Shimano Quality?

[Neal/CO]

Shimano equipment reminds me of a Hooker who is 50lbs overweight and almost 55 years old, but still charges 500 bucks a pop, LOL.

Against my better judgement I gave them one last try and purchased a Stradic 4000 for $140.00. Man am I dissappointed! After buying countless Shimano products over the last 20 years I think i am done? The last four Spirex i bought malfunctioned and had to be sent a warranty shop. I have always wanted a Stradic, but never wanted to pay for one. I finally broke down and bought one. I figured since I was paying twice as much for a reel I would get a better product? #### thing doesn't work! The bail sticks open and will not close after my casts. I have to manually close it with my hand. I know I can probably get this fixed fairly easy also, but I shouldn't have to!

Should I just switch to Diawa or some other brand? Luckily today I had my old Ambassader 5600C with me also! That rig has never failed me.

[Indiana Rod Holder]

Personally, I think that any brand can fail you somewhere along the line. I discovered Fin-nor spinning reels and got a bunch over the last couple years and at discount. That is pretty much what I have been using lately. I have two Stradic 4000 FE's and one each Stradic 2000 FE and 2000 FG. They mostly stay in storage. I have two Daiwa 2500 Emblem Xia reels and one of them started giving me problems recently. The anti reverse roller bearing will, at times, intermittently not engage and the rotor can go backward when you least expect it. These Daiwas were $130 reels. I have yet to experience any kind of failure in one of my Fin-nor reels.

[pwrfshn]

Neal,

I am shocked.

I've had super good luck with all my Shimano stuff and I also had a hard time swallowing the price, but now, I feel I made the right decision.

Know a lot of hardcore guys that also pay their own way and like the product.

The only problem I have had is the drag on a Castaic. Had it cranked down and snagged a BIG FISH ( tree ;) ) with 30 pound braid and basically hauled the boat over as the line did not break either. Something had to give and I am glad it wasn't the Loomis it was hanging on.

Where did you buy the reels? I'd go back in and ask for another one. If it was mail order, that is another story. Charlie's where I get my stuff hands you a replacement out of their inventory and sends the reel in. They have an in-house reel repair guy that determines if it was operator error or warranty and if it is warranty, you walk out the door with a new reel, right then and there. Better get off that topic before I start steppin' in it. LOL

[Neal/CO]

I like Shimano products also, (after they are fixed)! But I shouldn't have to always be taking them back for repairs when they are brand new!

I know Fin Nor is popular on the west coast and Alaska, maybe i will try one. They would have to be well made to stand up to Salmon!

[Mattman]

I've had nothing but good luck with Shimano too.

My only disclaimer would be that for the last 3 years I've gotten nothing but Japanese release Shimano's. Still the best reels I've ever held.



Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods.

[Neal/CO]

I didn't realize there was a difference? Where do you get them?

I must be getting the Taiwan editions.

[Sportdog]

I purchased a Symetre based on the great reviews on this board and one of the spools broke while I was putting line on it the Very First Time! The reel has worked OK so far, I just don't have a back up spool. Just unlucky I guess.

[Steve B]

I have them all. Stradics, Symetres, Spirexs, Bantam LC1500s, even a Sedona. I have each size available in each model (1000, 2000, 4000). I even bought two Stradic 2500s last year for a Canada trip. I have used all of these reels hard. They only get an exterior wipe down each fall before hibernation. I have never had the internals cleaned/greased. I have never had a single malfunction with any one of these reels.

[Mexico]

Yes, that is true, they should be good to go out of the box.

[RANGER]

Neal,

I have to agree with others here, I've had nothing but good things to say and "do" about those reels - I swear by them! Better than most others I have used. I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems with the product(s)! That hasn't been my case!!!!! For MANY years................................;-)

[lip ripper]

Neil-

I've owned a dozen or so Shimano's, and the only one of them that lasted for more than a season or two is the Stradic. In the past 3 years I have been switching over to Okuma's and have been very impressed. I think I own 6 Okuma's now and have yet to have any type of problem.

[Mattman]

http://www.profishing.net/

Typically the Japanese release reels are 2 to 3 years ahead of what they release in the US. These reels are now a few years old and I suspect that changes will be made for 2005. Still very nice reels. I have 5 Ultegra's and 3 Biomasters. Not one single problem with them.



Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods.

