Reliability of mid range (<$200) baitcasters

[RAM3139]

What does everyone think is a realistic expectation for reliability for mid-range baitcaster.  For the sake of discussion, lets say it was used 1-2 days a week and had yearly maintenance done.  How long in your experience would a reel last before something needed to be repaired?  Obviously you can always get really lucky or unlucky, but on average.

 

Along the same lines, is there a model that is known for being very reliable?  I have a round abu that hasn't had a single problem and I'm sure will outlast me, but are there any newish low profile reels that are similar?

 

 

[redmeansdistortion]

In the $100 to $200 range you will find what are known as workhorse reels.  Very reliable but without some of the features of their higher end counterparts.  Reels like the Shimano SLX and Daiwa Fuego CT are some of the more well known and recommended models.  I've had a pair of Fuego CTs for a bit now and they perform well any time I'm on the water.  With routine maintenance these reels will last many years.

[UNC1078]

Tatula is in that price range.  Long term reliability should be just as good as the upper end reels as long as you are in freshwater, imo. The more expensive reels have more technology, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will last longer.  Just my opinion.

[ironbjorn]

If you can't get a good, reliable reel for $100-$200, the industry is broken.

 

Hint: you actually can, easily. There are so many amazing reels out there in that price range. I feel like you're talking a completely different language than a vast majority of bass anglers.

[garroyo130]

You mentioned an ABU so it sounds like longevity is your MAIN concern. If that's the case then go tried and proven and get a couple of Curado B's which will probably outlive your grandchildren.

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, redmeansdistortion said:

In the $100 to $200 range you will find what are known as workhorse reels.  Very reliable but without some of the features of their higher end counterparts.  Reels like the Shimano SLX and Daiwa Fuego CT are some of the more well known and recommended models.  I've had a pair of Fuego CTs for a bit now and they perform well any time I'm on the water.  With routine maintenance these reels will last many years.

I got a Fuego CT on the recommendation of several members. It was gear-noisy right out of the box. Someone recommended I lube it because theirs came bone dry. I did but it didn't help much, if any. But I can't really complain because it seems to be working fine.

 

OP: I bought a Lews LFS Tournament MB reel a while back for about $130. I liked it so much I bought two more later. I've now been using them 4-5 years without a single issue. I expect reels over $100 to last longer than 1-2 years and I'm disappointed when they don't.

[WRB]

If you take reasonable care of your reels they last longer then you want them. My average reel lasts about 20 years before something comes along that peaks my interest.

Example would be Garcia Abu Swedish made Ambassador 2500C, 4500C and 5000C I used about 20 years until Shimano and Daiwa came out with lighter weight with instant anti reverse and fast light weight spools, game changers.

My Daiwa TD HiA and Shimano Calcutta reels were another 20 years. 

Daiwa came out with Tatula R100’s w/ 8:1 ratio so I now use those since 2010 they will be my last set of bait casters.

When Abu started making reels in China I turned that card over.

My spinning reels are Shimano Stradic since about 25 years now and still using them.

Sold all my tackle last year except the 3 Daiwa Tatula and 2 Shimano Stradic reels.

Take good care of your tackle and it will perform for you.

Tom

 

[Kenny Yi]

Shimano SLX (all variants)

Shimano Curado (all variants)

Lew's Speed Spool LFS ($99 and similar variants)

I can't speak on the Daiwa reels, but BR members give high praise for their reliability. 

 

I would probably buy a reel above $300 just to say I have one (so far, the bait monkey hasn't tempted me yet), all $200 and below reels are perfectly fine for me. 

[FishTank]

The Daiwa Tatula and the Shimano Curado line ups are both two lines of reels that are dependable and for most part durable.   With a yearly cleaning and relube, they should last a long time. 

 

If you want to go to another level,  take look at the Shimano Calcutta.  This reel can take some severe punishment.  

[bulldog1935]

Lew's Super Duty G five years in the salt now - paid $130 new from an ebay discounter. 

I upgraded the spool and spindle bearings with 3 non-shielded HD bearings, so they get oiled after every extended trip.  

For 1/4 oz and up, it out-casts every other reel I fish around it.  

I literally can't remember a backlash except the day I had a one-turn wrap on the rod tip, and retired it for my spare reel.  

 

It came back fishing 20-lb Sufix 832 braid over Mason big mono backing, and I've enjoyed it even more.  

 

The design and parts manufacturing between mid-range and flagship reels are pretty much the same.  What you pay for in the high dollar reels are expensive materials - magnesium and titanium - and greater manual attention in assembling the reels - parts pairing for extra smoothness.  

[Big Hands]

On 5/21/2021 at 9:07 AM, WRB said:

If you take reasonable care of your reels they last longer then you want them.

