Underrated reels that have impressed you?

[Damned67]

Like most, I'm a bit of a gear 'snob'. Granted, to some others, my gear is still 'cheap'. My fav combo is my Egrell S10 and 4000 Certate. I have a few Sols, heartlands, and stradics etc, but I got to thinking about underrated reels today.
Some years ago, I bought my first 'expensive' reel. It was close to $100, and a Okuma Hardstone 30 that I bought from BCF. It's been a great reel for the money, I really can't fault it. Anyway, I'm passing it on to a mate that's just getting into fishing. I've been using it on the yak coupled to a 7'6" Raider (which I'm also passing on so he has a reasonable combo).
I wanted to replace it with something 'decent' but 'cheap' for use on the yak. Today i picked up an Abu Soron SX20 from Go Fishing at Nerang for $90. I bought my son an SX60 a year ago and was highly impressed with it, hence no hesitation at purchasing the SX20.
Anyway, spooling it up with braid this evening, I was again reminded of just how nice it really is, especially for the price.
The Features?

• 6 HPCR™ Bearings for Corrosion Resistance
• Corrosion resistant instant anti reverse bearing
• X-Cräftic™ Alloy, Body and body Cover for Corrosion Resistance
• Sealed Carbon Matrix™ Drag System for Ultra Smooth Drag
• Duragear™ Gears for Long Life
• SuperLine and Mono Aluminum Spools Included

It's a sweet little reel for the price I paid. Granted, most places seem to sell them for $160-170, and I don't know why they're so cheap at Go Fishing (they don't seem to be on sale there?), but even at $160, I'd still consider them good value! No Shimano or Daiwa reel I've personally bought in that price range come close to it.

Last year I also bought a Quantum Cabo PT70 (from a thread on this site about them) for something like $100. Granted, it seems their original price was around $300. At $300, it'd be a good deal in my opinion, but for $100, it was a steal. Anyway, that reel doesn't really count because of it's original price tag.

So, enough of my waffle, what budget reels have you bought that you've been impressed by?

Cheers!

[Fafnir]

Daiwa Proshooter 1500. Excellent little reel for under $100. Never gives me any trouble. Can't recall it ever throwing an airknot even when casting light lures. Metal body, solid as, nice enough drag. Can't fault it, particularly for the money.

[NAGG]

It depends on who's budget What I would consider budget would be someone else's top shelf .
But playing along ...... reels that have put a smile on my face have generally been imported and landed at some ridiculous price when compared to the local price or offering

Here is a awesome example

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Team_...page-TDFA.html

This is the US version of the Daiwa Luvius which sells for $400ish here - you can land the Fuego for just over A$200 . This is one very sweet reel
It just goes to show that you can buy some extremely good gear ....... quality known brands without breaking the bank ... and you dont have to settle for gear that may or may not last !- Because as I have often seen , it is more often than not " hit and miss" .
me ......I like highly rated as opposed to underrated in my tackle

Good thread

Chris

[tunaticer]

The reel i think that is most often overlooked is a Shimano Symetre for around the 150 mark. A seriously good reel for its size and dollar value. I have one still in good service that is over 15 yrs old now I think, caught thousands of nice fish and even had a holiday on the bottom off Redcliffe for a week a few years ago and still works well. All I did after the extended submersal was strip it down and replace $15 worth of bearings, regrease and reassemble. I now have about 5 of these reels and a few Stradics and a Saros, Not a whole lot of difference between the Stradics and the Symetres though.

[MudRiverDan]

Okuma Aquios

[FishHunter]

Shimano Sienna, drowned it every weekend on the kayak for nearly 2 years never maintained it and landed lots of largish Trevally's on it. Pretty good for a $60 reel.

[Horse]

I picked up a Cabelas Prodigy a few years ago on special and landed it for under $100.00. They are made by Daiwa and are probably a rebadged Tierra or such. It has lasted very well
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishi...3Bcat104837580

[NAGG]

I guess for the price ....... The Shimano baitrunners stood out over the years - I bought an original 4500 and it's still going after 15 years or more.

Chris

[coucho]

diawa excellor 1500 on my river plastic rod awesome reel $120 done everything asked of it and never had the slightest issue.

[Apollo]

I have a couple of Shimano FX2500 that are 20 odd years old. They were given to me by my brother and cost about $20 each as a combo. They got abused sensely for over a decade catching everything from bream to flatties to salmon to mullet to tailor and even a few jew. I eventually moved to the stradic and so as the kids came along, I teamed the FXs up with pink ugly sticks and let them loose. Again they have handled tailor, bream, flatties, small spotties and trevs. Last year, when fishing with the girls, the little FX screamed into action whilst it was 'snack' time, so I got to fight and land a 80cm Golden Trev on that combo. Had a ball on 4lb line and it still had reasonable smooth drag (never been replaced) and handled the job very well. I did pull both reels apart and some wear is evident, but I doubt they won't last another decade. Top little budget reels that fight well above their weight and have lasted a treat. Don't know is a modern FX is any good (doubt it), but the old ones were a great bit of gear.

I agree with the baitrunners and would have to throw Penn 113 in the mix as well.

[reggy]

Not so much under rated, but more never heard of.
The only thing it never did well is wind line on evenly, but still very smooth after 14 years.
All brass gears and all metal body and rotor.DSCN0124.jpg

[alleycat]

I have just bought a diawa aird for my son, you can get them for 120$, very nice little reel..

[softplasticsdude79]

Shimano Sienna, drowned it every weekend on the kayak for nearly 2 years never maintained it and landed lots of largish Trevally's on it. Pretty good for a $60 reel.

yep,have to agree,dont use them anymore,but gave 2 x 2500 and a 4000,around 5 years of abuse,and didnt fail once.

[thelump]

Flueger Torsion 30 Lever Drag. Cheap as chips (combo $150) and landed some of the best fish I have ever caught including a 32kg cobia. It was matched up to an 8 ft live fibre that was given to me as a second hand as a gift. Unfortunately it went flying off the side of me mates boat out from Moreton. I now have a Torsion 50 that I got at the boat show for $95 but am yet to spool it up. Leaving it in case I lose my TLD I am using now!

[goat boy]

yep,have to agree,dont use them anymore,but gave 2 x 2500 and a 4000,around 5 years of abuse,and didnt fail once.

haha, I have a 4000 Sienna that I have absolutely flogged to death, I've used it on the beach casting small slugs (and drowning it cos I didn't care about it) and as a loaner on the boat (again, it cops a bit of abuse like this) and it is still going strong after 5 years of neglect.
I paid around $60 for it and reckon it's performed above expectations in style