[Neal/CO]

I have been planning on getting a new high end baitcasting reel also in the next week or so. I was leaning towards the Calcutta, now I don't know?

Has anyone used a Quantum Energy 860 PT yet?

[pwrfshn]

Neal,

I just ordered 2 Calcutta's, the cheaper ones, not the Digital or the TE.

If you want to wait, I'll give you a heads up on how they work for me. Maybe I can send you one to give a workout once I get them.

[tj1n]

Strangely enough I have had a number of shimano reels for years that I loved and last year similiar to Neil I decided I'd take the plunge and get a Stradic..... same exact problem - The bail doesn't close correctly and furthermore if you close it by hand, the line doesn't seat right.... so consequently you either seat the line or you'll spool line on every hookset....grrrrrr and no it's not the foreign model...

[pwrfshn]

Guys have you called Shimano and told them.

Knowing they re-designed the Stradic last your there may have been a problem, if there was, I'm sure they would be happy to fix it.

I've got 2 FG series Stradics (2000 and 4000) and 2 FH series (both 1000s) and never had a problem, but after laying out $135 a pop I'd be awfully upset. The big Stradic I have I bought in Florida for flats fishing and the guys down there swore by them even though it wasn't a salt specific reel.

[tj1n]

I sent it in and they returned it saying everything was just fine....they did note they made and adjustment. The reel is still junk.....any reel that I have to manually flip the bail and seat the line is junk IMO!!

If they had replaced the reel like I expected and requested they wouldn't be reading my negativity. Furthermore, I'd be proclaiming their superiority....instead they get this for their service and will no longer get my $200-300 dollars in new purchases annually (made to shimano) as they had the past five years. Not including everyone else I'd givin' lip service to about the quality of their reels.

TJ

[pwrfshn]

Understood.

That really stinks and is not the kind of stuff I have heard about Shimano.

Sorry to hear it stunk for you.

[Neal/CO]

Let me know how they do? I am going to hold off for the rest of the season and just use my two 5600C4. They have never failed me and will be fine till next spring. Besides I need to save my money for a shopping spree at Thorne Bros. in the near future! LOL. Ice fishing is right around the corner!

[pwrfshn]

Neal,

I've never had a problem with my Abus either.

I've got a 4600C3, 5600C4 High Speed, 5600C4 Winch and another 4600C4 High Speed I think, all which have hel up great.

[Neal/CO]

They are great reel for the money! I got my first one when I was in High School 25 years ago.

I didn't mean to come off as a Shimano basher, I have six reels in my garage. I just don't have alot of faith in the product anymore? It is very disappointing to spend 300 on a Stradic and a St Croix rod to match it and the #### thing doesn't work!

[pwrfshn]

That does stink.

You guys are making me paranoid, I just ordered a lot of Shimnao stuff to replace a lot of my other stuff, if I start having these problems the local shop isn't going to be happy.

They sell a lot of Shimano and it is the reel they say comes back the least for repair or warranty.

It is funny (not really) that I had Daiwa stuff for years and never had a problem and then replaced my old reels with new ones (Wheels and some others benefited from the up/downgrade) and they were terrible IMHO. Had to send them back and then I sold them when the Tekota came along.

Wonder if it is like a car, there are good and bad ones, Friday and Monday cars, and it is luck of the draw maybe, I just can't believe that you guys had the problems you had just like some people can't believe the problems I had with Daiwa and the Okuma's. I do have an Okuma Epix spinning reel that is now 3 years old and Okuma was good when the handle broke (first generation bug) and then they sent me a new one and a spare, the spare still sits in the bottom of the tackle box. The new design is great and has held up well. If you want to try that reel, let me know, I can shoot it up to you to comapre. Personally the Okuma doesn't hold a candle to the Stradic, Symetre, or even Sedona, but it isn't bad either.

[Neal/CO]

I am sure once I take the Stradic to our local Shimano warranty shop and have it debugged, it will be as good as the other four! LOL. It is a good looking reel, no doubt.

I bought a SG17LCA to take up to the Get-together last month, then never got there. So I never got to try it out. Should I just go ahead and take it in with the Stradic?

[pwrfshn]

I didn't like my 17s at all, but they were first gen stuff, I think they got the bugs out later in the year.

Wheels has 2 or 3 of my old SGs which I feel are better then the new ones.

You'll probably be fine with that 17, it is sure the right size.

