shimano or okuma

[jayvee]

witch would you prefer the shimano tld25 overhead or the okuma titus t20

cheers JAYVEE

[reidy]

TLDS have been in production since the late 80s and not much has changed in their basic format.Basic strong lever drag overheads .The old moto applys
If its not busted dont fix it eg been a top bit of kit from day one.
Would go the tld anyday.
Cheers
Reidy

[Jurkyjj]

I am 100% behind reidy.......SHIMANO all the way!!!
I have always used Shimano and have never had product failure.
If you look after your gear it should not fail anyway, but, have found that the shimano has always been faithful to me.

Cheers, Jason.

[thephotoguru]

I have an old Okuma (can't read the model any more) and it has been a great reel, looks just like the TLD15.

I also have a couple Okuma Threadline reels that have been severely abused and still keep going, I bought them for bream flathead and whiting when I was on the gold coast, but since moving to Townsville they have been spooled up with 30lb braid and have been catching plenty of the norths finest.

Wouldn't hesitate buying an Okuma.

I also have a couple shimano reels which are great and have served me well.

Currently trying to decide on which reel to buy for bottom bashing, ABU, Pflueger, Diawa, Okuma, Shimano or Penn.......

As long as reels are looked after most will give goos service.

Cheers Eamon

[Horse]

The TLD is pretty much indestructible with normal use. It weighs just over 24 oz compared to the titus at 35.5 oz. I certainly know which one I prefer

[Pistol_P]

Shimano gear leaves the Okuma Gear for dead.

Pete

[jayvee]

i had a feel of them both in store today. i noticed the shimano just feels better made for some reason and as mentioned you can def feel the weight diff

[hooknose]

Shimano by a country mile, Okuma has a lot of downsides just ask anyone who works in a large turnover tackle shop !!

[whatscracken]

No brainer IMO opinion, Shimano over Okuma.

[Scott79]

I agree with most so far, TLD25 would be my pick - perhaps a little biased as I don't own any Okuma gear - but I know the abuse that my TLD15 has copped and it would take a lot to convince me to change camps. They are as tough as nails. Not sure how the Okuma prices up, but with a TLD25 around $250 (seen them as low as $199 not long ago) I don't think you can go too far wrong.
Scott.

[sporty1]

Hi All

I bought a Okuma titus 15 from BCF today, on special for $99. They had 15 , 20 and 30 models all for $99. Great value for a reel I will use as a back up when the family come along fishing.

[TimiBoy]

After watching an Okuma overhead literally fall apart - totally cacked itself - on about 2Kg of fish, I am pleased with my decision to buy Shimano/Daiwa. No kidding, the Okie was in several pieces.

The Shimano and Daiwa gear just feels better. Seem to perform well, too. When I catch fish...

Cheers,

Tim

[DigitalSI]

I use a Shimano TLD20 on a Gary Howard Sabre 7' off the back of my Jetski, gets hammered by Saltwater. Rince off at home, spray down with Inox and wipe down with a clean rag and she is as goods as new for the next session. Haven't used an Okuma overhead reel before and in saying that I have no plans to either.

[nigelr]

TLD over Titus.
Sealine over TLD.........................
Cheers.

[kevvie]

I dont think this thread is open for any kind of logical discussion...

We are talking Ferrari V's Hyundai here...no comparison can be logically applied.

I have bought and owned my fair share of both brand reels and quite simply okuma is crappola. If any here can tell me they think its quality stuff they dont know tackle very well. Do the reels work??? Yes... Do they do it effectively??? its up to personal experience to answer that...but if you have used any decent gear you wont agree here...Will it last??? Mine havent...and im anal about how i look after my reels.

Shimano hands down across the entire range...

[Noelm]

don't think you would ever get another result with a Shimano V any other brand, it is advertising and brand loyalty that has the Shimano in front every time!

