Spinning Reel cost

[Bdnoble84]

Hi everyone. I have wonder for quite awhile what the advantages of expensive spinning reals are compared to moderately priced ones. I consider moderately priced to be the $50-$70 range. Maybe its because of the style of fishing im doing when using spinning setups, but ive never see a point in spending above this point. Baitcasting reels yes. Rods yes. But spinning reels pretty much just take up slack line and need to have adequate drag for fish less than 10lbs.

 

ive never used expensive spinning reels so i dont have much experience to go on here.

[islandbass]

I’m with you in theory but my threshold is $100 and this amount buys a whole lot of spinning reel. 
 

The more you spend, you might get a few more refinements and possibly a reduction in overall weight. Fortunately, the choice is ours to make whether those refinements/improvements is worth the cost. Gotta love that. ??

[Deleted account]

25 minutes ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Hi everyone. I have wonder for quite awhile what the advantages of expensive spinning reals are compared to moderately priced ones. I consider moderately priced to be the $50-$70 range. Maybe its because of the style of fishing im doing when using spinning setups, but ive never see a point in spending above this point. Baitcasting reels yes. Rods yes. But spinning reels pretty much just take up slack line and need to have adequate drag for fish less than 10lbs.

 

ive never used expensive spinning reels so i dont have much experience to go on here.

This is how I feel about most fresh water tackle. I will say that in less expensive spinning reels, the durability becomes an issue sometimes, particularly the bail mechanisms, and they start getting sloppy otherwise after a while. 

[bulldog1935]

What you gain is gear life and accurate line management over the life of the reel. 

Low-end reels have die-cast zinc gears with large teeth, poor gear contact efficiency, weaker frames with wobbly gear bushings, weaker wobbly rotor bushings, that may all start off smooth and accurate, and will get worse with use over time, especially with hard use.   Everybody on the forum talks about that start condition - nobody talks about the end.

Spinning reels are the most complicated reel mechanism ever devised, and gear wear and rotor wobble has always limited their life. 

$160 for a JDM Stradic is not in your target, but this shows how well it manages threadline braid, and you could expect it to continue this way, for the life of several cheaper reels. 

If you have an hour to kill, Tackle Advisors $100 reel Shoot Out remains one of the best videos for looking inside design of spinning reels, and can help you make the trade-offs that will get what you want out of a reel, depending on your targeted use. 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

You see a considerable reduction in weight when you spend a little more money.  A smoother drag with a bearing supported spool is another perk, but unless youre fishing smallies, hardtails or some other harder fighting fish the support bearing isnt necessary. 

A thread in handle is a nice upgrade too.  Its just a better connection then a hex pin.  

As bulldog said line lay a big one.  Although the budget Daiwas and Shimanos are good, the tech that results in excelent line lay has trickled down what some would consider higher $ budget reels like Spheros.  

Going from Zinc to Machined Al may not feel like a huge difference on some brand new reels, but I dont care what the quality or size of the cast zinc is Al is superior in strength, durability and will feel smooth far longer.

[ska4fun]

56 minutes ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Hi everyone. I have wonder for quite awhile what the advantages of expensive spinning reals are compared to moderately priced ones. I consider moderately priced to be the $50-$70 range. Maybe its because of the style of fishing im doing when using spinning setups, but ive never see a point in spending above this point. Baitcasting reels yes. Rods yes. But spinning reels pretty much just take up slack line and need to have adequate drag for fish less than 10lbs.

 

ive never used expensive spinning reels so i dont have much experience to go on here.

Usually better line laying / oscillation systems, like worm gear, double-supported transverse cams and its derivatives... Better AR clutch and drag, better sealing and bearings.

[LCG]

Lighter weight, smoother gear mesh, smoother drag for lighter line, overall refinement are gained by spending a bit more. After the $200-250 mark, I think it's a bit less return on your money. 

[Bdnoble84]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

What you gain is gear life and accurate line management over the life of the reel. 

Low-end reels have die-cast zinc gears with large teeth, poor gear contact efficiency, weaker frames with wobbly gear bushings, weaker wobbly rotor bushings, that may all start off smooth and accurate, and will get worse with use over time, especially with hard use.   Everybody on the forum talks about that start condition - nobody talks about the end.

Spinning reels are the most complicated reel mechanism ever devised, and gear wear and rotor wobble has always limited their life. 

$160 for a JDM Stradic is not in your target, but this how well it manages threadline braid, and you could expect it to continue this way, for the life of several cheaper reels. 

If you have an hour to kill, Tackle Advisors $100 reel Shoot Out remains one of the best videos for looking inside design of spinning reels, and can help you make the trade-offs that will get what you want out of a reel, depending on your targeted use. 

 

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of answer i i was looking for

[AlabamaSpothunter]

The drags on the flagship reels from Daiwa and Shimano are insanely silky smooth......that's why I bought a Certate.    Not sure if I'd ever spend more than that on a spinning reel, and I'm pretty sure the law of diminishing returns kicks in quickly once you reach to top tier priced reels. 

