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View Full Version : Diawa vs Shimano



UCR's Fishman
01-20-2009, 06:56 PM
I hate to start up a war between all you hardcore fisherman... but i really need some help. I am in the market for a new baitcaster, i want something that is smooth, casts far, and holds plenty of line ( 20 pound braid). I have found two reels which I am considering the Diawa TD Pro and the Shimano Citica. I am willing to spend a little more about 160 max... like the castaic or tierra. I would like your guys input on the Citica and TD Pro to help me decide. Input is greatly appreciated but please provide some kind of evidence. Not just Diawa sucks or vice versa. I want to know what makes one better than the other. The Citica only has 4 bearings while the Diawa has 12, does the # of bearings matter, are they made out of different materials? Is one more durable than the other? Has anyone taken these reels apart and looked at their insides? Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for all your help. Keep those lines tight!

Porkchop5420
01-20-2009, 07:27 PM
I was in the same situation as you when i decided to buy my first baitcaster. I ended up purchasing a Shimano Citica. Ever since then I have been happy with my decision. My citica casts well, its durable, and smooth with only 4 ball bearings. What I really like about the Citica are the HEG gearing and the DRAG.(which is ACTUALLY SMOOTH). I would suggest a daiwa product if they were good, however they aren't. I have own several daiwa reels before and I am not satisfied with them. My first beef with Daiwa is their drag system. Their drag are simply CRAP. The drag is inconsistent and slips under pressure. Daiwa reels might be smoother than a shimano reel (due to the amount of bearings) but the reels are not durable. I fish very often, which ranges from 1-6 days per week. After multiple trips, my previous daiwa reels simply crapped out. Not only did I experience these problems, but my friends have also. Now i fish shimanos because of their consistent performance.

There are going to be salemens who tell you otherwise but don't fall their gimmick. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to buy a daiwa reel. Then fish it HARD for several week/months and see what happens.

I hope my advice will help with your decision.

HEMAN
01-20-2009, 07:36 PM
i have not tried any daiwa's so i cannot comment on them, but i do own plenty of shimano reels and i can vouch for the quality.. i have bought some used shimano reels that have been great as well. The one great thing and i think some people will mention this, is that they have an awesome reputation for customer service/warranty. (i'm sure daiwa and other companies do too, but i'm only familiar with Shimano). I have been able to take broken rods to BPS without a receipt and get a brand new replacement on the spot.

that being said... if you were willing to spend a bit more.. i would recommend you jump up to the Curado series or if you can squeeze a bit more.. the Chronarch 50mg is an absolutely awesome reel (and its on sale!!!). it's super light and can handle the big fish... but if $160 is your max then you shld be able to find a Curado within that price range.
e5 has slower geear ration and e7 has higher. your choice should be about same price.

on a side note.. i do have a brand new Shimano 50mg for sale if you are interested, send me a PM OR you can order at Tacklewarehouse, for sale for $186 + tax. I'll definitely be cheaper than their price.

Team Santana
01-20-2009, 07:39 PM
Shimano!!!!

BassFreak
01-20-2009, 08:01 PM
To the OP, for that price range, may i suggest a Daiwa Advantage HSTA. They retail for about $129 and you get a lot of reel for the price. and to answer your inquiry, the biggest difference i see between Daiwa and Shimano is their braking sytems. Centrifugal VS Magnetic. Some like one over the other and thats why they chose what they choose.. Try and take your rod to the store youll be buying your reel and put it on the rod to get a good feel for it. Good luck..


Porkchop, Im curious, what DAiwa reels have you tried that "crapped" out on you? and how did they "crap out"? was it the gears that broke, or the framing or bearings maybe?

GeordyBass
01-20-2009, 08:16 PM
both are excellent companies.Daiwa has very smooth reels,shimano has durable drag.I'd pick the citica though.I think both are very similiar and different.You should look at thier reviews and decide if it fits your purposes.

Also,Even though the curado is way more expensive,it's one of the best reels overall.

