Shimano or Daiwa Fishing Reels? My Honest Personal Opinions After Using These Reels 

This is the most comprehensive overview of reels I’ve found that isn’t just a generic affiliate marketing Chanel. Thank you!

Thank you very much for your educational and very helpful video. I really appreciate your real time experience on these products.

I have a Fuego 4k on a Star 7' and a Nasci 3k on the same rod and honestly the Fuego is lighter but the Nasco does feel more sturdy and better built thats just because of the material used on the body of the Fuego. All in all you can't go wrong with either one.

Dude great video, a lot of help for people who's looking to buy a reel!! thank you

Well covered vid! Me personally I prefer having both since its like Yin and Yang but like what you said. Either ways both brands are great

The last 20 years we go up to Alaska slamming silvers for a week and only used 3 Shimano Spirex's and 2 of them are still going strong. The 3rd one I only lost the handle so I bet the actual reel is still fine. Not to mention how many seals have been on the other end of the line for some real rodeo action putting a lot of stress on the set-ups.

Ive had one of the older shimano nasci 4000 for 5 years or so, i surf fish with it, its been dunked in saltwater several times when the surf knocks me over, been full of saltwater, i clean it after every trip and the bearings are still as smooth as the day I bought it.

Good review bro, thank you. Would suggest that the Fuego is more aligned with the Nasci than it is the Stradic/Vanford. Otherwise very useful content. Thanks man. Appreciate the review.

thats actually by far the most honest review haha thanks!

The non mag sealed saltist would be the price comparison to the saragosa. The sealed fuego I purchased a couple for $79 I believe as part of the salt strong membership. I haven't used them. I also haven't used my couple mag sealed zillion baitcasters. I have used reels in saltwater several times a week and actually intentionally dunked many... I wash them when I get home. I've basically had zero issues due to salt/sand with even cheap reels over 30yrs..... still have 30yr old shimano, abu, daiwa, quantum, Mitchell....That are as new. The plastic gears in a couple abus are damaged and I have as of yet to fix. The bail trip of a couple reels broke, the anti reverse lever on a few reels broke.... my opinion is threshold never be any of these on any real. Some people like o back reel..... they just ned to be taught different

Brilliant video, super helpful. Thanks

i just started surf fishing seriously and went out and bought a popular name composite body 4000 size reel and put it on a tsunami nine foot airwave rod. everything was great and i could cast all day and it was nice and comfortable till i hooked up with a few good size blue fish. that nice light weight reel twisted and flexed so bad as i brought those fish in i thought it was gonna blow up. i said to myself what if i hook into a big bass, i'm screwed. did some research and bought a metal body diawa bg in 3500 size and never looked back. lil heavier than that composite body reel but no more flexing on the big ones.

I pretty much just buy mid range Diawa reels, I find them fantastic but shimano are also great if you buy a reel from either brand it's gonna be a good reel.

I like Shimano Dura ace and Ultegra components for road bikes 🚴. I like Diawa for fishing I have a collection of reels 😊

Great info with fairness alike.

I feel like there’s not much conversation on rod recommendations would be awesome to see a video on that

I sold my twin power and bought two vanford, it's the best reel, lightweight smooth price.

Thanks for the review. What size Saltist MQ do you have?

I purchased a 4000 bg mq i wonder if the rotor on the saltist is different. do you know?

I own both shimano and Diawa spinning reels I love my stradic fj 5000 it's been a work horse. My wife bought me a saltiga 4000 for our wedding and it is a great reel. I have a diawa lexa 2500 that was the most expensive reel i had bought to that time, and it has caught tons of spanish and bluefish. To me the diawas hold more line for their size, not the biggest deal. Basically if you spend around 150 or more on a diawa or shimano you are gonna be set pretty well.

only time reels really matter is for salt water use as to fresh water any reel will last and feel like it its fresh from the store every time you take it out

What size star rod vpr are you using on that setup?

Took advantage of the Black Friday sales to finally invest in a quality reel, and I had the Daiwa Tatula LT and the Shimano Stradic FL as my final two contenders. Went with the Stradic FL, can't wait to get it out on the water!

Vanford is 🔥but hands down best reel I’ve ever used was the old school ci4 + with the foam handle, caught thousands of fish on that thing with a single roller bearing! 😂

An interesting comparison would be the Vanford vs Ballistic MQ lt.

Are these videos filmed in new Smyrnabeach Florida?

I like them both my BG has held the test of time and been dunked . I serviced it on my own and works greats still and is still smooth. I have a shimano sienna 2500 and I’ve caugh big snapper and small tarpon and i was surprised how amazingly the drag held and how smooth i can retrieve the fish on a small composite body i didn’t feel any flex . I think I’m gonna get a nasci or the miravel. Lmk

The Gosa is the GO TO...alllllday.

