A Question To Shimano Fans

[k3bass]

I love my old curado d's, chronarch d's, and Calais. I've hated every other shimano casting reel I've owned since. I've owned numerous shimano spinning reels and hated all of them but my stradic fj's and ci4+'s. The fj's and ci4's are the only shimano spinning reels that I haven't had binding issues with.

Shimano reels seem to loose their smoothness much faster than other reels, that is when they are actually smooth to begin with. Their customer service has gone from the best to the absolute worst.

[baxtervol]

Shimano has been in the fishing business a long time and you don't make it that long without being quality.

[shaggydog]

chronarch 50e and a lews tp is a draw. I fish both and would hate to part with either one. I think people like say how lews and abu are made in the same korean plant like that makes them worse.  I bought a curado I and returned it the very next day. If you take care of your equipment it last.  Sometimes I fish with a shimano fanboy and when I do I use my abu's. Its fun catching more fish with my inferior equipment while he can stand there holding his stick loving shimano.

[PitchinJigz]

The Ambassadeur guys just hang out on these threads and watch...

You mean the *rare Ambassadeur guy?

Ambassadeurs are good reels, but the old ones are where it's at and the new ones are nowhere near them.

[Carterjig68]

I'm not partial to any brand currently and have not used them all... but so far I like shimano the most. For me, they feel extremely well put together and strong. They are also very versatile and can be found in almost any price range. And from what I've felt, most seem pretty smooth to me.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Just buy the superior, Made in Japan, models by Shimano or Daiwa that Lews Abu cant touch in reliability quality refinement. Leave Lews Abu lower grade less quality gear Korean made stuff for presents to your not so best friends.

[cjam93]

Just buy the superior, Made in Japan, models by Shimano or Daiwa that Lews Abu cant touch in reliability quality refinement. Leave Lews Abu lower grade less quality gear Korean made stuff for presents to your not so best friends.

 

Now Id like to try a JDM I have not handled one of them. I do love Daiwa from what I have seen of them. Where can you go buy jdms I do not know. Thanks!

[iabass8]

Now Id like to try a JDM I have not handled one of them. I do love Daiwa from what I have seen of them. Where can you go buy jdms I do not know. Thanks!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=JDM+fishing+reels

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Im just messing around btw.

 

But the Japan made reels are sold in usa like the chronarchs/curado E series, Chronarch CI4, Metaniums, Daiwa SV, Steeze some others

 

But lower tiered reels like Curado I, and Daiwa Tatula are not Japan made reels they are made in Malaysia and Thailand.

[cjam93]

Im just messing around btw.

 

But the Japan made reels are sold in usa like the chronarchs/curado E series, Chronarch CI4, Metaniums, Daiwa SV, Steeze some others

 

But lower tiered reels like Curado I, and Daiwa Tatula are not Japan made reels they are made in Malaysia and Thailand.

 

 

 

Oh haha ok my fault. I didnt realize those are the jdm ones. I was thinking about giving Shimano another shot though which is why I started this post.

 

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I like my BPS Black Carbonlites, my Quantum EXO and TourMG, and that reel company that has a great "concept" but has an unlucky number.  I have fished with Shimano's, just have moved away and towards something else.  Sorry, please continue and carry on.

 

 

Haha I have two Carbonlites also those two have been going strong for a while now and cast as good as a lot of the reels I own. How do you like that other reel you mentioned? I love the way they feel from handling display models, but I do not know anyone that owns them to see how they work for extended use on the water. Also so many reels now days can be found on the auction site or other websites way lower than they are actually listed for, but that has not proved to be true of that reel from when I have looked for it so I have never pulled the trigger on one.

[gulfcaptain]

Oh haha ok my fault. I didnt realize those are the jdm ones. I was thinking about giving Shimano another shot though which is why I started this post.

 

 

 

Haha I have two Carbonlites also those two have been going strong for a while now and cast as good as a lot of the reels I own. How do you like that other reel you mentioned? I love the way they feel from handling display models, but I do not know anyone that owns them to see how they work for extended use on the water. Also so many reels now days can be found on the auction site or other websites way lower than they are actually listed for, but that has not proved to be true of that reel from when I have looked for it so I have never pulled the trigger on one.

