chugbug5]

Thanks DVT, I didn't see your post until after I added mine and the page refreshed.  Based on your comment (all over $125 are spiltting hairs), it sounds like I could just throw all the names on my list into a hat and pick one and my choice would be the right one.

 

Thanks for taking the time to comment!  I'm still undecided, but I'll feel better about my choice when I decided to take the plunge.

 

Cordially...Chugbug

[madweazl]

Cant add anything to the fight as I'm new to the bait casters but I just picked up a Lew's combo (labeled Tournament SK but is similar/same as the Tournament from what I understand). I reel has a quality feel; nothing is loose or flimsy (9+1 bearing count). Adjustments are firm and make a noticeable difference when changed. No clue how they compare to what you're looking at but perhaps the info is useful given you listed something in the Tournament lineup. 

[rippin-lips]

$90 tatula is my vote. They are solid reels and perform great. The R is the same reel inside.

[tater555]

Tatula gets my vote as well.

[J Francho]

For me, I want an Al frame, simple brakes, preferable Mag-V/Z or regular centrifugal brakes, quiet operation, and it needs to be reasonably light. All the other stuff, clicking this, indexed that, carbon fiber doodads, meh. I can soup up a reelyself just fine, and if it's going to besotted up, it'll be aftermarket parts, not OE parts made too look hipro.

[DocNsanE]

The tackeltour review of the Tatula does a good job of highlighting the differences between the regular and the Type-R from what I can recall. Basically, if you don't need the 8.1:1 gear ratio that you can only get with the Type-R, you are better off with the regular Tatula. The Type-R doesn't offer much in terms of actual performance improvements, you are mostly paying for the cosmetic upgrades.

 

 

Another vote for the Tatula, but I haven't tried any other baitcasters so my opinion isn't worth much. To be honest, you should just go out and try the reels in person to see how they palm. Even better if you can bring along the rod you are planning on using and mount the reels to that rod to see how they balance out for you. Sometimes a heavier reel balances better on a certain rod and gives an overall impression of a lighter combo than a lighter reel would. Other times, the lighter reel really shines.

 

Edit: I personally went with the Tatula because I liked the idea of a magnetic brake system only since I didn't want to have to pop open the side plate to make adjustments (yes, I am THAT lazy). And since I wanted pure mag brakes, I went with a Mag-Z reel since I think it's a brilliant design. The TWS system also appealed to me even though the actual performance gains are a bit of a mystery. Some feel it makes a big difference, others say it makes none.

[Bassfink86]

I have the middle three reels on your list and I really like them all, if I had to pick a favorite it would be the Lew's Tour MB, it palms well, is super smooth, and tunes really quickly.  the bb1 is really good too but I have the 5.4:1 so I only use it for deeper cranks which isn't very often.  I like the Tatula Type-R its fast and smooth, my only problem is that it is a little large for my taste.