Pharticus Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 Perhaps some will laugh, but in my efforts to sort through all the $130 or less baitcasters for that perfect first purchase, I began gathering data. This list is based on the offerings from Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. I have eliminated all reels that had ZERO reviews, and all reels that failed to achieve a 4.0 out of 5 (or higher). I also didn't bother with anything under $50. Obviously, this isn't a perfect solution, but when there are 17 bajillion reels to choose from, this DOES help 'cull the herd' a bit. Hope it helps any of you others out there in the same happy predicament as me! 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted March 4, 2012 Super User Posted March 4, 2012 Perhaps some will laugh, but in my efforts to sort through all the $130 or less baitcasters for that perfect first purchase, I began gathering data. This list is based on the offerings from Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. I have eliminated all reels that had ZERO reviews, and all reels that failed to achieve a 4.0 out of 5 (or higher). I also didn't bother with anything under $50. Obviously, this isn't a perfect solution, but when there are 17 bajillion reels to choose from, this DOES help 'cull the herd' a bit. Hope it helps any of you others out there in the same happy predicament as me! Dude, you've got issues. Quote
The one that got away Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 What reel did you end up buying after all that work? Quote
Ima Bass Ninja Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 Wow you really did your research. It's good to have side by side comparison of reels in the same class to see which one has most bang for your buck. But I will say that there is a mile of difference between the reels @ 59.99 and those at 129.99. I would use the chart as a breakdown of 3 groups. >70, 71-100 and 100+. Good job and a very useful tool ! Quote
Megastink Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 You forgot the new Lews Tournament MG. That, in my opinion, may be the winner hands down. The Revo S would give it a good run, but it only comes 6.4:1. The TMG comes in 5.4, 6.4, and 7.1:1! Quote
Pharticus Posted March 4, 2012 Author Posted March 4, 2012 What reel did you end up buying after all that work? Haven't whittled it down yet. Clearly, the 3 highlighted models are a cut above the rest. So now I'll need to look at their non-standard features and read the reviews to try to determine which is my best bet. Quote
Pharticus Posted March 4, 2012 Author Posted March 4, 2012 You forgot the new Lews Tournament MG. That, in my opinion, may be the winner hands down. The Revo S would give it a good run, but it only comes 6.4:1. The TMG comes in 5.4, 6.4, and 7.1:1! It had zero reviews, so it got cut. A fine example of why this isn't exactly a flawless method of choosing... Quote
Super User QUAKEnSHAKE Posted March 4, 2012 Super User Posted March 4, 2012 On your list the Citica is on sale for $80 at Gander Not on your list the BPS JM Carbonlite $109 to $89 w/trade -- my actual weight of 5.82oz Quote
d3bf48 Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 Cool info. You should have bought a Shimano Chronarch 200/50e from Bass Pro for $140 during the reel trade in though. $10 more than your limit but $10 well worth it. Well the trade in is over so I would say Citica from gander or bump out an extra 40 and get the Chronarch with rebate for 170 Quote
Packard Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 I'd put the Citica above the Orra. Otherwise I think the top 3 would be Citica, Pro Qualifier, and Revo S. If you are looking for a light reel the carbonlite is also a great choice. Quote
bandsr4me20 Posted March 4, 2012 Posted March 4, 2012 Do not go for the orra sx. Your best bet is the citica for the price and then if you don't choose it, the revo s. The orras have a bad problem with the anti reverse failing on them. I have had about three break on me and I can tell that another is about to go. You may get lucky and it not happen but I wish now that I had just spend the extra thirty bucks to not have this problem only a year later. Quote
Pharticus Posted March 5, 2012 Author Posted March 5, 2012 The orras have a bad problem with the anti reverse failing on them. Here's one of the reviews from BassPro regarding this issue: "I have 2 of these reels and am very pleased with the performance and quality. Other reviews stated that the anti-reverse bearings are faulty on this model, and this is true to a point. While neither of mine have had any issues, I did contact Abu Garcia about this and this is the information I got. The first production models were affected by this, which has a number starting with 19 00 on the reel foot sticker. Abu Garcia was made aware of this and replaced the anti-reverse bearings in the second production line, which has a number of 19 01. Now, one of my reels is first production, and I purchased it from my local tackle dealer earlier this year. So far, I have not had any problems or failures with it. My second reel was purchased from BPS and it is a second production. Rest assured, the issue has been addressed and resolved, so don't let the reviews of this problem steer you away. These are great reels for the price! The only complaint I have is that there are no slower speed models for deep crankbaits. I'd love to have one with a 5 ratio. Nonetheless, I would definitely purchase more and probably will soon." Quote
Brian Needham Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 the Lews Tournament can be had for 120, and is a durn fine reel, and IMO should not be excluded. your prices are pure MSRP as well, which makes you miss out on some great reel cause of gap between MSRP and actual purchase price. expample, you have the lews speed spool as 99.99, but if you actually pay more than about 83 bucks you paid way to much. Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 5, 2012 Super User Posted March 5, 2012 With Shimano and Abu's current rebates a Curado or Revo SX would be ~$130 (go for either of those or the Gander Citica E if you are a rightie). Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market. Quote
