New 2011 Shimano Sustain - Sustain FG

[Brent_P]

The new Sustain FG is due to be revealed at the annual Icast trade show in Las Vegas in two days, but a US online tackle store accidently posted a picture with specs yesterday. The picture has since been removed from the site.

Apparently, the new Sustain has an aluminium "frame" and sideplate. As anyone who services their own Sustain or Stradic will know, the frame that Shimano refers to is actually the reel stem and the sideplate, which is one piece. The actual body, or "gearbox", of the current model Sustain FE and Stradic FI is graphite, so the totally aluminium body of the new Sustain FG is definitely an upgrade. Also gone is the graphite rotor - the new Sustain FG will have a much more rigid CI4 rotor. The Daiwa Caldia Kix, Sol, Heartland, Advantage, Tierra etc have graphite rotors.

Another upgrade is the inclusion of the Stella FE's "X-SHIP" - which I think stands for eXtremely Smooth HI Power. Typical Shimano marketing, but what it means is that the new Sustain, like the Stella FE, has a ball bearing at the end of the pinion gear, where it sits in the body of the reel, rather than a plastic bushing. Only larger, mid to high-end reels used to have a bearing in that position (my old Thunnus 6000F has one there, but it's huge. The 2010 Certate has a ball bearing there, but cheaper Daiwas do not). This should mean that the new Sustain will be smoother than the old FE, but not necessarily so if the Shimano reel assemblers are stingey with the grease, like they often are. I think a lot of people think this reel is smoother than that reel or whatever, when the main difference is a lack of grease on the drive gear and the pinion. If you're not confident opening a Shimano spinning reel, you can poke grease through the maintanence port with a plastic toothpick and carefully scrap it off on the teeth of the drive gear. I tried this with my new Stella 4000FD and some ZPI grease (though I do take the rotor and sideplate off when I service my other reels) and the difference was incredible. Anyway, that's a bit off-topic.

The new Sustain FG has the same body as the Japanese Domestic Market 2011 Biomaster, as far as I can tell. The sideways folding handle is the same too. The rotor might be a completely new design, but it's hard to tell from that photo. I doubt that even Shimano would call it a "Magnumlite CI4 Rotor" if it is the same one used on the Stradic CI4. We'll probably know more in a few days...

Cheers,

Brent.

Link to Tacklewarehouse (edit - now available for pre-order & about the same price as the current Sustain FE - $249.99 - $269.99 USD) - http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shima...page-SSFG.html

[Thomas J]

hi brent looks like shimano come through with the good again man...that looks cool.

[GPB]

I'm waiting for the release of a brand new model that is replacing the Twinpower SW's, it is to fit in somewhere between the Sarragosa and Stella as the TP's where to close to the Stella in price.

[Brent_P]

I'm waiting for the release of a brand new model that is replacing the Twinpower SW's, it is to fit in somewhere between the Sarragosa and Stella as the TP's where to close to the Stella in price.

Yeah, that would be good. I agree there's a big gap there in the line up. There is a JDM 2010 Biomaster SW, but the models only go from 4000 to 8000, and neither the Plat site nor Shimano South East Asia specify whether the rotor is aluminium or graphite, only that [quote] "the new Biomaster SW series where specification such as cold forged gear and ARC spool, it has features of the top end Stella and Twinpower SW series to battle the giants in the sea" (not the best translation - from the Shimano South East Asia site). The Biomaster SW 8000HG retails for $347 AUD at Plat (Saragosa 8000's are around $220 in the US). Maybe Shimano will release that reel at Icast too, in a different colour, with a different name. Maybe they'll call it the Sustain SW...

Did you hear that a new Saragosa 10000F has already been released in the US - same-sized aluminium body as the 8000, but with an aluminium rotor instead of graphite, like the 14000F & 18000F, and a 10000-size spool.

Brent.

[GPB]

Hhmm, maybe that's the TP SW 10000 replacement, may have a few other upgrades.

[Brent_P]

Here's a youtube clip about the Sustain FG from Icast 2011, if anyone's interested. Also briefly shown is the new all aluminium Stradic FJ (yes, the rotor is aluminium).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stH24Yg4lbk

[tenzing]

Looks like a reel that may be able to find a home on one of my rods. The biomaster also looks relly good.
Brendan