Home Forums Fishing Freshwater spinning reels

I was wondering what brand of spinning reels you have had the longest service from. Many folks swear by daiwa but I haven't had the greatest luck from them. Them won't stop working they just get rough feeling when you crank them even though I go through them one a year. I have shimano symetre reels that are probably 15 years old and are flawless still.

I have had the best service out of shimano and pflueger reels. Others that i haven't used are penn and okuma. I also haven't used quantum reels in 20 years. How are the quality of those reels now? Quantum reels never impressed me but many people swear by them and the penn reels too. What about the revo spinning reels, are they as awesome as the revo casting reels?

Shimano, easily.

My main concern with a spinning reel is that the drag control be on the rear where God intended it to be.

I purchased Penn SS 420 & 430 back in the last decade for smallmouth & they are showing their age. Also have a 450 I use for larger stuff & it's been a good one. I'm happy with all 3.

these days shimano. Have a few Daiwa's and Okuma's, Penns. I really think the quality on shimanos is best for price point ( Less than$150)

Just bought a new Shimano Sahara 1000......

"longest service from", I've got a Diawa Emblem S 200iAs I bought in 1997 that's been used a lot with no maintenance. I've also got three Shimano Symetre's I've had almost as long. They all cost a little under $100.

If I was going to pick one brand today for quality and service it would be Shimano. One of the Symetre's was replaced by Shimano, no charge, after I broke it, sent it to them for repair and told them it was my fault.

A couple of years ago someone here said that even the cheaper spinning reels are made well enough to do the job and last a while. Use them till they quit (if they do) and replace them. It's as economical as having them serviced and a lot less hassle then doing it yourself. For average freshwater fishing I'm starting to agree with whoever said that. I've got a couple of Shimano Siennas, a 2500 and 1000 that are going into their third year with no problems. They cost about $30.00 and work fine. If they wear out I can get another for what it would cost to service them.

Since if I squint my eyes real hard I can read it as a historical question, Mitchell 300 series. I have a couple Dad had when I was a kid so they're over fifty(!) and still in use. Had them apart a couple times and they are tank-like and simple.

The Shimanos I use mostly are so much better, like night and day. However the oldest has only ten years or so with no problems so only short term testing approval.

I thought you used those 500s poobah. Those 1000s are sweet ain't they. I remembered you like fire line on those little reels, have you tried nanofil yet?

Shimanos are all I uses in spinning reels.

You are right, but in recent years Ive gone to 750 because a 500 only has a short life span on a Canadian pike trip. The 750s handle it well, as I expect the 1000 will. Also found a medium action 5 1/2 foot rod for it which should be should be
the schizzle on pike...a bit easier to set the hook with that the ULs Ive been using.
And Yes I like fire line #10...I got cheap and tried some Power Pro last year...it wouldn't hold a conventional knot ....and I haven't tried the nano fill yet...

Depends on your price point I think. Shimanos have lasted me well, from the FX model up to the Stradic. I have never had a good experience with Quantum. I have an Abu Garcia Soron that is my go to reel as of late, but their cheaper reels are outclassed by Shimano. I have a couple of Okuma line counters that are only a couple years old. Seem okay, but not much of a test so far.

My first reel was a Mitchel and it was quickly returned for a Shimano FX. That was 25+ years ago and the FX still serves on an ice fishing rod.

SS

Ditto here.

Ingwe have you tried Suffix braid 10#?

One thing daiwa has going for them is low gear ratios. I use a 7' medium light to throw small crankbaits like #5 shad raps and bill norman deep tiny Ns and the low ratio works better than shimanoshimano super fast ratio but the shimano is better everywhere else hands down.

No, I haven't Bob, and I just stocked up on Fireline, so it may be a while.....Im old and tend to stick with what works for me, though I'll admit, Fireline has some quirks I don't like ...

Ingwe, The nanofil doesn't have as many quirks as the fireline but conventional knots may not work, I'm not sure. When superlines first came out I found that regular fishing knots would slip so I came up with a knot that was a cross between the polamar and the improverd clinch knot. Braid, fireline and nanofil doesn't slip with this knot but I have never used a conventional knot with nanofil so I can't say if it works or not. I have been tieing this knot since high school.

Double your line like a polamar knot, run the doubled line through your hook/lure, then twisit like your tieing a clinch knot. Now take the doubled end and pass it through the loop below the twisted part right above the eye of the hook/lure like your tieing a clinch or trilene knot now instead of finishing like a clinch knot take the loop over the lure like a polamar knot, wet it and sinch it down. I called it the superline knot because It works with superline better than any knots I had tried before. I use it with mono and florocarbon too. I use it almost exclusively except when I need a loop knot.

Do you use a mono or floro leader or just tie strait to the lure with the fireline?

Love my old Mitchell's.

Of new style-Schiano's. Run abo a half dozen of 'em and they work very good. Old School Mitchell 300 and 308's. Got six of them and the youngest one's over 40 years old and runs like it did the day it was bought. They do need a bail spring every once in a while, but that's about it. Will my Schimano's be running in 40 years? 'Hope I'm here to find out.

seal billy...thats my gripes with lines other than fire line...conventional knots don't work. The Palomar works on Power Pro, but the stuff is too limp....I need just a tad of 'memory' for what I do...
I may just try that nano fill next time I respool.....

I didn't like power pro either for the same reason. It was a mess in the wind too. Nanofil does have a little memory that's the reason I like it. It acts like really light mono on the cast. I can throw a 1/16 oz crappie jig with a spinning reel taped onto a flyrod probably 80'. And the guides on a flyrod are anything but efficient for spinning use but the action is perfect.