SHIMANO BIOMASTER SW 5000PG

[Tackleberry]

gday all i hope all is well .

now to my question i have done a search and it didn't turn up much on the biomaster just wondering why they ain't popular here .

is it that they don't market them in the states or are they just not up to scratch.

the reason i ask is i have a 701 8kg stick for slow jigging and it has stradic 5000FK on it but in aus we only get the 6.2:1 ratio which

way to high in my opinion .

so i have ordered a biomaster 5000SWPG for the 4.8 ratio , just wondering why there's no love for them .


cheers Darren

[Rancanfish]

Darren,  I'm not sure they were marketed in the U.S. under that name or not.  I have heard the name, but have never seen one.  Can't be popular if they aren't out there I guess.  A Shimano enthusiast may know what it was called here.

I agree with you on the gear speed.  Most of my reels lean toward lower speeds.  5:1 is about as fast as I get. 

[Tackleberry]

Rancanfish this is what they look like and yes i don't know why the aus importer leans heverier on the high sped reels we don't even get a choice we just get the one model except for the stella .


cheers

[philaroman]

well, back in the day, Biomaster used to be the better-made JDM version of Stradic w/ minute design differences (same as TwinPower vs. Sustain, Ultegra vs. Symetre, etc. ), but Shimano - North America refused to sell or service the Japanese models...  they wouldn't even tell you which of the parts were identical w/ different part#'s (MANY!!!), despite the fact that everything came out of the same Japanese factories...

then, production of cheaper models moved to Singapore (good); then, Malaysia (crap); then, Malaysian manufacturing got better & production of higher US models moved to Malaysia...  until the so-called "equivalent" models diverged significantly in design, price, & place of manufacture

so now, some Japanese models are bleeding into the US market (TwinPower, Ultegra Ci4, etc.), but most US consumers don't know what a Biomaster is; of the ones that do, most still think it's just a slightly better Stradic -- hence, to them, it's grossly overpriced, especially since it's not supported by Shimano - North America

[philaroman]

hey Darren,

just noticed that the few Biomasters on Amazon don't cost that much more than Stradics & I know that low-end JDM's are made in Malaysia -- is your reel foot actually stamped "JAPAN"

[Tackleberry]

won't know until it gets here but i say for the money 229 us to my door they will be made in Malaysia.

slazmo told me they are basic inside (stronger than most) and have carbon fiber drag bit like a saragosa i suppose .

i am just surprised they aren't on the us market as they look a very nice reel .

[Tackleberry]

well it rolled up and yes made in Malaysia .

and i must admit i was surprised at how small it is compered to my 5000FK stradic

it has a smaller gear box , the bio looks to me as it is a 4000 size reel with a 500 spool

but with the lower ratio it is a pleasure to use off shore so for now i'm happy with it .

it is way smoother and tighter that the stradic hardly has any slop anywhere .