Brand loyal with reels?

[GReb]

I’m currently throwing shimano, daiwa, Abu, and lews. I’ve had more issues with shimano lately than the others but I still have a few I love. If someone held a gun to my head and made me pick a favorite it would be Dawia.  But buying the same product is boring. 

[Susky River Rat]

Shimano. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I am trending...Daiwa or Shimano get equal billing.  I like how they are kinda making new innovations.  

 

are they the only two still inventing or improving?

[WRB]

Like rods I like to try out different reels mfr’s until finding what works for me, fresh and salt water.

You will never know until giving choices a try.

Not brand loyal, nobody is paying me to fish a product.

Tom

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I don’t see any real innovation. DC been around for a while. Ya it’s in more models. Daiwa has gone backwards imo. 2000 almost every model had full floating spool and dual pinion bearings. Now reel makers have cool names for that like they just thought it up. T wing is a gimmick. Smaller cheap fasteners are biggest peeve. That goes for all of them. I’ll take a Core or OG Zillion over anything current. 

[PourMyOwn]

5 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I don’t see any real innovation. DC been around for a while. Ya it’s in more models. Daiwa has gone backwards imo. 2000 almost every model had full floating spool and dual pinion bearings. Now reel makers have cool names for that like they just thought it up. T wing is a gimmick. Smaller cheap fasteners are biggest peeve. That goes for all of them. I’ll take a Core or OG Zillion over anything current. 

The TD Zillion is probably my favorite reel ever. Between those and the TDX and Z platforms,  (and a Citica 200 E I can't bear to sell) I'm more than happy.

[ska4fun]

No. Calcutta/Conquests (06) and Daiwa (Pixy PX68L, Tat100, Lexa 400HD, Millionaire CT SV and Alphas ASC), Doyo/Abu Garcia (Rexo EXD) and Banax/Quantum/Kastking (Kestrel Elite, Quantum Icon, generic chinese OEM.

 

Knowledge is power, the brand-loyal is just making a fool of himself, in ignoring problems on its beloved gear company.

12 hours ago, GReb said:

I’m currently throwing shimano, daiwa, Abu, and lews. I’ve had more issues with shimano lately than the others but I still have a few I love. If someone held a gun to my head and made me pick a favorite it would be Dawia.  But buying the same product is boring. 

This is the new Shimano. Pricey, yet cheap gears.

11 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I don’t see any real innovation. DC been around for a while. Ya it’s in more models. Daiwa has gone backwards imo. 2000 almost every model had full floating spool and dual pinion bearings. Now reel makers have cool names for that like they just thought it up. T wing is a gimmick. Smaller cheap fasteners are biggest peeve. That goes for all of them. I’ll take a Core or OG Zillion over anything current. 

I agree with you. Shimano is even more flamboyant in the matter, since its extreme fondness of giving hyperbolic/pompous names to things as simple as plastic and cardboard.

[Bankc]

I'll buy whatever is the best bargain and meets my needs.  So long as it's a major brand with a good reputation.  Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Lew's, Bass Pro, 13 Fishing, etc.  

 

Mostly I own Daiwa Tatula CT's, as they're cheap and work really well.  But I wouldn't claim loyalty to them.  I really like their Z-brake system.  Though a dual magnetic/centrifugal brake is good as well.  Really, anything that can easily keep up with changing wind conditions, as I face that a lot.  

[Deleted account]

57 minutes ago, ska4fun said:

I agree with you. Shimano is even more flamboyant in the matter, since it's extreme fondness of giving hyperbolic/pompous names to things as simple as plastic and cardboard.

LOL, Do you guys even know some of your favorite reels use recycled (pun intended) bike part names?... Shimano is the Nike of fishing and cycling, and I don't mean that as a compliment.

[Big Hands]

2 hours ago, Deleted account said:

LOL, Do you guys even know some of your favorite reels use recycled (pun intended) bike part names?... Shimano is the Nike of fishing and cycling, and I don't mean that as a compliment.

 

I've got something labeled 'Shimano XT' arriving today, but it's a shift lever, not a fishing reel.

 

I'm just glad that Pfizer doesn't make fishing gear or we'd probably be lusting over the latest * rods (any/all puns contained in this sentence are definitely unintentional).

