To anyone that owns both the Shimano SLX AND SLX XT reel

[michael1]

I own a Shimano SLX reel. Was out on the boat and had the spool out and was about to put some line on and the reel slipped out of my hands into the drink! Oh well, what can you do but at the time I was pretty hot. Anyway, I am thinking about buying the Shimano SLX XT reel this time around. Two questions, to those who own both how would you compare the two? Worth the extra $30 bucks? Secondly as I mentioned I have the SLX spool still, is it a PERFECT match to the SLX XT spool where I could throw braid on this extra spool and "hot swap" it into the XT reel if I wanted to use different line on the fly, as it were? Or is it a completely different size and style to where they are not interchangeable?

[Manifestgtr]

I’ve been using my xt and mgl a lot lately and was just thinking yesterday how awesome these little things are for the price. 
 

They fit in next to my scorpion and aldebarans which says a lot...

 

I own every model of the slx since they’re so cheap. Don’t regret any of them (yet at least?). Whether or not the infinity is worth an extra $30 is TOTALLY down to what you’re gonna use it for. If you wanna try and throw lighter stuff, it probably is. Jerks, frogs and spinnerbaits? Meh...

[Shimano_1]

I think the xt is a better reel. The braking system is superior and compared to a cple of slx reels I've owned it feels a lil smoother.  I'm sure the bearing under the drive shaft helps this. I sold the slx reels I had. Still have the xt. And yes it looks a lot better too if that matters

[Dumbbassanglr]

I’ve owned all the slx reels except the mgl. XT is DEFINITELY worth the extra money for the adjustability. But the dc is the best although it is slightly bigger and heavier.

[WRB]

Why not replace the lost spool?

Tom

[Hammer 4]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Why not replace the lost spool?

Tom

Tom, I believe the OP still has the spool, he lost the reel over board..

[michael1]

7 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Tom, I believe the OP still has the spool, he lost the reel over board..

Correct. And I'm just asking of those who own both for confirmation that an SLX spool is the exact same size as the XT or not.

[kayaking_kev]

17 hours ago, michael1 said:

Thanks for your input. If you get a chance (and don't mind) would you be willing swap the spool for an SLX and put it in the XT and see if it is a perfect fit and if the spools are identical?

I don't have the regular SLX anymore or I would. I just know the MGL spool fits into the regular SLX from watching REEL TEST on YT do it. I would think if the size 70 spool fits into the 150 of the SLX, that the 150 SLX would work in the XT 150, but I know you want to be sure.

[JustJames]

It is nice to have external fine tune adjustment on SLX XT but not necessity. The mainshaft bearing can be replace pretty cheap on SLX. The difference on both spool that I can see is 4 vs 6 brake blocks on SLX. I treat SLX just like old VBS shimano set it and forget it. I never missed that external adjustment but I only use SLX for lure that 3/8oz and up. 
If 30 bucks is important, which is might that why you asked, I’ll just get regular SLX.

Sometime the less is more. KISS keep it simple.

[michael1]

4 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

It is nice to have external fine tune adjustment on SLX XT but not necessity. The mainshaft bearing can be replace pretty cheap on SLX. The difference on both spool that I can see is 4 vs 6 brake blocks on SLX. I treat SLX just like old VBS shimano set it and forget it. I never missed that external adjustment but I only use SLX for lure that 3/8oz and up. 
If 30 bucks is important, which is might that why you asked, I’ll just get regular SLX.

Sometime the less is more. KISS keep it simple.

Well if the SLX has 4 brake blocks and the XT has 6 that would automatically mean they are not the same, correct? Even if they were the exact same size it may not work properly if I were to put an SLX spool into an XT reel, right?

[JustJames]

XT has 4, regular has 6. Spool possibly the same size. There shouldn’t be any interfere with brake blocks after installed. It might be a good thing that you have more adjustment than 4 brake blocks. OR a bad thing that you have to worry about which setting combinations. 

[TBAG]

On 3/21/2020 at 2:26 AM, kayaking_kev said:

I have the SLX XT, DC, MGL 70, and used to have the regular SLX. The SLX XT is definitely worth the extra money IMO, the external brakes lets you fine tune better, the logo isn't as big on the side plate and looks better IMO.

 

I would check out the Used reels at American Legacy, they have SLX XT's in mint condition for $105, sign up for the newsletter and get 10% off that. I had a SLX XT 7.2.1 and sold it to get a 6.3.1, and I purchased it used from American Legacy for $95 and it looked like it was brand new.

 

The SLX MGL 70 is very nice also if you could go with a smaller spool, it has the external SVS Infinity Brakes like the XT and the logo is Black, instead of Blue. I paid $120 shipped from Asian Portal for mine, and last I checked it went up in price, but only by $4. And since you already have the XT spool, you should be able to interchange them and have that deeper spool when you need it and the MGL spool for finesse fishing.

 

I believe all the spools are interchangeable on the SLX's, except for maybe the DC. I just watched a video today from REEL TEST on youtube when he first received a SLX MGL, and he was comparing to the other SLX's and was able to put the MGL spool into the regular SLX.

 

And, if you're considering paying $130 for a XT, you might want to think about getting the SLX DC from American Legacy. I think they are selling them for $140 Used but in Excellent Condition, but as I said get 10% off that by signing up for the newsletter.

 

At first I kinda liked my XT better than my DC, until I started trying different lures with the DC and fishing in heavy wind lately, and now I'm loving the DC. I haven't fished my MGL yet, so I don't know how it compares to the others, but I like the look of it better. There's very little blue on the MGL.

 

Really wish they had used LH retrieves in stock, that's an awesome deal. 

 

I have a few of the original SLX but would love to try the XT. 

[Joseph Baggs]

On 3/21/2020 at 5:48 PM, Manifestgtr said:

I’ve been using my xt and mgl a lot lately and was just thinking yesterday how awesome these little things are for the price. 
 

They fit in next to my scorpion and aldebarans which says a lot...

 

I own every model of the slx since they’re so cheap. Don’t regret any of them (yet at least?). Whether or not the infinity is worth an extra $30 is TOTALLY down to what you’re gonna use it for. If you wanna try and throw lighter stuff, it probably is. Jerks, frogs and spinnerbaits? Meh...

Between the XT and MGL, which do you think gets better casting distance? I was just about to purchase the XT, but I'm reading good things about the MGL. 

[Deleted account]

On 3/21/2020 at 10:27 PM, WRB said:

Why not replace the lost spool?

Tom

Because it wasn't lost...

[Manifestgtr]

On 3/18/2021 at 1:54 PM, Joseph Baggs said:

Between the XT and MGL, which do you think gets better casting distance? I was just about to purchase the XT, but I'm reading good things about the MGL. 

To be honest, I haven’t noticed a huge difference between the two. The mgl probably casts a bit further and it probably does a bit better with light stuff but it’s not a night and day difference or anything like that 

[Sir Shamsalot]

On 3/18/2021 at 1:54 PM, Joseph Baggs said:

Between the XT and MGL, which do you think gets better casting distance? I was just about to purchase the XT, but I'm reading good things about the MGL. 

From my understanding, the MGL was designed with flipping and pitching in mind hence the slightly higher drag. That's something these little reels are nice for. I'm not certain if there was an improvement on their ipt though. The most versatile of the none DC bunch to me is the XT.