JDM reel purchase: Steez A TW HLC VS. Zillion TW HD

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Hey friends, can anyone help me pick b/t these two models.   

 

Usage:   I plan to put this on an Alpha Angler Wide Glide 7'9 Glidebait/Swimbait/A Rig rod.......or an Alpha Angler Magnum Rebound 7"6 rod.

 

Either way it's gonna be used to throw 1oz plus baits long ways.   Gonna use 15-20lb Fluorocarbon most likely as well on it.   

 

Just a month ago or so I got a JDM Zillion SV TW that blew me away, I have no problem sticking with the Zillion line up.  However, I also have the OG Steez and love it, and would love to have another Steez model in the lineup.   They are very close in price.....Zillion is like 280, the Steez is 308.

 

Are these models good for what I'm looking for, and do you have preference with one vs. the other.

 

Thanks in advance!

[softwateronly]

I love the jdm 22 Zillion TW HD.  I have mine on a Tequila Bacarac and throw medium size swimbaits with it; ie, 6-8" 1.5-3.25oz. It's handled it all beautifully but doesn't feel like a swimbait reel, very compact and comfortable.  Casts great, smooth as anything I've ever held, love the round knobs more than I thought I would.  I'm not personally familiar with the Alpha rod lines or a Steez, so no direct comparisons from me unfortunately.  Can't imagine the Steez being anything other than amazing.  If you go the cheaper route, you'll own a great reel.  Good luck!

 

scott

[KP Duty]

I've read several reports on the Tackle Tour forums about the steez hlc.  It is apparently 'wild' (fast spool/very low braking), and is designed to throw heavy aerodynamic baits like 1/2oz+ traps.  I'd go with the more versatile Zillion HD.

[Tatulatard]

Zillion hd.  The hlc reels are fast and fast spools don't play well with heavy plastic lines or baits that catch the wind.  They are for small dense baits bomb casting with braid and reports I have read on people using the steez hlc with flouro have been bad.  The reel just backlashes too much.  The braking curve of the hd would be a better reel for you.

[Jrob78]

I agree with the others, the HD is the reel you need. As much as I like the SV, the HD is even better. The only concern I would have with the HD is the gear ratio, it's only available in 7:1 and 8:1 but you could always buy a new SV or G gear set to lower the ratio. It's listed as holding 100m of 16lb line so that's something else to keep in mind.

[FishTank]

I have Zillion HD and would say this reel is the way to go. It's been great so far but I have been using it for big jigs and heavier Texas rigged soft plastic. 

[QED]

For the minor price difference (based on the price data you cited), I'd save the 1/2 oz in reel weight and get the Steez.  I have numerous Steezes (mostly in the BFS/light range, e.g., Steez AIR TW 500XXH, Steez CT SV TW 70 XH, etc.) and haven't had issues with any of them

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I was 95% sure last night I was going to go with the Steez because how much I love my previous one, along with a small weight savings, and things like sealed bearings and more refined fitment.   The price is a wash when I view how long and how much I intend to use this future reel.  

 

The excellent advice I've received thus far has scared me away from this particular Steez model.   I'll stay with the Steez line for my lightweight needs, and go with these new Zillions for my moving baits.   I'm in love with my new Zillion SV TW, and it sounds like the Zillion HD is just a beefier, heavier duty version.   7.1 is okay for my needs.   I love the idea of having those knobs, and it's got the clicking drag.  I'll try to grab the Steez SV TW 8.1 for Xmas or something.     

 

As always thanks to each and everyone who weighed in, thankfully I waited to purchase.   

[Jrob78]

1 hour ago, QED said:

For the minor price difference (based on the price data you cited), I'd save the 1/2 oz in reel weight and get the Steez.  I have numerous Steezes (mostly in the BFS/light range, e.g., Steez AIR TW 500XXH, Steez CT SV TW 70 XH, etc.) and haven't had issues with any of them

By all accounts the HLC spools are a different animal and not suited to what he's doing, otherwise I would agree.

[QED]

1 hour ago, Jrob78 said:

By all accounts the HLC spools are a different animal and not suited to what he's doing, otherwise I would agree.

