Curado 200G Vs 200E

[piscicidal]

I understand what you guys are saying about "price recalibration". From an accounting standpoint, it might make sense for Shimano to do this recalibration. However, to the majority of the fishing public it comes down to this...the entire product line downgraded while keeping the price the same. That doesn't sit well with some people.

I love Shimano baitcasters...I just bought two more at the BPS trade in. At the current pricing, my purchases will be confined to the "E" series though...IMO that is where the biggest value for my dollar lies.

[LgMouthGambler]

I understand what you guys are saying about "price recalibration". From an accounting standpoint, it might make sense for Shimano to do this recalibration. However, to the majority of the fishing public it comes down to this...the entire product line downgraded while keeping the price the same. That doesn't sit well with some people.

I love Shimano baitcasters...I just bought two more at the BPS trade in. At the current pricing, my purchases will be confined to the "E" series though...IMO that is where the biggest value for my dollar lies.

I agree

[piscicidal]

To be clear...when talking about keeping the price the same, I am referring to the Curado. And in fairness, the price is not exactly the same...they did lower the retail price a little bit (from $179 to $159).

What bothers me is that they essentially downgrade the entire product line. Can you imagine if GM came out with their 2013 lineup...and they took the Chevy Impala, slapped a Cadillac sticker on it, gave it a different paint job, and lowered the price a little bit from the old Cadillac price? That's a valid analogy and it just seems dishonest to me.

If they felt that they need to get more margin on the products, I'd feel better about them raising the price. If I paid retail price for a Curado G, thinking I was getting the same thing as my E series with perhaps a few refinements, I would not be a happy camper. it's not even the same form factor...the new one is based off the Canaen. It is taller and not as comfortable to palm (IMO). More plastic components. less bearings. I can't blame Curado G buyers for being disappointed.

I'll continue to buy Shimano reels. The "E" series reels are still a fantastic bargin. I won't be buying any Curado G reels, unless they come way down in price.

[barroncooper]

just bought 2 g models and while they're not as nice as the e's, they are worth every penny what they cost. I have 11 e's and haven't had the first problem with graphite sides and i beat the hell out of my stuff. I don't care if it's made out of plastic... If the technology and material is there to make them last I don't care what material is used. I actually think that composite frames are real close to being feasible.

[The Rooster]

I think it would have been nice if they had simply introduced the G series as a completely new reel and left the old Curado E in place. After all, why do you kill your most popular selling reel to take a chance on a new one??

Maybe they could have moved the Chronarch to the same E frame, as they did, but with even more enhancements than the Curado would have had, such as 9 bearings, double anodized parts, and other stuff like that. The Chronarch was selling for $300 before that. Having a perceived $100 price drop (not really) on that name wasn't necessary. People who paid $300 for the Chronarch would have still done so and Shimano would have added another E model to their lineup with even more enhancements. As for how to handle the Citica under those circumstances, well, they could have done what they did and made it a G, or left the E series alone, but having a new G series reel in between the old Curado and Citica E's at an inbetween price might not have worked.

Otherwise, they could have just used the G series as a graphite framed reel only, as they are with the Caenan and that other weird orange colored one that's even cheaper.

What's sad is, the reels are probably good reels. But they have large shoes to fill after the E series was sold for less and felt better to many people. I don't think they can fill them.

[The Rooster]

IMO the E series Curado was encroaching on Chronarch territory in features and price. All Shimano did was put the planets back in alignment so to speak. The line as a whole has several quality reels at price points to appeal to a range of budgets. Add this to all the other great gear out there as JF mentioned, there's something for everyone.

That's sort of like saying they realized they went too far in offering so much for so little and decided to yank the rug out from under it.

Something made them change it all. Either costs went up and they simply couldn't offer the same thing for the same money, or they wanted to make more money with a wider profit margin on the reels and needed a cheaper to produce model to do so.

As for me, I just think they should have left it alone and just raised prices if that was all it was. People would have complained, and I can't speak for everyone but I know I would have just sucked it up and paid a little more to get the reel I wanted. Having that new model that I don't like as much though, they won't even get the money they would have gotten. I had planned to get at least one more Curado this year, I wanted the 5.0 ratio for crankbaits. Now that won't happen so I guess I'm looking into something else when that time comes.

