What is the advantage of buying more expensive reels?

[walugi]

Hi guys, i'm just wondering what your opinions are on buying a more expensive reel?

The advantages i've noticed are more ball bearings, and the expensive ones usually come with a fancy patent system of some kind.

Is there any real benefit from buying something high range instead of mid range, or mid range instead of budget?

Example for me is that I want to get a reel for my 4-7kg, lure casting rod. I don't see a great difference between buying a Penn Applause/Infinity for ($130), Daiwa Regal 4/5i ($90) or ABU Cardinal Saltwater ($70)

Cheers

[tailorboi99]

Well look at the specs on each reel, which hold more line, ball bearings, max drag etc..

[NAGG]

Hi guys, i'm just wondering what your opinions are on buying a more expensive reel?

The advantages i've noticed are more ball bearings, and the expensive ones usually come with a fancy patent system of some kind.

Is there any real benefit from buying something high range instead of mid range, or mid range instead of budget?

Example for me is that I want to get a reel for my 4-7kg, lure casting rod. I don't see a great difference between buying a Penn Applause/Infinity for ($130), Daiwa Regal 4/5i ($90) or ABU Cardinal Saltwater ($70)

Cheers

Hi Walugi

all the reels that you mentioned would be considered budget reels with perhaps the Penns being the best of that lot ........

I doubt you would see a huge difference between them...... They will all do a job.

Now what I consider to be middle of the road reels are the likes of a Daiwa Sol , Heatland , Tierra or Shimano Sustain , Twin Power & Stradic , & you can probably slip in an Okuma V System ....... but now you are looking at a minumum of $230 & up to $400ish ....... & even amoung this lot there is a fair sort of difference

As for high end ..... you are spending anything from high $500s for a Daiwa Certate through $700s for a Shimano Fireblood through to the Shimano Stellas or Daiwas Steez & Exist which are around the $900 - $1050ish

& yes as you move up this tree ..... there is a world of difference (design , smoothness , quality of the bearings & number , build etc

So basically ..... dont expect too much from the reels that you are looking at when you compare them to other models that are produced by some of those same companies

Chris

[kokomo]

depends on the use of the rod..

longer life..

if your using the reel to is limits and fighiting to the upper end of this range then there is no comparision..

i have caught marlin and had the drag smoking and had to get a major service after 1 fish...

IMO i never buy cheaper than mid level and still expect to get what i pay for..


cheap=not working
mid range= just works
top of range= perfect

[humfmonkey]

Hi Walugi

all the reels that you mentioned would be considered budget reels with perhaps the Penns being the best of that lot ........

I doubt you would see a huge difference between them...... They will all do a job.

Now what I consider to be middle of the road reels are the likes of a Daiwa Sol , Heatland , Tierra or Shimano Sustain , Twin Power & Stradic , & you can probably slip in an Okuma V System ....... but now you are looking at a minumum of $230 & up to $400ish ....... & even amoung this lot there is a fair sort of difference

As for high end ..... you are spending anything from high $500s for a Daiwa Certate through $700s for a Shimano Fireblood through to the Shimano Stellas or Daiwas Steez & Exist which are around the $900 - $1050ish

& yes as you move up this tree ..... there is a world of difference (design , smoothness , quality of the bearings & number , build etc

So basically ..... dont expect too much from the reels that you are looking at when you compare them to other models that are produced by some of those same companies

Chris

here here the difference is outstanding stradic to stella 5000 500 hundred difference but worlds apart

[chewy01]

In saying that there are some reels that perform well above their weight.Imho with spin reels particulary,you will get good service from some of the cheaper reels,so long as you look after them.Buy the best you can afford i guess but make sure you look after them in the salt.Also with some of the spin reels in the lower end of the scale,beware of them spruiking about numbers of bearings,as the bearing quality will probably be dubious,so in that instance you are probably better off getting a reel with a lower number of bearings.There is mothing wrong with bushes so long as they are looked after. I still use my abu 6000 sometimes just for the quietness of the brass bushes.There is a lot made of lighter weight as well but for the most part so long as the reel is the right size and matched to the rod and angler,a few grams here or there is not going to make any difference to the average fisho like me.By the way i have two applause that both landed some nioce fish this morning and i can recommend them as a nice smooth reel with a prett good drag straight out of the box,though i did give ine a spray with nulon.

[spears]

The reels for $1000..$1500..are nothing until you want the best…. e.g. fly reel.
http://www.reactionbaits.com/detail.aspx?ID=906

With the current U.S. exchange rate you can pick this up for $14,000.00.Yes it’s a rich mans reel.