Megastink Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 the Lews Tournament can be had for 120, and is a durn fine reel, and IMO should not be excluded. your prices are pure MSRP as well, which makes you miss out on some great reel cause of gap between MSRP and actual purchase price. expample, you have the lews speed spool as 99.99, but if you actually pay more than about 83 bucks you paid way to much. True. I just bought 2 Lews Tournament MG's for $106 each! I saw the Tournament on the same site for $123... certain other sites will price match AND ship for free... Quote
Daniel My Brother Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market. Oh I think it makes some difference. As a general rule, a larger sample gives you a more accurate idea of what to expect. A lot of new gear is released to glowing reviews, only to be panned later. 1 Quote
Pharticus Posted March 5, 2012 Author Posted March 5, 2012 Number of reviews make no difference since it is only an example of how long a product has been on the market. When funds are limited and I get one shot at getting this right, reviews are crucial. The risk involved in buying a reel that 500 people have reviewed and loved is much lower than the risk of buying a reel that you heard 3 people liked. It's not a perfect method, but it is certainly the most logical in my position. I'm sure there are a dozen and a half reels on that list that I'd probably be nothing-less-than-thrilled with... but I need to pick one - and I'm going for what gives me the best odds of a terrific longterm investment. Quote
Crappiebasser Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 Check ebay if you're really concerned about cost. I bought a NIB Curado E7 last week for $120. Quote
B@ssCrzy Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 Nice work. Nice to be able to see all of those reels compared side by side. Quote
Super User webertime Posted March 5, 2012 Super User Posted March 5, 2012 When funds are limited and I get one shot at getting this right, reviews are crucial. The risk involved in buying a reel that 500 people have reviewed and loved is much lower than the risk of buying a reel that you heard 3 people liked. It's not a perfect method, but it is certainly the most logical in my position. I'm sure there are a dozen and a half reels on that list that I'd probably be nothing-less-than-thrilled with... but I need to pick one - and I'm going for what gives me the best odds of a terrific longterm investment. My point is that a lot of these reviews are "I got it yesterday and fished it for 27 minutes! It's the BEST!---5 Stars!" or "I have 3 of the older models and love them, 5 Stars". And from my own personal knowledge and experience don't discount the fact that employees of other companies or their own, will put up reviews on products to drive the scores up or down. It happens more than you know on most all consumer products. So to me... if I see a reel that has 4 reviews that are relevant (IE current model, from an experience angler, and for a reasonable length of time in various conditions) and a 4.2 score, it means worlds more than a reel that has 300 reviews from "I bought it a week ago and fished it last night and backlashed a lot but it was great, 5 stars" and a score of 4.7. I'm not trying to be difficult, this sort of thing is what I do for a living (data analysis/investigative work). Pool size only matters IF all members of the pool represent a particular group. With BPS/Cabelas reviews you have too much of a variance in the "types" within the pool to give that sort of importance to the total # of the pool (I hope that made sense). From a data point of view the # of reviews means nothing unless it's all the same type of anglers doing the review, in this case they aren't. Seriously though. Citica E for $80 at GM. Sale BPS Pro Qualifier (nice if you are a lefty or need specific ratios) $80 Citica G's for $90 with rebate. If you can find one near by, the Quantum PT Tours that is being cleared out by DSG are ~$100 now. Curado G's for $130 with rebate. Revo's for $130 anywhere with the rebate. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted March 5, 2012 Super User Posted March 5, 2012 Hmm... I think the Citica would be #1 based soley on those with a MSRP within your pricing parameter. However, the Curado 200 and 50 can be easily found for ~$125. Those would be the "Best Value" in my opinion. Quote
Daniel My Brother Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 When I look at gear on BPS, or any other website, I always sort the reviews from lowest to highest rated and try to find a common thread among the low ratings. If 5 out of 50 reviewers have trouble with the anti-reverse, that's a problem I don't want...even if the other 45 people give it 5 stars. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted March 5, 2012 Super User Posted March 5, 2012 The reviews are either from brand fanboys or nutcases with no real relevance. I read them sometimes purely for entertainment value. One of my all time favorites was for some reel. It didn't come with line, so the reviewer gave it a one. 1 Quote
endless Posted March 5, 2012 Posted March 5, 2012 The reviews are either from brand fanboys or nutcases with no real relevance. I read them sometimes purely for entertainment value. One of my all time favorites was for some reel. It didn't come with line, so the reviewer gave it a one. So you mean to tell me they all don't come with Stren? lol But man that is great. You remember what reel? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.