Don't want to hijack this post, I'll send you some feedback on a PM

[JGBassinAL]

chronarch 50e and a lews tp is a draw. I fish both and would hate to part with either one. I think people like say how lews and abu are made in the same korean plant like that makes them worse.  I bought a curado I and returned it the very next day. If you take care of your equipment it last.  Sometimes I fish with a shimano fanboy and when I do I use my abu's. Its fun catching more fish with my inferior equipment while he can stand there holding his stick loving shimano.

 

The information that I gather from most Shimano reel threads is that people who use Shimano reels do not catch near as many fish as people who use other brands. I see someone say something to the effect of the text in bold in almost every Shimano reel thread. I guess I should switch brands????

[bootytrain]

The information that I gather from most Shimano reel threads is that people who use Shimano reels do not catch near as many fish as people who use other brands. I see someone say something to the effect of the text in bold in almost every Shimano reel thread. I guess I should switch brands????

I'm pretty sure he woke up from his dream after that lol

[gulfcaptain]

The information that I gather from most Shimano reel threads is that people who use Shimano reels do not catch near as many fish as people who use other brands. I see someone say something to the effect of the text in bold in almost every Shimano reel thread. I guess I should switch brands????

 

Some guys just know how to use their equipment better then others, and then some guys just fish with people that can't fish because it makes them feel better.....lol  I have buddies that fish Shimano, but their lack of catching has NOTHING to do with the equipment and more to do with their unwilliingness to change presentations.  

[IowaHusker28]

Now I fish with mostly Lews reels because I think they are the best bang for the buck and have had great experiences with them. I also own  Abu's, Quantum's, Shimano's, 1 pro Qualifier and 1 Tatula because I think it is fun to try other brands and I am a sucker for amazing deals. I totally understand the hype of Shimano and if money weren't an Issue, I'd buy nothing but Shimanos (or Steeze's) because they are an amazing reel. I use 2 Curado's to crank with and I abuse them more than any reel in the box, 10xd's to 1.5's yet they continue to preform like new. 

 

I was once told of a story that a customer came into a store and asked why they should buy a Curado that only has 5 bearings rather than a "Insert brand" with 10. (obviously a less educated fisherman but nevertheless) 

He told the customer, Shimano is so exact and precise they only need 5. They can do with 5 what a different company can do with 10.

 

And that right there is a pretty great point. Shimano is a gear, bearing, manufacturing company, they know what they are talking about and looking for when putting a reel together. 

 

A grand following, amazing support, and proven performance. That is all.

[FloridaFishinFool]

 

Shimano is so exact and precise they only need 5. They can do with 5 what a different company can do with 10.

I have also heard shimano reps say something similar, but I will have disagree with this statement. For example, take the shimano stradic FJ series reel. It has 5 bearings, but in the new stradic reels you now find more bearings. Why the change?

 

In my old stradic spinning reel I found a peculiar situation when I opened it up for the first time. On the main drive gear I found only one ball bearing on one side and white plastic cheap bushing on the other side. Odd how that cheap plastic bushing was exactly the same size as the ball bearing on the other side. Coincidence? Hardly. Engineers designed the reel to accommodate ball bearings on BOTH sides of the main drive gear but for some reason it was left out on one side.

 

Can you imagine building cars this way? On an axle to have a ball bearing on one side only and bushings on the other side? It does not make sense, but it does make cents.

 

The whole reason to use a ball bearing is to improve ease of operation and smoothness, but if you use a plastic bushing on the other side it tends to add friction which really defeats the purpose of the ball bearing in the first place. Needless to say it, but that cheap plastic bushing was thrown in the trash can and a ball bearing was installed so that now both sides of the main drive gear had ball bearings exactly as the original engineers designed it.

 

I saw this same thing years ago back in the 1980's with shimano's bantam reels. On the lower priced reels shimano inserted a brass bushing rather than a ball bearing, but the bushing was exactly the same size as the ball bearing so they were interchangeable. While on the more expensive reels they went with ball bearings rather than brass bushings.

 

Shimano was using the bearing/bushing situation as a sales gimmick and nothing more. It was not engineering a better reel WITHOUT bearings. This is not the case.

 

Another issue I have with shimano is they use a single bearing on the rotor of most of their spinning reels. I used some shimano spinning reels for years until they developed a little bit of a wobble. Then I discovered other brands were going to a double ball bearing system in the rotors which is much more stable and solid.

