Spinning reels

[Garry2Rs]

Since spending more money on a spinning reel doesn't help your cast at all, is it worth paying $100.00 or more for a new reel?

 

These days, with a different model available at every five-dollar price point, how do you know when you have spent enough, but not too much?

 

With the big name brand companies, as refinements are added to their top end reels, technological-trickle-down has improved their lower models to the point that, in most cases, the cheaper reels feel about the same as the good ones.

 

Since I couldn't tell the difference myself, a couple of years ago I bought some $40.00 reels for friends and clients to use.

 

The first thing I noticed was that the aluminum paint wears off of the plastic/fibre bodies quite easily. After two years, most these reels are still working. They have had tough lives, having had a through workout in the hands of children and amateurs.

 

There have been some fatal problems. Not just the frame or body parts of lower end reels are made of synthetic materials...Internal parts are also made of plastic.

 

The first problem I had was a clumsy footed person accidentally stepped on a reel...The anti reverse cog broke off. Of coarse, even if parts were available, these reels are not worth the cost of fixing.

 

Having tried the lower-end stuff, I have concluded that quality is worth the price. Obviously this was not a definitive study, and there might be reels priced in between $40.00 and $100.00 that feature metal parts.

 

I have several spinning reels that retail at over $100.00, but for my money, the Shimano Stradic is the point of diminishing returns. They are light, strong and they work! I have used Stradic's for the last ten years. I like them so well that last year I bought another, that I didn't need, when the magnesium model was discontinued.

 

A few years ago my oldest 1000 had it's drive shaft replaced by Shimano in Peterborough, at no charge. There are still parts available if they should need repairs in the future and Shimano is in Canada so there are no cross boarder shipping issues.

Garry2R's

[glen]

The heavier the line you want to use the more expensive the reel.

[Roy]

Great thread, Garry. I'm with you on the Stradic as well. We've probably been buying reels for the same number of years but I remember that in the early 60's, there was not much out there to beat a Mitchell....300, 304, 305, all good reels. Nowadays, technology changes very quickly and often but the Stradic is still the reel ( for the time being) that you can buy and be perfectly confident in its performance.

[nroadrunner]

Only your experience with a reel will tell if price = better. I have had some 30 dollar reels last over 5 years and some $75 reels barely last a summer. I have had great luck with Abu Cardinals . I pick them up at canadian Tire for $35 when they come on sale ...REgular around $75

 

Ian

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I used to fish with crappy reels. My first expensive reel was a Diawa Emblem X(Amazing reel). I tried to go back to cheap reels and no go. You can really feel the difference if you have handled a quality reel long enough.

 

Even Shimano. I was going to buy the cheaper one(I think Sahara), but after feeling the stradic? It was clear, which was the FAR superior reel. Everyone hear knows the praise I gave the stradic when I tested it out. Not sure if the new ones are the same but I believe for the money? The stradic nor the curado can be beat.

 

With all that said? I think the cheap reels of today are much, much better then the cheap reels of yesterday(in regards to performance, but not sure about durability).

 

And I do believe that some higher end spinning reels are designed to make you cast further. As long as you keep the spool relatively full. The ones with the taller spools.

[timmeh]

The main reason I will spend money on a reel like a stradic is for durability. Mine has taken an absolute beating over 3 years, been submerged accidentally dozens of times and still works great. Prior to this I had cheaper reels and while I still caught fish they never really lasted too long.

[danc]

Since spending more money on a spinning reel doesn't help your cast at all, is it worth paying $100.00 or more for a new reel?

 

 

Actually, a high end spinning reel will help you cast further. They wind the line on the spool in a taper so that there is less resistance with the line coming off of the spool when casting. However, the most important thing in a spinning reel IMHO is the drag. Hands down. Pretty much every company has caught up to the latest spinning reel technology. I'd have a hard time saying one brand is a lot better than another. Bottom line is you get what you pay for regarding quality.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Actually, a high end spinning reel will help you cast further. They wind the line on the spool in a taper so that there is less resistance with the line coming off of the spool when casting. However, the most important thing in a spinning reel IMHO is the drag. Hands down. Pretty much every company has caught up to the latest spinning reel technology. I'd have a hard time saying one brand is a lot better than another. Bottom line is you get what you pay for regarding quality.

 

From what I understand? Diawa has the belt when it comes to the best drag. The thing is when they break down, good luck on getting parts.

[OhioFisherman]

With all that said? I think the cheap reels of today are much, much better then the cheap reels of yesterday(in regards to performance, but not sure about durability).

