Shimano vs. Abu Garcia
Dolores Farmer
Would love to hear comments on the various benefits/drawbacks of Shimano
and Abu Garcia casting reels for bass fishing.
I've heard Abu Garcia's quality has suffered lately. Have never owned a
Shimano. Don't want to make an expensive mistake. Opinions, please? Thanks.
--
Dolores Farmer Salem, VA
http://www.infi.net/~dolores
Mommy, what does "FORMATTING DRIVE C:" mean?
Richard Caldwell
In Article Shimano vs. Abu Garcia , Dolores Farmer <dol...@roanoke.infi.net> wrote:
> Would love to hear comments on the various benefits/drawbacks of Shimano
> and Abu Garcia casting reels for bass fishing.
> I've heard Abu Garcia's quality has suffered lately. Have never owned a
> Shimano. Don't want to make an expensive mistake. Opinions, please? Thanks.
ABU-Garcia is sorta the General Motors of baitcasting reels. You can buy a Chevy (Ambassadeur 4600, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000) or you can buy an Oldsmobile (S series) or a Buick (SM series) or a Cadillac (the new UC series). They have been around for a long time and are considered the standard by which freshwater baitcasting reels are judged.
Like most popular products, the quality of the materials used in their low-end lines has gone down while they try to keep the price low enough to compete with the other reels in the $50 - $75 range. At the same time, they have introduced a lot of new high-end models in the last few years, to compete with Daiwa & Shimano, and they have had the usual problems one has with new models.
Daiwa and Shimano, are sort of the Nissan and Toyota of fishing tackle. Daiwa makes the Team Daiwa reels, which are well liked by many anglers, but are a bit overpriced, IMHO.
Shimano seems to be the current favorite for making the best quality baitcasters on the market, at least at the higher end, reels that cost over $75. The Citica, Curado, Calcutta, and Chronarch are highly regarded by virtually everyone. The reason for this is probably Shimanos great expertise in manufacturing bearings, shafts, and gears.
So, if you are going to pay $90 or more for a reel, Shimano is probably the way to go. If you're looking for a reel in the $50 - $75 range, the Shimanos in that range tend to fall off quickly in available features. The Coriolis, at $65, isn't bad, but I wouldn't buy anything below that.
I hope this wasn't too confusing.
Good Luck and Good Fishing!
Richard
Larry Coblentz
Dolores,
I own several Shimano reels. Unfortunately, none of them are newer than
about 6 years old! I have used them for fishing tournaments over the past
10 years, and they hold up well. That being said, when I buy my next reel,
it will probably be a Quantum. As long as you stay away from the "bottom
end" of market line, most major manufacturers have good products. Go to
the store and see what "feels good" for you!
Larry <cobl...@earthlink.net>
Dolores Farmer <dol...@roanoke.infi.net> wrote in article
<01bc3e1d$7c6ca580$5a44...@roanoke.infi.net>...
> Would love to hear comments on the various benefits/drawbacks of Shimano
> and Abu Garcia casting reels for bass fishing.
> I've heard Abu Garcia's quality has suffered lately. Have never owned a
> Shimano. Don't want to make an expensive mistake. Opinions, please?
Thanks.
Dolores Farmer
Thank you to everyone who responded to my post both here and by e-mail.
FYI, I wound up with a Shimano Chronarch.
Lots of $$$$, so I hope it works out. Won't get to use it until next week.
Larry Coblentz <cobl...@earthlink.net> wrote in article
<01bc3f0e$303fa260$d5ce2399@coblentz>...
BASSER 63
Getting a shimano reel would not be a mistake, Go to a local reel repair
shop and ask their opinion!!!
scg...@aol.com
I haven't used Shimano, but have used ABU G for about 21 years. I still have a couple of 5000's built in the 50's. They still work and are all original. The newer models I have are 5500C, 5000C, and
USA 500. Unfortunately they are not as enduring as the older ones, but I do not have any major problems with them. I typically have to change the worm gear and paw about every two years.
Steve Gattis
Richard Caldwell
In Article Re: Shimano vs. Abu Garcia , scg...@aol.com wrote:
> I haven't used Shimano, but have used ABU G for about 21 years. I still have a couple
> of 5000's built in the 50's. They still work and are all original. The newer models I
> have are 5500C, 5000C, and USA 500.
ABU-Garcia is now owned by Outdoor Technologies Group (Berkley), but they still make a
good dependable reel. I advise that you stick with their round reels. Their low
profile models seem to be pretty junky, except for the SM-3000C, which sells for over
$150. The USA 500 and some of the other "special" promotional reels are a bit cheap.
If you like Ambassadeurs and don't own a 4600, I suggest you try one. It's a lot of
reel for the money.
That being said, I personally believe that Shimano is the current leader in overall
reel quality. That's not to say that ABU-Garcia, Quantum, Daiwa, and others don't make
*any* good reels. They do. It's just that Shimano is currently making the best. This
hasn't always been the case, and probably won't stay that way forever. After all,
competition *is* the backbone of free enterprise. 8-]
> Unfortunately they are not as enduring as the older ones, but I do not have any major
> problems with them. I typically have to change the worm gear and paw about every two
> years.
Unfortunate, but true. Like many other manufacturers, ABU-Garcia has has to cheapen
their materials and manufacturing processes (less machining, more molding & stamping)
to keep their reels in the right price bracket.
As an example, a person at the Zebco factory (in Tulsa, OK) told me that, if they still
made the Zebco 33 the way they did 30 years ago, it would retail for over $100. How
many weekend anglers are gonna pay $100 for a Zebco 33? 8-]
As a result of this trend, many anglers are looking for the older model Ambassadeur
5000's & 5500's, not just as collectors' items, but to actually use. Clean 'em, oil
'em, and replace the worn parts, and you have a better reel than a brand new one.
Richard
PS: The part you mentioned above is called a "pawl", not a "paw".
CAMO...@rocketmail.com
> Would love to hear comments on the various benefits/drawbacks of Shimano
> and Abu Garcia casting reels for bass fishing.
> I've heard Abu Garcia's quality has suffered lately. Have never owned a
> Dolores Farmer Salem, VA
> http://www.infi.net/~dolores
> Mommy, what does "FORMATTING DRIVE C:" mean?