[NAGG]

There are plenty of 18 YO TLDs still happily catching fish

I doubt you would be able to say the same about a Titus in 18 years time.

I've looked at a few Okuma reels over the years ..... & always went a Daiwa or Shimano

Chris

[hooknose]

Tica's break and die, usually early in thier lives, say no more !!!

[sleepygreg]

Dont know if its changed any, but the Tica factory used to make a lot of Shimano AND Daiwa's top end reels, as well as many other brands...in fact...you can walk in there and order your own custom label reel to any spec you want...and price (as long as you want them in container quantities). Thats the way the tackle manufacturing industry works in china.

In my years as a tackle dealer....I had more probs with Okuma than Shimano.....but a lot of these were from people trying to use their tackle above its design limits......if your going to do that .....shimano will outlast okuma 10-1.

(just remember to compare apples with apples)

Greg

[kevvie]

Good post Sleepy...my point exactly!!!!

You could never compare Shimano with okuma...

I remember buying an Okuma Azul years back, touted as the next best reel, XOS gearing, etc... i was happier when i finally threw it away than when i first bought it!

Noelm... Your flawed in your assumptions regarding my thoughts on why i feel shimano is better. First off i didnt say they were better than anything around, just better than Okuma, and thats not a hard task!

Secondly, i have had the opportunity over the years to play with most brands and reels, i have switched camps many times and will do so depending on what i feel is the superior equipment of the time. Next year who knows what the manufacturers will bring out, or who is leading the pack. Personally i dont care. But i do know quality when i see it. I reckon most savvy anglers are pretty much the same. If daiwa dropped the ball most would swarm back to shimano and vice versa.

So i wouldnt say im a victim of cunning marketing but i would certainly be influenced to some degree. We all are, but most influence comes down to time in the field:)

[Noelm]

kevvie, while I agree up to a point, when we are talking about the 'man in the street" if you were to ask to name a brand of fishing reel, almost without exception, the answer will be Shimano, simply because of the advertising on TV, brochures, almost anywhere you turn, now I know Shimano make some very good stuff, I have plenty, but they also make some sh!t, so what I was getting at, and I still say it is correct, that a poll with Shimano against anything else is next to useless, plenty of times I have seen a newbie at a tackle store or a department store looking at gear and see a $40 special and say, geees look a Shimano for $40 must be good if it's Shimano. Exactly the same applies in the bike industry, you will see a "Christ,mas special" at a department store and the catalogue will say "shimano gears" the mum and dads do not know that there is $10 shimano gears, and $1500 shimano gears, same as fishing reels!

[Noelm]

OH, I guess back to the question, I have used some Okuma stuff and was not exactly impressed, but it was OK, not too sure if they make "proper" high end gear though, if they do I have not seen or used any, but if you were to compare the dollar for dollar reels in the ranges, then maybe the difference would not be too big (maybe)

[Gozz]

8 years ago I bought 6 okuma coronado 60 bait feeders and they have all served me well catching hundreds of snapper , gummy shark's and the odd stingray.
Not one has failed me so far,I sent them back to okuma to be serviced and they are like new again.
In saying all that I now also own 3500 shimano btr's and there is no way on earth you could compare the okumas to them.
I also bought a couple penn live liners which are also a very nice reel but have nothing on the shimano on smoothness.

[billfisher]

I like the look of the Okuma magsystem overheads. Magnetic control, 6.2:1 gear ratio, carbon fibre drag, price from $200. I got the MS-30CS the other day for use as a high speed spinning reel.