 

To this day shimano has yet to follow suit, and if they have I am not aware of it, but regardless, I use spinning reels now with a double bearing system in the rotor and really like it.

 

I have more than 30 years of experience in repairing and modifying reels and in my opinion less is not always better.

 

For years shimano steadfastly resisted putting ball bearings into their handles. Why? Why did I have to use squeaky handles for years that required oil to help them spin freely? My old stradic had a squeaky no-bearing handle. I want ball bearings in my handles on spinning reels and casting reels. I don't want someone at shimano making this decision for me. It is not up to them. It is up to me the paying customer.

 

Shimano is losing market share percentage today because other companies are going to the extreme to surpass them in many ways. Brand loyalty is gone for the most part. In my opinion shimano did it to themself. They have no one to blame but themself for why people like myself now spend money on other brands to get what we want, not what shimano dictates.

 

---------------------------------------------

 

ADDED- here are some of the shimano bushings they put inside their reels instead of ball bearings. Notice the cheap plastic bushing is the same size as the ball bearings?

 

Do you think shimano is using these to make a better reel?

 

Here is a shimano cheap plastic bushing used where? On a spool shaft! Yeah, that'll really help to increase casting distance! Shimano SPOOL SHAFT BUSHING © P/N BNT0880

 

 

And here is a pair of shimano spinning reel main drive shaft cheap plastic bushings... the same type I found in my stradic! (And replaced with real bearings...)

 

 

Here is a brass bushing used on the spool for a shimano calcutta 50:

 

 

All of these bushings are made the same size as ball bearing sizes. Shimano uses these because they are cheaper than using ball bearings. Gives shimano a higher profit margin for every corner they can cut.

 

The question to ask here is, do these bushings make a better reel? My answer is no. It is clear the original reel designers and engineers intended for ball bearings to be used in these locations and somewhere in the shimano corporate chain they decided to use these cheaper bushings in their cheaper reels and only use more ball bearings in their higher end reels as a sales gimmick.

 

It is clearly not about making a better reel with fewer bearings. These bushings are in my opinion short-changing the paying customer. No other way to look at it in my opinion.

 

So when some shimano rep tries to tell me how many bearings I need- they are full of it! I tell them how many I want since I am the one paying!

[Raul]

The information that I gather from most Shimano reel threads is that people who use Shimano reels do not catch near as many fish as people who use other brands. I see someone say something to the effect of the text in bold in almost every Shimano reel thread. I guess I should switch brands????

Yes you should switch, you don't wanna miss all them fish you can ketch by fishing with other reel brands. I also noticed I catch twice as much fish when fishing with my Daiwas.

[roadwarrior]

Perfect...

 

 

 

[Racerx]

I really don't hold brand loyalty, persay. This carries over to more than just fishing gear (I've been a guitarist for over 35 years, so this topic has come up MANY TIMES).  That said, when I was looking for new reels this year, two brands seemed to shine in my price range:  Shimano and Pfleuger.  I walked away with one of each, and love them both.

[bootytrain]

I have also heard shimano reps say something similar, but I will have disagree with this statement. For example, take the shimano stradic FJ series reel. It has 5 bearings, but in the new stradic reels you now find more bearings. Why the change?

 

In my old stradic spinning reel I found a peculiar situation when I opened it up for the first time. On the main drive gear I found only one ball bearing on one side and white plastic cheap bushing on the other side. Odd how that cheap plastic bushing was exactly the same size as the ball bearing on the other side. Coincidence? Hardly. Engineers designed the reel to accommodate ball bearings on BOTH sides of the main drive gear but for some reason it was left out on one side.

 

Can you imagine building cars this way? On an axle to have a ball bearing on one side only and bushings on the other side? It does not make sense, but it does make cents.

 

The whole reason to use a ball bearing is to improve ease of operation and smoothness, but if you use a plastic bushing on the other side it tends to add friction which really defeats the purpose of the ball bearing in the first place. Needless to say it, but that cheap plastic bushing was thrown in the trash can and a ball bearing was installed so that now both sides of the main drive gear had ball bearings exactly as the original engineers designed it.

 

I saw this same thing years ago back in the 1980's with shimano's bantam reels. On the lower priced reels shimano inserted a brass bushing rather than a ball bearing, but the bushing was exactly the same size as the ball bearing so they were interchangeable. While on the more expensive reels they went with ball bearings rather than brass bushings.

