best value light spinning reel

q3fishboy · April 23, 2015, 09:00:14 PM

Thanks for all of the recommendations so far.

I would definitely like to stick to a modern/current reel.

Have not used any of the smaller daiwa black golds, but used to service them for a party boat that used the larger ones as rental gear and they were always getting stuck. Granted, this was rental gear.

So, it sounds like shimano, daiwa, penn, quantum, okuma, and pflueger and the brands to consider?

Anyone care to comment of the pros and cons of each?

Lets say I'm hoping to stay in the sub $50 range.

Thanks again.

P.S. MarkT: I do not know for sure, but have assumed that my old spools will not fit on any of the new models.

melkapule · April 23, 2015, 09:54:13 PM

I have used the Daiwa Exceler 3000 and 3500 for 9 years. Still going strong though I have not caught anything over 5# with them. Was about 65$.

randoli · April 25, 2015, 11:52:44 PM

For light surf fishing in Florida I use a Daiwa ss 2600 with 20lb braid. It is a great casting little reel. One of the smaller models could be a good fit

Alto Mare · April 26, 2015, 01:25:56 AM

These used to be a good value, but not anymore, I've seen new ones sell for close to $200.
All of these are new and very hard to find, somehow the smaller 420ss is more valuable.
These are great 6 Lb reels with a gear ratio of 5.1:1

Sal

RowdyW · April 26, 2015, 01:49:56 AM

A year or two ago AT was recomending a Daiwa Sweepfire 4000 as a throw away when it was worn out. They were only 20-25 dollars, worked good, & when they finally broke down or wore out they were to cheap to bother trying to fix them. Just toss them & get a new one. Just install CF washers from Dawn & you are good to go. RUDY

Yogi_fish808 · April 30, 2015, 04:13:42 AM

Quote from: Alto Mare on April 26, 2015, 01:25:56 AM
These used to be a good value, but not anymore, I've seen new ones sell for close to $200.
All of these are new and very hard to find, somehow the smaller 420ss is more valuable.
These are great 6 Lb reels with a gear ratio of 5.1:1

Sal

You wouldn't happen to have an extra 430ss cover for sale would you, the one I'm working on is missing it's decal. Aloha!

Alto Mare · April 30, 2015, 10:36:15 AM

No I don't, sorry. I should have grabbed a dozen when I had a chance. $:-\$

Sal

johndtuttle · April 30, 2015, 03:16:56 PM

Quote from: RowdyW on April 26, 2015, 01:49:56 AM
A year or two ago AT was recomending a Daiwa Sweepfire 4000 as a throw away when it was worn out. They were only 20-25 dollars, worked good, & when they finally broke down or wore out they were to cheap to bother trying to fix them. Just toss them & get a new one. Just install CF washers from Dawn & you are good to go. RUDY

O yea, we had a whole thread or two singing the praises of Sweepfire Baby! a miracle of tool and die for $25.

Those old 430SS reels are terrific...fishing 6lb test you probably would only have 1-2lbs of drag...with a drive train that would last 200 years at those loads.

q3fishboy · May 03, 2015, 03:52:13 AM

Thank you for all of the help with everything guys.

Looks like I am taking Alan's philosophy of cheap/disposable spinning reels.

I will probably go with something like the shimano sienna because it looks like my old spools might fit.

Thanks again.

RowdyW · May 03, 2015, 05:31:41 AM

Forget about interchanging parts on different models from Shimano or Daiwa, New model, new design & no interchange of parts. Not like Penn reels. The Seinna has a lot of plastic & is not a good choice. I got my Sweepfire on ebay, maybe they are still available. I loaded mine with 30# braid & it hasn't broken yet. Dawn at smooth drag has CF drags for it & if the reel breaks down just remove the drags & put them in a new one. You will not wear out the drags. I just checked ebay & there are lots to choose from. Just look up Daiwa Sweepfire & take your pick. RUDY

alantani · May 03, 2015, 05:42:32 AM

Yeah, the Daiwa Sweepfire or Surefire, and Okuma has a $20 spinner as well. Hard to beat.

q3fishboy · May 04, 2015, 05:01:03 AM

I hate you guys; thought I had finally settled on a decision.

In all seriousness though, I really appreciate all of the help and information.

The top three reasons I had previously settled on the Sienna are as follows:

1) I am under the impression that the Sweepfire has some back play in the handle (not an instant anti-reverse). The Sienna is suspposed to have the "supper stopped feature" or whatever it is called. Might just be my personal preference, but handle back play bothers me.