[Hooligan]

The thing is, though, the Curado E series reels were WELL over-built for a Curado. If you take into consideration what the reel has always been, you're looking at nothing but an anamoly. Every other series of Curado is in line with what the G series is. To complain about downgrading isn't very accurate. People went ape when the introduced the E series, for many reasons, they said it just wasn't the same as their old Curado. You're looking at only one half of an equation.

[LVT Bassin]

Hello everyone! Been a long time since I've participated, and its nice to be back and reading this forum again. I might be going a little off topic here since I want to talk about the Chronarch.

So, If I want to buy a new Shimano reel, either Curado or Chronarch in 201 size (left hand), which one should I get? I specifically want the 6.x:1 gear ratio for spinner baits and chatterbaits. My main spinner bait reel for the last 4 years was the Curado 101D...its time to upgrade and add more line to the reel.

Shimano does not make the Curado 201E5 so thats out. That leaves me with Curado 201G6 or the Chronarch 201E6 to pick from.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[J Francho]

Chronarch 200e6

[l3rd]

Gas continually goes up...all the time. And they keep adding more and more ethanol(cheaper chemical makeup). Does any of this make since?

Jeff

Unfortunately, yes it does. The Federal Reserve is continually printing more money. Flood any market with any item and the value tends to decrease. They are intentionally decreasing the value of the dollar, have been for decades and decades, so prices are necessarily going to increase, this is the basis and reason for inflation.

[barroncooper]

The thing is, though, the Curado E series reels were WELL over-built for a Curado. If you take into consideration what the reel has always been, you're looking at nothing but an anamoly. Every other series of Curado is in line with what the G series is. To complain about downgrading isn't very accurate. People went ape when the introduced the E series, for many reasons, they said it just wasn't the same as their old Curado. You're looking at only one half of an equation.

very well said bud!!!

[BobP]

The controversy will go away as last stocks of the Curado E's disappear from retailers' shelves. Then, you'll like a new model Shimano G reel or will prefer a model from another manufacturer based on your own biases, budget, reputation, or features. Differences in quality among manufacturers is narrowing and choices are getting harder - but your chance of buying a great reel is getting better. In the meantime, I'm happy for the inconsistency in the Shimano line because I can buy a G model reel with more of the features I think are important, at a big discount. Instead of getting my nose out of joint, I just want to see what's available and choose the one that's best for me. Next year, I'll do the same again. And again, etc.

[*Hootie]

OK....mea culpa.

Is that French?

[retiredbosn]

The reason so many prefer the Curado E series over the G is that the G is a down grade. As evidenced by the fact that the only difference between the E series Curado and the new Chronarch is the paint job and some minor changes to the drag. Tackle tour has a great article on this, the E series was a drastic departure from the usual Curado and now that the Curado has been redesigned to reflect a more mid-grade reel, anglers are understandably searching out the last of the E series. Why not get the current Chronarch in a box that says Curado and save some cash?

[The Rooster]

To be wholly truthful here, the Citica G is actually not a downgrade from the Citica E. Same bearing count, same locations, same features, just a different frame and about 0.5 oz. less weight, but with a $10 price increase. Just the Curado was changed totally. For those who want a Citica and were happy with the old E, the new G might fit nicely unless you just preferred the frame of the E better. This time around though, the Citica offers multiple gear ratio options instead of just the one.

[bassheel]

All they needed to do was to offer a curado e in a 6:1 or 6:4 ratio and left it alone. What u guys think?

[craww]

To be clear to anyone reading this who's in the market for a new reel, take this advice and BUY a E series curado while their NIB and cheap. I own alot of reels and my E7 is my staright up best distance caster. Spooled with #12 hybrid on a 7' rod casting a sammy 100, I have spooled the frigging thing. Note the line capacity of a 200 series reel.

When the revos hit in 06', they took alot of the market share initially. Shimano had to get the new citica/curado right and they did, BIG TIME.

[Boogey Man]

I bought a Curado G6 at the BPS trade in, got it for $90 with trade in, rebate and a coupon. I don't have a E but the G is a nice reel. I also found this from Bantam1 from another site:

"Nobody seems to understand the yen to dollar exchange rates. 3 years ago the yen was 100+-1. Today its around 80-1. This makes a HUGE difference in pricing. For example if the new Curado G was made in Japan the MSRP would be around $250 instead of $159. I know the math doesn't seem right but it is. If you haven't noticed everything is getting more expensive. Gas, boats, vehicles, food...unemployment is hovering around 10%, fishing industry as a whole is down. Curado E was going to see a price increase. Would you have been happier to pay $199 for the Curado E? Chronarch was not moving well at $300. We could have just dropped the reel name and moved on. We knew people would get angry, but our hands were tied. Apples to oranges? I hope that after reading all of this you see a name is just a name.

