Shimano Solstace spinning reel,,BLAHH!!!

[bigjim]

bought this thing about a month ago, (July 23rd to be exact) damn bail broke off already on the side that the line lays on but at least i was able to get a refund at cabelas where i bought it, ended up getting a Abu Garcia, so ill give that 1 a shot. got one w/ a sturdier looking bail this time..

and to think, when i bought the shimano i figured it would have lasted longer than it did, i said to myself, nahh, im not gonna get 1 of the $20 cabelas brand garbage so it breaks in a month, ill get a more reputable named brand so it lasts longer ..NOT! i liked the shimano too, worked great till today.

[BigBassin144]

I as also not pleased with a lower end shimano spinning reel. While it did not break, I didn't think it performed well.

As for Cabela's brand being not reputable. Their reels are made by Daiwa.

Anyways, I'm sure you'll like the Abu, I've got two 100 series reels and one 300, and I like them both.

BB

[robertmee]

Is Diawa no longer Diawa as far as quality? I have a Diawa bait caster from 1980 that casts further and retrieves smoother than most any other reel I've used. If I bought today, is Diawa no longer a quality brand?

[islandbass]

Big Jim,

The good stuff from shimano starts at the Sahara. I wouldn't give anything lower than that a second glance and for reasons you have now discovered. Sorry for your bad experience but if you sign off on Shimano thinking that all shimanos are like that, that would be a loss for sure.

Abu isn't too shabby and I have one abu spinning reel, a cardinal. It should serve you well.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by robertmee

Is Diawa no longer Diawa as far as quality? I have a Diawa bait caster from 1980 that casts further and retrieves smoother than most any other reel I've used. If I bought today, is Diawa no longer a quality brand?

Why would Daiwa no longer be a quality brand. I haven't used a Daiwa spinning reel, but IMO, Daiwa makes the best baitcasters on the market. Not only in their high end like the Zillion, but I think they make the best sub-$100 reels as well.

Originally Posted by islandbass

Big Jim,

The good stuff from shimano starts at the Sahara. I wouldn't give anything lower than that a second glance and for reasons you have now discovered. Sorry for your bad experience but if you sign off on Shimano thinking that all shimanos are like that, that would be a loss for sure.

Abu isn't too shabby and I have one abu spinning reel, a cardinal. It should serve you well.

The reel I talked about was a Sahara. It was last years model however. I don't even think I'd give the sahara a second glance. Before I used the sahara, I thought a spinning reel was a spinning reel, and price didn't matter as much as with baitcasters. But now I realize, especially within the same brand that you definately are getting a different, and better spinning reel if you spend more. This really sunk in after I used a friend's Shimano Sustain.

BB

[crankybait]

I have 3 Abu G Cardinals, theyre really nice for their price

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Why would Daiwa no longer be a quality brand. I haven't used a Daiwa spinning reel, but IMO, Daiwa makes the best baitcasters on the market. Not only in their high end like the Zillion, but I think they make the best sub-$100 reels as well.




The reel I talked about was a Sahara. It was last years model however. I don't even think I'd give the sahara a second glance. Before I used the sahara, I thought a spinning reel was a spinning reel, and price didn't matter as much as with baitcasters. But now I realize, especially within the same brand that you definately are getting a different, and better spinning reel if you spend more. This really sunk in after I used a friend's Shimano Sustain.

BB

I agree with you, BB. I was referring to the latest Sahara. Spec wise, it is better than the older Symetre FI, which I have and it also took the Symetre FI's price point of $79. The Symetre FJ, the newer one, is now $99.00 This is why I mentioned starting at the Sahara mark and I meant the newest version. You're right about the older Sahara. I tried it at a local shop. I wasn't even through cranking the handle one revolution and I stopped and put it back. It is too hard to go backward!

[robertmee]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Why would Daiwa no longer be a quality brand. I haven't used a Daiwa spinning reel, but IMO, Daiwa makes the best baitcasters on the market. Not only in their high end like the Zillion, but I think they make the best sub-$100 reels as well.

I don't know, that's why I was askin' All my tackle is 30 years old (Diawa, Loomis, Berkley) and I haven't bought much new so before I did I was making sure that Diawa was still a good reel. Some companies over the years have sold out, been bought, etc. and no longer offer the same quality stuff.

[BigBassin144]

robert, Nowdays, I think most of the companies make a good, quality product, and it's just personal preference as to which brand to get. They all have different feature, especially brakes, and you have to use what you like the best. Personally, I like Daiwa Magforce Z brakes. But as long as you stick with the main few companies (Daiwa, Abu, Shimano, Quantum, Pflueger) you should be fine as far as quality goes.

BB