Carp Reels?

[sam vimes]

Regards engineering quality, leading to durability and silky smoothness, go try a Penn Slammer, sadly for the thread starter they're to small.
As not only are they better than Shimano's (IMO), they are slightly cheaper too.
So smooth is the clutch on the Penns, you can't disengage the anti-reverse because there's no need to back wind!

IMO the only plus side of Shimano reels is the re-sale value of them, as fools that buy them off flea-bay or classifieds have pushed them that way, mindless fools that know no better.:wh

Colin,
is there any chance of qualifying this with which Shimano reels you may be comparing to the Penn Slammers? I'd tend to assume that you are talking about the rear drag models, is this the case? I know that, after I'd heard a fair bit of praise for the Penn Slammers, I'd give them a whirl. I appreciate that they are cheaper but there's no way on earth that I felt that they compared to the front drag 4000Ds and XTFAs that I've ended up with. I did feel that the drag on the Penns was better than the likes of the 5000 GTE-C and old 5010GTs though. In my experience, front drag usually is better than rear drag though. All IMHO, of course!

Hopefully, I'm not totally mindless but, if that's the case, then so be it!

 

[noknot]

Ihad the original Diawa Gold spools, SS Torniment 3000's??? They were the first long tapered spools on the market back then, the line lay was perfection, the front drag was as smooth as silk as was the possitive feel gearing, far superior to the Shimano Sea Spins at the time, which I found had aweful line lay a narrow spool and a very slack/loose feel about them, however that was a long time ago, but if I were in the market to buy new reels, I would give Diawa a very good look, good luck!

 

[barbelboi]

Diawa – Shimano – IMO There’s probably very little difference in quality for like to like reels, only a matter of personal preference. I have been mainly using Shimano for many years now without problem and I’m really impressed with the DL4000FA’s after a few months use.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

I have a liking for diawa reels, their top end match reels are superb but just a little pricey!!

Colin, I have just purchased a shimano baitrunner 4000D for my barbel fishing and it is a real stunner, built like a tank and a dream of a clutch, it helped me land my 13 pounder this week!
now thinking of getting 6000D for my sea work. They are expensive but worth the money.

mark

 

[Fred Blake]

Ihad the original Diawa Gold spools, SS Torniment 3000's??? They were the first long tapered spools on the market back then, the line lay was perfection, the front drag was as smooth as silk as was the possitive feel gearing, far superior to the Shimano Sea Spins at the time, which I found had aweful line lay a narrow spool and a very slack/loose feel about them, however that was a long time ago, but if I were in the market to buy new reels, I would give Diawa a very good look, good luck!

The 3000s had silvery spools I thought; the SS2600 had the gold spool. It is a bit 'in your face' but you get used to it! However, from what you say I think you do mean the 3000s, which eventually became the 5000T - which is still available. Extremely good reels, but at the time seriously expensive - £150 each in 1992! Mind you, they were £350-odd when they re-released them a few years ago, even though the identical 5000T was about £100 less...

A lot of carpers still use the 3000s or the 5000Ts, despite so-called technological improvements since then. The Basair might be lighter, but the old Tournaments are truly bomb-proof. There are plenty of Shimano equivalents, but by and large they don't last as well as the Daiwas. After all, these reels were originally designed for saltwater surfcasting, which is a far more demanding type of fishing.

 

[noknot]

I forget the No's Fred but yes back in the late 80's these babes were serious money as you rightly say, but boy, were they good!:w