I'm not familiar with Daiwa's HLC (hyper long cast) spools specifically, but the designation seems consistent with the OP's stated purpose. 

[Jrob78]

55 minutes ago, QED said:

I'm not familiar with Daiwa's HLC (hyper long cast) spools specifically, but the designation seems consistent with the OP's stated purpose. 

You would think so but the general consensus on Tackle Tour is that the HLC spools are really fast, wild and hard to control for all but the most aerodynamic baits. I just ordered one to find out for myself, I guess I will be the BR guinea pig. ?‍♂️

[QED]

15 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

You would think so but the general consensus on Tackle Tour is that the HLC spools are really fast, wild and hard to control for all but the most aerodynamic baits. I just ordered one to find out for myself, I guess I will be the BR guinea pig. ?‍♂️

 

Thanks for volunteering! Let us know what you find.

[newapti5]

I'll add another vote for Zillion HD.   Magseal bearings are hard to clean. 

[T-Billy]

I've been shopping around for another chatterbait/spinnerbait/swimjig reel, and had settled on a higher end Lew's, but was still undecided on which one. My BB1 has been excellent for chatterbait duty, but I wanted to try something different on another rod.

 I've avoided Daiwa because of the T-wing. I'm a fan of the KISS system and the T-wing just seems an unnecessary "feature" that complicates maintenance. Anyhoo... Curiosity got the best of me and, I surrendered to the JDM monkey this morning and ordered a 7 speed Zillion 1000 TW HD from Digitaka. Hard to say no to a $400 reel for $280. 

Daiwa Gurus, should I not be happy with it out of the box, are there other longer casting spools that will fit it?

[FishTank]

33 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I've been shopping around for another chatterbait/spinnerbait/swimjig reel, and had settled on a higher end Lew's, but was still undecided on which one. My BB1 has been excellent for chatterbait duty, but I wanted to try something different on another rod.

 I've avoided Daiwa because of the T-wing. I'm a fan of the KISS system and the T-wing just seems an unnecessary "feature" that complicates maintenance. Anyhoo... Curiosity got the best of me and, I surrendered to the JDM monkey this morning and ordered a 7 speed Zillion 1000 TW HD from Digitaka. Hard to say no to a $400 reel for $280. 

Daiwa Gurus, should I not be happy with it out of the box, are there other longer casting spools that will fit it?

I have both reels.  I have liked my BB1 a lot so far but the Zillion HD will out cast it, if that's your thing. I have the BB1 on a Megabass Levante Jerkbait Special with 10lb Sufix mono. The Zillion HD has been used on a Megabass P5 Super Destroyer with 16lb Sniper BMS and also on a NRX+ 895C. 

 

Overall the spool with HD should be fine. The size of the reel is small,  similar to the BB1. It's slightly smoother than the BB1. The brakes are definitely different between the two. The brakes on the HD seem heavier compared to the BB1. Depending on how you set them up and the weight of the bait , the BB1 to me seems more squirrelly but better capable of handling baits in the 1/4oz range (this is marginal though).  The drag on my BB1 has been sporadic for me but does the job just fine. The drag on the HD is smoother, more consistent,  and a little more powerful but it could be the bigger handle. The T-wing to me at first seemed like a gimic and another wearable part but I have had no issues with it. Is it an improvement? Not sure I notice any difference. 

 

I have tried spinnerbaits,  jigs, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, a punching rig and one big crank with the HD. I didn't care for it for jerkbaits. The bigger handle seemed weird. I think BB1 is an overall better reel for this purpose but the HD was better at everything else.  I intend to use it for big jigs and punching but it would be ideal for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits and big cranks. 

[T-Billy]

Thanks @FishTank. I appreciate your input brother. I'm not worried about extreme distance, but I throw a chatterbait alot, so good distance with less effort is definitely a plus. I'm happy with the BB1, but as you mentioned, it can be finicky about brake settings for sure. I'm looking forward to taking the Zillion for a spin.

[FishTank]

42 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Thanks @FishTank. I appreciate your input brother. I'm not worried about extreme distance, but I throw a chatterbait alot, so good distance with less effort is definitely a plus. I'm happy with the BB1, but as you mentioned, it can be finicky about brake settings for sure. I'm looking forward to taking the Zillion for a spin.

