Should I get a DC reel or stick to the normal one?

[jwhiteney]

Hoping someone can help me out a little on this decision.  Birthday is coming up and was thinking of getting a curado and a *** (for crankbaits and for soft plastics).  However then i started looking into the metanium and was thinking maybe i should get my first high end reel.  That led me to finding out about DC reels.  Are DC reels all they are cracked up to be?  I would be using this mostly for soft plastics.  I also found out the metanium DC has a system which is inferior to the 4x8 system.

Do you think I should get a couple lower end reels... a normal metanium... or the metanium DC despite the lack of 4x8.

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

DC reels are not a cure all. IMO the added weight and maintenance are not worth the cost. If you're a tackle enthusiast they are cool from that standpoint. 

[jwhiteney]

19 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

DC reels are not a cure all. IMO the added weight and maintenance are not worth the cost. If you're a tackle enthusiast they are cool from that standpoint. 

It's sounds like I may want to hold off on a DC reel for awhile then.  I do find them cool but the extra maintenance isn't something I want right now.

maybe I'll go into a store so I can hold a metanium. I was looking at the Antares and aldebaran too... But from what I have read, it sounds like the metanium is more all round.

[kickerfish1]

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

DC reels are not a cure all. IMO the added weight and maintenance are not worth the cost. If you're a tackle enthusiast they are cool from that standpoint. 

Mike, could you ellaborate on what you mean by added maintenance costs of DC reels? Assuming you are talking about just regular service work and not the actual DC unit going bad.

[new2BC4bass]

Welcome to the forum.  Looks like you are set on getting a Shimano.  Big Shimano fan club here.  Like them myself although I don't consider myself a fanboy of any specific brand.  You may wonder why your rod selection is asterisked out.  A certain company with a number in its name has been banned from the forum.  We aren't allowed to mention it.

The reels you are asking about are out of my price range so I can't comment on them....other to say i wish I had that kind of money to spend on one reel. 

If you'd like to save a couple hundred $$$ and don't mind another brand, I can make a couple suggestions. Two of my newest reels are a Pinnacle Primmus and an Okuma Helios Air.  The Primmus weighs 5.9 oz. and has a 6.3:1 ratio.  Comes in right hand only.  The Helios Air weighs 5.7 oz. and comes in either RH or LH and has a 7.3:1 gear ratio.

I have been extremely pleased with both.  The Primmus is hand tuned at the factory, and is very smooth right out of the box.  The Air comes with ABEC5 bearings.  Casting distance with both is great.  Needless to say they feel great on a rod at those weights.

[Maico1]

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

DC reels are not a cure all. IMO the added weight and maintenance are not worth the cost. If you're a tackle enthusiast they are cool from that standpoint. 

Just curious what the extra maintenance on a DC reel is ?

[offsidewing]

if I had to do it again, I would have just stuck with the regular Met and used the $400 I spent on a DC for killer spinning setup or another Met and some BFS do-dads.

Right now, if I were you, you could hang onto that $400 and pick up a couple Scorpion 70s/Curado 70s for Bass Fishing.  Or a Scorpion/Curado 70 and a nice rod.

 

I have both a Met and Met DC.  I got the Met DC specifically for fishing on open water in windy conditions (I fish some big lakes in the summer).  I've never fished with the legendary 4x8 DC system, but the Met DC system does a nice job minimizing backlashes with lures that can tumble or fishing in windy conditions.  It is not a magic backlash eliminator.  If you load the rod incorrectly, you will get a backlash.  The fundamentals of bait casting are still required with the Met DC.  Keep in mind, the DC unit doesn't kick in if you're pitching/flipping short distances as the spool RPMs aren't high enough to engage the DC system.

The DC really helps in windy conditions, at the expense of a little bit of distance over the Met.  I like my Met DC and it got a lot of use last season. However, the regular Metanium offers a lot of versatility (different Spools), is a pleasure to cast in it's own right, and is lighter than the DC.

I only reach for the DC over my regular Met if the wind is stronger than a breeze.  In golf terms, having a Met DC is like making the most expensive golf club you own a 4-Wood.  You don't use it a whole lot, but you've very happy when you're using it.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

45 minutes ago, Maico1 said:

Just curious what the extra maintenance on a DC reel is ?