 

Shimano was using the bearing/bushing situation as a sales gimmick and nothing more. It was not engineering a better reel WITHOUT bearings. This is not the case.

 

Another issue I have with shimano is they use a single bearing on the rotor of most of their spinning reels. I used some shimano spinning reels for years until they developed a little bit of a wobble. Then I discovered other brands were going to a double ball bearing system in the rotors which is much more stable and solid.

 

To this day shimano has yet to follow suit, and if they have I am not aware of it, but regardless, I use spinning reels now with a double bearing system in the rotor and really like it.

 

I have more than 30 years of experience in repairing and modifying reels and in my opinion less is not always better.

 

For years shimano steadfastly resisted putting ball bearings into their handles. Why? Why did I have to use squeaky handles for years that required oil to help them spin freely? My old stradic had a squeaky no-bearing handle. I want ball bearings in my handles on spinning reels and casting reels. I don't want someone at shimano making this decision for me. It is not up to them. It is up to me the paying customer.

 

Shimano is losing market share percentage today because other companies are going to the extreme to surpass them in many ways. Brand loyalty is gone for the most part. In my opinion shimano did it to themself. They have no one to blame but themself for why people like myself now spend money on other brands to get what we want, not what shimano dictates.

 

---------------------------------------------

 

ADDED- here are some of the shimano bushings they put inside their reels instead of ball bearings. Notice the cheap plastic bushing is the same size as the ball bearings?

 

Do you think shimano is using these to make a better reel?

 

Here is a shimano cheap plastic bushing used where? On a spool shaft! Yeah, that'll really help to increase casting distance! Shimano SPOOL SHAFT BUSHING © P/N BNT0880

 

 

And here is a pair of shimano spinning reel main drive shaft cheap plastic bushings... the same type I found in my stradic! (And replaced with real bearings...)

 

 

Here is a brass bushing used on the spool for a shimano calcutta 50:

 

 

All of these bushings are made the same size as ball bearing sizes. Shimano uses these because they are cheaper than using ball bearings. Gives shimano a higher profit margin for every corner they can cut.

 

The question to ask here is, do these bushings make a better reel? My answer is no. It is clear the original reel designers and engineers intended for ball bearings to be used in these locations and somewhere in the shimano corporate chain they decided to use these cheaper bushings in their cheaper reels and only use more ball bearings in their higher end reels as a sales gimmick.

 

It is clearly not about making a better reel with fewer bearings. These bushings are in my opinion short-changing the paying customer. No other way to look at it in my opinion.

 

So when some shimano rep tries to tell me how many bearings I need- they are full of it! I tell them how many I want since I am the one paying!

Shimano losing market share? According to whom? There was an article in Bassmaster magazine that stated shimano was the top selling reel brand in 2014.

[FloridaFishinFool]

Shimano losing market share? According to whom? There was an article in Bassmaster magazine that stated shimano was the top selling reel brand in 2014.

Really simple math honestly. You can still be the best selling while also losing market shares, and mark my words it is happening simply going by the numbers.

 

Back in the 1980's when shimano was establishing their reputation just look at the field of other brands that were available back then- it was far fewer than today. Shimano stood out, but those days are over. Today we have many more brands who have come into the market like Okuma for one who has increased their market share recently by 15% each year for 5 years and growing.

 

Okuma can only increase their market share by taking away from others. And they are not alone. Other reel manufacturers have stepped up to the plate and now offer reels of comparable quality and features and people like myself are turning away from shimano for this reason. More choices and better prices. Simple math dictates shimano can not always carve out increasing market shares forever. From what all I can tell they peaked long ago and are now on the decline in market share percentage as many other companies are increasing their market shares. It goes up and down all the time. It is never the same or carved in stone.

 

I based my opinion on my years of experience repairing reels for one where we use to see higher numbers of shimano reels, but today we see just about everything and decreasing numbers of shimano reels- and opinions of them. People are buying other brands. No doubt about it. That alone tells me shimano is losing market shares. They have to be. Simple math dictates it.