I think you'll like it. From the Daiwa's I own,  I would say they are more consistent casters than most other reels but again this is sort subjective.  Being consistent and effortless to me is more important than max casting distance.  If you do get into distance,  the Shimano Antares 70A has out casted everything else I own.  The problem is if I want to cast something to a pin point spot or say under a dock, I might end up in a tree instead.  It starts up so quick that it can be hard to control, even with my thumb.

[PhishLI]

4 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Daiwa Gurus, should I not be happy with it out of the box?

You'll be fine. The SV G is neck and neck with the TP LFS, which is a fantastic distance caster. With all other factors being the same, like rod length/line/specific bait, the HD will give you several more feet on a max distance cast with heavier baits.

4 hours ago, T-Billy said:

are there other longer casting spools that will fit it?

Your path to longer casts with Mag Z on a HD reel is to start messing with stiffer inductor springs, but that will come at the expense of spool control, which is the entire point of choosing most Daiwa reels. However, don't think of the extra control you get as some distance crushing thing, because for the majority of realistic fishing situations with actual baits it isn't at all.

[Triptych]

I own a steez A HLC. It is as they say, wild! I cannot use it for any regular techniques. It is designated as my 1 oz spoon reel now lol.

 

I own several Daiwa reels and even a couple with lighter fixed inducter aftermarket spools, and compared to all of those, the HLC is wild.

 

Good thing I bought it new from Japan for $350 a few months ago. If I could do it over again I would have opted for something else at the time.

 

The other Daiwa reels I have: alphas 800 tw, zillion 1000, 2018 zillion HD, Tatula 300, Tatula 100, Tatula 80 w/ 8 gram diy spool, Steez A with ZPI M spool, Tatula 103 sv tw, Daiwa SV103

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 hours ago, Triptych said:

I own a steez A HLC. It is as they say, wild! I cannot use it for any regular techniques. It is designated as my 1 oz spoon reel now lol.

 

I own several Daiwa reels and even a couple with lighter fixed inducter aftermarket spools, and compared to all of those, the HLC is wild.

 

Good thing I bought it new from Japan for $350 a few months ago. If I could do it over again I would have opted for something else at the time.

 

The other Daiwa reels I have: alphas 800 tw, zillion 1000, 2018 zillion HD, Tatula 300, Tatula 100, Tatula 80 w/ 8 gram diy spool, Steez A with ZPI M spool, Tatula 103 sv tw, Daiwa SV103

Marked as solution because it confirms the info posted by several members was correct based on a firsthand account.  

 

Thanks for weighing in.   

[KP Duty]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:19 AM, FishTank said:

I think you'll like it. From the Daiwa's I own,  I would say they are more consistent casters than most other reels but again this is sort subjective.  Being consistent and effortless to me is more important than max casting distance.  If you do get into distance,  the Shimano Antares 70A has out casted everything else I own.  The problem is if I want to cast something to a pin point spot or say under a dock, I might end up in a tree instead.  It starts up so quick that it can be hard to control, even with my thumb.

I've been wanting one of those antares reels for a while now.  I'm starting to think they will never be back in stock at digitaka/JLS.

[FishTank]

15 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

I've been wanting one of those antares reels for a while now.  I'm starting to think they will never be back in stock at digitaka/JLS.

There is one right handed one in stock at Digitaka.  

 

My only complaint with this reel is that when it is cold, the reel becomes very cold. It's like holding an ice cube. 

[Jrob78]

I ordered my Steez HLC from Digitaka midday on Monday and it's out for delivery today. Hopefully I will get a chance to mess with it this weekend but I feel like I know what I'm in for lol.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

9 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

I ordered my Steez HLC from Digitaka midday on Monday and it's out for delivery today. Hopefully I will get a chance to mess with it this weekend but I feel like I know what I'm in for lol.

Lol, that's why I want to buy from Digitaka more than anything else.....it's amazing how fast they ship these reels from Japan 

[Jrob78]

8 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Lol, that's why I want to buy from Digitaka more than anything else.....it's amazing how fast they ship these reels from Japan 

Yeah they're great. Digitaka and Japan Lure Shop have been my go to for the last 10 years or so and I've never had any issue at all.