[Pat Nagle]

I have found that Shimano baitcasting reels are well worth the money. The over all design is relatively simple and the machining of the actual parts is second to none. Way back when the Clacutta hit the market I was buying tackle for a local store and got the deal on one. To this day Istill use that reel in competitive situations it is as smooth today as it was back then(14 years ago).
As far as spinning reels go I have tried most everything out there and a few years back began using Daiwa products. I can tell you without a doubt that the actual on the water performance of these reels is second to none. I am very bothered by line twist and constantly strive to find ways to elimintate it. These Daiwa reels I am using virtually eleiminate twist, bail springs have never failed and have been flawless for 3 years of heavy use.
OF all of the marketing ploys and promises we have seen on fishing rods and reels over the years, Daiwas claim to vitually elimintate line twist with twist buster and a different spool design is absolutley valid.
By the way a post above listed a japanese retailer that sells japanese models.....The ones he bought and is satisfied with are Daiwa.
By the way I am not bashing shimanos here, they make a fine product I especially like the fact that their model names and makes remain a constant. But I can tell you from in the boat experiences nothing performs like Daiwa Tournament series spinning reels.

[pwrfshn]

Pat,

Which models specifically?

We had some Daiwa Emblem series reels donated for our Gov Cup tourney and playing with them they seemed very nice.

I'd like to try some and want to be sure to get the specific models.

Thanks for the heads up,

[rebs]

I have a Sahara that the bail doesn't close on all the time
sometimes I have to close it by hand
I bought 2 quantum icon's and couldn't be happier, been using for 2 seasons and not one problem, smooth drag and smooth gears

rebs

[bob oh]

Mexico,

You mentioned you liked the old Diawas. Isn't the Accudepth the old Diawa? It is same drag? and no ball bearings? I am returning my Okuma 15Ds and would like to try the new 17s but just keep reading about problems with both Accudepth and SGs?

rod bender bob

[pwrfshn]

The Accudepth is not even close to the old SG.

If you have one of each in front of you and pick them up, you'll know what I mean.

When we would get a big Striper on an Accudepth and woudl tighten the drag, you could see the flex in the reel and it would slip, the old SGs never did that.

I've said it before, but if you try one Tekota, you'll regret it, you'll be buying more.
;)

That new Pinnacle has my interest peaked, I'm looking for a new reel to put in the marina where I guide and that may be the ticket.

The Tekota's may be great, but they will collect way too much dust. I'm trying to decided what to do, Daiwa, Shakespeare, Pinnacle, etc...

[Bob G2]

I think that Neal raises a legimate question with regards to the value of Shimano reels. I should say that I own 9 shimano spinning reels (symetres and stradics) and have had good luck with them. The only issues I have had was burning out a drag on a spool and a stradic that the antireverse freezes up in cold weather.

The issue to me is to whether I want to continue to spend that type of money on one spinning reel, or rather go with offerings by Okuma, Tica, Gander Mountain, Fin Nor or Pflueger, which may offer better value for the money (Value= Quality/Cost). I guess my reply would be more of a question, because certainly I don't have experience with all the brands mentioned, except for Okuma and Fin Nor, both of which have been excellent reels for me. I would venture that the drag on the Fin Nor is perhaps the smoothest in it's price class.

For 140.00, do I want one Stadic or 4 Gander Mountain Guide Series reels and a few crankbaits........????

[rspahr]

I also swear by my Shimano Tekotas rather than at them. I started off with one and I am up to five. I will probably pick up another couple in the next year or so. I did not know that my previous reels were bad until I tried one of these. Super smooth drag, powerful, can crank in stripers with ease. Micro-fine adjustment of the drag. Pricey yes. I have not tried a better reel.

[rebs]

I have a gander mountain guide series ultra lite and it is a very nice reel, 5 bearins very smooth drag and I am very happy with it and to top it off it was on sale for 19.99

rebs

[bob oh]

I've never really looked at the Accudepth, I'll take your word for it. I don't fish salmon or I would consider the Shimano, but I can't see $170 for a trolling reel for eyes -- it's not like they are tackle wreckers :-)
Guess I'll just stick with the SG27s or 17s.

rod bender bob

[pwrfshn]

Bob,

If you can find some of the old SGs on Ebay, they would be my first choice after the Tekota.