 

And if you keep up with the industry, you can review the shimano financial statements to see where their losses are and how shimano tries to minimize those numbers for their share holders by keeping track of their consolidated financial statements reports issued annually, (here is 2013 as an example) and also by keeping track of the World Fishing Equipment Market Report .  They often tell a differing story since shimano pads the numbers for their shareholders. The shimano reports have an agenda while the equipment market reports are not trying to show shareholders favorable numbers. These are just a couple of sources I read up on from time to time to see where the markets are and heading to.

 

From the shimano financial statement report:

 

"Sales from other segments decreased 10.3% from the previous year to 376 million yen and an operating loss of 135 million yen was recorded, following an operating loss of 326 million yen the previous year."

 

Heck shimano is even losing considerable market shares in the bicycle market too: SBS to stop selling Shimano components . Take a read on their reasoning why: ""We have an enormous amount of respect for the quality and engineering of Shimano components, and we have appreciated the opportunity to be a distributor of Shimano in the U.S. market,” said Chris Speyer, managing director of ANA. “Shimano has worked hard to establish a direct-to-dealer distribution network. We appreciate the opportunity that Shimano provided in allowing SBS to be one of the select group of distributors of their products, but in the long term it is clear to us that most dealers will focus their purchasing directly with Shimano. Therefore, based on our focused approach around P&A, we felt it was better to amicably discontinue distribution and focus on brands and categories that will be sustainable for SBS and ANA as a whole.”

 

Translation of this line: "we felt it was better to amicably discontinue distribution and focus on brands and categories that will be sustainable for SBS and ANA as a whole.”

 

Profit margin for shimano dropped meaning shimano's wholesale prices were too high for this distributor to make money distributing shimano so bye shimano! They will focus on cheaper brands that will sustain them in the future with more profit. Sell your own overpriced products shimano!

 

 

 

Bottom line is I added it all up and said "shimano is losing market shares" as my opinion of the overall market situation as I see it and I should have clarified that point, but then again, I also considered it a general given.

 

Do any of you follow the work of Alan Tani? He is a notable reel tech who is good at what he does and I have followed him for years. He has his own website and forum dedicated to reel repairs and modifications and on his site you will find some interesting discussion about shimano and other brands...

 

"PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE" in SHIMANO Reels ???

« on: February 09, 2015, 10:51:36 AM »

 

I was surfing the web and came across a couple of interesting items about SHIMANO reels, up to and including the STELLA, outlining problems that seem to transcend all levels of SHIMANO reels. 

forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?105525-Why-I-Will-Never-Buy-Another-Shimano-Product-Short-Life-Span

 

forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?104471-Stella-6000FA-Repair

I wanted to share this for those considering purchasing SHIMANO reels in the future, as well as current owners . . . Something to take into consideration!

Tight Lines !

---------------------------------

 

Ahh "Planned Obsolescence"... Blame Osram, Phillips and other Light Bulb companies for this term and this act.

I knew years ago when Shimano Australia was headed by the late Mr John Dunphy (RIP), that Shimano prided themselves on having spare parts for 10 years minimum. Daiwa was a issue a couple of years ago where I had a 2005 Daiwa Laguna 2000 spin reel and it needed a new gear set both pinion and drive gear, a couple of eMails thrown around internally at Daiwa and a reply to me saw a new reel land on my doorstep 2 days later (no questions asked).

They, being Daiwa reproduce parts however could take 18 months or more for them to redo parts runs (limited quantities)...

Shimano, well "who knows"... Parts are expensive enough for what they are - I guess they have to keep making money somehow???

I guess its just down to how much does a reel cost to replace these days. Something I constantly tell my people that I service for, a reel worth $130 AUD is only worth servicing twice in its lifetime over maybe 3 years or so depending on use and dunking in water. And just looking after it between service intervals with oiling critical areas.

------------------------------------------------------

 

We are moving to a throw away society more and more. I have found this with lower end reels from all manufacturers not having available parts less than 12 months after being superseded by a new model. And i believe this will start happening with higher end reels sooner rather than later. It is called "Profit Margin". 

--------------------------------------------------------

 

Andrew, Dutchy, and others are right --

Most folks like us would like to be loyal to a manufacturer, and also for that producer of our reels to be loyal to us -- in turn.

However, this Pollyanna approach on our part is not realistic in today's global economy.

The Internet we all love has changed that -- now we can sit in our pajamas -- and order anything we need -- and it will be delivered to our doorstep between 2 and 6 days.

