Sougayilang

[Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth]

Has anyone tried out those sougayilang reels? I've seen videos of them falling apart. On amazon they look like Chinese crap. They also oddly have decent reviews on their products. I am not buying one or plan to i just want to know if their Chinese junk or are just unpopular and overlooked, thanks and tight lines.

 

[Dens228]

I trust Amazon reviews..............

Ummm, not at all...........

[jimmyjoe]

   If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck .........it's a duck.    jj

[Russ E]

More than likely of the same quality as other plastic reels. Like Kast king and piscifun. Functional for occasional use, but not built to last.

 

[J Francho]

6 hours ago, Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth said:

They also oddly have decent reviews on their products.

First time online shopping?

[MAN]

Sorry but I do not believe you have stumbled across a hidden gem with these reels. 

[Brett's_daddy]

I actually think Kast King makes some decent products so I don't know if including them in the same group as these reels is fair. Kast King has excellent customer service too!

[Michigander]

Keep walking.

[Dens228]

36 minutes ago, Michigander said:

Keep walking.

I wonder if OP will be back...........

[Hawkeye21]

6 hours ago, Russ E said:

More than likely of the same quality as other plastic reels. Like Kast king and piscifun. Functional for occasional use, but not built to last.

 

I'm not sure I'd put all of KastKing and Piscifun's product in the same category with them.  They're actually pretty good for their price.

[Russ E]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I'm not sure I'd put all of KastKing and Piscifun's product in the same category with them.  They're actually pretty good for their price.

For their price.  is the key statement. 

If you fish occasionally they are fine. 

At one time I had 8 kast king combos. I know own zero.

They worked fine for the first year. After that bails broke, gears wore out, rods snapped fighting fish, etc.

I fish around 120 days a year. They did not holdup to constant use.

 

[Lead Head]

Amazon reviews... ugh.

Click on 1 star reviews and look for multiple complaints about the same issues. This is usually the truth about what your looking at on Amazon. 

[Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth]

On 1/25/2021 at 6:21 AM, J Francho said:

First time online shopping?

No i just was looking on amazon and keep finding these reels. Im always on tackle warehouse. mostly im looking for a price drop on the tatula ct

On 1/25/2021 at 4:48 AM, Dens228 said:

I trust Amazon reviews..............

Ummm, not at all...........

I dont either thats why i never order off of amazon i usually buy gear at my local tackle store

[new2BC4bass]

3 hours ago, Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth said:

No i just was looking on amazon and keep finding these reels. Im always on tackle warehouse. mostly im looking for a price drop on the tatula ct

I dont either thats why i never order off of amazon i usually buy gear at my local tackle store

I like supporting local stores as long as the prices aren't too much higher.  Problem is there are none unless you count Dick's Sporting Goods.  I'd prefer a small mom-and-pop store.

 

I've bought a few reels and a couple rods off Amazon.  I just never bother reading the reviews there anymore.  The reviews are pretty much worthless.  I'm sure there are a few honest ones, but how do you tell which ones? 

[bulldog1935]

If you check the thread about the differences between $200 and $400 reels, the exact opposite is true about $20-30 reels.  

They don't have a big investment in design/manufacturing/tooling.  They don't have skilled labor.  They use the cheapest possible materials and manufacturing techniques.  They've built a reel with the function and smoothness to impress you to buy it, and hopefully the durability to last until you get out of the store.  

 

Keep in mind a spinning reel is the most complicated mechanism of any fishing tackle.  The loads on shafts, gears and bearings/bushings are magnified by long and offset levers - the spindle, the rotor - even the handle.  This is why we fished through the very best of them when we were young - the people making them didn't quite understand what was involved - they're getting better with computer design.  

 

You should set a realistic entry level target price for yourself, then review something like TackleAdvisors $100 reel shoot-out, so you can pick between design features, strong and weak points, that make sense in how you plan to use the reel.  

 

[Dens228]

5 hours ago, Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth said:

No i just was looking on amazon and keep finding these reels. Im always on tackle warehouse. mostly im looking for a price drop on the tatula ct

I dont either thats why i never order off of amazon i usually buy gear at my local tackle store

I order from Amazon, just not off brand stuff that I've never touched in person. 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

They don't have a big investment in design/manufacturing/tooling.

Actually, they've spread that considerable investment across many price points, offering a range of products varying in quality and tolerance of components.  A $150 reel uses the same basic form factor as a $20 reel.

 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

They don't have skilled labor.

They do, they just don't need as much and don't need to pay them as much.  Like you said, computers automate many of the steps.

 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

They use the cheapest possible materials and manufacturing techniques.

Yes, every manufacturer does this.  Spend the least to deliver a product that meets specific targets.

