Shimano or Daiwa reels for my Acolyte's

[nottskev]

I'm not sure more bearings equal better reel. All my fs reels are Shimano's, and the one with the most bearings, a Twinpower XTR 3000 is the one I like least. Relatively heavy, so friction free it feels unreal, and the handle is always tying to move when you'd rather it didn't, creating line issues that rarely occur with other models. But then, I tend to think coarse reel design peaked decades ago, and many "upgrades" are just gilding the lily.
Some I find positively retrograde. For instance, I have a couple of Stradic's where the handle can't be folded and is screwed in direct, To pack away into a made-up rod sleeve, you have to back the handle screw right of , to the point where you risk the handle dropping off (I dread to think what a replacement handle costs if you lose one). The benefit is more alleged "winding power" - but all the earlier models I own had no problem with that. In addition, the revamped carrier for the spool occasionally lets line behind it - unheard of with the previous spool skirts. Coming up with sexy new models seems to involve fixing things that weren't broken and inventing new problems.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

It's also worth checking which drag type is fitted to each Daiwa front drag reel. ... I have no interest in having a quick drag on a float fishing reel. I much prefer the fine adjustment offered by the ATD drag.

Agreed. Daiwa's website and brochure don't even discuss QD - good job I Googled this last night - thanks for the heads-up.

I'll cross the TDM QD off my float reel list, but why might anyone consider QD as an alternative to a baitrunner? Why not just buy a baitrunner?
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[The bad one]

Don't get too caught up on the number of bearings a reel has. A higher number can be a good thing. However, the quality of those bearings can play a significant part, especially in longevity.

It's also worth checking which drag type is fitted to each Daiwa front drag reel. They will either have quick drag or ATD. ATD offers really fine adjustment. Quick drag offers an alternative to a baitrunner feature. Roughly half a turn will have the reel drag backed off to something approaching a freespool setting. People will have differing views on this, but I have no interest in having a quick drag on a float fishing reel. I much prefer the fine adjustment offered by the ATD drag.

As I service all my own reels and have done for 40 + years Chris, I can't say I ever notice any bearing that have gone slack in the race and certainly never come across a set where the race has collapsed. I’d much prefer any bearings to the bushes mainly carbon in the cheaper reels any day of the week.
The point on bearings in a reel is, most of us wouldn't know what are cheap rubbish ones and what are good ones and the price of the reel I don't believe reflects the quality of the bearings. It about increasing the profits of the manufactures by adding a bit of flash and another race to the reel. I also can't ever remember seeing any spec on any coarse reel boxes, and a selling point "Top Quality bearings" as independently test by X company.
It might be on the very top end sea multipliers I wouldn't know as I don't sea fish. Bearings and the quality or not boils down to them telling us they are. And I'm too cynical and long in the tooth to fall for that Bullsh1t.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

Aside from the number of bearings, I've never known products with so many acronyms as Daiwa's reels. LT, QD, ATD, UTD, CRBB, TB2, AR, DS5... serious case of Circumactus Bullshiticus (CB).
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[nottskev]

Aside from the number of bearings, I've never known products with so many acronyms as Daiwa's reels. LT, QD, ATD, UTD, CRBB, TB2, AR, DS5... serious case of Circumactus Bullshiticus (CB).
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Parlez-vous Shimano? Hagane gear, X-ship, Infinity drive, Micro-module gear, AR-C spool, G free body, A-RB, Heat sink Drag, Aero wrap, Varispeed 11, Rigid support drag, X-shield ............ Is it Talking Dirty for credulous anglers?

 

[mikench]

Who or what is getting hooked and falling for the baited trap? It certainly ain't the little fishes.

 

[sam vimes]

As I service all my own reels and have done for 40 + years Chris, I can't say I ever notice any bearing that have gone slack in the race and certainly never come across a set where the race has collapsed. I’d much prefer any bearings to the bushes mainly carbon in the cheaper reels any day of the week.
The point on bearings in a reel is, most of us wouldn't know what are cheap rubbish ones and what are good ones and the price of the reel I don't believe reflects the quality of the bearings. It about increasing the profits of the manufactures by adding a bit of flash and another race to the reel. I also can't ever remember seeing any spec on any coarse reel boxes, and a selling point "Top Quality bearings" as independently test by X company.
It might be on the very top end sea multipliers I wouldn't know as I don't sea fish. Bearings and the quality or not boils down to them telling us they are. And I'm too cynical and long in the tooth to fall for that Bullsh1t.

Bearings, even cheap nasty ones, over bushes, absolutely agree. However, I'm just as cynical as you. I know that some manufacturers haven't been above calling plastic bushes "bearings" in the past. They just use weasel words to mask the fact that they aren't the "ball bearing" races that some might expect when they see it called a bearing.

