Shimano stella sw20000 v sw18000

[TBM]

Could anyone enlighten me as to the pros and cons of these reels when compared to each other. Are there comparables in other brands??

[Nicko_Cairns]

this guy does the best reviews imo. http://www.alanhawk.com/

I don't have either reel so can't comment, but for comparable reels see above, he has lists of spinning reels.

[Daintreeboy]

The difference between those two is the gear ratio. The 18K is high speed and used for popping and stick baiting where the 20K is a lower gear ratio for jigging etc. Although lower geared it still pulls in a heap of line per handle turn as it is a big reel.
To be honest you need to make sure you need a reel that size for it's line capacity as the 80000 and 10000 sizes still hold a lot of 50 to 80 lb braid.
If you can hold off, you might be able to pick them up much cheaper than current prices due to a new model coming out which will be quite dear. The fact is these reels are truly brilliant so my advice is to get the current model for several hundred dollars less than the new one as it will be all you need.
See the link below for a glimpse at the new model. Daiwa has the mighty Saltiga which is also bery good but pricy due to a recently released new model. In Alan Hawks list via the link above the Stella is no.1. Right now if you didn't go top shelf I reckon in terms of value for money yet still get a reel that is awesome the Penn Torque comes out best.

http://jignpopforum.com/topic/715-here-is-the-new-stella-sw/page__pid__4680#entry4680

[TBM]

Thanks Nicko will have a look at that link

[TBM]

Thanks Nicko I will have a look at that link

[TBM]

Thanks for your advice Daintreeboy I will also look at the link you have recommended and will follow your advice on sitting on my heels for a while. Thanks again.

[NIZ180]

Don't forget there is a US & JP version aswell. Pretty much exactly the same except the US version is cheaper & does not come with the fancy carbon knob.