of course you were 40% of $300 is a lot more than 40% of $129.
a tss4 will catch you just as many fish as the diawa. It may have a bit more wobble in the spool but these things have stood the test of time. I have never lost a big fish on a TSS4, it has never jammed etc
$171 will buy you a lot of bait, fuel or lures.
You may not of course be able to match the Wally at the boat ramp who can't fish but is good at glitz ...
if you are seriously into the fish - i mean you have the knowledge to get into them on most trips and you find your equipment is frustrating you through failure - thats when you spend more money on higher quality stuff - otherwise buy the lesser stuff and use the money to practice, practice, practice.