shimano or okuma

[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!!