[bob oh]

Should have stuck with them in the first place -- but always have to try something else :-) Really like the size of the 17s for big boards on Erie but have heard complaints about them, guess I'll just get what I should have gotten in the first place!!

rod bender bob

[MSUICEMAN]

i've heard nothing but great things about the tekotas.... i screwed up i coulda got two barely used old SG47LCs for 50 bucks. didn't have cash on me at the time and missed out, darn it.

I have shimano spinning reels that i use a LOT, and never truly had a problem. Sedonas for perch, symetres for walleye. so far so good. i've also used the symetre quite a bit for steelhead without a problem.

The stradic problem sounds like an adjustment problem with the bail, or possibly a burr in the worm gear. shouldn't be tough to fix.... theres gotta be directions online somewhere for adjusting a bail wire... i'll see what i can find. I can't really describe it without pictures.

steve

[Sunshine]

Bob,

I bought the first generation 17's and they did suck. I ended up returning them for a refund. BUT, I bought the second "fixed" generation and I absolutely love them.

[pwrfshn]

Dennis,

Good info to have.

How is the drag on the sec gen ones?

My problem was that the first gen would slip constantly until you tightened them more than they should have needed.

[Sunshine]

Drags are fine for me Mex BUT I do not use them on stripers.

[pwrfshn]

It wasn't the fish that was the problem, it was the fact that the adjustment seemed to be way off.

I really liked everything about the 17s too bad I didn't like how they worked.

The bad thing around here is that I generally end up trying stuff and if it stinks sort of get stuck with it. Nobody could even get the 17 here, I ordered mine from Thorne and didn't want to send them back to them and then have them send them back to me etc...

My first gen ones went to Daiwa for servicing and came back in the same condition almost, not a big improvement.

Maybe I'll get to try someone elses one of these days and change my mind ... again. LOL

[bob oh]

Dennis are you talking SG17s? How do I know they're 2nd generation?
Thanks,

rod bender bob

[Sunshine]

Good question that I can not answer ;-)

I've asked friends who work at retail sporting goods stores and they do not know either. One guy told me that if you take it apart :-( there'll be a date stamp.

Here's my whole story........

Took old ones back to Gander for complete refund ;-)

Was passing through an area with a Scheels and they had the "new ones" on sale. Bought two after I was assured that they were the new and improved. You guessed it...... they were the old Junky ones. Had to return those too.

Hard to believe but I went back to Gander once the new ones came in and bought two more. Now I own 6, Love 'em!

MOST GUYS WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP , BUT I TRIED A FRIEND'S AND LIKED HIS WAY TOO MUCH

[Kingfisher1980]

For what its worth, I love all of mine! :)

[bob oh]

SG17s right??

rod bender bob

[Sunshine]

right......... SG17's

I tried the Accudepths first ( you may remember the posts) but found them to be of very poor quality.

I really like the size of the SG 17's. I'll keep the larger sizes for leadcore and the 17's for mono and PowerPro.

[Ruddiger]

Wow! I am amazed to see that so many of you hold these reels in such low regard. I have used Simano products for over 15 years and consider them to be the finest reels EVER made. While I recognize that some of the problems listed above do not sound right, and need to be fixrd by Shimano ASAP, I still consider them to be the premier manufactuer of quality fishing equipment. To date I have 18 baitcaster, and 16 spining reels that have NEVER been in for service (other than a drag upgrade and once for a cleaning after about 6 years of heavy use in the river). I would encourage anyone who would listen to seriously look at Shimano when considering a new reel. They are well worth it.

[Fishful Thinker]

I have personally tried several different brands of reels and believe shimano to be of the best quality, as for being a little pricier remember the old addage ....you get what you pay for.

[Toolman]

I bet Shimano sells as many or more spinning reels as next top 3 competitors combined. I'm sure they have their problems, but all brands do. You always tend to hear the bad 10x as much as the good. My $.02 :)

[Steve CO]

Neal
I pretty much use Shimanos for all my fishing and have some that are going on more than 20 years old and still working fine. Maybe the newer ones are lesser quality, but I have bought several Spirex over the last three years with no problems. The Spirex's are relatively inexpensive but are workhorses for me. The only other spinning reels I own are original Mitchells (300 and 308) dating back to 1953 and 1963, respectively. I still use the 308 but rretired the 300 several years ago. You've obviously had some real bad luck on your Shimanos.

[Neal/CO]

My last five Shimano reels have had problems. Four Spirex and the Stradic I just bought. From bails not closing to the gears seazing up. Two were fixed at a warranty shop and work fine now. Two were regulated to ice duty. The Stradic will be going soon.