 

Those 15 buck made in france Mitchell 300c`s seemed like a bargain? I don`t notice enough casting difference in any to make all that much difference. The smoothness is nice on the newer reels, the drags are probably better. I don`t like synthetic frame reels, unless they are dirt cheap. Spinning reels for me are usually light line, open water reels.

[danc]

From what I understand? Diawa has the belt when it comes to the best drag. The thing is when they break down, good luck on getting parts.

 

I'm currently using a Diawa. My first ever. And I like it. The Diawa logo on my reel is very much overshadowed by a Cabelas logo. Yup. It's a Cabelas reel made by Diawa. I know that Cabelas will stand behind my reel if there's a problem. I've never had to, or ever anticipate having to order a part for a reel. If it's out of warranty I'll just buy a new one. Bottom line once again. A high end reel will help you cast further. And drag performance is the #1 factor.

[12 Volt Man]

I vote for buying the best equipment that fits your budget.

 

this year, since I hadn't bought a new spinning reel in 5 years, I splurged and bought a Sustain 3000FE.

 

I have to admit, I was quite surprised at how much better it was than my older stradics.

 

for the following reasons:

 

1. cast noticably farther -the new spool lip and line wrap system make a big difference

2. the new one peice bail wire is a lot better than older models

3. the handle that screws into the drive gear is MUCH more solid than the older type that has a slot where the shaft just fits in.

4. even smoother drag

5. I love the new septon paddle handle.

6. the oil port feature, although not new, is really cool.

 

Now, I believe you can get most of these features on reels that are not so expensive, like the Saros for example.

 

my point of all this is that shimano has really improved their spinning reels since they redesigned them.

 

it used to be that daiwas were better for spinning.

 

not anymore IMO.

 

check out a good quality shimano like a saros, stradic etc. and you will be very happy.

 

skip the cheaper models if you can.

 

hope this helps

Edited September 20, 2010 by 12 Volt Man

[MCTFisher9120]

I love my symetre but I think im going to get the 2500 Stradic. The top of needed refinement and quality. They are the "curado" of spinning reels

[wormdunker]

Roy & Ohio Fisherman Talking about the Mitchell 300 & 301 brings back lots of happy memories. I still have a 301 which unfortunately I only use as a spare, but still works great. I gues we're giving away our age!! I remember buying a 301 (I'm left handed) in Sears for $16.00 in the mid 1960s. What a work horse!!

[dave524]

Roy & Ohio Fisherman Talking about the Mitchell 300 & 301 brings back lots of happy memories. I still have a 301 which unfortunately I only use as a spare, but still works great. I gues we're giving away our age!! I remember buying a 301 (I'm left handed) in Sears for $16.00 in the mid 1960s. What a work horse!!

 

I'm getting up there too, my first spinner was an Airex " Spinster " made by the outfit that made the Lionell Model Trains, it was a pretty heavy clunky thing, that would have been late 50's, about 64 I was working on a farm during school and bought an J.W. Young " Ambidex ", got it cause everyone had Mitchell 300's and thought this was way cooler, used it a lot of years. Also mid sixties I got a Michell

308 and a top line Heddon ultralight rod, still use the 308 on small streams for resident trout. Next came a pair of Zebco Cardinals, a 3 and a 4, probably my favourites of all time. Unfortunately, lost the 4 on a vehicle breakin while off on a river with my centrepin rig and replaced it a Daiwa Whisker Tournament. The Daiwa is a great old school reel as well, good drag and casts a mile, excellent line capacity for its size as I am mainly a steelheader/salmon guy any more. Prefer to use my older stuff, not the gear junkie of my younger days, figure my gear says a little about who I am and where I've been over the years.

 

Edit: missed one, there was a also a larger Ryobi spinner in there, wasn't really a fan although they were reputed to be a decent reel, used it with 12 lb line for heavier stuff .

Edited September 20, 2010 by dave524

[Roy]

Hey Dave, here you go. In 63 I bought two Ambidex reels. The brown one for which I'd need to check the name and number and the black Mark Six that I happened to stumble upon this morning. They were both excellent reels and the Mark Six, as old and beat up as it looks, still works as well as the day I bought it.

 

[Guest Johnny Bass]

We keep hearing about buying the best reel that suits your budget.

 

The question is, would you buy cheap low end, brand new? Or buy higher end used?

 

I'd rather buy higher end used. As long as it's in relatively good condition.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Johnny Bass

[OhioFisherman]

Dated by our tackle experiences? It just come down to the fact that in my youth most people were fishing with some Mitchell spinning reel or some Abu bait caster. They were just considered to be the best by most people.