In Bob Sand's fishing tackle store I think they still have a combo with a Shimano Citica and a Shimano Compre(lifetime warranty) for a little over $160!

DKCbassman
01-20-2009, 08:25 PM
Go to tackle warehouse and order the Quantum Tour Edition BaitCaster. It's just a little over $100.00 clearanced out.

Porkchop5420
01-20-2009, 08:29 PM
To the OP, for that price range, may i suggest a Daiwa Advantage HSTA. They retail for about $129 and you get a lot of reel for the price. and to answer your inquiry, the biggest difference i see between Daiwa and Shimano is their braking sytems. Centrifugal VS Magnetic. Some like one over the other and thats why they chose what they choose.. Try and take your rod to the store youll be buying your reel and put it on the rod to get a good feel for it. Good luck..


Porkchop, Im curious, what DAiwa reels have you tried that "crapped" out on you? and how did they "crap out"? was it the gears that broke, or the framing or bearings maybe?

I had a Daiwa Zillion and Regal. What I meant by Crapping out is the drag and bearings. My first day of fishing, the reel seize up on me. I sent it to daiwa and the problem was fixed. After two months of fishing, my Zillion started making a grinding noise on the cast and retrieve.
Also the drags are crap. I know this can be fixed by installing carbontex drags. But think about it. You spent your hard-earn money to pay for an expensive reel, and it doesn't even have a drag system that function correctly. That is completely ridiculous. I am glad I got rid of that reel.
I have a friend who had the exact problems with his zillion and his other daiwa reels.
Honestly, I don't understand what the big hype is all about. Daiwa reel are overrated imo.

BassFreak
01-20-2009, 09:11 PM
I had a Daiwa Zillion and Regal. What I meant by Crapping out is the drag and bearings. My first day of fishing, the reel seize up on me. I sent it to daiwa and the problem was fixed. After two months of fishing, my Zillion started making a grinding noise on the cast and retrieve.
Also the drags are crap. I know this can be fixed by installing carbontex drags. But think about it. You spent your hard-earn money to pay for an expensive reel, and it doesn't even have a drag system that function correctly. That is completely ridiculous. I am glad I got rid of that reel.
I have a friend who had the exact problems with his zillion and his other daiwa reels.
Honestly, I don't understand what the big hype is all about. Daiwa reel are overrated imo.

So sorry to hear about your bad experiences. hard to tell exactly what is broken from your description. I assume it was a defect with your Zillion if it seized up on the first use. I agree with you how shimanos are tanks, I recently opened this old Curado that had years of corrosion and build up inside, funny thing is, the owner never really noticed a difference in performance through all this build up, not until the spool bearing seized up.

as far as the drags go, I hear its a common complaint by people, too common if you ask me. I personally have never had problems with the drags functioning like how drags are supposed to. but then again, i never catch fish bigger than a small mackarel so my drags never get any use.. lol

if you have any more friends getting rid of their Zillions, let me know. I'll take it off their hands.

basscatcher
01-20-2009, 09:14 PM
shimano all the way i think there is a life time warrenty no question ask to . I got the citca D and its one of my favorite reels right behind my calcutta 400b and curado 100b shimano rocks but thats just me

God Bless

basscatcher

jbassc
01-20-2009, 09:16 PM
I hate to start up a war between all you hardcore fisherman... but i really need some help. I am in the market for a new baitcaster, i want something that is smooth, casts far, and holds plenty of line ( 20 pound braid). I have found two reels which I am considering the Diawa TD Pro and the Shimano Citica. I am willing to spend a little more about 160 max... like the castaic or tierra. I would like your guys input on the Citica and TD Pro to help me decide. Input is greatly appreciated but please provide some kind of evidence. Not just Diawa sucks or vice versa. I want to know what makes one better than the other. The Citica only has 4 bearings while the Diawa has 12, does the # of bearings matter, are they made out of different materials? Is one more durable than the other? Has anyone taken these reels apart and looked at their insides? Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for all your help. Keep those lines tight!