Having been into fishing for as long as I have, this is the bottom line for me.

 

Take reasonable care of a mid-tier reel, and it should last long enough that you'll have good reason to invest in a new reel that will work much better for you by the time it's ready to retire.

 

I have found $100 baitcasters that work fairly well, but the $150 to $200 models are worth the premium if I fish often. If I only fished once a month or less, I think the $100 baitcasters would work just fine, and would probably not be a major limiting factor in my success.

 

 

[MAN]

1-3 years..based on a survey we conducted. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I have a buddy that is still using the Curado d series reels he bought from me. I bout them around 06 or so and they are still getting it done.

[Manifestgtr]

On 5/21/2021 at 1:31 PM, BaitFinesse said:

I am of the belief that there is no such thing as "reliability" that's a made word for Karens who do zero maintenance and drive their cars until they break or trade in for a new model in a perpetual debt cycle.  A "reliable" car is one that requires very little preventative maintenance or has long intervals between preventative maintenance.  In fishing reel I'm looking for something with no major design flaws and parts are readily available and will be for many years later.  Pretty much any platform that has been in use for a number of years from a major manufacturer (Daiwa, Doyo, Shimano ect) will serve you well. 

 

Agreed...modern manufacturing and machining tolerances have gotten tight enough that a “good” reel isn’t necessarily expensive anymore. There are sub $100 reels on the market that are perfectly usable...slx, fuego, etc. I look for serviceability and the easy purchase of parts. Even if it means importing them...that’s ok as long as I love the reel. 
 

OP, don’t worry about price *quite* so much. If you get a reel from a legacy manufacturer that appeals to you, with good “word on the street” (from trusted sources, like the folks here), chances are, you’ll have it for many years. I have a Scorpion XT1000 that’s well over a decade old and it gets better in my hands every day. 

[GreenPig]

70% of my 60 something reels are 100 - $200 older Abu's and Shimano's and I haven't managed to wear out any fishing them 1 - 5 times a week. Many are over 10 years old and working fine with an annual deep clean/service and a few drops on the bearings occasionally.  I do have some Daiwa's and few Lew's in that price range but haven't been in rotation as long so we'll see, but I'm sure they'll last also. I've polished and swapped some bearings not out of necessity but just to experiment. 

[cdlittle]

On 5/21/2021 at 9:41 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

In the $100 to $200 range you will find what are known as workhorse reels.  Very reliable but without some of the features of their higher end counterparts.  Reels like the Shimano SLX and Daiwa Fuego CT are some of the more well known and recommended models.  I've had a pair of Fuego CTs for a bit now and they perform well any time I'm on the water.  With routine maintenance these reels will last many years.

 

I currently own 7 Fuego CT's and all are flawless and dependable.

[redmeansdistortion]

25 minutes ago, cdlittle said:

 

I currently own 7 Fuego CT's and all are flawless and dependable.

I have a couple of them and they're my general purpose reels for steelhead, bass, pike, and walleye.  A couple of years ago they could be found for well under $100.  I paid $60 for one and $70 for the other, both brand new.  That's a lot of reel for the money.

[cdlittle]

26 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

I have a couple of them and they're my general purpose reels for steelhead, bass, pike, and walleye.  A couple of years ago they could be found for well under $100.  I paid $60 for one and $70 for the other, both brand new.  That's a lot of reel for the money.

 

That's why I have an unreasonable amount of them. I haven't paid over $85 for a single one and there's no reel that even comes close for that price.

[BrianMDTX]

5 minutes ago, cdlittle said:

 

That's why I have an unreasonable amount of them. I haven't paid over $85 for a single one and there's no reel that even comes close for that price.

It’s extremely simple to adjust and it casts like a dream. 

[cdlittle]

2 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

It’s extremely simple to adjust and it casts like a dream. 

 

I need to pick up a reel for my punching rod and I'm having a hard time looking at anything but another Fuego. I want to try something new for kicks and giggles, but I know I won't get the same value per dollar if I do.

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, cdlittle said:

 

I need to pick up a reel for my punching rod and I'm having a hard time looking at anything but another Fuego. I want to try something new for kicks and giggles, but I know I won't get the same value per dollar if I do.

I just bought a Tatula 100H, so I’ll see lol. 

[Junk Fisherman]

I have several reels in that price range that are 15-20 years-old that are still going strong.  I do yearly maintenance and have had to replace a couple bearings but they are all still excellent.  My experience has been that the Daiwa and Shimano reels in that $100-$200 range are very reliable if treated properly.   

[Boomstick]

I would not be concerned with the longevity of any decently made $100 reel. If there's a doubt, most Daiwa and Shimano reels are good.

[bulldog1935]

especially since this is a thread about $200 reels, which offer a good mix of most makers' best technology.