 

My brother Mike liked the Cardinal 3 & 4 reels also, I used Diawas for quite a while. Really though most of my fishing was geared to Bass or larger species and most of the time near cover so bait caster were just some thing I was more comfortable using.

 

In the later 90`s I did start using some older Abu semi-closed face reels for bass. If I had tried one in the time they were in production I would have gone to them sooner. They cast light lures with heavy line well, and are easy to use, I have never had a birds nest on any of them.

 

It just boils down to you are going to pick up what you are most comfortable using first?

Edited September 20, 2010 by OhioFisherman

[dave524]

Hey Dave, here you go. In 63 I bought two Ambidex reels. The brown one for which I'd need to check the name and number and the black Mark Six that I happened to stumble upon this morning. They were both excellent reels and the Mark Six, as old and beat up as it looks, still works as well as the day I bought it.

 

 

 

Mine was blue a Number or Mark 4 I believe, your brown one ? was that one of the ones that had the reel seat stem that attached at the back of the body housing?

[Headhunter]

Garry, I appreciate your insights into tackel as you without a doubt, put many more hours on your equipment then most... please keep 'em coming!

For me, as I simply don't have the time to fish as much as I would like, getting away with a cheapie is my game plan. Simply put, I won't put enough time on a reel to really put it in a position to fail, at least not in the short term.

I have been hearing some good things about the new Abu's and at a price point of around $40.00, they will suit my needs for the foreseable future.

I can't say enough BAD things about myQuantum PTi... ok, it has a good drag on it!

HH

[asdve23rveavwa]

I love my symetre but I think im going to get the 2500 Stradic. The top of needed refinement and quality. They are the "curado" of spinning reels

 

Hey, Mike...funny you should mention a Symetre, not sure how well they are made these days, but, I have one that I bought in 1990 (probably as old as you )a 4000 model that I use exclusively for chucking spoons and body baits off piers. I've lost count of the number of salmon and bows landed with this reel. Still works like a charm, after 100's of line peeling fish!

[SRT8 smoker craft]

I have a 4 year old stradic that at the time was right around $200 which I have had no problems with at all .I now have a 3000 sahara(under $100) which is by far a better reel than the older stradic, but I do plan on getting a new 3000 stradic this winter for my drop shot reel might even go with a 2500 but the only reason I plan on going with the new stradic over the sahara is if the sahara is that much better after only 3-4 years (I also have a 4 year old sahara )than the new stradic must also be that much better that the older one .

Edited September 20, 2010 by SRT8

[Garry2Rs]

About new spool profiles and cross winding the line etc...

These new tapered lip spools are okay, I have one on my latest Stradic, but I can't fill them with braid into the taper without the line falling off...I wonder if they can really cast any farther than the old profile with a little more line???

 

Anyway, the Big Names have to have something new and improved every couple of years to keep us coming back and to give the Talking Heads and writers something to go on about...HAHAHA!

 

On the subject of cheaper reels...

If I was going to buy cheap, I think I'd look at Okuma.

They seem to give you a lot of bang-for-the-buck.

There might even be parts out there...

Okuma is a manufacturer, other low-end reels are generally relabelled items made by anonymous third parties.

Garry2R's

Edited September 20, 2010 by garry2rs

[spoon]

Magnesium body Pflueger Supreme

[torco]

I love my stradic reels both are about 4-5 years old. The 2500 one has really taken a beating and just keeps going without an issue.

My 4000 series one however which the newer of the 2 recently had a gasket problem. The rubber gasket which I assumes helps keep dirt and water out broke and I could no longer reel. I was on a trip so I took it apart removed the gasket and put it back together. It worked fine for the rest of the trip but I think I will need to get it fixed.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

About new spool profiles and cross winding the line etc...

These new tapered lip spools are okay, I have one on my latest Stradic, but I can't fill them with braid into the taper without the line falling off...I wonder if they can really cast any farther than the old profile with a little more line???

 

Anyway, the Big Names have to have something new and improved every couple of years to keep us coming back and to give the Talking Heads and writers something to go on about...HAHAHA!

 

On the subject of cheaper reels...

If I was going to buy cheap, I think I'd look at Okuma.

They seem to give you a lot of bang-for-the-buck.

There might even be parts out there...

Okuma is a manufacturer, other low-end reels are generally relabelled items made by anonymous third parties.

Garry2R's

 

I'm not sure about Okuma..... We've had a few complaints about Okuma on OFC...But can't speak from personal experience.