There is no easy solution with the current situation. New models will just come out to be more expensive than the previous model unless we move production to Malaysia. Now for all of you that think Malaysia sucks you are wrong. The factory there is actually more advanced than the one in Japan. The machines are better and capable of tighter tolerances. The engineers are all from Japan. We have QC people from Japan working at the factory now. The workers are being trained at higher levels and the standards are among the best in the country. Yes there have been some growing pains over the years but things have improved substantially."

[Georgia Jeff]

The thing is, though, the Curado E series reels were WELL over-built for a Curado. If you take into consideration what the reel has always been, you're looking at nothing but an anamoly. Every other series of Curado is in line with what the G series is. To complain about downgrading isn't very accurate. People went ape when the introduced the E series, for many reasons, they said it just wasn't the same as their old Curado. You're looking at only one half of an equation.

The change from the curado B series to the curado D series was a much bigger change in my opinion than the D to the E. The D series is when they actually over-built the curado lineup. The price jumped from $150 to $199. With the curado E they introduced graphite side plates and dropped the price a little.

The curado is now back in its original price range but unfortunately it feels horrible compared to its last two versions, is made cheaper, and has a bulkier frame. Shimano has once again downgraded the curado lineup.

[Blue Streak]

I think another thing that has hurt Shimano over the past few years is the competition is producing some pretty good reels of their own. Every bit as well built and some more economically priced. I think you can get a Revo S for 129 bucks and it is a real good piece of equipment for that price.

[The Rooster]

I bought a Curado G6 at the BPS trade in, got it for $90 with trade in, rebate and a coupon. I don't have a E but the G is a nice reel. I also found this from Bantam1 from another site:

"Nobody seems to understand the yen to dollar exchange rates. 3 years ago the yen was 100+-1. Today its around 80-1. This makes a HUGE difference in pricing. For example if the new Curado G was made in Japan the MSRP would be around $250 instead of $159. I know the math doesn't seem right but it is. If you haven't noticed everything is getting more expensive. Gas, boats, vehicles, food...unemployment is hovering around 10%, fishing industry as a whole is down. Curado E was going to see a price increase. Would you have been happier to pay $199 for the Curado E? Chronarch was not moving well at $300. We could have just dropped the reel name and moved on. We knew people would get angry, but our hands were tied. Apples to oranges? I hope that after reading all of this you see a name is just a name.

There is no easy solution with the current situation. New models will just come out to be more expensive than the previous model unless we move production to Malaysia. Now for all of you that think Malaysia sucks you are wrong. The factory there is actually more advanced than the one in Japan. The machines are better and capable of tighter tolerances. The engineers are all from Japan. We have QC people from Japan working at the factory now. The workers are being trained at higher levels and the standards are among the best in the country. Yes there have been some growing pains over the years but things have improved substantially."

I don't mean to keep beating a dead horse but I just don't buy that explanation. He said he hopes people read that and see that a name it just a name, but it seems to me that Shimano is the one who got hung up on the name. Ok, so Chronarch was not selling well at $300 but yet the Core still sells well when it is much higher?? Baloney. If that was happening it wasn't because of price, it was because of what they could get in the Core for just a bit more. That would tell me it was time for a change in the Chronarch D line, but not all the rest of the changes that happened too. I mention the Core because it wasn't changed, so apparently they think they will keep selling as is at the current price.