I should have been more clear. The units themselves seem trouble free but I've had several DC Calais from different owners through the shop that were beginning to seize with a light tan, dry film all over the inside . Shimano customer service new nothing of it but that's as far as I've been so far . I have discussed this with another tech that has seen it as well. I only have theory and conjecture as to cause and so far more frequent deep cleanings have kept things working. That's what meant by more maintenance. Sorry for the original lack of clarity. 

[Dypsis]

5 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

  I only have theory and conjecture as to cause and so far more frequent deep cleanings have kept things working. That's what meant by more maintenance. 

More often than once a year - speaking of deep cleaning?

[Maico1]

10 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I should have been more clear. The units themselves seem trouble free but I've had several DC Calais from different owners through the shop that were beginning to seize with a light tan, dry film all over the inside . Shimano customer service new nothing of it but that's as far as I've been so far . I have discussed this with another tech that has seen it as well. I only have theory and conjecture as to cause and so far more frequent deep cleanings have kept things working. That's what meant by more maintenance. Sorry for the original lack of clarity. 

Thanks for the clarification, but beginning to seize makes we wonder what type of maintenance the reels were getting in the first place. I have owned DC reels (12-13 currently) since they first came out in both round and lp profiles and have never had a problem with them.  Only thing extra is taking a swab with alcohol and cleaning the sensor compared to my non DC reels . All of them get completely striped down on a annual basis just like the rest of my reels. Point is don't be afraid of working on them just because they say DC. Shimano did a real good job of keeping them very simple in my opinion.

[jwhiteney]

Thanks for the input.  I'll be sure not to mention that company anymore, I had no idea it was banned.

the maintenance I do on my reels is just putting some grease on that main gear on the inside and then put a drop of oil on each bearing. I do this a couple times a year (not that I have been fishing for very long so unsure if this is the best way long term)... If a DC reel requires more than that, I would rather stay away from it for the time being. Also it seems the 4x8 is the DC system people go for and as it is not in the metanium DC, that is another thing steering me away from DC.

i do quite like shimano, I just find they fit best in my hand of the reels I have tried.  I also live in Canada, so my selection isn't as vast as the selection in the US. 

I guess all three of my original options are still possible, but leaning towards two cheaper reels or the metanium.

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Mishandling was my first instinct first time I saw this. But ruled that out eventually. "More often" depends on use and monitoring condition. My suggestion is biannual to be safe but definitely annual. It's not rust or normal corrosion but a hard dry film that coats the gears, spool shaft, cases etc. all I could think of was a reaction of the lube and moisture to the electric field. I've never seen anything comparable in a non DC model. 

[John G]

1 hour ago, Maico1 said:

Thanks for the clarification, but beginning to seize makes we wonder what type of maintenance the reels were getting in the first place. I have owned DC reels (12-13 currently) since they first came out in both round and lp profiles and have never had a problem with them.  Only thing extra is taking a swab with alcohol and cleaning the sensor compared to my non DC reels . All of them get completely striped down on a annual basis just like the rest of my reels. Point is don't be afraid of working on them just because they say DC. Shimano did a real good job of keeping them very simple in my opinion.

Mike, I wish that you would post your pic of all your DC reels? Those of us around here that appreciate the DC reels really like that pic.

To the original poster, Shimano is coming out with a new Antares DC really soon so you might want to hold off until you see it. 

 

[Maico1]

2 hours ago, jwhiteney said:

Thanks for the input.  I'll be sure not to mention that company anymore, I had no idea it was banned.

the maintenance I do on my reels is just putting some grease on that main gear on the inside and then put a drop of oil on each bearing. I do this a couple times a year (not that I have been fishing for very long so unsure if this is the best way long term)... If a DC reel requires more than that, I would rather stay away from it for the time being. Also it seems the 4x8 is the DC system people go for and as it is not in the metanium DC, that is another thing steering me away from DC.

i do quite like shimano, I just find they fit best in my hand of the reels I have tried.  I also live in Canada, so my selection isn't as vast as the selection in the US. 

I guess all three of my original options are still possible, but leaning towards two cheaper reels or the metanium.

 

 Don't let the fact you live in Canada be a deterrent to purchasing gear, many of us here live in the states and buy directly from across the pond.

