Brand loyal with reels?

[Gorris317]

Daiwa and Shimano. Just what I've purchased. Might try other brands in the future if something catches my eye.

 

[Wprich]

I stick with Diawa for casting and Shimano for Spinning.  Used to be a all Pflueger user but once I experience Shimano spinners I could not go back.

[Jrob78]

I use Daiwa and Shimano but Daiwa reels palm better than Shimano for me so I have more Daiwa. I've owned reels from all the major manufacturers but I don't think I will stray from Daiwa and Shimano at this point.

[ska4fun]

3 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Why Shimano hate ? Bad experience ?

 

Extreme build quality decrease since the old E series and even on it's spinning reels. And the extreme fanboysm from some people excusing or denying it.

[Blaine Donders]

I have mostly Abu and Daiwa, with some Quantum and Okuma mixed in now. Every time I think I’m missing something not having a Shimano, I buy one just to end up selling it.

I sold about half of my reels, and kept these. I do wish I would have kept my Concept Z though.

[zell_pop1]

I am not brand loyal I have or have had reels from all the different manufacturers. I do buy Daiwa more than any other brand though. BTW yes Doyo makes some Daiwa reels but I believe just low end stuff like the CA-80.

[soflabasser]

Seems like most members here agree that Shimano makes great reels. One of my Shimano Stradics caught me a +7 foot shark from land. I used this same Shimano Stradic for bass fishing and caught lots of big bass on it. I now have a newer Shimano Stradic that has caught me hundreds of fish, and it still fishes like it is new. For longevity it is hard to beat a Penn Senator that was made in the USA. I got a collection of Penn Senators older than myself, and they still work great.

[Tail Slap]

I try to follow: quality, performance, innovation, and durability where ever it leads.  A brand is just that a name nothing more.  It is the products they produce that give it a value.  The products can always change for better or worse.  No single brand has total dominance even in a single reel type category (spinning, conventional baitcaster lo pro etc...).  Certain model lines absolutely.  Beyond that, certainly not, unless emotion or extreme logistics is a major factor.

[Gera]

I'm only loyal to the Coca-Cola company, everything else is up for grabs. While I do have a preference for Shimano reels, I have no issues with purchasing from other brands. How would I know I don't like Daiwa (and I do like it) if I don't have any of them and use them for an extended period of time?

[waymont]

I only fish Daiwa and Shimano 

[JoeDeal55]

No loyalty for me... yet. Most of my childhood I used hand me down zebcos. Last spring, my passion for bass fishing blossomed and I am slowly building my arsenal. So far I have a cheap Diawa spinning combo from Dunhams and a cheap spinning Shakespeare on an Ugly Stik combo. I enjoy both of them but I have never used any spinning gear of higher quality so I have nothing to compare it to. And for baitcasters I have a Abu Black Max, KastKing Crixus, and a Shimano SLX. Obviously the Shimano is my favorite. Its smoother and casts farther and feels best in my hand. Its the first time Ive noticed an actual upgrade in quality. Its on a completely different level compared to everything else I own. But! Im still learning and I plan to try Daiwa and Lews and Okuma etc. in the same price range as my SLX. Then and only then would I even consider brand loyalty. I feel that I cant be loyal if I dont even try giving a chance to other brands. Honestly, I just want to try everything to see what I like. 

[Revival]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:26 PM, Wprich said:

I stick with Diawa for casting and Shimano for Spinning.  

Same

[Friggs]

I have always been a pretty strong brand loyal person in everything. And in reels I have had a thing for Daiwa reels since I was a little guy drawling over the reel adds in the fishing mags in the 70's+. I have 4 Daiwa spinning reels. Two Regals (2000 & 3000) A Legalis (2500) and a QZ750 ultralight. I have just one Daiwa baitcaster. A Tatula CT. I love them all. When I wanted a new baitcaster I was planning on just getting anther Tatula CT. But even though I like to be brand loyal, I will check out other stuff. I did and got a Dobyns Maverick baitcaster. It's an OK reel. But with Hine sight, I wish I had gotten another Tatula CT. For the $29 more, it is a much better reel in my opinion.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Ive been backed in to being loyal to shimano baitcasters. All the other brand bc reels have been duds including daiwa-sv105,tatsv lews-bb1pro quantum-tour&smoke s3, okuma helios these all have issues that cause me to either return or just not use any longer. Cant keep shelling out money for clunkers so stick with what works, shimano.

