daiwa alphas vs sol

[yellahunter]

hey guys,

im looking for a new bass setup for the up and coming season,
my brother has a daiwa sol and its unreal, however ive also seen the alphas, which to me looks like a sol but purple and made in japan.

has anyone had any experience with both of these...?
i mean i would be happy with a sol but if i can get an alphas for a similar price on ebay (new from japan) would it be worth it.

i would look to match it up with a shimano bass raider as my brother did,
unreal setup.

any tips appreciated

cheers,

Ben

[yellahunter]

heres the reviews i found online re the reels:

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdiawaalphas.html
http://tackletour.com/reviewdaiwasol.html

or is there something else worth looking at as well,

ps: no shitmano

[wheezer]

yes the alphas is the japanese version of the sol...or should i say the sol is a a slightly changed alphas for sale outside japan...

the main difference is the alphas has a lighter cast handle assembly same as on the TD-Z compared to the pressed handle on the sol...other than that they share everything else, frame, internals, spool etc. plus i prefer the trick purple pearl finish of the alphas

if you are looking at buying out of japan consider the alphas type-F, it has a different material maingear (same as steez/i'ze light) to shave more weight and comes with an extra 2 bearings in the handle for smoother cranking...also usually a bit cheaper than the standard alphas not sure why. it does not have crbb spool bearings as it is targetted at bass over there but with correct care you won't have an issue if used in salt

[TheSaint]

I own the Alphas 103 matched to dam raider rod & find it to awesome setup for Bass, flathead & have even stopped a decent Jew with this reel.. The Alphas is the pick for me but either reel would do job nicely mate..

[GPB]

Yellahunter, try and keep it as a positive thread by keeping the 'shit' out of it, make it enjoyable for everyone not just 'tunnel vision' Daiwa fans:o .

PS: I also love my Shimano bass raider.;D

[yellahunter]

Yellahunter, try and keep it as a positive thread by keeping the 'shit' out of it, make it enjoyable for everyone not just 'tunnel vision' Daiwa fans:o .

PS: I also love my Shimano bass raider.;D


sorry man couldnt help myself,
i too own raider rods (which i love) and other shimano rods/reels
however in saying that i also own daiwa and wouldnt buy a shimano reel ever again.

thanks to the others,
so they are much the same, the thing is i will pay similar $$ whether i get a sol here or a alphas from japan, the thing is if i go with the purple reel i forfit my warranty......is it worth it.....?"

any more tips appreciated

thanks heaps,

Ben

[TheSaint]

my alphas is a ebay special & it has never given me any troubles..

[yellahunter]

yeah i know they are not likely to give trouble but i guess is it worth not havinga warranty to get the alphas,

also saint how much did u pay for ures,

[TheSaint]

mate i think i paid $270 to my door for it new off Aussie ebay seller.. I know it was cheaper than japantackle at the time & still is.. I've been tossing up between a Sol & Alphas myself for my loomis crankbait & i'm going the Alphas cause i know it can handle the salt & still do the bassin' as well..

[yellahunter]

another quick question would you pay $50 more for the alphas,
looks like i could get a sol on ebay for 250 whereas the alphas is more like 300

i might be lucky enough to get one for 260 like you but cant count on it,

is there really much difference

[TheSaint]

The two big things for me are that the Alphas is lighter by 30grams & it can hold more line plus the colour looks awesome in the sun how it changes... but i'm abit bias as i already own one & think it's worth the coin..

[wheezer]

i'd go the alphas for the above reasons...the japanese always seem to keep the best stuff for their own market, hence no sol there....

[SimonT]

I just imported a Alphas Type F from Japan for less than AUS$250 delivered, and it only took 5 days to arrive from time of order to being in my hands. Well worth the investment if you ask me.

Wheezer - what rod do you run your Alphas on?

Simon

[BGH05]

Hey Yellahunter,

I run an Alphas 103 on me gl2 spooled with 20ib fins braid and have had no dramas. I use this for targeting barra in the tropics and it goes like a dream, its nice and lite so casting all day isnt a problem. I recomend the Alphas mate u'l realy stand out from the croud with its awsome colour.

