MediumMouthBass Posted February 3 Author Posted February 3 7 hours ago, ABU is overpriced said: You say that its not a Zillion, and that it didn't cost you as much. A Zillion costs $200 from Japan. Is this supposed to be expensive for a quality Made In Japan baitcaster? It isn't. Far from it. Now you got my point. The quality you can get from Daiwa, for VERY reasonable price, is so far ahead of those Okumas, Lews, Abus and whatever else, that its simply not worth considering the rest, they're way too behind, and they will never be able to catch up. I have 24 casting reels currently consisting of prices between $30-375 MSRP (US Zillion is a bit steep in price huh?), i bought almost all of these between 20-80% off with the majority being 30-60%. The prices i paid blew the discount from ordering from Japan away too (even for the Zillion!) Only one reel outperforms them all, the last gen SLX MGL 70. Shouldve bought a bunch since the new ones are smaller (what i heard), and arent getting the best reviews😌 But even this truly amazing reel has a flaw, its shallow spool that gives it the legendary status in my mind is also its downfall... Only reel i dislike is the Tatula SV TW, i just dont like it. Only one reel i was disapointed in and underwhelmed with was the 21 Zillion, it does everything my other, cheaper, supposedly not up to par reels can do. Only thing it does better is cast a lipless, however it does do that better than anything else, but its only that. Its too light, feels like a plastic toy (not that, thats a bad thing i just prefer having something substantial feeling in my hands), its also a bit too small and causes hand cramps after awhile. Still a nice reel, but very overrated.... Out of all of my reels i would only ever buy 4 if i had to for MSRP, the Fuego CT, SLX XT, BB1 Pro, and SLX MGL 70.... They have the looks, they are dependable workhorses, and they fit my hands which is more important than any tech a reel can have to me. Still love my other Tatulas (minus the SV) and the rest of the SLX/LFS line, but these are special to me. I will admit Lews is taking meds they shouldnt be with their MSRP, its absurd. But for some reason people keep paying it or else they wouldve lowered it by now. They must be doing something right? But i think most of us know Lews rods and reels go on sale many times through the year for dirt cheap. Example i bought 2 BB1 Pros for $100 each, Superduty LFS $100 too, and got my 2nd LFS a few weeks ago for $25 including tax. Find me a Shimano or Daiwa from Japan with an aluminum frame for $25? Also got 3 Team Lews Custom Pro rods for $200 (again including tax), MSRP alone would be $660 for them. Im a bigger Daiwa and Shimano fan, as ive used Daiwa for a long time and have been a big critic of Lews in the past, but they keep drawing me in with their sales. Because i can live with not having the newest and greatest tech to save a ton of money. And guess what? The reels still catch bass, even without the tech. Serious question though, aside from Shimanos truly amazing MGL spool (that like i mentioned is also a con since unless using braid theres not much room for line) what do either companies offer thats so much more advanced? Because i havent noticed it yet. Quote
Craig P Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I’m a Shimano fan for the last 30 years, both spinning and bait casting. Through those years, any time I try another brand, it just doesn’t feel right. I’ve tried to talk myself into other brands, high end too but when I’m at the store trying them, they just don’t feel right to me and then I lift the comparable Shimano and it feels like home. 3 Quote
ABU is overpriced Posted February 3 Posted February 3 5 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said: I have 24 casting reels currently consisting of prices between $30-375 MSRP (US Zillion is a bit steep in price huh?), i bought almost all of these between 20-80% off with the majority being 30-60%. The prices i paid blew the discount from ordering from Japan away too (even for the Zillion!) Only one reel outperforms them all, the last gen SLX MGL 70. Shouldve bought a bunch since the new ones are smaller (what i heard), and arent getting the best reviews😌 But even this truly amazing reel has a flaw, its shallow spool that gives it the legendary status in my mind is also its downfall... Only reel i dislike is the Tatula SV TW, i just dont like it. Only one reel i was disapointed in and underwhelmed with was the 21 Zillion, it does everything my other, cheaper, supposedly not up to par reels can do. Only thing it does better is cast a lipless, however it does do that better than anything else, but its only that. Its too light, feels like a plastic toy (not that, thats a bad thing i just prefer having something substantial feeling in my hands), its also a bit too small and causes hand cramps after awhile. Still a nice reel, but very overrated.... Out of all of my reels i would only ever buy 4 if i had to for MSRP, the Fuego CT, SLX XT, BB1 Pro, and SLX MGL 70.... They have the looks, they are dependable workhorses, and they fit my hands which is more important than any tech a reel can