As we have adjusted to this new retail consumer market -- the companies that intend to stay in business, have also changed their old views and methods of interacting with their customers (or they are no longer in business).

They feel they have needed to throw out the ideas such as Loyalty, Support, Longevity of products, Quality, and even Employee Appreciation.

Penn, Daiwa, Shimano, and Okuma -- all have similar stories, nowadays.

History is an interesting teacher --

Penn pioneered a new, less expensive tackle market that persevered for many decades.  Penn's success forced other manufacturers to close down shop -- including Ocean City.

Daiwa flooded the market with literally thousands of various reel models and variations -- and widely different qualities and price ranges.

Shimano saw the success of Penn and Daiwa -- and decided to build both cheap quality and very high quality reels.  They based part of their business model on really taking good care of the consumer, dealer, and repair shop.  In a majority of cases -- when a part was no longer available, a consumer was unhappy, a repair guy complained about certain issues with a reel -- Shimano would just either take care of the issue at no charge, or give the shop or consumer a newer, more advanced reel out of the box.  No questions asked.  Great advertisement -- and this extra effort insured brand loyalty for years to come.

Now comes Okuma on the scene.  They look at Penn, Daiwa, and Shimano -- see what has worked, and what has failed -- and decided to concentrate on building both average and very high quality reels.  Give clients a little extra, increase quality yearly, and earn their place at the table.

But as a consumer, whether we pay $1,300 for a Stella, $120 for a Lethal 100, $70 for a Jigmaster, or $24.99 for a low end Daiwa -- we need to realize that these companies are not going to keep new parts in stock forever.  We will be fortunate to have parts support for 2 or 3 years -- that is the reality as we are brutally honest with ourselves.

When we can buy a printer for less than the replacement ink cartridge, or get a new expensive cell phone new every two years -- how can we expect anything different from the reel manufacturers -- who are using the same business model as every 21st Century company?

Planned obselescence -- it will be interesting to watch.

--------------------------------------------

 

Alan Tani said: i had a conversation with the okuma guys a couple of years ago.  their market share had increased 15% a year for 5 years in a row.  all by listening to their customers.

--------------------------------------------

Good for Okuma.  I'm glad for them.

Penn has really created a customer loyalty marketing plan from the beginning as I see it.  We all have started out with their fairly inexpensive Squidders, Jigmasters, Senators,...on the conventional side, and Penn's silver series spinners.  All very reliable and inexpensive to maintain.  Then we moved up to the International Series and the SS series reels based on our loyalty and our confident reliability from Penn.

Daiwa too had their many planned obsolescence if you look at their line-up but there were some true reels that gained Daiwa's loyalty and trust.  Daiwa's Sealine series from the 900H, 600H,...down to the 27H aluminum framed and side plate reels.  I have not see one of those gears shred yet.  They are real beefy, that's for sure.  And for their Spinners, the Black Gold line of reels.  I still have and use mine from probably 30 years ago.  Strong solid spinner reel that would honestly compete with Penn's SS series growing up in Hawaii.

I think Planned Obsolescence was really created by USA's automobile industry.  At one time, cars were though to be used for 5 years then we would turn in the old car and buy a new one.  Then parts would be available for another 10 years just in case someone kept their car a little longer.  Prior to that, it was common for us Americans to drive a car for 10 years or longer.  They were easy to fix and parts were readily available even though the car was 20+ years old.  The Japanese automotive industry took what us Americans used to do and created a line of cars that lasted easily 300k miles before a rebuild was even considered.  They have created customer loyalty based on this.  Today, car companies cannot just survive on this customer loyalty, so cars too have gone the way of planned obsolescence....

BTW, for Stellas, I have found that if you send Shimano a Stella reel, they will likely charge you the service fee, but parts are usually free.  My friends in Hawaii fish their Stellas very hard for GT.  They have stripped gears almost every year, and for the past 3 years, they have sent their reels in to Shimano and have been getting replacement gears for free.  Granted, if they had to pay $50 or more for a gear set every year, they would not continue to buy Stellas to complete their fishing reel line up...from 10# to 80# braid.  Bling bling...I feel poor just thinking about it.....

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If you listen to general discussion like the above found on Alan Tani's forum, it is clear shimano is throwing their reputation down the drain with overpriced everything! This is why they are losing market shares and why other companies are increasing theirs!

