Ranger185 Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 I am (should say was) the proud owner of over 27 various Shimano reels most of them are bait casters and some spinning. I had a drag issue with a Curado CU-200 so I sent it back to Shimano and after a month or so, they sent it back saying they could not help because they no longer made parts for that reel, in fact I was told that anything over 5 years old they do not keep parts for. I have always for the last 20+ years bought Shimano because they were a very good piece of equipment (although pricey) AND the service was impeccable even to the point where I sent back a very early model bantam for repair and they sent me a refurbished reel in its place due to the age and they no longer produced the reel. I went to their Fish Shimano Face Book page and I was astonished by the anglers experiencing beyond horrible service from Shimano. Does anyone know what is going on with them, other than the note I received with my reel I cannot get them to respond at all! Just curious if any of you are having similar issues with Shimano.
Troy85 Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 I've never used Shimano to have my reels repaired so I'm not sure. Seeing as you also live close to New Orleans, I usually get my Shimano reels services at Professional Sporting goods.
Kevinator1 Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 59 minutes ago, Ranger185 said: I am (should say was) the proud owner of over 27 various Shimano reels most of them are bait casters and some spinning. I had a drag issue with a Curado CU-200 so I sent it back to Shimano and after a month or so, they sent it back saying they could not help because they no longer made parts for that reel, in fact I was told that anything over 5 years old they do not keep parts for. I have always for the last 20+ years bought Shimano because they were a very good piece of equipment (although pricey) AND the service was impeccable even to the point where I sent back a very early model bantam for repair and they sent me a refurbished reel in its place due to the age and they no longer produced the reel. I went to their Fish Shimano Face Book page and I was astonished by the anglers experiencing beyond horrible service from Shimano. Does anyone know what is going on with them, other than the note I received with my reel I cannot get them to respond at all! Just curious if any of you are having similar issues with Shimano. Yes....manufacturers don't keep parts on hand for very long but usually you can find other parts that may work for your reel....There are companies that make carbon fiber drag disks that can be used in your Curado. Other parts of the reel will have some common parts with other reels but there are some parts that you may not be able to find that are unique to that reel. It does suck sometimes when you can't get parts but i suppose it's very expensive for reel companies to keep a huge stock of spare parts on hand for years that may not get used. Plus....just like cars...they like it when they can't be fixed so you have to buy another one.....it's all about the money.
Super User WRB Posted January 13, 2018 Super User Posted January 13, 2018 Dan Isaac, Reel-Ex is a Shimano reel specialist and suggest you contact Dan. Tom
Ranger185 Posted January 13, 2018 Author Posted January 13, 2018 2 hours ago, Troy1985s said: I've never used Shimano to have my reels repaired so I'm not sure. Seeing as you also live close to New Orleans, I usually get my Shimano reels services at Professional Sporting goods. I am going to bring it to Professional, I spoke with them Friday, they told me depending on the parts they MIGHT be able to fix it.
Falkus Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 I would buy some carbon drag from Smooth Drags. Google --> smoothdrag * I also buy some reels from ebay to convert them to parts. For me, It tend to be cheaper than going to them since I do the maintenance myself to kill the winter time. 1
Super User Sam Posted January 14, 2018 Super User Posted January 14, 2018 Ranger, a few years ago I had one of my Shimano's serviced by Wayne Knabe of Powhatan, Virginia. Wayne told me that he could not get Shimano parts for older reels but he had a source for off-market parts. He got the part and so far, after two years, the reel is working great. You need to find someone who can get off-market parts or has older Shimano reels they can cannibalize for parts. Or contact Delaware Tackle on the Forum and send the reel to them if they can help you.
Super User MassYak85 Posted January 14, 2018 Super User Posted January 14, 2018 Do you know which part exactly you need to replace? If it's just the drag stack you should be able to find aftermarket parts rather easily.
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 14, 2018 Super User Posted January 14, 2018 http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/ Give Mike a call, I'm pretty sure he can take care of it for you. -Kent
OnthePotomac Posted January 14, 2018 Posted January 14, 2018 I have never needed on of my reels repaired, but there have been instances where I need extra simple items like screws and they sent them at no charge.
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 14, 2018 Posted January 14, 2018 There are parts distributors that have inventory after they go out of production. It doesn't take a specialist just a little leg work. Let me know if you need help.