have to me. Still love my other Tatulas (minus the SV) and the rest of the SLX/LFS line, but these are special to me. I will admit Lews is taking meds they shouldnt be with their MSRP, its absurd. But for some reason people keep paying it or else they wouldve lowered it by now. They must be doing something right? But i think most of us know Lews rods and reels go on sale many times through the year for dirt cheap. Example i bought 2 BB1 Pros for $100 each, Superduty LFS $100 too, and got my 2nd LFS a few weeks ago for $25 including tax. Find me a Shimano or Daiwa from Japan with an aluminum frame for $25? Also got 3 Team Lews Custom Pro rods for $200 (again including tax), MSRP alone would be $660 for them. Im a bigger Daiwa and Shimano fan, as ive used Daiwa for a long time and have been a big critic of Lews in the past, but they keep drawing me in with their sales. Because i can live with not having the newest and greatest tech to save a ton of money. And guess what? The reels still catch bass, even without the tech. Serious question though, aside from Shimanos truly amazing MGL spool (that like i mentioned is also a con since unless using braid theres not much room for line) what do either companies offer thats so much more advanced? Because i havent noticed it yet. Baitcasters tech isn't advancing very fast, and most of the new features, are just overhyped by the manufacturer to make you buy/upgrade to the newest model. But what Shimano and Daiwa offers that others do not, well, there a lot. Some of it might not mean much to you or somebody else, but to others, it means a lot. For example. I love the spools intercompatibility that's on offer from Daiwa, especially with reels that use the 34mm spools like the 21 Zillion. I have a lot of custom spools with different lines, and i swap em a lot. How many people do this on here? Probably no more than 5 other posters, but to me its so important that it very well could be a deal breaker. I want the new steez real bad, it looks just like a superior 21 zillion to me, but because they removed the zero adjuster completely, and the reel doesn't support 34mm spools like the 2016 steez tw, i will never buy that reel. This intercompatibility of spools is something that does not exist with any other brands, including Shimano themselves. You could also mention Daiwa gear sets that are far ahead of everything else when it comes to longevity, while also being glassy smooth. Some will tell you that they're all about that T-wing, because they use 16-25lb fluoro a bunch, and the twing helps with thick diameter lines. Personally, i couldn't care less about anything T-wing related, but as i mentioned above, i might not be into it, but others are, and that on its own might very well be that "advancement" they were looking for in a baitcaster. I also believe that Shimano and Daiwa frames design is so far ahead of all of those Chinese and Korean reels that they're in their own league. And yes, when i spend hundreds of dollars, i care about the looks as much as i care about the reel's performance, palmability, longivity, etc. 2 Quote
DaubsNU1 Posted February 3 Posted February 3 4 hours ago, Craig P said: I’m a Shimano fan for the last 30 years, both spinning and bait casting. Through those years, any time I try another brand, it just doesn’t feel right. I’ve tried to talk myself into other brands, high end too but when I’m at the store trying them, they just don’t feel right to me and then I lift the comparable Shimano and it feels like home. I am right there with you @Craig P! I do have some newer Shimano spinning reels...they all just feel right. When it comes to casting reels, I'm so locked in on Shimano that I only run old Citca and Curado's. I have eight total...the last four have been purchased used via ebay. The original four were all purchased in the early to mid 1990's...and all work GREAT! I keep talking myself OUT OF getting a newer Shimano casting reel...knowing if I get one, I will quickly purchase seven more! : ) 3 Quote
The Rooster Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I don’t have a specific brand I seek out. But I do have specific requirements. In baitcast reels, they must always have aluminum frames and brass gears. I won’t settle for less, or “more”, the more being aluminum gears or magnesium frame or whatever else space age material they use. When it comes to aluminum gears I truly believe they are inferior to brass and incapable of remaining smooth. I’ve seen too many expensive reels with them that felt like a coffee grinder while my cheaper reels with brass gears were still smooth even after years of use. Since the specifics of my choices seem to generally align with reels in the $100 range, this makes them very affordable, so I never worry about trying to catch them on sale, although it is nice to catch a sale when I’m looking for a reel, if the timing is right. Last year I replaced my aging Abu Orra SX reels with new Bass Pro Extremes. I bought four of them at once and managed to find them on sale for $60 each so that turned out nice. Also I seem to have a preference for the Doyo manufactured reels (Pflueger, Lew’s, Abu and their