[Maico1]

1 hour ago, John G said:

Mike, I wish that you would post your pic of all your DC reels? Those of us around here that appreciate the DC reels really like that pic.

To the original poster, Shimano is coming out with a new Antares DC really soon so you might want to hold off until you see it. 

 

John I will do that, probably not till the end of the week. I need to get an updated picture and they are up at the lake.

[John G]

1 minute ago, Maico1 said:

John I will do that, probably not till the end of the week. I need to get an updated picture and they are are up at the lake.

The pic is worth the wait! LOL

[jwhiteney]

17 hours ago, John G said:

Mike, I wish that you would post your pic of all your DC reels? Those of us around here that appreciate the DC reels really like that pic.

To the original poster, Shimano is coming out with a new Antares DC really soon so you might want to hold off until you see it. 

 

I did hear about the antares DC with the 4x8 system, but it is quite pricey for me.  Even buying from one of the JDM sites, the canadian loonie isn't doing so well right now and I would be adding quite a bit to the cost... as well as if i get dinged for duties. 

[Dwight Hottle]

I have the calais dc & the met dc & conquest dc and the same reels without  dc to compare . The calais dc is top of the line for dc reels. It's only  drawback is overall size & weight if that matters to you. The new antare dc is based on the same platform as the calais but will become the new top line standard I'm sure. As mention by others the dc reels are just plan fun to use and to hear the dc whine. They do make casting into the wind very doable. 

The other dc reel I have is the escence dc. This is the best bang for your bet you buy in a shimano dc. This the reel I would recommend to you. It's around $250 jdm price. I personally like it ever bit as much as the met dc but at a lower price. 

[00 mod]

On 1/19/2016 at 7:51 AM, jwhiteney said:

Hoping someone can help me out a little on this decision.  Birthday is coming up and was thinking of getting a curado and a *** (for crankbaits and for soft plastics).  However then i started looking into the metanium and was thinking maybe i should get my first high end reel.  That led me to finding out about DC reels.  Are DC reels all they are cracked up to be?  I would be using this mostly for soft plastics.  I also found out the metanium DC has a system which is inferior to the 4x8 system.

Do you think I should get a couple lower end reels... a normal metanium... or the metanium DC despite the lack of 4x8.

 

Depends on how long you can wait.........

Jeff

[jwhiteney]

22 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I have the calais dc & the met dc & conquest dc and the same reels without  dc to compare . The calais dc is top of the line for dc reels. It's only  drawback is overall size & weight if that matters to you. The new antare dc is based on the same platform as the calais but will become the new top line standard I'm sure. As mention by others the dc reels are just plan fun to use and to hear the dc whine. They do make casting into the wind very doable. 

The other dc reel I have is the escence dc. This is the best bang for your bet you buy in a shimano dc. This the reel I would recommend to you. It's around $250 jdm price. I personally like it ever bit as much as the met dc but at a lower price. 

I took a look at the exsence. looks nice, the reviews i read on it are very positive.   i have never used a 8:1 gear ratio though... seems fast.  :S

I may bite the bullet and look into the antares dc... i was thinking of going into a store and holding an antares now to see how i like the feel, but from the picture it looks like the antares dc has a different frame. 

[Maico1]

1 hour ago, jwhiteney said:

I took a look at the exsence. looks nice, the reviews i read on it are very positive.   i have never used a 8:1 gear ratio though... seems fast.  :S

I may bite the bullet and look into the antares dc... i was thinking of going into a store and holding an antares now to see how i like the feel, but from the picture it looks like the antares dc has a different frame. 

If you need to look right now , go look at a Calais DC7(4x8) that would get you into the ballpark. However keep in mind the new Antares will be improved all around with less weight. If I were you I would save my money and invest in the 4x8 when it comes to Digital Reels after all it is their FlagShip. 

[bootytrain]

2 hours ago, Maico1 said:

If you need to look right now , go look at a Calais DC7(4x8) that would get you into the ballpark. However keep in mind the new Antares will be improved all around with less weight. If I were you I would save my money and invest in the 4x8 when it comes to Digital Reels after all it is their FlagShip. 

If the reports are correct the new Antares DC will be around 1 oz lighter than the original.