REEL RAVE (edit from alan - read this before you buy a high end spinner!)

[Porthos]

I've been able to maintain my Okuma CD65 and CD90 to out-of-the-box functional condition for almost 8 years running, The CD65 had been fully dunked in the sand at Solmar Beach, Cabo San Lucas. What made the rebuild a breeze was having done Alan's pre-service maintenance on both reels--sand intrusion was kept to a minimal by all the Yamaha blue.

IF I was in the market for a full lineup of spinners, I'd pick up the Quantum Cabo PTsE 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, AND 120 for less than the price of ONE Shimano Stella 30000. Every Cabo would then get the pre-service maintenance done. 3-5 years down the road I'd keep a lookout for news of Quantum replacing the PTse's and start perusing the web and eBay for the inventory clearance sales and pick up another complete set of Cabo's as parts units. All this for less than the price of two Stellas. I suspect I have a good chance of keeping the Cabos functional for at least 10-15 years if not more.

[MarkT]

Cold forged aluminum = hammered/pressed into a mold/die.  It's cheaper, easier, repeatable.  Not machined. No one uses more fancy, meaningless, made up terms, than Shimano, like Hagane Technology... oh please!

[handi2]

You hit the nail on the head with the Quantum reels. They are great. The Smokes for inshore and Bocas for offshore.

Plus any parts needed are so easy to get and cheap at tackleservice.com

[sharkman]

People get attached to a name and it becomes a status symbol. I noticed two reels one a status symbol (costing in the 200 dollar range) was almost identical in design and metal composition as another company's lower end reel (20-50 dollar range). The company's are not related or division of parent company. They were so much a like I bet if debadged and painted same color people would not be able to tell a part. Another incident I was repairing a reel which needed a side cover bearing. I called my part distributor who told me the reels manufacturer no longer carried bearing but they had a cross reference for the same bearing but totally different company and reel. The only difference was the part listed for twice as much.

[mangrove]

Fred said "For me, even if I could afford to clamp a $1000+ reel to the south end of a rod -- I could not justify that."

I mean really, you could sponsor a vocational school for a third world village's vocational school (or militia) for a year!

I have friends spending crazy money on tackle, van staal gloomis deep drop stella fast boats you name it.  I just read now they make 750hp outboards that cost a 100k each! Pretty soon ther'll be M $$ center consoles to catch sailfish.

Maybe I'll go retro, use a cane pole!  Which is how I learned to fish!  Some sweet big sturdy bahamian ladies with big hearts of gold along a seawall in Dinner Key Marina took the time to school us ragamuffin kids on catchin mangrove snapper, grunts & small yellow tail.

[0119]

Maybe I'll go retro

Basically what I've done.  99.9% of my fishing is with pre 80's Abu Ambassadeurs.  I don't fish for what they cannot handle, I have two lifetimes worth of parts in inventory, never had one break or wear out anyway.  They're heavy and building up my forearms though!

[Jeri]

Basically I agree with 99% of what has been said on this thread - the 1% will have to wait.

Recently looked in some old boxes for a reel to lend to someone starting to fish surf, and found an original 'Made in America' Spinfisher 750, probably near 20 years old - I only used it for heavy spinning back then, and it has been 'resting' in a box since. Opened it up, and while modern reels deserve the name 'coffee grinders', this from an internals point of view is a 'meat grinder'. Solid stainless and brass gears, even on the ancillary gears. The grease was a little aged, replaced and probably as good as the day it left the factory. Totally unlike all the made in China versions since those dizzy days when we all looked for modern attributes to our reels.

On the more modern reel, I have to also agree with the vote of praise for Quantum Cabos, 1/3rd the price of more exotic reels, and spares available, and robust enough to suffer all that our local anglers have been able to throw at them, only had one failure of these Cabos, the guy managed to run over it in the road, but apart from that they just keep fishing on, despite being totally immersed in sandy and salty water, and being used to amazing drag levels of abuse.

Can't help thinking that the comments about the Ultegra were a little rough, given that it is just basically a long distance casting reel, intended for nothing more strenuous than a carp and a lower price range at that. Have had a couple for well over 4 years, and they are still working well, though a few niggles, but given the budget status of them, it isn't really worth complaining. They have both been used for more 'gentle' surf fishing with lighter tackle, when good distance is premium, and in that capacity they excell. It would be nice to have main gears and other ancillary workings made of stainless, but unlikely give the price.