Somebody just said you get what you pay for! I didn't! When I spend $140.00 on a reel, I expect the #### thing to work, right out of the box.

[conniek]

Wow! my eyes got tired of reading at all the responses about shimano.:)
Let me share some thoughts from my view as a repair person. The shimano reels, baitcasters, are far ahead of other manufacturers with quality. We've opened lots of various reels thru the years and I can share with you that the innerds of the Shimanos are the best toleranced and designed parts.The reels that come in for maintainence have very few problems and we have not noticed any pattern of problems. IMHO! here is what I think, if you are having problems with reels, any reels, contact the mfg'r. They don't know about problems unless anglers give them feed back. They want to correct problems. Here is a number to call for shimano- 1-877-577-0600 and tell them what is going on. I do know that Zebco, Daiwa, ABU and Shimano research and development work hard to provide us good products and when there is a problem with design or consistent failure , they want to get it fixed. As consumers, we need to give the manufacturers our inputs about their products. This will get their attention to look into this matter. Next time I place order , I will be sure to let them know about all the concerns also.
Shimano offers excellent customer service and believe in working with customers to ensure they are satisfied. Other reel folks do the same, these big guys just don't want unhappy anglers. I know I try to walk the extra mile to make my customers happy also.:) Good luck ya'll. conniek

[conniek]

Neal, not in defense of Shimano, but all new reels, If purchased new and they fail, the best thing to do is to return to place you purchased the reel and tell them to give you another one. New reels should not befailing for sure. I know we don't touch new reels that have recently been purchased and still in warranty. Most stores will be glad to replace the product. IMHO:) conniek

[Pat Nagle]

I will give up a year or 2 on the life of the reel if I know that I will have fewer performance issue s on the water. Am I saying that the Daiwas I have fished with have had issues...No. I have not had any issues and i can tell you I probably put more wear and tear on them than most walleye fisherman. I fish jig worms and finesse baits for bass. On an average day i must cast 200-300 times at least I pull fish out of vegetation, I swim baits I jig baits, I lock the drags down and trust my line to pull fish out and then I respool and go walleye fishing and finesse walleyes with the drag. I bass fish tournaments in minnesota prbably on the water 3-4 days a week. Most walleye anglers use a spining reel in vertical situations and manually control the bail.
I spend a lot of money on my hobby and I will only use and buy products I trust: Daiwa spinning reels, Shimano Casting reels, St Croix ROds, Maxima monofilament, and Power pro Braid, to Seaguar flourocarbon. I can honestly say not one of those products have ever failed....I mean ever. New stuff comes out and I keep buying clacuttas and tournament II series spinning reels. That is all I know.

[conniek]

We hear it all the time from anglers purchasing "other "reels. The angler surely got a good deal price wise, however, when the reel crashed and they're trying to find a shop to work on them, golly, gee whiz, the price of that bargain just went up. It is good practice to always inquire about where to get reel serviced and repaired if ever needed. Lots of shops won't work on any reels except the ABU's Daiwas, Shimanos, quauntum, lews, browning reels. conniek

[SUPERTROLLER]

Your recommendation to call the manufacturer is exactly what we did about a year and a half ago. Daiwa came out with their new linecounter reels, the Accudepth's and upgraded their SG series line of linecounters at the same time. We seemed to find a common problem with the size 17 reels releating to the free-spooling of line and the spools hanging up due to some tolerance issues. Perchjerker worked with the engineers and helped them facilitate a proper repair that Daiwa got behind immediately. This probably saved them years and years of bad publicity. It also made alot of us realize that instead of just whining it helped to communicate directly with the company. They don't want to sell us products that don't work properly and we don't want them to sell us inferior products even at a lower price than their competitors proven products. We all want our new stuff to work to a given expectation. Obviously some guys are willing to shell out bigger bucks for high-end equipment. This is when that stuff better perform. It appears that Shimano has dropped the ball for now on Neil's Stradic's. I hope Shimano will step up like Daiwa did and fix the problem since it isn't only his reels that are not working properly. Neil, give'm a call and see what they can do for you.

[Neal/CO]

I have no doubt that I can take the reel in to our local Shimano warranty shop and get it fixed. I have done it numerous times! After the reels are fixed, they always perform admirabally! It's just that it is a pain in the ### to drive 20 miles to the shop then have to leave the reel, and then drive back over in two weeks and pick it up.