Also, yeah, I think people would have been OK in the long run with paying $199 for the Curado. They were doing that just a few years earlier with the D series and it wasn't as good as the E. You all surely remember the days when you could come to this site around 2006 or 2007 and Curado, Curado, Curado was all anybody recommended and they were the heavy bulky D series and were $199 then. If people wouldn't pay $199 again for a reel that many regard as better than the D, then why do they think they will just because it now says Chronarch on it, it's still the same reel as the Curado was, only not green anymore. Shimano doesn't think they would pay a slight increase to keep buying the same thing that says Curado, but they do think they would because it says Chronarch?? Really?? That's going around in a circle, saying they won't pay for the name, but they will pay for a different name. By the way, anybody that justifies paying $199 for it because it says Chronarch instead of Curado is ridiculous anyway. But if they do think people would pay for the name then why not just drop the Chronarch price to $250 and move it to the E frame like they did anyway, and maybe ad a couple extra bearings to justify that increase over the "then current Curado". If they can make the reel and put Chronarch on it for $199 then they could do the same with minor enhancements and sell it at an increase to cover it, solve the seeming problem of them not selling at $300, and still have kept their customers happy in the other areas. You are not going to convince me that it was cheaper to develop a whole new reel vs. doing that. It doesn't make sense. I think the whole thing was a marketing ploy, nothing more. I don't know what they thought they were going to gain, but I'm fairly sure it wasn't this. Seems to me a few people are talking about being dissatisfied with the current way things are. It is sort of sad, they did make a good reel in the G series, I'm sure. But once you introduce people to a certain level of improvements you can't just go back to the way it was nearly 6 or 7 years ago and try to justify it saying the reel is back like it always had been and was never meant to be in that price range anyway, so people should just accept it. I keep reading that being said as an explanation to all this. It's the people that tell these companies what their market is, not the other way around.

[bflow_6]

I have a curado G,E,and a couple of old greenies while the G is no E its still a great real and I have zero complaints

[Boogey Man]

I don't mean to keep beating a dead horse but I just don't buy that explanation. He said he hopes people read that and see that a name it just a name, but it seems to me that Shimano is the one who got hung up on the name. Ok, so Chronarch was not selling well at $300 but yet the Core still sells well when it is much higher?? Baloney. If that was happening it wasn't because of price, it was because of what they could get in the Core for just a bit more. That would tell me it was time for a change in the Chronarch D line, but not all the rest of the changes that happened too. I mention the Core because it wasn't changed, so apparently they think they will keep selling as is at the current price.

Also, yeah, I think people would have been OK in the long run with paying $199 for the Curado. They were doing that just a few years earlier with the D series and it wasn't as good as the E. You all surely remember the days when you could come to this site around 2006 or 2007 and Curado, Curado, Curado was all anybody recommended and they were the heavy bulky D series and were $199 then. If people wouldn't pay $199 again for a reel that many regard as better than the D, then why do they think they will just because it now says Chronarch on it, it's still the same reel as the Curado was, only not green anymore. Shimano doesn't think they would pay a slight increase to keep buying the same thing that says Curado, but they do think they would because it says Chronarch?? Really?? That's going around in a circle, saying they won't pay for the name, but they will pay for a different name. By the way, anybody that justifies paying $199 for it because it says Chronarch instead of Curado is ridiculous anyway. But if they do think people would pay for the name then why not just drop the Chronarch price to $250 and move it to the E frame like they did anyway, and maybe ad a couple extra bearings to justify that increase over the "then current Curado". If they can make the reel and put Chronarch on it for $199 then they could do the same with minor enhancements and sell it at an increase to cover it, solve the seeming problem of them not selling at $300, and still have kept their customers happy in the other areas. You are not going to convince me that it was cheaper to develop a whole new reel vs. doing that. It doesn't make sense. I think the whole thing was a marketing ploy, nothing more. I don't know what they thought they were going to gain, but I'm fairly sure it wasn't this. Seems to me a few people are talking about being dissatisfied with the current way things are. It is sort of sad, they did make a good reel in the G series, I'm sure. But once you introduce people to a certain level of improvements you can't just go back to the way it was nearly 6 or 7 years ago and try to justify it saying the reel is back like it always had been and was never meant to be in that price range anyway, so people should just accept it. I keep reading that being said as an explanation to all this. It's the people that tell these companies what their market is, not the other way around.

Well, like I said, I don't have an E to compare it to. I do have a couple Citica E's and the Curado G is heads and shoulders above it in casting distance and smoothness. The Citica E has a plastic drag star and does not have the titanium line guide and I haven't noticed any adverse results. What were your personal experiences fishing the Curado G vs. the Curado E?

[J Francho]

LOL, what's funny is NO ONE is complaining about Zillions not changing one iota, and now are $90 more than when they were introduced.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Much a do about nothing. Cabin fever must be at the root of why this thread is 4 pages. Shimano could change their reels names to Good, Better, Way Better and Awesome and certain groups of features will still cost X. People will buy one or shop elswhere, then the marketing wizards will come with another approach. It's a never ending circle.