I own a few shimano reels and im real happy with there performance i think you should go with the new curado its only 20 more dollars than what your budget is but its worth it im really happy with mine,another reel that i own its the chronarch 100 yeah its a little heavy but for 180 on tackle warehouse you cant go wrong.But i been hearing about one particular daiwa reel that has me a little intriged and thats the (DAIWA TDX100HSDF SUPERTUNED)i know a few people that own one and they talk real good about it and the review on tackle tour speaks for itself 9.15 editors choice thats one of the highest ratings i ever seen on a reel on tackle tour,but the best thing is its only about 150.00 dollars on ebay they also have a deep spool version the TDX103HSDF holds a bunch of line check it out on tackle tour im seriously thinking about getting it my self.

WARRIORMIKE
01-20-2009, 09:46 PM
Overall Shimano is the way to go!! I've owned both, shimano is a really good product

a biley
01-20-2009, 10:11 PM
td pro is the bass pro exclusive, read the reviews... sucks!!! anyways get the new curado 200, i love it. also get the chronarch 50mg. i love it too! my daiwa tierra broke it definitely was NOT "one piece aluminum"

a biley
01-20-2009, 10:12 PM
if you go daiwa, it better be a steez, and thats out of your budget you're willing to spend

Socal Bassman
01-20-2009, 10:56 PM
My first baitcaster was a Daiwa TD-X 103 and I loved it. I was so impressed at how it performed that I bought a Daiwa Procaster for a backup. It was no TD-X, but it did perform well. At that time, I was not impressed with the bulky feel of the Shimano Chronarch 100A or the Castaic. Plus, I was not sold on having to open the sideplate to adjust the brakes. No matter how much I heard about Shimano's quality, as well as, their excellent customer service, I stuck with my Daiwa's. After a year of use, both the Procaster and the TD-X's drag began to bind and/or slip. Even with proper maintenance. The Procaster still casted well, although not as smooth as the previous year. The TD-X remained smooth, but began making a loud screeching sound every time I made a long cast. I had to send it in twice to get it resolved. Then on one outing, for some reason I removed the cast control cap and ended up losing it. As I was looking for the cap, I forgot about the little metal pin inside the cast control housing which applied tension to the spool. Well, it fell out during my search and got lost as well :Head Bang:. I sent it in to get the two parts replaced. Well, they replaced them alright... With plastic parts!!! Looks like they took the parts from their Triforce. That was the last time I dealt with Daiwa baitcasters.

With my only two reels not performing as they should, I found myself in the market for a new reel. At that time, the new Shimano Chronarch 100SF had hit the market. So, I bought one and was pleasantly surprised at how well it performed. I got over the bulky feel and the VBS worries and put the reel through the paces. This is one workhorse of a reel. Within months I purchased a Citica and two more SF's from eBay, as well as, one of the green Curado's. I must admit that the Chronarch SF was not as smooth casting as the TD-X, but it did outperform it in every other aspect. It's been about nine years, since I bought the SF's, and they still perform like they did the day I bought them. Actually, even better since I swapped out the stock bearings for ceramics.

All is not lost for Daiwa, however. They still make great spinning reels.

Vulture
01-20-2009, 11:26 PM
I have old school Citcas. In fact I have 16 of them. I fished those reels on 4 different trips to El Salto Mexico. Caught a lot of big bass on those reels and a heck of a lot more smaller bass that pulled like a freight train. When I mean smaller I'm talking about 6 lbs and under. There is a reason why I have 16 Citcas. They can handle the abuse.
I never used the any of the Daiwas so I cant give you an honest answer.

HEMAN
01-20-2009, 11:32 PM
i will sell you the new in box 50mg i have for $175 no tax shipping and i'll spool it with 8lb Pline fluoro for you if you want, just for you just to show you how much of a believer i am in shimano.

one_leg
01-21-2009, 01:04 AM
Spend the extra on a better Shimano and keep it clean and do the regular maintanence.

trail blazer
01-21-2009, 05:35 AM
shimano reel,s.

diawa does make some good rods though

Nessie Hunter
01-21-2009, 07:09 AM
Chevy, Ford, Toyota????