 

EDIT: * I guess you never know where the line is until you cross over it once in a while, LOL.

--------------------------------

As for reels, I am a 'sworn to fun, loyal to none' type of angler. 

[Darth-Baiter]

13 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I don’t see any real innovation. DC been around for a while. Ya it’s in more models. Daiwa has gone backwards imo. 2000 almost every model had full floating spool and dual pinion bearings. Now reel makers have cool names for that like they just thought it up. T wing is a gimmick. Smaller cheap fasteners are biggest peeve. That goes for all of them. I’ll take a Core or OG Zillion over anything current. 

there is a new Dawia coming out that is way over the top.  it has mechanisms that measure the speed of your cast and adjusts.  it sends the data to your smart phone!!   it has electronic brakes that halts the cast taking all the data it just collected from your swing.  crazy.  bluetooth!!

 

i bet it has the T-wing.  heheh..  but there are innovations.  big expensive ones.  $1500 is the rumor. 

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I've got something labeled 'Shimano XT' arriving today, but it's a shift lever, not a fishing reel.

 

XT is up there in their Off Road stuff, used to be where most components were compatible with each other, now it almost needs to be used as a system as far as the shifters, cables and derailleurs go. XT shifter? Did you crash it? those things hardly ever go bad. 

[NorthernBasser]

Not really, but Shimano and Daiwa definitely tops my list. As of right now I have:

 

Shimano- 11

Daiwa- 10

Lew's- 4

Pflueger- 4

13 Fishing- 1

Abu Garcia- 1

Piscifun- 1 

 

 

[Big Hands]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

XT shifter? Did you crash it? those things hardly ever go bad. 

 

Didn't crash. I have three MTB's, a road bike, a backpacking bike and an ebike. The ebike was a warranty replacement because the frame cracked on my first one. The first one had a 40t chainring. The replacement came with a 48t chainring and I am surrounded by a lot of hills (people in other parts of the country refer to them as mountains). The last 1.25 mikes of my commute home is a 450' elevation gain and low RPM cadence on extended climbs is hard on ebike motors. I am going from a 9 speed w/11-36 cassette to 11 speed w/11-51 cassette to get my cadence up so it's easier on the motor. Now I'll have all the range I want and no big jumps between gears. 

 

I used to work in a shop part time and could get a SIGNIFICANT discount on parts. This time I had to pay retail. . . Ouch!

[Deleted account]

LOL. I'm getting a little slower every year, but when I can no longer get up any hill on a 36x27, I'm giving up cycling. I hear folks say a 1:1 is not small enough, and I'm like "might as well get off and walk at that point".  I've always climbed in a bigger gear than most though.

[ska4fun]

3 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

there is a new Dawia coming out that is way over the top.  it has mechanisms that measure the speed of your cast and adjusts.  it sends the data to your smart phone!!   it has electronic brakes that halts the cast taking all the data it just collected from your swing.  crazy.  bluetooth!!

 

i bet it has the T-wing.  heheh..  but there are innovations.  big expensive ones.  $1500 is the rumor. 

Its very daiwaish. Trying to get some bucks over added value features. Just *** like the magsealed gears limited user maintenance capabilities.

[Bankbeater]

No brand loyalty here.  If I have a good experience with a reel, I will search that make and model first when looking to buy new.  If the reviews are bad I move on to something else.

 

[JediAmoeba]

21 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Daiwa has gone backwards imo. 2000 almost every model had full floating spool and dual pinion bearings.

You think the Tatula is a step backwards of TD-X, TD-S and such? 

 

I paid 200 dollars for a those over 20 years ago and a Tatula SV is light years ahead in performance and durability. I have over 50 Daiwa reels at this point and they get more refined with each generation imo.

[Tatulatard]

13 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

You think the Tatula is a step backwards of TD-X, TD-S and such? 

 

I paid 200 dollars for a those over 20 years ago and a Tatula SV is light years ahead in performance and durability. I have over 50 Daiwa reels at this point and they get more refined with each generation imo.