Collapsed bearings on a reel? Almost no chance unless they are made of cheese. Worn bearings are a nearly as unlikely proposition. What can and does happen, but depends hugely on how you treat your reels in use and how well you maintain them, is that poorer quality bearings can corrode and seize. This is increasingly common with the current fashion for dunking reels in water. Why anyone does this is quite beyond me. How anyone manages to destroy the mechanics of even the cheapest reel in normal use is also quite beyond me. It does seem to happen though. I suspect that more than enough anglers simply have little mechanical aptitude and no mechanical sympathy whatsoever.

I'm reasonably cynical about manufacturers' claims about anything. I also dislike the buzzword bingo they play by giving daft names to fairly mundane features. However, I'm still fairly happy that top end reels are better than the cheaper reels from the same manufacturer. Whether they are really worth a significant premium is another matter entirely, but that's a product of modern retail price structuring. You pay your money and make your choice.

 

[wetthrough]

Perhaps you haven't come across really cheap and really nasty ball races? I have one here that came out of a Drennan reel that has 0.14mm of radial play. First time I've come across a ball race, even at the cheap end that wasn't a piece of precision engineering.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

Parlez-vous Shimano?

Oui... or rather はい. My bikes are covered in the stuff. I'm thankful that Campagnolo don't do fishing gear... those Italians would make everything sound irresistible.

 

[The bad one]

Oui... or rather はい. My bikes are covered in the stuff. I'm thankful that Campagnolo don't do fishing gear... those Italians would make everything sound irresistible.

Ah I was going to get on to them, bottom brackets and their bearings. Now they do collapse and oval bearings. I seemed to be replacing them and the cups every other month when I was cycling.

 

[John Aston]

Oh just buy a reel ! They are cheap as chips unless you go for Carlos Fandango models and nearly all of them are infinitely better than the old tut most us fished with years ago - and still somehow caught fish. Like modern cars , it is bloody hard to find a really rubbish one. As I mentioned above, I caught shedloads of fish on a cheap Hyperloop , despite it costing next to nothing , nor having unobtanium bearings lubricated by unicorn tears ...

Ironically , the only really bad reel I've bought in years was an expensive UK made premium centre pin

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

Oh just buy a reel !

Great advice, thanks.

 

[The bad one]

Oh just buy a reel ! They are cheap as chips unless you go for Carlos Fandango models and nearly all of them are infinitely better than the old tut most us fished with years ago - and still somehow caught fish. Like modern cars , it is bloody hard to find a really rubbish one. As I mentioned above, I caught shedloads of fish on a cheap Hyperloop , despite it costing next to nothing , nor having unobtanium bearings lubricated by unicorn tears ...

Ironically , the only really bad reel I've bought in years was an expensive UK made premium centre pin

If you don't like the thread you don't have to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Sogster]

Interesting a mate of mine has just ordered an acolyte plus 15' and plans to use it with a stradic 4000. Gawd knows why.
But each to their own.

BTW I have no association with the OP.

 

[mikench]

Sounds ideal for a float rod.


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[markcw]

I don't know who make Lidls Crivit brand reels but a lot of anglers reckon they are good and have had them for a few years,
The do both a baitrunner facility reel and a spinning reel ,both in various sizes .And most come with a spare spool.
I have had a look at them and if I was after a reel and not wanting to spend daft money I would get a couple of these .
They are cheaper than a spare spool for some reels ,
I didn't know the price of the Advanta one I bought at the time , If it had been £40 I would have been happy , instead it's less than £25.

 

[S-Kippy]

I’m surprised nobodies mentioned spool diameter. Daiwa reel spools tend to be larger diameter and imo that is a big plus. I’m a Daiwa man personally though I do have a couple of Shimano baby bait runners which are excellent. I also have a Ninja which is a smashing little reel despite the soppy red spool which you can’t see anyway once you put line on. I wouldn’t personally use anything bigger than a 3000 reel on a float rod.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

I’m surprised nobodies mentioned spool diameter. Daiwa reel spools tend to be larger diameter.... I wouldn’t personally use anything bigger than a 3000 reel on a float rod.

I referred to this in post #34. Where on another forum a chap was saying that, for the minimal difference in weight, a larger reel gives you the benefit of a larger spool diameter.

On that basis, why would a lightweight 4000 reel not be okay on a 14ft float rod? I tried a 4000 ST Baitrunner on mine, just for size, and it still didn't over-balance the rod (it was still tip-heavy).

But hasn't Daiwa now gone to 'standardised' sizes with the LT reels?

Definitely more choice from Daiwa than Shimano. Too much choice, probably, and not always clear (for the uninitiated) as to the differences between products - apart from the number of acronyms .... hence the thread.
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[mikench]

Those Advanta reels are currently on offer at fifteen quid.

 

[Kevin aka Aethelbald]

Those Advanta reels are currently on offer at fifteen quid.

Can you get them on finance?
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