Cheers BGH05

[yellahunter]

thanks for all the tips guys,

now when i checked ebay last there was a few different alphas,

i noticed most of them are silver with only a few being that purple model,
is that the model to get i know it sure looks unreal...?

Simon was yours the purple one and if so do you know which ebay store you purchased from, might hit them up to see if they have anoyther.

[TheSaint]

The purple one is Alphas 103 is ok for slatwater use & the sivler one is the Alphas Type-F which is freshwater only..

I still think www.Japantackle.com is is cheaper than the ebay stores by a good $20-30.. I got certate from only them a few weeks back..

[yellahunter]

i guess my next question in that case is l or r handed.

all of my other baitcasters have been the standard (which i think is right handed),
but since ive started flicking plastics with spin gear ive changed to wind on the left and hold the rod in the right,.....which would you suggest and which did u guys buy...?

[TheSaint]

I've got right hand model as i prefer it but if your a Lefty get lefthand one as it will be ease of use for yourself..

[SimonT]

Yellahunter,

I got the silver one, or Type F. There was a previous post about the difference between the purple and silver one (search "alphas ito" should get it), and the silver one being freshwater only. Wheezer posted a good reply, which I summarised as the silver one is fine for salt with standard care. I bought mine for salt and fresh, but liked the idea of the higher performing (although not CRBB, but still stainless) bearings, meaning better casting of small lures.

The site I used was http://www.bass.jp/

I had never used them before, but certainly will again after the service I received. They show only left hand models on the site, but a quick e-mail confirmed they could supply the right hand version.

Simon

[theoldlegend]

GPB,

Just a little message mate.

The author of the thread was enquiring about Daiwas. Nothing more, nothing less.

Then you jump on and and rabbit on about your favourite reels, namely Shimanos. You even had the temerity to infer that the Daiwas were inferior to the Shimanos, probably because you just might happen to have one,or two, or three, or more of the Shimanos. Don't ask me, because I wouldn't know.

Well, wacko doo.

Does that make you a better a fisho that the person who has a Daiwa?

I think it makes you a shirtlifter.

Personally, I couldn't give a rats rectum what people use, but leave it alone when people are seeking advice from others.


TOL

[sid_fishes]

go you old legend go cheers sid

[GPB]

theoldlegend, please read it again, I never mentioned any reels at all, or even my favorite brand or what was good or bad, all I asked was respect for other brand uses on the forum, by yellahunter naming another brand shitmano [post 2] instead of Shimano could spoil a good thread by starting the A v B crap again, and then I emphasised that he actually used the right naming in the rod he wanted [post 1].
Tomorrow I will jig with my Shimano and spin with my Daiwa, and what ever reel catches a fish I will be happy.;D ;D

PS: Read Post No 6 from yellahunter as well.

[yellahunter]

back to the original question......

anyways ive been looking online,
is the type F a better reel, i will only use in freshwater so it doesnt matter in that way.

seems as though the purple alphas might be a bit outdated

[theoldlegend]

GPB,

I've sent you a PM.


TOL

[wheezer]

the alphas is certainly not outdated there's nothing else like it in the daiwa lineup. i have fished with both my standard alphas (with handle bearing upgrade) and a mates type f side by side and there is no discernable difference besides colour. you can't really pick the 5 or so grams missing in the type f...i'm sure either one would satisfy your needs

[Shimanervana]

'Day Fellas,
How does the Alphas stack up against the latest Zillion HLC??
I see that the Alphas can be kitted to look like a Zillion with an upgrade to a Carbon handle with cork grips which should lighten it a tad. Carbontex woshers should improve the drag and it would still come out about $150-00 cheaper.
Also can someone clear my confusion as to Line capacity and Drag pressure for the Alphas 103.
Far too many sites differ between 100 and 120 mts/yards? of line at 12 pound I think.
And some sites are saying 5 pounds of drag. Do they really mean 5 kg. as I have just noticed the specs for the zillion is 6kg. Big difference between pounds and kilogrammmes.