knockoffs, and even one Daiwa, the CA80) so that’s why I went with the Bass Pro reels. They fit my hands well and are light weight enough without being too light weight. I like a little weight to feel like I have a substantial tool in my hand instead of something fragile. That’s purely a state of mind, but the feeling is important. Usually these reels are 7.0oz to 7.4oz, which works out well for me. Then there is the cosmetic factor. A reel must appeal to me and these tend to do that. When I’ve settled on one model as my choice, I buy them all the same but in different gear ratios. I DO NOT mix and match baitcaster brands or different models. For spinning reels my wants are much the same. They all need to be from the same brand, and have a similar feel. A brass pinion gear is a must, but as far as I know, nobody makes one with a brass drive gear also, so a zinc drive gear and brass pinion will do. For as long as they are available, I also won’t buy one that does not have the on/off anti-reverse switch. This seems to be a feature they’re starting to remove from reels, but I use it. Also, handle bearings are important to me in both spinning and baitcast reels. I had that hangup years ago but later thought maybe it didn’t matter that much, so I bought two spinning reels without paying any attention to that detail. One was a Daiwa Fuego LT and the other an Exceler LT. Neither has handle bearings, but the Fuego can have them added. The Exceler cannot. After four years of use, the Exceler paddle grip now has some slop in it that can’t be fixed. So I plan to order and replace the handle with a reel handle from a Bass Pro Shops’ Daiwa made Carbonlite 2.0 spinning reel. Should be a direct swap, and I know that handle has bearings in it already. I’ve had one before. I’ll also get some bearings and add in to the Fuego too. Concerning the baitcast handle bearings, I’ve already converted my Extremes to 9 bearing reels by adding bearings to replace the handle bushings. Otherwise, on spinning reels, one crucial requirement is the weight of the reel. The Daiwa 2500 size 7.2oz reels are perfect, and nearly all others of similar size are too heavy by a full ounce. So in that regard, I’d now be brand locked to Daiwa for spinning reels. 1 Quote
livin2fish Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I don't have a large number of reels like the OP and many others, but when I buy a another brand it is because I want to try something different. When it comes to Shimano, Daiwa, Abu, and Lew's, I have a few of all of them (none more then $250), and they all get fished regularly. If you were to ask me which is my favorite, I have none. To me they are all good tools with which to catch fish. 2 Quote
FrnkNsteen Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I am not really stuck on any certain brand, though I find myself drawn to Daiwa and Shimano reels. I'm willing to try pretty much anything, but I don't buy anything JUST because it is on sale. I find that once I try something and it doesn't really click, I just stop noticing those options anymore. For instance, I've had a LOT of BPS reels in the past, but got a few in a row that had issues out of the box or shortly after using them, so I stopped buying them I have owned a LOT of various models of Lews ranging from the cheaper LFS, to Tourn MB, BB1 and Custom SLP (the white ones). I found myself just not using them and choosing other options so I have given away or sold all but the 2 Custom SLP. I went through a Abu span where I tried out the Orra, Revo S, STX and Winch. All the Revos were the Gen3 Revos. I like them, and still have them, but haven't bought anymore since then. I guess I like trying different things, but if they don't stick and feel right after trying a couple different models I tend to drop them and stop looking at the brand anymore. 2 Quote
GRiver Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I’m totally a budget angler…. Probably why I like Bass Pro. Most of my gear comes from yard sales, and estate sales. I do splurge now and then and get me a new rig, but after learning about “private labeling”…. Where the same company make an array of different brands. I look at features and capabilities rather than brand. So I not loyal to one kind or company of fishing gear, I enjoy the research and shopping too. I even bought a telescopic bait casting rig from Ali express, with an exchangeable BFS spool. $38.00 so no big expense, would I buy another,no….. but did I throw it away…. Nope. 1 Quote
Super User Catt Posted February 3 Super User Posted February 3 It's not the arrow, it's Indian 😉 3 Quote
softwateronly Posted February 3 Posted February 3 After a decade or so away from fishing, I bought a ci4 stradic and 3 US reels. Fifteen years later with minimal maintenance and heavy, heavy use, the stradic is still rock solid and my us reels are out of service or barely usable. I might have overcorrected, but I see the value in longevity in well made in-house reels. With jdm pricing, I'm content living in a Diawa and Shimano world and doing my exploring in various company's sticks. scott 2 Quote
