Real reel quality

[reggy]

Two reels I have bought recently leave me with the impression that they will be with me for a long time, but there are a few very high end reels that don`t
(in my opinion) have as good a drag material as some 20 year old PENN reels.

Yes, you can spend nearly a grand on a reel, and then have to upgrade the drag.

[NAGG]

Chris i purchased 8 Certates over a period of 3 or 4 years all of which have had the line rollers replaced at least twice; more on reels used more often. It is not like i do not look after my equipment; i err on the side of fastidious. I wish i was more of a fresh water fisho at times; the problems with reels, motors and general fishing gear are just less. It is a pity the Certate range are like this as they are a fine reel but backed with poor service / parts unavailability and just bad designed line rollers. My saltiga range of reels of the same age do not suffer the line roller problem at all so Daiwa are capable of doing it right. It was a shame that the new Certates are the same or similar in this department; Daiwa have let a chance to improve their design go by the wayside instead opting to produce a reel that in my opinion is not as good as it's predecessor. Over the last 12 months i have slowly been replacing my Certates with Stella's which to this point has proved to be a winner of a plan although it makes the credit card scream a lot. Fortunately my wife is also a keen fisho and has seen the benefit of the Stella range over Daiwa engineering.

I've had 4 and all have had issues with line rollers ....... the last one lasted 1 trip to the salt (previously only used for impoundment barra)
I've always loved them ...... they are the best mid end spin real going and like you have done you need to step up to a Shimano stella to find a better alternative

Chris

[NAGG]

A question for reel aficionados ......

Are ceramic or shielded bearings available for Daiwa line rollers ?

Chris

[nigelr]

Nagg would be worth a try taking the original bearing into a bearing/engineering supplies shop, they would know the answer to that question.
There is also an on-line mob that specialise in small bearings, sorry can't remember their name, in the US I think...
So what is the difference with the Stellas? Bush instead of bearing, or sealed bearing instead of 'open'?
Cheers.

[shanejohnson]

superior engineering nig

[Chamelion]

In my opinion the Pflueger Medalist reels have the best line rollers. I've put mine through so much and it's just silky smooth and completely silent.

[Sevric]

superior engineering nig

That sums it up in a nut shell Shane. Daiwa can do it but have not bothered, that is the real gripe with me; slack really for a manufacturer of great equipment. My upgrades to the Stella range have cost me heaps but the engineering gets better all the time not remaining stationary with a poor track record as the Certates have earned them selves with the line roller issues. The new Certates are yet to be proven but already i notice some are complaing about the service factor involved with the new magnetic oil stuff. Great technology for sure but it takes service away from any one other than Daiwa and i will not be playing that game from the previous experiences i have had with their service department. The Stella is a lot more money but it is also a lot better reel containing reliable materials and outstanding engineering. Yes there is a difference, a very big difference.

[nigelr]

Yeah see what you mean Shane and Sevric, the schematics tell the story.
This great schematics link for those with an interest who aren't aware of it...
http://mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/index.php?cat=4

[reggy]

I have a Daiwa Caprice 4000 and a Laguna 4000 which I considered to be throw away reels when I got them about 5 years ago.
They were $120 and $140 and are used to spin metals for school macs on 6kg mono.
I only give them a hose down and a spray with wd40 after use and even if one does not get used on the day, it still gets salt water all over it.
They are both still running smoothly and that includes the line rollers.
Sometimes you can be lucky!

[robtarr]

I've had 4 and all have had issues with line rollers ....... the last one lasted 1 trip to the salt (previously only used for impoundment barra)
I've always loved them ...... they are the best mid end spin real going and like you have done you need to step up to a Shimano stella to find a better alternative

Chris

cold comfort but up until now I'd thought it was my bad luck that I'd had trouble with the Certate line roller - I get paranoid about the roller in my 3500 HD - I rinse and spray after every session and it's going to need replacing again

[Strewth]

A question for reel aficionados ......

Are ceramic or shielded bearings available for Daiwa line rollers ?

Chris

Take it out an measure the inside diam, the outside diam and thickness in mm. Boca Bearings in the US have a huge range of bearings to fit all reels, and will ship them to you cheap if the order is less than $50. I get all my stuff from them. You should be able to get ceramics (ie ceramics balls, but stainless cage and casing) for all Daiwa line rollers - probably ABEC5 rated which will be super smooth.

I always pack my line rollers with grease before using them, and rarely have dramas. My 4 year old Certate is still nice and quiet.