Ranger185 Posted January 17, 2018 Author Posted January 17, 2018 Thank you all for the responses but I brought my reel to Professional Sports Shop here in New Orleans and the first thing I have to admit is I made an absolute rookie mistake, however it proves even further that Shimano's Service department is non-existent and I am going to let them know. Turns out there wasn't a d**n thing wrong with the drag or any other part on the reel.....yes you guessed it, the power pro line was slipping on the reel (I had no backing)! Now in my defense, the line has been on the reel for well over a year and I have used it on many occasions with no issues. Now, if that doesn't show you that Shimano didn't even look at the reel, all they did was opened he box, decided that they did not have any parts for it put a cute little Shimano sticker on it and sent it back with a letter stating that they could not fix the reel because they didn't have "the parts" to fix it. What parts, there were no parts to be fixed, there was nothing wrong with the reel. A reputable company would have at least taken the time to look at it and at minimum tell me what was wrong with it, even if they didn't have the parts. Say what you want but they have lost any and all respect I have for Shimano and I cannot wait until the next Sportsman show where there is always a Shimano rep hawking their gear and I am going to let him or her know exactly what I think of Shimano.
Super User islandbass Posted January 17, 2018 Super User Posted January 17, 2018 That sucks. I’d have to place blame on the lazy employee. However, if it were me and I was a mechanical whiz, based on your description of the problem, I would have checked that or asked if you had a backing. I’d let them know about your experience. Bet they’d correct that really quick and might even show you sign of gratitude.
Super User fishballer06 Posted January 17, 2018 Super User Posted January 17, 2018 13 hours ago, Ranger185 said: Say what you want but they have lost any and all respect I have for Shimano and I cannot wait until the next Sportsman show where there is always a Shimano rep hawking their gear and I am going to let him or her know exactly what I think of Shimano. I'm sorry you feel that way. Let me know if I'm understanding this all correctly. 1. It sounds like you sent an old discontinued reel into them. 2. Shimano saw it was a reel that they no longer had parts for. 3. Shimano decided to just send it back to you (at no charge) rather than bother ripping it apart, knowing they wouldn't be able to replace anything if it was needed. 4. You got your reel back and took it to another shop and found out that you made a rookie mistake with using braided line. 5. You're mad at Shimano and you're going to bad mouth them online and harass their representatives at trade shows because they wouldn't service an old reel that they no longer carry parts for. If this is correct, it sounds like you're getting mad at a company that has designed many high quality reels that you have enjoyed for many years and now you're mad that at them that its difficult to get replacement parts for your discontinued reels. 3
Super User A-Jay Posted January 17, 2018 Super User Posted January 17, 2018 14 hours ago, Ranger185 said: Thank you all for the responses but I brought my reel to Professional Sports Shop here in New Orleans and the first thing I have to admit is I made an absolute rookie mistake, however it proves even further that Shimano's Service department is non-existent and I am going to let them know. Turns out there wasn't a d**n thing wrong with the drag or any other part on the reel.....yes you guessed it, the power pro line was slipping on the reel (I had no backing)! Now in my defense, the line has been on the reel for well over a year and I have used it on many occasions with no issues. Now, if that doesn't show you that Shimano didn't even look at the reel, all they did was opened he box, decided that they did not have any parts for it put a cute little Shimano sticker on it and sent it back with a letter stating that they could not fix the reel because they didn't have "the parts" to fix it. What parts, there were no parts to be fixed, there was nothing wrong with the reel. A reputable company would have at least taken the time to look at it and at minimum tell me what was wrong with it, even if they didn't have the parts. Say what you want but they have lost any and all respect I have for Shimano and I cannot wait until the next Sportsman show where there is always a Shimano rep hawking their gear and I am going to let him or her know exactly what I think of Shimano. IMO - You're off base and Life's too short ~ Good that you learned how to properly spool your reel though. A-Jay
Super User J Francho Posted January 17, 2018 Super User Posted January 17, 2018 You need a drag washer? Smooth Drags has replacement Carbontex washers that are better than the stock Dartanium. What many don't realize, Shimano USA has to order and pay for the parts inventory they maintain. It would be too expensive to maintain support for reels more than 5 years old, though sometimes I've found they have the parts. In my travels as a reel tech, I've often found is easier, and less expensive to locate a "donor reel" for parts. Rather than pout and trash a company (actually this is forbidden by our forum rules!) , perhaps try yo get creative in finding a solution, or try asking for help here. There's 65,000 members, sure one or two have faced the same issue. All those potential solutions and explanations aside, I challenge you to not take the same issue with any other manufacturer. You will be disappointed in them all if that is your expectation. For the meantime, we're done here. We are not an avenue to complain about manufacturers. We offer solutions, not a place air your grievances. Festivus is over, and so is this thread.
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