[jayvee]

i put the poll up and asked the question about OKUMA and SHIMANO because BCF had the OKUMA T-20's on sale (end of line) for $99. normaly $240and the tld-25 at normal price of $259. pretty similar in price so i came on here for the opinions and advice!. I had no plans on buying the Okuma just because it was $99 if i was only going to have to replace it again in 2yrs when i could buy the TLD-25 and still have it in 10yrs. i end'd up getting a TLD-25 and a $100 rod to suit from another store for $300 anyway!
thanks for the replys guys/gals
JAYVEE

[Horse]

My TLD is nearly 20 years old and is still taken on all offshore trips. It has caught all sorts of stuff up to 350lb and keeps on working

[abbot_86]

is that a joke

[Swindells]

Shimano is definetly the better reel, though in saying that i have an Okuma baitrunner which is a good, reliable reel also.

[Chamelion]

My mate bought an Okuma reel to use surf fishing. After 6 months and 4 uses it's completely rooted... He's treated his pflueger gear much worse, given it much more use and thus far it's all functioning correctly.

If pflueger gear outlasts okuma, shimano has to!

[abbot_86]

witch would you prefer the shimano tld25 overhead or the okuma titus t20

cheers JAYVEE

is that a trick question??? after a bad experience with an okuma i wouldnt waste your time mate!!

[insider]

Everyone should note that Okuma outsource a lot of the making of their reels. Pflueger is only a brand name, they don't make reels. Shimano only assemble reels all parts are sub contracted out. Daiwa outsource as well. I have to back up Sleepygreg always compare apples with applles. Also note a massive marketing budget has to be paid by someone and if you are buying the big brands you are funding the advertising and maybe not the quality.

[bf90]

I have always used shimano tld 15 20 and 25 great reels bought 2 okuma reels on special for $199 each and within 12 months one of them packed it in so I pulled it apart and the internals were rusted to hell so last time I ever buy okuma for me it is only 2 players shimano and penn had both brands for 10 plus years and never a single problem. Cheers and tight lines guys.

[gpz1991]

Everyone should note that Okuma outsource a lot of the making of their reels. Pflueger is only a brand name, they don't make reels. Shimano only assemble reels all parts are sub contracted out. Daiwa outsource as well. I have to back up Sleepygreg always compare apples with applles. Also note a massive marketing budget has to be paid by someone and if you are buying the big brands you are funding the advertising and maybe not the quality.

After several years break I got back in to game fishing (new 6m boat) on a limited budget, bought a mixture of new and good second hand gear. I have owned and used pretty much all brands and levels of gear in 35 years of fishing.

As part of venture back in to game fishing I bought a T30 and T50 Okuma (the older model blue Titus) I have now had these for sereval years and have caught every thing from 10kg blue fin tuna to 140kg blue marlin and for the price that I paid for them can not complain, at this stage they get used for about 4-6 trips per year and do seem to take a bit more care as I do not think the finish is as good as Tld.

In a perfect world we would always buy the best of the best, if money was no object I would buy Penn inters and Diawa sea lines

[nathank]

Ive had a TLD 20 (the same one) since 95 and its still alive and very well..... These things for the money are just the best value out there..super smooth drags

[davo]

Shimano. Okuma is crap.

[benno_r]

Shimano. Okuma is crap.

Don't know about that. My last 2 Okuma reels were a V-System and a Makaira, both work great, are well built, and are holding up well. My last Shimano was a CI4 Stradic, and it wobbles all over the place because the mounts for the main bearings in the body are too big for the bearings. I also own other Shimano gear, and I especially love my Talica.

Have you owned a recent Okuma?

Cheers,
Ben

[cobiaman]

I also own 2 vsystems and would rate them over a stradic

[Lancair]

I suspect fishing reels are much like electric power tools out of china. I have a mate who is big in the game of power tools, he tells me these smae factories turn out drills etc for several different brands. Like was said in this thread a few years back, as long as you want container loads you can order a power tool to any price point you want. The quality of the components used varies with price. He can land power drills in Australia that cost less than $5 per unit and sell them to Bunnings for example for $9 each, they sell to you for $20 with a 2 or 3 yr replacement warranty. The same size and case drill could be made for $100's, cost you near a $1000, break your wrist with the torque and be near indestructible, but no one would buy them.