this is what i was told/personal experience...
i started off with a sheffield, and still using it until today..it spins nice and the start up speed is moderate.
but after playing with my friends purist II, i realized my pin is not up to par in terms of smoothness and startup speed.
in conclusion, its always good to start with a decent ($200-300)reel, then work your way up to a better one..you WILL appreciate your pin more!
some of you may disagree, just my 0.02