Your going to find complaints from people about each...

Basically Shimano & Daiwa lead the pack for performance, quality & service at reasonable prices (in most cases)..

I have seen a lot of bearing issues with Shimano, (mostly spool bearings).
I have seen fewer in Daiwa.. ?????????

A lot depends on the care given to any reel. Also the quality of the *$1 a day* employees that assemble them..

Most reels now have gone to wet drags, but if the grease is applied improper it doesnt do its job.. Same with Bearings...
I feel that Daiwa has drags that are superior to Shimano. But thats just my opinion...
Daiwa reels have more drag washers, which makes for smoother drag, with finer adjustments..

I dont & wouldnt own a Quantum or Okuma. Again that is just me.. I dont like them at all...

When I buy a new (or used) reel, the first thing I do is tear it down & R&R it to my specs.. Upgrade bearing grease, drag grease, waterproof it, look for issues and smooth out all the gears etc...
After heavy use, I can open them once a year and 90% of the time, close em back up...

Newer Shimano & Daiwa reels do not need Carbontex, the stock drags are equal to or the same (IMHO) they look/feel exactly the same??
I have reels that have been submerged in salt water & sand many times with little or no service, they still perform better then new...

Most BPS Brand reels are made by Phluger...
Most Cabelas Brand reels are made by Daiwa.........

Working on reels I much prefer Daiwa, Easy tear down, fewer parts..
Shimano would be second on that list..

Reality???
Accurate & Avet have much better quality all around, then Shimano & Daiwa... But you pay for it also...
And wont find any Low Profile, mid range bass or smaller reels...

Recommendations????
Stick with Shimano Or Daiwa and find what looks good, fits you and your style/technique & budget....



.

matt duarte
01-21-2009, 08:24 AM
Daiwa all the way! i have the daiwa sol and havent and any problems with it for the few years that ive had it.. and on top of that i have done one bit of oiling or anything and it still performs just as good as the day i bought it...ive owned one Shimano and didnt like it at all casting sucked drag sucked...i sold the reel when it was still brand new TJ bought it from me thinking it was just me and it ened up breakin after him casting it on a few trips.. i wont buy anything but daiwa..o ya it was the shumano cardiff 200 POS!

wellbilldancesays
01-21-2009, 08:49 AM
Spend the extra money and get one of these and you wont be disappointed.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-FPCHRON.html

Chronrach closeout! Great reel at a great price!

DarkShadow
01-21-2009, 08:56 AM
Spend the extra money and get one of these and you wont be disappointed.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-FPCHRON.html

Chronrach closeout! Great reel at a great price!

The guy in the Tennessee hat has a good point.

Those Chronarch Bs are beasts.

bsp
01-21-2009, 08:59 AM
Daiwa all the way! i have the daiwa sol and havent and any problems with it for the few years that ive had it.. and on top of that i have done one bit of oiling or anything and it still performs just as good as the day i bought it...ive owned one Shimano and didnt like it at all casting sucked drag sucked...i sold the reel when it was still brand new TJ bought it from me thinking it was just me and it ened up breakin after him casting it on a few trips.. i wont buy anything but daiwa..o ya it was the shumano cardiff 200 POS!

I am amazed that you had that experience with one. My Cardiff 200 has been working perfectly for 2yrs of heavy surf fishing. I even landed a 37in leopard on it while trying for halibut. I'll stick with Shimano because their customer service is unmatched, and I've never had a problem with any of their reels no matter what the price point. I have a 3yr old slade ($19) that still works perfectly even after being dropped in the surf a few times. The only maintenance I do to my spinning reels is a quick rinse after I fish the salt. The baitcasters get torn apart and relubed every 4 months.