2) I actually stopped by Big 5 and tried one of my old Sahara spools on one of their Siennas and it seemed to fit. Looked kind of weird, especially because the drag nob seemed to sit really low, but the spool turned and the drag seemed to work.

3) I actually posted this same original question on on anothe forum (SCSF) focused on surf fishing in southern California, where this reel will be used mostly, and they seemed in pretty strong support of the Sienna as far as these budget reels were concerned.

Now that I am undecided again, I have a couple more questions.

What are the major issues with more plastic in the reel? I know it isn't as strong, but am I really going to be taxing the reel fishing 6-8 pound line (maybe 10-12 pound spectra)? The plastic seems like it might also have the advantage of not corroding.

Also, out of my price range, but the Stradic seems to have a pretty strong following for quality and durability, including in the surf environment. I would assume that all of these Shimano spinning reels have pretty similar designs, which would lead me to believe that the main differences are just the materials used. Is this correct, or what are the main differences between these reels?

Finally, are their any major design differences between Shimano and Daiwa that are significant? In general, SCSF seems to suggest Shimano as the best bang for your buck for these cheap spinning reels. Just wondering if there are any major advantages of Daiwa or if the Sweepfire just happens to have better components for its price range?

Thanks again for all of the help.

johndtuttle · May 04, 2015, 01:56:02 PM

There really is little to differentiate among the less expensive reels. All of them are built to a highly competitive price trading one positive for another negative etc. People end up happy when the negatives matter little and the positives are in areas important to them.

Plastic for perchin' and such in the CA surf is perfectly fine. In general, a metal body is more rigid and helps internals last longer. Its not going to make much difference perchin'. Corrosion is the bigger enemy.

But, you will have no corrosion concerns with any of your reels if you pre-lube and service them regularly. If you don't one trip to the beach and then neglect can ruin $1000 reels.

Pay particular attention to line rollers and handles and where the handle mates to the main gear. Crack it regularly and get marine grease on the internals.

Stradic is very good but Spheros would be a better choice in a premium surf reel as it is sealed from saltwater intrusion. If dropped in the sand you can rinse your Spheros in saltwater to clear it and get back to fishing. Never do that with a Stradic.

Porthos · May 04, 2015, 02:28:14 PM

With smaller spinners, more plastic is not necessarily an issue since the stresses and drag settings are lower, so frame flex is less of an issue.

If you want the instant anti-reverse in a "disposable" Daiwa, it's the Crossfire--one step up from the Sweepfire. $25 at Big 5 when they put them on sale. Do the pre-service maintenance and you'll be fine for years. Have a 3500 for over 6 years that's still in service with out issues. If you want to spend the extra $10 (and I didn't), chase down a set of CF drag washers for it. Move them over to the next Crossfire when it's reel disposal time.

BTW, I'm "Amadeus" on SCSF. Over the years, I've observed a high level of Shimano "mantra" over on SCSF; if nothing else, it makes the Shimano Marketing dept very happy...

LTM · May 04, 2015, 04:53:29 PM

Fishboy,

I like surf fishing in Socal for Perch and Corbina. I use a 30+ year old Shimano FX170 Graphite $17.00 spinner (something like that) that has a rear drag system with 6# line on an experimental 8"-2" composite rod of the same age and it works FANTASTIC for ultra lite surf fishing!!!!!!!!!!! The reel has one bearing and the rear drag is PLENTY for 6#. I replaced the woven cotton drag with a modified ht-100 w/cals grease. Since the drag is "internal" to the "rear" body of the graphite frame; it handles water intrusion well. Also, when Im doused by a wave and the reel gets wet; I recover as quick as possible and shake the water off the reel and keep fishing. BTW, when I did a post on what drags to use to replace the woven drags in the cheap spinner; I got feedback about what am I doing with a "rear drag" spinner. Well, it works FANTASTIC for ultra-lite surf fishing that I do.

Ive two other reels for this line test: Penn 430, and Daiwa Capricorn 2500a. I thought I would use these over my old hand-me-down $17 rear drag spinner. I find myself reaching for the old cheap spinner every time. No worries about service (just service after use) or replacement. Those other two reels are TOO NICE to subject to the surf. Also, Im a believer in several Daiwa products and am very much in favor of Alans cheap Daiwa recommendation. Spend the rest on a KICK BUTT EXPERIMENTAL ROD.

Leo