 

I think it is a safe bet to say "my opinion" is more grounded in truth and reality than just a loose opinion of mine thrown around carelessly.

 

***I am having to remove links to post this info here...

[Josh Smith]

FloridaFishinFool: Do you have any idea how many bushings I've replaced with ball bearings?

The reels include Abu Garcia and Quantum.

Bushings are preferred in some applications. For example, I have an Ambassadeur 5500 with bushings. I kept the spool bushings but switched the driveshaft and levelwind to bearings.

Likewise, one I converted might be getting switched back on the spool.

Bearings are largely market driven. Customers think more bearings are better, so they pay more for reels with more bearings which may not necessarily be better.

Bearings need to go in the levelwind if the levelwind doesn't disengage on the cast, on the crankshaft, and either bearings or nylon bushings need to go into the reel handle. Grease the nylon bushings and they work well.

In older Quantum reels, the driveshaft needs bearings replacing the bushing, but that's mostly it unless you're throwing light lures as a habit.

Smooth gears, plastic only where needed, and carbon drags go a longer way to making a better reel than loading up with bearings.

Josh

[FloridaFishinFool]

FloridaFishinFool: Do you have any idea how many bushings I've replaced with ball bearings?

Smooth gears, plastic only where needed, and carbon drags go a longer way to making a better reel than loading up with bearings.

Josh

 

Yes, I have an idea because I have done it for years and years, decades even. I use to actually save the bushings for what I have no idea now. I tossed all of them into the recycle bin long ago.

 

Every time I come across a bushing in any reel of mine, out it comes and ball bearings are installed. No if's, and's, or but's. I want ball bearings, not bushings.

 

I guess the term "better reel" has various interpretations! But I hear ya!

 

My days of having plastic or brass bushings on a baitcast reel spool went out with the 1980's! Never again! But if some people like bushings over bearings it is AOK with me... but I'm not turning back now.

 

You said we pay more for more bearings in more expensive reels which to some degree might be true, but from my perspective I pay more for a shimano reel with fewer ball bearings and less for other brand reels with MORE ball bearings!

 

Most of my baitcast reels have 10 ball bearings. I like it. I want it. And I will not let shimano decide this for me. Not any more. Today shimano reels are about 50% of what I use down from nearly 100% years ago. The reason is simple, other companies are giving me what I want for less while shimano wants to tell me what I need which is less for more $$$$. Today shimano no longer owns my brand loyalty because of what they do. Here is yet another prime example:

 

 

 

The above image is a spool from a shimano calcutta. It clearly shows a very cheap plastic bushing mounted on the spool. This is a money saving cut-corner shimano took. I get less while they keep their prices and profit margin up there, but I, the paying customer are short-changed  by shimano and the reel does not cast as far since this plastic bushing offers the spool friction by NOT spinning with the spool when I cast it. This crappola is NOT allowed on my reels! Ticks me off every time I see this on any brand reel.

 

On all of my calcutta's, I knock out the pin, pull off that cheap plastic bushing and install a ceramic hybrid ball bearing so that all 3 spool bearings are ceramic hybrids. No cheap plastic short-cuts on my calcutta's! Bad shimano!

 

 

But, one of those cheap Korean made Bass Pro reels actually comes from the factory with a stainless steel ball bearing in the same position on the spool where shimano short-cuts with a plastic bushing:

 

 

So why does a $50 Bass Pro reel come factory with 3 stainless steel ball bearings on the spool, but a $250 shimano calcutta has a cheap plastic bushing on the spool?

 

The drive shaft is another place to make a cost saving short cut and shimano knows it and does it.

 

 

And another spot to do it:

 

 

Found another shimano ball bearing shortage with the curado 50e and 51e:

 

[Chance_Taker4]

I agree with the OP. I liked the old green Curado and Citica are great but I did not like the Curado I it cast a mile and was nice to hold but I had a problem with the handle such as yourself. I was told at bass pro that it was a defect with the first Curado I that came out that it should be fixed. But looking at all reels I don't see why the new gen Shimano are priced high I feel you pay for the name. The curado has the same specs as a Revo SX, Less Tournament MB, Diawa Tatula and these reels are cheaper. I'm not a Shimano Hater just can't see and understand why the company is put on a pedestal.

[iabass8]

My 15 Abu Garcia black maxs will outlast all of your shimano and daiwa garbage! Mark my words!