Daiwas, on the other hand, have not treated me well at all. The Daiwa Exceler 2500's drag I had died after 3 trips, and my friend's Coastal was starting to corrode after only one trip. The coastal I am willing to accept as a fluke, but I have heard from too many people about the problems they've had with the drags on their Daiwas. The high end Daiwas are really nice (Zillion and Steez), but IMO anything below the $250 price point is a waste of money. Go with Shimano if you are spending less than that.

mickeysindahouse
01-21-2009, 09:18 AM
I've owned two Daiwa baitcasters and I simply didn't find the workmanship inside or out too hot compared to that of similarly priced Shimano baitcasters. I've experiene noisy, locking bearing issues and not to mention crappy drags. I'm sure that the bearings were factory defects and the drags well, let's just call them their achilles heel. You know, it's funny how I've experienced less "factory defects" with Shimano reels over Daiwas. Hmm...food for thought. But any how...

Just do some ground work. Check out Bass Pro's site, look both the reels up and check out their reviews. TD-Pro 3.5 stars, Citica 5 stars. Think about what reel Tackle Tour decided to do a review on...not the TD-Pro; and they raved over the Citica & the Curado.

I guess you could say I'm a Shimano kind of a guy. I've owned many Shimanos over the years and a few Daiwas here and there; and my experience with Shimano is why they keep getting my business. Actually to be fair, I think that "luck" plays a big role in this mess. That is why we tend to dislike certain brands due to the one bad experience we had, put together with similar ones from friends and/or their friends. We are all unique in the style that we develop. And for that reason, companies like Shimano, Daiwa, etc. do their best to tailor to our individual needs in hopes to spark a liking to their products.

I would strongly urge you though, to stop eating take-out for a week, don't go clubbing or drinking one weekend, cut the girl friend for a week...whatever. The point here is, save a few more bucks and go for the Curado. I own a Curado E5 and I am VERY happy with it. The Curado is so small, lightweight (7.6 oz.) and so damn sleek. Beautiful castability, 12 pounds of drag out of the box, you just can't beat it for the money. But if you must stay within your budget, I'd say the Citica is definitely the best bang for your buck!

Before you go making a decision based on our comments, I'd really recommend you find someone who's got the reel/s you're interested in. Hook up and join them on your next expedition and have them allow you to take the reel for a spin. Get a feel for the reel, make your own deductions. Does it fit "your" style? After all, you're going to be the one using it and not everybody else; so don't get stuck with a reel you don't "love" only because 70% of your friends are Daiwa/Shimano fans. With that said, you're welcome to try my Curado E5 on the surf or perhaps even the Pudd. I'm usually on the surf on Saturdays. Hit me up if you're interested.

UCR's Fishman
01-22-2009, 12:46 PM
Thanks for all your input guys, you really helped me out! Now all i gotta do is choose between the citica and the curado:???::Confused:

Porkchop5420
01-22-2009, 12:56 PM
Easy choice. Curado

mickeysindahouse
01-22-2009, 12:57 PM
Thanks for all your input guys, you really helped me out! Now all i gotta do is choose between the citica and the curado:???::Confused:

Nice options! :Thumbs Up:

BassinPLS
01-23-2009, 07:51 AM
Before you buy...check out the new Shimano Curado 200E7. You'll love it.

It is a little bit above the price range you mentioned, ($179.95); but you'd never regret buying it.

Super smooth, the new Shimano larger gears, and 7 bearings as I recall. You can not find a better reel for the price.

I love their drag system as well.

BassinPLS

Sh1mano
01-23-2009, 08:34 PM
take note of my board name....nuff said!

BassFreak
01-23-2009, 09:11 PM
I'm sure that the bearings were factory defects and the drags well, let's just call them their achilles heel. You know, it's funny how I've experienced less "factory defects" with Shimano reels over Daiwas. Hmm...food for thought. But any how...



Funny you'd say that, makes me curious what you think of Shimanos A/R bearings on their low profile baitcasters?

SOSO
01-23-2009, 09:51 PM
Shimano :Thumbs Up:

shy_boxer
01-25-2009, 12:41 PM
Shimano....by far has been the superior brand of choice in my book! You may also try the classified section on FNN. I have seen some good deals on here.