Durability wise my old td-s has held up better than my tatulas.  I can even drop in modern spools so the casting performance is better.  I have a td-z type r plus spool in my td-s and an sv spool in the td-x.  I've got some chinease tuning spools in my tatulas along with a stock spools and an elite spool.  The tatulas are good workhorse reels but I don't see them going strong for decades like my old td-s and td-x have.  I do like how they palm better and the ease of locating parts.  I also like the twing with big plastic lines and the additional capacity the big tatulas offer over my "103" sized old reels.  

 

I am a believer in the twing.  Fun fact. The tatula 200 and old lexa 300 have the same spool dimensions and capacity.  The lexa is like 2" longer making it  bigger and chunkier than the tatula just to get the level wind way out in front of the spool.  It does cast 20 big game very fluidly for such a small level wind opening but that's because its a mile away from the spool.  The tatula 200 achieves the same fluid casting in a much shorter package.  That's the work of the twing.  

[KP Duty]

14 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

You think the Tatula is a step backwards of TD-X, TD-S and such? 

 

I paid 200 dollars for a those over 20 years ago and a Tatula SV is light years ahead in performance and durability. I have over 50 Daiwa reels at this point and they get more refined with each generation imo.

I'm with ya.  Durability maybe, but body shape, weight, and castability are all superior in the new models.  I will say I didn't know 'nearly all' the old Daiwas had free floating spools like DVT said.  I thought only the td-z and td-x 'super free' model had them.  Not sure how much it matters....my Concept Z's have a spool shaft and no bearings and will outcast any of my floating spool daiwas.  

[jhoffman]

I was pretty partial to daiwa at one point, then i moved to lews and as they all phase out it will be nothing but shimanos i purchase going forward. I loved opening a lews yesterday and realizing I paid about $200 for it a few years ago and the pinion gear feels like a coffee grinder without the spool in because nothing is there to support it.

[Kelvin]

Mostly Daiwa at this point but there are key reels that make it into each of my trips. 

 

Daiwa 21 SV TW.  Daiw PX68 with upgraded shallow spool.  Daiwa Zillion sv tw 20.  Daiwa Silver creek (latest one)  Daiwa Steez a SV TW, Daiwa Steez HLC with upgraded shallow spool. 

 

Shimano Conquest 51 00.  Shimano Conquest BFS with upgraded shallow spool.  Shimano Metanium 20.  Shimano scorpion XT 1001 with upgraded shallow spool. 

 

Abu Garcia Aurora limited (looked really cool, kind of meh performance). 

 

Looking for a Abu Morrum zx 3601. 

[Boomstick]

I've been brand loyal to Daiwa. Probably more so I can officially say I'm a Daiwa fanboy than anything else. Not that their reels are bad. I mean in some cases, I do have the best reels for the job. It's hard to beat the Steez SV as a jig reel (targeted casting, skipping, pitching etc). My Tatula SVs are in the same ballpark. The Tatula LT spinning reel is fantastic and the bail gives my large hands enough room to not hit my thumb, and my BG was a great cheaper option as well.

 

But for bomb casting crankbaits and weightless soft plastics, Shimano would be a better offering. Daiwa doesn't currently offer anything that can do the above as good as the SLX or Curado MGL 70, those reels are great for those applications. My oldest son has some Shimano reels, so I'm no stranger.

[FishTank]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

But for bomb casting crankbaits and weightless soft plastics, Shimano would be a better offering. Daiwa doesn't currently offer anything that can do the above as good as the SLX or Curado MGL 70, those reels are great for those applications. My oldest son has some Shimano reels, so I'm no stranger.

 

I have both Daiwa and Shimano reels.  Most of the Shimano's I have will out cast my Daiwas, especially the Antares 70A but I just picked up the new Steez A II. This reel will give any of my current Shimano's a run for their money. It will bomb cast a crankbait effortlessly.  If you are Daiwa fan, I would definitely check this one out.  

[new2BC4bass]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:55 PM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

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.

You are one unlucky dude, my friend.  ?  I've got all those reels except for the BB1 Pro.  Out of almost 50 Daiwas the SV105 was the only one I had a problem with.  Purchased new and it liked to backlash.  I had a pro tune it and now it is a fine reel.  I did purchase a 'blem' Daiwa Elite.  The 'blem' turned out to be internal so not a 'blem'.  Should have never made it through QC.  Actually I don't think it got anywhere near QC.