I think that this whole episode with Diawa is that they have shot themselves in the foot, Shmano just have a special department thinking up new Japanese sounding names for 'soon to be obsolete', and the rest seem bound to follow, with publicity material that gets as close as concievably possible to waterproof, but doesn't actually say it - because they all leak. The only saving grace of these 'water bottles' is Penn are using gears that don't dissolve in salt water.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers from sunny Africa.

Jeri

[Midway Tommy]

As strictly a "freshwater" guy, I have to say I truly admire and appreciate the reception and infatuation with of all the newly designed and Asian manufactured reels. That leaves more examples of the older higher quality reels for those of us that just want to catch fish after fish with minimal investment, repairs and servicing. I haven't found a '60s - '80s quality spinning reel that can't do anything & everything "freshwater" that I want out of a reel. Mum is the word in my book, but those newfangled reels sure are pretty.     

[echo8287]

I am sorry this isn't about reels in general but I saw where someone mentioned appliances. I am a plumber and electrician by trade. Lots of American companies using the same mentality as Daiwa and Shimano. Look at Sears,Penny's, Macy's, The old Rich's all fixing to go out of business or out. I bought a freezer from Sears(a cheap one) 30 years ago and it still works today. About 6 years ago I bought a $2300.00 fridge form Sears. It had a 5 year warranty. Exactly 5 years and 6 months the compressor went out. Contacted Sears and they said good luck with that. I said I've bought a lot of appliances from Sear's over the years,personally and in business and they said, we can't help you. I took the thing apart> Chinese compressor. Found a replacement and installed that about 2 years ago. I might have 3 more years life now. Another company, Kohler the plumbing company. I used to buy kitchen sink baskets from them made like a tank>lasts a long time, solid chromed heavy brass >$45.00. About a year ago I ordered one online $55.00 plus shipping. I got the part and as soon as I felt the box I knew something was wrong. It didn't weigh anything. Opened the box,and it looked like it was made out of cheap pot metal and it cost $10.00 more + shipping from China to get it here. It's all about bottom line. My old Kenmore washing machine went out after 20 years>transmission. I started looking online for a replacement and couldn't find a single new washing machine that there wasn't some problem with. Called a friend that taught appliance repair at a technical college. He said just put a new tranny in the 20 year old washer. I ordered one $125.00, watched a you tube video, had the thing back running in an hour. That was 2 years ago, still working. Until people realize which company's still care about the customer and which don't, nothing will change. I'm was never the cheapest plumber or electrician, but I have always done the best for the customer. I am now plumbing and wiring houses for children of previous customers. David

[0119]

As strictly a "freshwater" guy, I have to say I truly admire and appreciate the reception and infatuation with of all the newly designed and Asian manufactured reels. That leaves more examples of the older higher quality reels for those of us that just want to catch fish after fish with minimal investment, repairs and servicing. I haven't found a '60s - '80s quality spinning reel that can't do anything & everything "freshwater" that I want out of a reel. Mum is the word in my book, but those newfangled reels sure are pretty.     

Shoot I've been toying with the idea of buying a new Abu re edition Cardinal from japan tackle for the stupid price of $330.00. Only thing stopping me is wondering parts availability down the road.  Arthritis is starting to make spinners look better to me........ God I cant believe I admitted that.........

[exp2000]

I just got a Daiwa Saltiga 6500H in that hasn't been serviced since it was purchased seven years ago!

Ordered a full set of seals, a couple of bearings and a new pinion mag seal chamber.

A couple of bearings are an unusual odd size. Seems to be a trend here.

Daiwa service has been particularly disappointing in Oz of late so fingers crossed X.
~

[handi2]

A friend of mine that tournament fishes for Cobia has 3 original Van Staal reels that have never been apart. They are at least 10 years old. I told him I could service them and have all the parts and he responded "Why"..!!

Speaking of appliances when I bought the home I'm in now 6 years ago all the kitchen appliances are Viking except the fridge which is Sub Zero.

The Viking microwave is made by Sharp. The stand alone Viking ice machine is made by Kenmore as is the refrigerator drawers.

[0119]

the home I'm in now 6 years ago all the kitchen appliances are Viking

Is that the same Viking as Viking sewing machines, a subsidiary of Husqvarna?

[handi2]

Viking is renowned for there commercial ovens and hoods.