Shimano Series 2500 reels info....

[Tee-Cee]

From what I can see, the above comes with either ' ST ' or ' DL '... with both having ' FA ' in the product name....

The ST seems to be cheaper than the DL, and despite having a look through the blurb I cannot find what these abbreviations mean ! Both seem to have the same gear ratio and I assume as both are 2500 series, the weight would be similar (?) Maybe the handles ??

Must be some fairly major differences otherwise why have two models?

So can anyone put me straight of these 'prefixes' please, and reasons WHY one would choose one rather than the other - apart from price !!

Thanks for your help !


ps I did a 'search' but couldn't find anything.......

 

[sagalout]

The DL is a higher spec, more bearings and features (I can't remember them all but it's things like anti line twist) and a double handle.

I have a pair of DL 2500 and I think they are excellent, I have had them for few years and used them a lot with no mechanical problems, The clutches are superd and the baitrunner works every time without any glitches (I mention the baitrunner because the fox reels I had before had terrible problems with the baitrunner).

The only issue I have had with them was the line cutting through a dark plastic shroud on the bail arm. I have replaced the bail arms with new items from Felindre and the replacement item has a chrome shroud which appears to have cured the problem and when I look at photos of the new reels they appear to have this chrome shroud.

---------- Post added at 08:51 ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 ----------

Looking at the shimano website it appears the DL has been replaced by the much more expensive £140'ish X aero FA and the ST by the ST FB £50'sh.

There are still ample DL on ebay. for £70'ish.

 

[Tee-Cee]

sagalout.......In about a dozen lines you've covered just about everything, so thanks a lot for that !!
I think the DL will be just the job, but I will look out for the chrome shroud.....

I can handle the £70'ish bit - £140'ish OTT for what I want !!

Just a nice smooth, light 'baitrunner' is all I ask, and Shimano are good for that..

Thanks again!


ps Always worth asking - I would never have know about the 'plastic' bit otherwise.................................

 

[sagalout]

You're welcome. The replacement bail arms are are a fiver'ish from Felindre. Plenty of "hardly used excellent condition" 2nd hand DLs on ebay and the going rate seems to be £50'ish.

 

[barbelboi]

These are the 'specs' I know

ST - Moulded ABS frame, geared oscillation without the wormshaft and components. Bearings are substituted with Nylon Bushes, with a single Graphite spool.

RA - pretty much the same as the ST but with an additional Aluminium spool.

XTR - Has all the bearings instead of bushes and lipped spool for improved casting and double alu spools, upgrade your RA's bushes to bearings and buy another alu spool and you have an XTR.

XTRA - Has all the bearings, machined, lipped spool, wormshaft, oscillating slides and is just mechanical mastery............................

 

[S-Kippy]

They are all still Shimano's. Overpriced and overated.

 

[sam vimes]

Shimano prefixes generally mean absolutely nowt. The number is the spool size, but onlt within specific ranges. Despite what you may think, a 5500 reel is significantly bigger than an 8000 baitrunner. The suffixes indicate (F)ront or (R)ear drag and A,B,C etc indicate the sequential mark version of the reel in question. i.e. Stradic GTM >> Stradic GTM RA >> Stradic GTM RB >> Stradic GTM RC.

 

[sagalout]

Overpriced and overated

I have limited experience of reels but I bought 3 cheap shakespeares when I started back into fishing and they all broke within 6 months, I bought 2 fox stratus baitrunners and those 2 reels were replaced 5 times (so an average of 2.5 times each) over a period of 18 months (fantastic customer service) and finally the rep threw them in the bin and gave me a credit for the full purchase cost at the shop.

The two shimanos I replaced the foxs with have been brilliant (except for the small problem with the bail arm) and at £70 each for baitrunners I thought the price was reasonable.

I have an okuma carbonite and I think the clutch is rubbish, very snatchy.

I don't know if there are better reels for the money but when you are in the shop with a budget the choices are limited.

So what do you recommend Skip?

 

[binka]

The Wychwood Solace Compact seems a good reel for the money, around the seventy quid mark and you get the ACS line clip which allows you to clip up yet it will still give line should a large fish run and hit the clip.

I had a close look at one when I was buying my Emcasts, it felt very solid and smooth but I decided it was just a bit too compact for what I wanted on the river, I really do like that line clip though.

If I was looking for a reel just for something like method feedering on lakes for small to mid-sized fish I would definitely get one.

 

[nicepix]

What surprises me is how random the sizing is. I've got Shimano Aeros in 5000 & 8000 sizes and it is only the spools and rotor that differ. The body is the same. A Daiwa z5000BR is bigger than the Shimmy Aero 8000 and the Penn 760L, and the Regal 1500 is about the same as a Shimmy Sienna 4000.

 

[tigger]

I had the DL 2500's a few years ago and they didn't appeal to me at all. They felt cheap and of no quality whatsoever unlike the other shimano reels I have (I am a fan of shimano reels). I sold mine after only using them a few times. If I wanted a small baitrunner i'd get a stradic with the fighting drag and use the fighting drag as the baitrunner...jmo.
My shimano 5000 GTE's and 5010's arn't tiny but theyr'e very robust and reliable reels and I haven't seen a baitrunner reel to better them yet.

 

[floatfish]

Have had Shimano 2500 reels over the years, never any problem.Did what I wanted. One I had for years gave up eventually just wore out, bale arm
would not return after casting. Caused by the metal part in the casing
wearing away and not making full contact. Repair would have been new
casing. Bought a new 2500 reel instead.

 

[addo]

You can view or download from Shimano or Shimano catalogues info detailing what you need to know

These links may help

This link is reels in general...Reels

This link is the new ST 2500 FB manual...http://fish.shimano-eu.com/media/fi...d_views/14BTRST25FB_v1_m56577569830902573.pdf

Biggest difference seems to be amount of bearings each reel has

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I have got the Shimano DL4500FA and a 2500 (ST2500? can't remember). The 4500 is my favourite of the two and i now wish i had a pair of them for two-rod bait running. The 2500 is fine enough but they are so small and light that they would be well matched with a wand or an oldskool 9ft swingtip rod. If you like a really small and light reel which can still crank in larger fish ( i have had tench to 8Ib no problem on mine) then they are fine.

 

[seth49]

I use a DL2500FA with a shimano beastmaster 9/11 ft quiver tip. I like this outfit a lot for bomb and feeder work.
It's very light and delicate to use, but I have had lots of carp etc up to low doubles .
Also use one for waggler fishing as well.
I like mine a lot.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Thanks for all your very useful comments which have done what this Forum is so good at - supplying proper info, based on use !!
Not all agree, but it would be boring if we did ....

Some very good stuff, probably helpful to others as well.......

Thanks again !!

 

[The Sogster]

Maybe a bit late, I have a XT2500FA shimano baitrunner used over a couple of years. I usually team it with my fox specialist duo-lite (ard014) or garbolino rocket picker.

What a fantastic small reel it is, tbh I paid the extra so the reel colour was close to the rod blank.

My only gripe is the reel clip can be a bit fiddly - but then again can't they all as we get older.