 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

Keep in mind a spinning reel is the most complicated mechanism of any fishing tackle.

Assembly (and disassembly) might be complicated, but this hasn't changed in over 30 years.  Baitcasters are virtually the same for even longer.  Seems like there is more complexity in lure design than anything I've seen in a spinning reel.

 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

The loads on shafts, gears and bearings/bushings are magnified by long and offset levers - the spindle, the rotor - even the handle.  This is why we fished through the very best of them when we were young - the people making them didn't quite understand what was involved - they're getting better with computer design.

Most of this was solved with better automated cutting of crown and pinion gears.  Once the switch from a worm gear to this set up, that torque issue went away.  It's the very gear application that allowed use of composite frame materials.  CAD has been around for almost 50 years, and has been evolving the whole time.  It's not like 1995 happened and suddenly reel resigners went from paper and physical prototypes to digital modeling.

 

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

review something like TackleAdvisors $100 reel shoot-out

He's wrong about certain aspects at least half the time.  Often it's bit of embellishment in order to get more clicks and views.  It's good to watch him break a reel down to just individual parts - he's skilled there.  I enjoy watching it once in a while with the volume off.  

I wish there was a site where they just break the reel down, without the commentary - stick to the task.  Every single one bolts it in to some sort of self serving outcome. You can point the same criticism at me, since I received the reels for free.  But, had I not been given the reels, you wouldn't get the article because I'm not buying them.  In case you're interested, here's a comparison between a top of the line hand tuned reel, and an entry level reel, from seven years ago.  Both are in use to this day.  I'm not super fond of the inexpensive reel, but it has functioned well as a general purpose reel for spinnerbaits, traps, and other moving baits.  It's still smooth.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/reel-review.html

 

On 1/25/2021 at 9:21 AM, J Francho said:

First time online shopping?

 

6 hours ago, Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth said:

No i just was looking on amazon and keep finding these reels. Im always on tackle warehouse. mostly im looking for a price drop on the tatula ct

I was teasing a bit about the reliability of online reviews.  Most are shills, or people that immediately type words in the boxes after getting the box they ordered.

 

As always, you will get better data from here, where someone actually ordered and used the thing for a time.  The truth is, any company that's been around for a while isn't out to sell junk - they get rooted out fast.  The one's in it for a quick buck are easy to spot.  Next year they are selling something else that is trending.

 

That Tatula you are looking at is a solid deal at that price.  Sales are always nice.

[newapti5]

Trust me as a Chinese angler:  Don't do it!

"Made in China" and "Brands from China" are two different things. A lot of high-end products I own are made in China, no complaints at all.  But regarding Chinese brands of fishing reels, I haven't found any worth mentioning so far.  It is a sad yet real fact. 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, newapti5 said:

"Made in China" and "Brands from China" are two different things.

Same factories produce both.

[JustJames]

40 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Same factories produce both.

Might be but for sure not the same production line.

Let look at the worst scenario, name brand let’s call it “Shimano” Cheap Chinese brand let’ call it “KastingKing” both come out from same factory. Do you really think they just slab KastingKing sticker on one reel then shimano so on and so forth.

The factory or the line that assembly KastingKing might get a cheapest parts, test if it fit then put on assembly line. While Shimano also try to get the part as cheap as possible but also do more test for durable/longevity, tolerance before putting those parts into assembly line. Then might do more test again as A grade that will ship out to authorize dealer and B grade that floating around on eBay for cheaper price. 
 

 

 

 

[J Francho]

After going through the prototyping and sampling phase of developing a line of spinning reels to import and sell on Amazon, I can verify that yes, they come off the same line.  You can change the parts to specs that you pay for.  They don't care what name you put on it - in fact, the factory that makes the reel often isn't the same place that screens the name.  Packaging is made elsewhere, and putting the product in the package is often yet another place.

[J Francho]

That's similar to the manufacturing model used by Saint Croix with facilities in the US and Mexico.  I don't think that's the case with the company being referenced, or many other brands.  The only one I know of that is close is Shimano, but they own and operate all their facilities in other countries.  That's different than producing private label goods.  I don't think these facilities are producing reels for anyone else.  Daiwa has someone in China producing a few reels, but I'm not sure what their arrangement is.  You can do a little searching and buy a reel that is amazingly similar to other big name brands, but have any number of names on the side. 

[JustJames]

So you are comparing a cheap Chinese brand name to a cheap Chinese no name. Lol

 

[J Francho]

Your boy just got three cents for you posting his video.  Seems about right.  Are there any videos where he talks crap about reels in his influencer's page on Amazon, lol.

[optimator]

I'm pretty much at the point where if it isn't a Daiwa or Shimano I don't even give it a passing glance.