[Capt Ed]

Lews for bait caster and Plugger for spinning.  

[BrianMDTX]

I have two Abu Black Max’s, two Daiwa Fuego CT’s, a Tatula 100H and a H2O Express Ethos HD on baitcasters and two Daiwa Revros (LT2000 and 2500XH) and Shimano Sienna 2500 on spinning rigs. I don’t think I’m extremely brand loyal, although I do seem partial to Daiwa. 
 

Don’t get me started on rods lol!

[waymont]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:24 PM, dodgeguy said:

Why Shimano hate ? Bad experience ?

A lot of people have issues with Shimano micro modular gears getting rough. I have a bunch of Shimano reels Metanium, Curado, Bantam, old Albebaran……sold off a bunch I had lots of  problems with, primarily the gears:Curado 70 silver and black  70k, Curado 200 K 7 and 8 speeds (6 speeds seem to hold up)

 

my Shimano reels that I kept are nice.

none of my Daiwa reels have rough gears 17 Tatula, Tatula ct type R, Zillions, Alphas.

 

everyone has their own experiences.

I wouldn’t say I have hate for Shimano, but definitely some frustration.

[Cbump]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:20 AM, Cbump said:

Nope. Have 13 Daiwas, 4 Lews, 1 Abu, 1 Penn. This is just my bass stuff. 
I have plans for another Daiwa, a Shimano spinning reel, and a Shimano for a BFS setup. 

Since this post I have 15 Daiwas, 2 Abus, 1 shimano. Like Daiwa best. 

[roadwarrior]

I bought a Daiwa from J Francho five or six years ago. My other 18 reels

are Shimano.

[Bird]

Over a lifetime I've owned more Shimano's.

I'm all over the place currently.

(3) Shimano

(3) Lew's

(2) kastking

(2) Abu Garcia

(2) Pflueger

(1) Okuma

(1) Mitchell 

 

[Johnbt]

Well, I have two new untested Daiwa JDM baitcasters with Boost - a Steez and a Zillion - and 2 reasonably recent Steez TW SV models, and two Metaniums that I put new gears in, but you know what, as much as I really like these reels, my 3 2013 ABU Garcia Gen 3 Revo Premiers all still work just fine.

 

For spinning, I have always used Penn, Shimano and Daiwa. For largemouth I use primarily Daiwa and some Shimano.

 

I may have to give the 5th gen redesigned Revo a look. I just saw a pic of it.

 

 

[JediAmoeba]

I can't fit all of them in the picture but someone recently told me there are other brands besides Daiwa. I don't believe it.

 

In the Pic- 

4 Daiwa Tatula SV

2 Daiwa Tatula 

3 Daiwa CT Type R

2 Daiwa T3 Ballistic

1 Daiwa Coastal 

1 Daiwa Alphas 

1 Daiwa Zillion 21

1 Daiwa Zillion 17

1 300 Lexa HD

1 400 Lexa HD

2 Lexa Winn Models

1 Tri Force Z

1 Tatula 300

1 Tatula 150

1 Laguna

1 Daiwa Arachnid

 

A bunch have aftermarket bearings, spools and drags...

 

[Randy Price]

I have never been disappointed with either Daiwa or Shimano.  Saying that most of my reels are Shimano primarily Stradic, Stradic Ci4+, or Vanfords.

[bowhunter63]

Lews,ABU and some Bass pro Carbon lights. Back in the 80s it was a lot of Quantum 

[MN Fisher]

Casting reels - Daiwa and Pflueger...though since Pflueger doesn't make a full line anymore, I'll have to find something else if I ever need a replacement.

Spinning - Pflueger and Mitchell until now - I do have one Lews for Crappie and this coming season I've got two Shimanos I'll be 'testing' to see how they do.

 

Old Days - Abu for casting, Pflueger and Mitchell for spinning...ya, that hasn't changed.