 

 

[bulldog1935]

@AlabamaSpothunter

Sticking to just the worm-drive Shimanos, Stradic to Stella, the current crop interchange parts with '18 Stella - the design is all the same. 

From Stradic with forged aluminum frame, composite rotor and anodized alloy gears, you're paying for MOC upgrades in the frame and rotor.  All but Stella share the hard anodized gears, cheaper to manufacture, and which have gear tooth hardness equal to hardened steel.  Stella has all the top-line parts, forged magnesium frame and rotor, titanium bail, and stainless gears.  Stainless gears are  expensive to broach, start softer, but improve both hardness and toughness with use, and effectively never wear out.  Because of the alloy gears, both Vanquish and Vanford are lighter than Stella. 

Noteworthy, all these reels share '18 Stella over-designed A/R clutch and the same ball bearing line roller. 

The reels in between mix higher-grade components in the different sizes, swap MOC in the frame and rotor, forged aluminum, composite, and forged magnesium; e.g., Twin Power has forged aluminum frame and rotor, and the titanium bail.  Ball bearings vs. bushings in a few spots. 

The other thing you pay for is labor.  Stradic and Vanford are built on the Malaysia assembly line.  The higher grades are built on Japan benches with parts matching for improved smoothness. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

50 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

@AlabamaSpothunter

Sticking to just the worm-drive Shimanos, Stradic to Stella, the current crop interchange parts with '18 Stella - the design is all the same. 

From Stradic with forged aluminum frame, composite rotor and anodized alloy gears, you're paying for MOC upgrades in the frame and rotor.  All but Stella share the hard anodized gears, cheaper to manufacture, and which have gear tooth hardness equal to hardened steel.  Stella has all the top-line parts, forged magnesium frame and rotor, titanium bail, and stainless gears.  Stainless gears are  expensive to broach, start softer, but improve both hardness and toughness with use, and effectively never wear out.  Because of the alloy gears, both Vanquish and Vanford are lighter than Stella. 

Noteworthy, all these reels share '18 Stella over-designed A/R clutch and the same ball bearing line roller. 

The reels in between mix higher-grade components in the different sizes, swap MOC in the frame and rotor, forged aluminum, composite, and forged magnesium; e.g., Twin Power has forged aluminum frame and rotor, and the titanium bail.  Ball bearings vs. bushings in a few spots. 

The other thing you pay for is labor.  Stradic and Vanford are built on the Malaysia assembly line.  The higher grades are built on Japan benches with parts matching for improved smoothness. 

The last part is the part I forget to mention in my previous reply.     When exchange rates were at their peak a few months back, I think about $200 was the cheapest reels...spinning or bait casting that were made in Japan.

 

Made in Japan is arguably my most important criteria.    I know great reels are made other places, but I've never owned a bad Japanese made reel.     I wanted a Luvias, but they are made in China, and the current Digitaka price is $230.    That's quite high for a made in China reel imho.  

 

One thing Megabass taught me was that JDM doesn't always mean made in Japan.    Shimano and Daiwa reinforced this notion when rod shopping over these last few months.   All the "JDM" company's rods are made in China at my local high end tackle store.   $500 rods made in China, I just can't do that.  

[bulldog1935]

Here's my note on Valleyhill and Whiplash Factory.  The parent company is Chinese. 

They market only in Japan. 

Like NS Black Hole based in Korea, they have to try harder in the market they've picked for themselves. 

They offer a better rod for the price than made in Japan. 

[msgf91]

5 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

What you gain is gear life and accurate line management over the life of the reel. 

Low-end reels have die-cast zinc gears with large teeth, poor gear contact efficiency, weaker frames with wobbly gear bushings, weaker wobbly rotor bushings, that may all start off smooth and accurate, and will get worse with use over time, especially with hard use.   Everybody on the forum talks about that start condition - nobody talks about the end.

Spinning reels are the most complicated reel mechanism ever devised, and gear wear and rotor wobble has always limited their life. 

$160 for a JDM Stradic is not in your target, but this how well it manages threadline braid, and you could expect it to continue this way, for the life of several cheaper reels. 

If you have an hour to kill, Tackle Advisors $100 reel Shoot Out remains one of the best videos for looking inside design of spinning reels, and can help you make the trade-offs that will get what you want out of a reel, depending on your targeted use. 

 

Don't watch Tackle Advisors, you'll end up buying a Tatula LT like I did ? 

[bulldog1935]

he loves them Daiwa

 

though he admits that Shimano line management is better - when '19 Stradic was introduced, it dubbed it "The Best $400 Reel You Can Buy"

[LCG]

7 minutes ago, msgf91 said:

Don't watch Tackle Advisors, you'll end up buying a Tatula LT like I did ? 

OK, I have to ask about you're experience with the Tatula LT as I just bought one.

[msgf91]

I have the JDM 2500 Shallow Spool version.  I got mine recently too but so far its blown away all of my expectations I had after watching all of the Tackle Advisors videos that mention Tatulas. I haven't used it too much because I don't have the rod I want yet. 