TLHSS Posted February 3 Posted February 3 As I've gotten older, I've discovered (at least for my style of fishing and my lifestyle) that less is more. I'm down to one quality spinning reel (Shimano) and one quality fly reel (Orvis). When it comes time to replace (if ever), I'd probably stay with these brands. 1 Quote
dk2429 Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I’m the same way, I like a variety. I have 13 Fishing, Shimano, Lews, and Daiwa. I’ll lean Shimano or Daiwa but if Lews has a nice reel on sale I’ll snag it. Never have had an issue with them. I bought most of my 13 Concepts about 9-10 years ago. They’ve been super solid up until recently. Quote
Super User Jar11591 Posted February 3 Super User Posted February 3 I have Shimano, Diawa, Lew’s, Pflueger, Abu, and KastKing in my arsenal, and the only brand I wouldn’t buy again is Abu. My Pfluegers are work horses, and my Lew’s serve specific roles that made them the best option when purchased, and are joys to fish with. Would and will buy both brands again. My one Kastking just keeps working no matter how much hell I put it through. At the prices of Kastking I would definitely buy again. Going on 10 or so years of abuse on that reel, never serviced it, yet it keeps hucking. I stay away from Shimano spinning reels. I haven’t had great luck with them. Their casting reels work fine for me though and would buy again. My daiwa reels, nothing needs to be said. Would and will buy more Daiwa. Variety is the spice of life. 1 Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted February 3 Super User Posted February 3 My current baitcasters are Daiwa and Shimano. Spinning reels are Lew's, Shimano, and Pflueger. Quote
dk2429 Posted February 4 Posted February 4 4 hours ago, Jar11591 said: I have Shimano, Diawa, Lew’s, Pflueger, Abu, and KastKing in my arsenal, and the only brand I wouldn’t buy again is Abu. My Pfluegers are work horses, and my Lew’s serve specific roles that made them the best option when purchased, and are joys to fish with. Would and will buy both brands again. My one Kastking just keeps working no matter how much hell I put it through. At the prices of Kastking I would definitely buy again. Going on 10 or so years of abuse on that reel, never serviced it, yet it keeps hucking. I stay away from Shimano spinning reels. I haven’t had great luck with them. Their casting reels work fine for me though and would buy again. My daiwa reels, nothing needs to be said. Would and will buy more Daiwa. Variety is the spice of life. I'm a recent Daiwa fan. I never wanted to give them a chance because they just didn't feel that great at Bass Pro. Until I found a sale on the Tatula Elite... I'm convinced now that any future baitcaster purchases will likely be Daiwa. I was wrong all along Quote
Motoboss Posted February 4 Posted February 4 Shimano. I don’t usually even consider price. If I want a specific reel I pay the cost. I was taught not to haggle over dimes, theres more to life than money. 3 Quote
Flyfish-mt Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I own both Shimano and Daiwa reels. However, I prefer Shimano baitcasting reels to Daiwa and split between Shimano and Daiwa when it comes to spinning reels. 2 Quote
twisted_metal Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I am very OCD on how my reels should perform. I service them myself so I like the familiarity of working on one brand (for me it's Daiwa [over 20 now], and one Shimano). The Shimano is a 201E 5.5:1 in a lefty (my deep cranking reel, great reel I might add). Quote
GReb Posted February 4 Posted February 4 One brand would be so boring. Current box: Shimano - 5 Daiwa - 5 Lews - 4 Abu - 1 Quantum - 1 1 Quote
LonnieP Posted February 4 Posted February 4 I’m mostly Daiwa although I have a couple Shimano’s. I prefer Daiwa’s braking system and the way they feel in my hand. Quote
Junk Fisherman Posted February 5 Posted February 5 I'll get any reel as long as its a Daiwa or a Shimano. 1 1 Quote
Super User LrgmouthShad Posted February 5 Super User Posted February 5 I’ve got reels from Abu, Lew’s, Shimano, and Daiwa. I like offerings from all of them, but my favorite reel has to be the Abu Winch. It’s not close either Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted February 5 Global Moderator Posted February 5 I’ll use any of them. For baitcasters I have always used the old round ambassadeurs. Got my first low profile reel in a while a little over a year ago, a seviin by st croix. It’s been great so far, even got to battle a few nice stripers with it including a 24 lber. I still have 5-6 of the old round ambassadeurs that I also use regularly, those could only be pryed from my cold dead hands 1 Quote
Super User Bird Posted February 5 Super User Posted February 5 Your not alone. In the boat locker is : 3 - Shimano 4 - Lews 3 - Abu 1 - Pflueger 2 - Kastking 1 - Diawa Think there's a couple more in there 😁 2 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted 2 hours ago Super User Posted 2 hours ago After weeding through 'several' different reels of various price points. I have chosen to finishing this deal up with Shimano & Diawia reels ~ A-Jay 1 Quote
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