Best value reel

[mikench]

We all clearly have a significant number of reels judging by the posts on the subject , but which reel do you feel offers the best value for money in terms of quality, abilities and general feel!

Apart from my pins which I cannot really use but can admire the looks of, I reckon the Daiwa Emcast 3500 br at around £60 is a great freespool reel for the money. Smooth, powerful and well made! What more can be said except if they are good enough for Binka they are good enough for me!

 

[S-Kippy]

For more general work I recently got meself a Daiwa Ninja 3000. Paid about £42 as I recall and its a smashing little reel which comes with two alloy spools. You need to ignore the stupid name and the red (main) spool which, of course, you cant see once you load it with line.

I bought mine for float work but dependant on size I suspect it would be cock on for feeder or lure fishing.

 

[bullet]

I've got a couple of shaky mach 2 front drags, one of which has been used and seriously abused for years, and it still works fine although it sounds rough. I regreased it throughout, but it made no difference to the noise.
About 30 quid, if I remember rightly.

 

[steve2]

I would say my old Mitchell 300s I used and abused them for over 30 years before giving them away. They are still being used by the person I gave them to. I in the meantime have chopped and changed reels none of which will out last the Mitchells.

 

[nottskev]

I would say my old Mitchell 300s I used and abused them for over 30 years before giving them away. They are still being used by the person I gave them to. I in the meantime have chopped and changed reels none of which will out last the Mitchells.

I have a Mitchell 300 here that was my only reel for years from about 1973. I agree they're fantastic reels - bulletproof and beautiful to look at. But in terms of lasting, frequent use and performance, they've been outdone by the Japanese-made Shimano Aero's that I use for pretty much everything.

 

[flightliner]

My Mitchell matchs', they just go on and on year after year, they just won't wear out. Love using them for light floatwork .
Like Nottskev I also have the shimano aero,s that I purchased new when first released onto the market.
They seem to have every chance of lasting just as long as my Mitchell's but they still have twenty more years to prove it

 

[seth49]

Best value for money reel I possess is a old Young’s Trudex pin, I was given it about ten years ago, and I use it for most of my margin fishing with a small float, it just needed a good clean and oil, and it runs like a top, it’s good fun playing fish on it, from roach to low doubles carp.

Favourite new reels are my Shimano 2500s, I have two and use them for feeder and float work, and as I generally put a carp rod out as a sleeper, I can just put the baitrunner on the 2500, if I get a run on the carp rod.

 

[rich66]

Another vote for the Daiwa Ninja I’ve the 3012a for the money it’s well ahead of what else I’ve bought. Would rather it was all black not red bits everywhere, my only real grumble is the spare spool is a completely different colour .. why ?

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

For a reel thats ideal for trotting and also feeder work I would have to choose a shimano stradic 3000 GTM. Fighting drag that can be set as baitrunner.
Excellent line lay and fast pickup.
Also excellent weight to balance out most float and feeder rods.
About £79 new or try get Jap build second hand for around £50.

 

[thecrow]

For my Barbel fishing the emcast's I have are perfect for the job, for float work I haven't used anything other than centrepins since I got them, I have a couple of other fixed spool reels that I used for float work but I enjoy the CPs so haven't used them for ages, I only buy things to do a job and have never been a collector of tackle.

 

[john step]

Best value for money reel I possess is a old Young’s Trudex pin, I was given it about ten years ago, and I use it for most of my margin fishing with a small float, it just needed a good clean and oil, and it runs like a top, it’s good fun playing fish on it, from roach to low doubles carp.

I also have an old abused Trudex. I bought it new with paper round money 55 years ago for the exorbitant price of £3.18s.6d.
Its chipped and I have replaces the rivets which don't look very pretty but it still gives me pleasure to use it.
As a cash strapped youngster it was the only reel I owned for years.

Recently(25years agomg I bought its larger stablemate the Rapidex. I hope to be able to use this larger brother for long enough to prove its worth against the smaller sibling!

 

[sam vimes]

Hardly cheap, but they've lasted so well that I'd consider my original Japanese Shimano Stradic GTMs to be up there. Over twenty five years old and still better than some modern stuff. However, they'll last indefinitely now as I barely use them. They've been surpassed by more modern Shimano reels with a few updates that make them better. Whether the newer reels will last as long is another matter. However, given that centrepins have taken over for much of my river fishing, I suspect they'll see me out.

 

[binka]

It's not such an easy question to answer really.

In terms of all round use against cost the Emcasts probably top the bill for value in their range of application, especially as I bought so many extra spools to cover a wider range of targets and tasks.

But...

In terms of frequency of use my Conquests are giving me the best value on a pence per outing basis, that's purely because I enjoy using them so much that I'm using them more frequently even if it means fishing a different style.

On the other hand, on pure longevity and payback over the longer term, my original Daiwa Match-S, circa 1998, has given me more than the others put together over the years.

So, in conclusion...

:noidea:

 

[tigger]

Abu 501.....wins by a country mile .

 

[Philip]

Old Shimano 8010s (not BR)..purchased a pair maybe 25 years ago…I think they were about £50 each never washed them, never serviced them, abused them terribly…mud, sea fishing etc and hey are still in perfect working order. Even the paint appears to be bullet proof, both of them too so not a one off.

The only fault is that there now seems to be a tiny bit of give in the gears if you move the handle back and forth with the anti reverse off but other than that unbelievable reels and value for money when you consider the longevity.

 

[barbelboi]

Apart from a couple of Youngs pins which get more use trotting the rivers than anything else the reels that have given me the most pleasure, and are still used more than any other f/s, are a pair of Shimano 5000 Aero GTEs (c1998) and a couple of Stradics (early 2000s)

 

[Chevin_Rutilus]

Abu 506m, picked it up last year for 20 quid. Removed the part that stops back wind and and now works great. Also, as I was born in '96, its probably 15-20 years my senior lol.

 

[S-Kippy]

Abu 501.....wins by a country mile .

Ah...now if we are talking about best value reel in terms of best value ever bought then id probably agree. I have 2 x Swedish built 501's which still get used occasionally but for many years I used virtually nothing else because of the sort of waters I was fishing. No commercials then and the canals and rivers round here were full of quality roach. The first cost me £8 and was bought just after i got married in 1981...still looks mint and runs almost as sweet as it ever did. The second I bullied a mate into selling me for a tenner. He's never really forgiven me.

I should use them more often but when on running water now I almost invariably use a pin.

 

[tigger]

Ah...now if we are talking about best value reel in terms of best value ever bought then id probably agree. I have 2 x Swedish built 501's which still get used occasionally but for many years I used virtually nothing else because of the sort of waters I was fishing. No commercials then and the canals and rivers round here were full of quality roach. The first cost me £8 and was bought just after i got married in 1981...still looks mint and runs almost as sweet as it ever did. The second I bullied a mate into selling me for a tenner. He's never really forgiven me.

I should use them more often but when on running water now I almost invariably use a pin.

I used my 501 and nothing else for many years. It was also my favourite trotting reel until about 15yrs ago when I started using pins.
I use mine much less nowadays and it comes into it's own when I float fish for tench at night. No fiddly bail arms allowing the line to drop off, particularly when windy. I like the fact that a press of the button allows my float to drop to hand with no fuss at all.
The 501 is deffo my favourite reel to date for what it cost and for it's useability.

 

[dalesman]

Another vote for the Daiwa Ninja I’ve the 3012a for the money it’s well ahead of what else I’ve bought. Would rather it was all black not red bits everywhere, my only real grumble is the spare spool is a completely different colour .. why ?

Wish they did a shallow or shallow spool, the dealer said when purchased they were available from Diawa, not the case.