[Phil77]

If all I used was spinning reels then yes I would use the high end models. My sub $100 setups work great for Ned's and crappie. Ned rig is quickly becoming my new favorite but not going to break the bank on any combo's for it.

[killobet]

I only use spinning reel.  As a bank fisherman never thought of buying high end gear. d**n I was wrong!! Its a different feeling very consistent working machine!!

[Jar11591]

I do believe the point of diminishing returns is significantly lower on spinning reels than casting reels, but 2 things do stand out off the top of my head; weight and drag. A quality drag in my opinion is the most important factor in a spinning reel. 
 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

4 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

I do believe the point of diminishing returns is significantly lower on spinning reels than casting reels, but 2 things do stand out off the top of my head; weight and drag. A quality drag in my opinion is the most important factor in a spinning reel. 
 

Out of emotions lol, but agree totally.   I'm paying for that drag.      I love watching my new's Certate drag in action.    

[garroyo130]

Aren't drag mechanisms pretty much the same across reels? There are differences is washer material but the basic design remains the same which btw I was surprised to see that the Stella 1000 also only has a single fiber washer. I always assumed that was only the case with lesser 1000 sized Shimanos.

[bulldog1935]

To me, the drag and weight are the least important things.  Good 1.5-lb drag (even 2.5-lb for 10-lb test) is rarely a challenge.  If you want lighter weight, go smaller. 

  I fished one of these in salt finesse 7 years. 

The drag naturally falls into place if everything is aligned and the spool spindle and rotor aren't deflected by the drag load.   (mackerel-stopping drag is something else)  Think what happens to alignment when the spool is bent toward the rotor, and the rotor is bent toward the spool.  At the other end of the long lever, the spindle load is misaligning gear contact, all happening while you're cranking harder on the handle.  Design stiffness is the most important property in a spinning reel. 

kind of a shame no one seems to get this post - it's the crux of spinning reel design

 

If you're fishing threadline braid, line management is the single most important. 

Even if you're fishing mono, the noted end of the reel is when it no will longer lay a good flat line profile to fill the spool, which affects everything, especially casting. 

  F6 (6-lb fluoro) spool on Vanquish

[Bigassbass]

There is a big difference in spinning reels, price doesn't always make for the best but usually the cheaper reels aren't going to last, they aren't smooth, the drag doesn't work flawless.  If you've been fishing lower price spinning reels and buy a super nice one you'll never go back to junk!  Shimano makes some usable lower price reels and so does Pflugger, I've never owned a cheap Daiwa spinning reel, I have a very expensive Luvias and I wouldn't buy another one.  Guess I'm just not into Daiwa.  The other difference and the MOST noticeable factor is resale, you can't sell a cheap reel, you can give it away!  Shimano, Daiwa, ABU, and Lew's have been the easiest to resale for me, so you have to decide which reel you like and how much money you want to spend, sticking to known products that have been bought and sold for many years lets you know those brands should be good.

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

To me, the drag and weight are the least important things.  Good 1.5-lb drag is rarely a challenge.  If you want lighter weight, go smaller. 

  I fished one of these in salt finesse 7 years. 

The drag naturally falls into place if everything is aligned and the spool spindle and rotor aren't deflected by the drag load.   (mackerel-stopping drag is something else)  Think what happens to alignment when the spool is bent toward the rotor, and the rotor is bent toward the spool.  At the other end of the long lever, the spindle load is misaligning gear contact, all happening while you're cranking harder on the handle.  Design stiffness is the most important property in a spinning reel. 

 

If you're fishing threadline braid, line management is the single most important. 

Even if you're fishing mono, the noted end of the reel is when it no will longer lay a good flat line profile to fill the spool, which affects everything, especially casting. 

  F6 (6-lb fluoro) spool on Vanquish

 

The drag is important when you're horsing in a 10lb fish and who wants to use a slipping ill performing reel with a sick drag?  There is a big difference in spinning reel brands and those cheap ones that Walmart sells will not cut it if you're into real fishing.  Bass jump on live bait and people using cheap reels baited up with worms and such try reeling in a huge fish with a cheap reel.  Even some of Shimano reels on the lower end will not last when using it heavily.  Buy a reel with all the fixings you need to crank in a big fish just in case one gets on your line! 

[bulldog1935]

what do I know about big fish on light tackle (10 lb fish)

when I was 19, landed one almost this big on a Daiwa Minicast (my dad was freaking). 

[redmeansdistortion]

2 hours ago, Bigassbass said:

The drag is important when you're horsing in a 10lb fish and who wants to use a slipping ill performing reel with a sick drag?

A properly functioning drag is supposed to slip, that's the intent.  It's supposed to start up smoothly and not stick.  A sticky drag will cost you fish as the spool bucks.  That's how people like me and @bulldog1935 land bigger fish on smaller tackle.  Heck, most bass fisherman use similar sized reels to what I use fishing river king salmon.