Daiwa vs Shimano

[Greg P]

Waste of time thread? yeh probably but some conversations never get old.

Well i chose daiwa sought of by defult. I own and use more daiwas than shimanos but when going through the reel purchasing process i always look at both. There are a few things that daiwa just do not make. For example they do not make a mid sized spin reel with a high speed retrieve, you can say what you want but sometimes you just need that extra bit of pace when spinning for spotties that a 2500 or 3000 daiwa doesn't have but a 4000 shimano does.

Jeremy- I havent seen one in the flesh yet but I am very keen to have a feel of the new Sealine Bull. They seem to be up there in capacity and speed and a pretty good price at around $215


http://www.daiwafishing.com.au/daiwa...ct=SealineBull

[sleepygreg]

It is a bit like the Ford v Holden debate. I use both Diawa and Shimano reels, and being a former tackle store owner have serviced all of them, plus many other brands. Each brand has a better value reel in certain segments/price brackets to the other. You have to compare apples with apples, its no use saying shimano is better than Diawa when you are comparing ones $500 reel with the others $100 reel of the same configuration, and vice versa. Each of these companies make a range of rods and reels that go from one end of the market to the other. My general rule of thumb in terms of personal preference is Daiwa for spinning reels and shimano for overheads.......although i still rate the Millionaire as one of the best allround baitcaster style reels ever built in that price range. (the ABU classics give it a run for the money though). Before everyone gets too emotional about it remember, both of these companies are reputable hi profile players in our industry and they offer great back up service and parts availability as well as the ability to develope new and exciting products. We should be thankful that that they have targetted the australian market.....as on the world scale of things ...we are only a relatively minor player (as much as many of us like to think we arent).

cheers

Greg

[reggy]

Hi Reggy,

the thread being based on opinion of coarse has no right and wrong but my experience with daiwas has been much more pleasant. I can only comment on spinning reels mind. I found the stradic couldn't keep up with the pace, the small sustain was hopeless for casting due to the tiny spool and the stella just doesn't feel ( to me) as nice to use as the cheaper certate. The stella is a good reel and very smooth but if i'm going to spend that sort of money I can go up from the certate to the steez or exist or branzino. I dont think Shimano is crap, I just like my hyper customs MUCH better. Just my opinion

Tetsuo
Thank you for your reply. I guess I was just getting a bit frustrated with the simplicity of the question.
I regularly use Avet, ABU, and PENN,as well as Shimano and Daiwa reels.
cheers
Reggy

[fish-n-dive]

Fish-n-dive, your 'opinion' says it all, not once have you said if you like or prefer Daiwa or had any positive comments on Daiwa, all you have done is shown us your perceived negatives on Shimano .
How about substance on how shimano is "making shortcuts" on their 30+ reel models to make them affordable, [maybe that is why Stellas are now approximately $200 cheaper than saltigas] and how reels like Tiagras, Twinpowers, Baitrunners, TLDs, Corados and Stellas are losing their integrity .
And please give us some positive comments on your experiences with Daiwa reels so we can then take in your opinion .

PS: at least you said 'upmarket' JW

Without getting all emotional over it, remember that opinions vary and mine (based solely on my personal experience of both manufacturers) leads me to offer my opinion (for what ever its worth) that Daiwa makes better reels today (now) than Shimano. I acknowledge that I am no engineer as far as structural quality goes........but..........I know what works for me and what hasn't failed me in a big fight with a potentially record breaking fish and I still have to say Daiwa..........but in the end.......hey it's just my opinion.

[GPB]

Without getting all emotional over it, remember that opinions vary and mine (based solely on my personal experience of both manufacturers) leads me to offer my opinion (for what ever its worth) that Daiwa makes better reels today (now) than Shimano. I acknowledge that I am no engineer as far as structural quality goes........but..........I know what works for me and what hasn't failed me in a big fight with a potentially record breaking fish and I still have to say Daiwa..........but in the end.......hey it's just my opinion.

Thank you fish-n-dive, that is what the topic is about, your personal view on the two brands mentioned, not stating that [quote]"and in so doing having to make shortcuts to keep pricing within reach"[quote] without saying how or what 'shortcuts' Shimano are doing to keep pricing down, if you know something we don't then please inform us.

As far as my opinion on the two brands go as a whole is concerned I like them both, I have felt the strength in a Certate but personally prefer the smoothness in my Twinpower and Stella 8000, the GLS comes nowhere near a TLD in light game reels, and I did look at getting a Saltiga for jigging but with a $250 cheaper price tag and with a smoother drag out of the box I ended up with another Stella, haven't broken one yet .
My oldest reel is a 20yo Millionaire which is still working but not used often. As far as high speed spinning is concerned, with a bit of light popping thrown in I go for my Emblem Pro, that must mean it is not a completely bias opinion but it is mine.

[NAGG]

OK .... Here is one to consider
A mate & I both just fished Monduran & Awoonga for a week ( 1000 cast days) ..... We used a Calcutta 200 , Chronarch SF & 2 Zillions - - - - Both Shimanos were retired during the week ( major issues!)

Nagg

[Jeremy87]

Jeremy- I havent seen one in the flesh yet but I am very keen to have a feel of the new Sealine Bull. They seem to be up there in capacity and speed and a pretty good price at around $215


http://www.daiwafishing.com.au/daiwa...ct=SealineBull

Yeh i've heard of them, too big for what i was talking about, serious lumps of metal. I was more meaning it would be nice to a see a 3000 and 4000 certate in a high speed option. There is no way that the 725gram 4500 sealine bull is going to balance out with i 7ft 4-8kg graphite spin stick.

[ern]

My baitcasters are all Shimano, My threadlines are all Daiwa. Why?
I find the Daiwa baitcasters are probably more for fresh water with nice little narrow threads to collect salt and require more looking after. The Calcutta range is more able to cope with people that lack cleaning skills
Daiwa threadlines are smoother, have better drags out of the box and are less prone to problems. Still I'm only a novice at only 55 years experience. Caught the first fish in 1952 on handline with green prawn. Can handle a reel much better that the computer.