This subject has been covered many times before and plenty info in the search section.

I think most people that move up to the mid to high end reels might of borrowed or used some one else’s which leaves them thinking ,I might get one too being so smooth and solid.

NAGG has covered it pretty well

[NAGG]

Well said Chew on the bearings ....... lots of bearings do not necessarily make a better reel ....... It certainly is the quality though ( stainless better ..... CRBB / ARB better still ...... Ceramic )

Chris

[chewy01]

I run ceramics in a couple and yea they are ok bustill once in a while like the feeling of oiled brass bushes..

[Jeremy87]

You'll find particularly with lure casters that the quality of their gear tends to increase with their experience/number of fish they have caught. Some start at the top others stay at the bottom but you find most lurers with a fish or two under their belt have a deep appreciation for quality gear. Most of my gear is in the upper middle quality range. I could not justify/afford to fork out $1500 bucks for all my outfits, and i probably wouldn't catch any more fish if they were (which is ultimately my goal, I'm a fisherman not a collector). But i do have a few outfits which i use regularly that would go $1000 or so with the less frequently used outfits around the 500 mark. My 2004 saltist gekabin, a reel worth $500 when i bought it is now feeling like a jarvis walker (even though its only 2 and a bit years old), it is still internally very strong but it is definately not the reel it was when i bought it. It has however caught a sh!t load of fish and made countless casts. I have no dought that i have got my value for money out of it, a lesser reel would not have remained useable for this long nor would it have been as pleasant to use.

I'm rambling it bit so what my point? Well what i'm trying to say is for a dedicated fisho buying good gear is both an investment and insurance policy. In the long term it will outlast and outperform cheaper reels and when you are fishing, its piece of mind that when a big fish hooks up you've got a reel in your hand the you have confidence in.

[reggy]

I run ceramics in a couple and yea they are ok bustill once in a while like the feeling of oiled brass bushes..

what is the advantage of ceramic bearings?

[chewy01]

corrosion free,and spin more freely.apparently. I saw em and thought id give em a go when i got my last lot of gear oof erskines.

[NAGG]

You'll find particularly with lure casters that the quality of their gear tends to increase with their experience/number of fish they have caught. Some start at the top others stay at the bottom but you find most lurers with a fish or two under their belt have a deep appreciation for quality gear. Most of my gear is in the upper middle quality range. I could not justify/afford to fork out $1500 bucks for all my outfits, and i probably wouldn't catch any more fish if they were (which is ultimately my goal, I'm a fisherman not a collector). But i do have a few outfits which i use regularly that would go $1000 or so with the less frequently used outfits around the 500 mark. My 2004 saltist gekabin, a reel worth $500 when i bought it is now feeling like a jarvis walker (even though its only 2 and a bit years old), it is still internally very strong but it is definately not the reel it was when i bought it. It has however caught a sh!t load of fish and made countless casts. I have no dought that i have got my value for money out of it, a lesser reel would not have remained useable for this long nor would it have been as pleasant to use.

I'm rambling it bit so what my point? Well what i'm trying to say is for a dedicated fisho buying good gear is both an investment and insurance policy. In the long term it will outlast and outperform cheaper reels and when you are fishing, its piece of mind that when a big fish hooks up you've got a reel in your hand the you have confidence in.

That Daiwa alphabet is a pretty specialised reel ( if you can put up with the colour ) ....... Nice reel though.
you are spot on Jeremy ........ You only gain an appreciation once you have knocked over a few + have compared gear that sits higher on the tree.

The best example of this is fly rods .

back to reels though ...... A good quality reel will last a long time with only average service ........ a lower quality reel needs to be maintained meticulously ..... or the rot sets in ( I have a Daiwa Emblem X ....... which is still going strong after 11 years ...... & only basic service )

Chris

[walugi]

Haha, i'm a dope. I guess I was being too short sighted thinking that they weren't all budget. Bad wording on my part I guess.

What I really mean is, what's the difference between reels in the sub $150 price range?

Is there going to be a big difference if I buy something a bit cheaper ($70) as opposed to something that's $140?

[Chamelion]

I own a Penn Captiva CV2000 $80~ and a Diawa Exceler 1500 $170~.... First impression only as I have not fished with the Exceler yet, the difference is night and day. The Exceler is lighter, winds smooth, drag feels much smoother.

If you're fishing more than once a month go out and buy the best you can afford. You really do get what you pay for.

Matt.