I have a shimano Saragosa 6000 latest model. What’s the heaviest fish you’ve landed ?

Shimano has recently become my favorite brand after owning a 3000stradic fl and vanford for almost a year. They are much more fine tuned and refined reels for their price point than Daiwa. A tip for the line rollers on Shimano, wiping the bearing off and putting a small drop of clenzoil on each side will make that line roller last very long. My gear gets heavy use wading and off the kayak and all of them have gotten doused at least a couple times. The first nice reel I owned was a Daiwa ballistic 2500 and it barely lasted over a year. The anti reverse completely corroded and locked up and I had never dunked that reel. I was sold on the mag seal initially, but believe the salt got in through that crappy anti reverse switch, 70 dollar repair.

The stradic is one of the best reels ever made. That being said, I love my quantum smokes.

I just bought the Diawa crossfire 2500,is it a good reel?

I don’t know man. But shimano doesn’t seem work for me. Had the FJ 5000 that everyone claiming to be best reel, took the damn reel for saltwater fishing. The next day, I can’t crank the damn reel. Pay the money and get it fix, the line bearing issue is started to cause another problem. Bought the FK version, took the reel for fishing, the next day the reel is so hard to crank. Found out there is an issue with line roller bearing again. Try Daiwa saltist one, I never look back at shimano again. I even drop this damn reel into the ocean and never clean it, and it still works until today. The only thing that I hate about Daiwa is their T-handle knob.

What size / model do you recommend for super-smooth action inshore fishing mackerel, kingfish, drum, snook, stripers and bluefish.

I use basically all PennFeirce and beat the crap out of them. Broke one on a 10+ gator but that was my fault. I got one Fuego for a good deal but it feels cheaper than the fierce. Good review on your reels. I'd get a stratic but I'm a cheapo. 🤙

If you wanna compare a Shimano Saragosa to a Daiwa one you have to choose the Exist or the Airity, if you wanna compare a Vanford or a Stradic you have to choose a BG MQ, a Caldia MQ or a Freams

I'm not a big fan of the Shimano reels under the TwinPower. I want a bit of weight and rigidity when I'm fishing and the Shimano reels don't give me that. I'd trade smoothness for strength every time. Obviously😂 it depends on what you're doing. If I am bottom fishing i would go with neither. I'd go with my Slammer IV. It's all aluminum and yes it is heavy but if I'm using it to winch grouper off a wreck it has rigidity to not feel like it's flexing. If I have the reel in my hand all day jigging I'd go TwinPower. There's one sneaky Daiwa reel I absolutely love which is the BG back bay.

Hi mate Saltist MQ 4k Compare to 4k BG do they have same spool size ?

OMG your video is proofing my point lol. So many of your Diawa reels broke.

Very nice review .....

5000 vanford or 6000 saltist for 8foot inshore rod casting lightweight baits to snook, jacks, and smaller tarpon? The lightweight vanford is soo enticing with that amount of drag but I just hope it would hold up to the bigger fish. On paper it looks like it would.

what line is on your Shimano Nasci?

Compare with Shimano?...The Daiwa Saltiga not beats the Stella but it's the best high end reel to date.

Sometimes it’s a tiny piece of sand in their I take em apart used compressor or air in a can put it back together if it still makes it then replace the bearing and I can bet you tho you oil your reels and ferrofluid is the thing that keeps salt water off the metals and when you oil your reel it takes this coating off causing the bearing to go bad just rinse it well get your reels serviced by a trusted shop every 6 months

Thanks.

Saltist is amazing, lightweight

I agree 100% I have a BGMQ 4000,stradic fk 5000, vanford 5000, twin power FD4000, for my inshore slaying. I would love a saltist mq 4000. For my surf fishing I went with a 6000 twin power SW, BG4500, BGMQ 6000, I have a problem I can’t stop buying them lol I love super light set ups so the vanford 5000 feels so far super super super light, it’s almost not even fair. The bgmq both are really really nice, but not as nice as my twin power or my stradic fk

Here's a video on servicing those Shimano line rollers. Most times you don't need to replace the bearing/bushing, just clean them well, light coat of grease and re-assemble. After you spray your reel down with fresh water, wipe that area down with a cloth and it will prevent that salt buildup there that I think causes the noise. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2rWysbkX0aQ.html

Shimano Ultegra is a new well built tank!

I use both shimano n diawa. Itsa give or take

I’ve had 3 BGs break after one season of surf fishing. My Shimano Sienna’s last longer in the surf. Maybe just bad luck.

You ever try out the slammer3/4 or spinfishers vi? Those are really smooth, and built like a tank. Recently got a Diawa backbay and it is even smoother, but not as water tight and feels cheaper, even though it is more than the spinfisher vi. The one thing I don't like about the back bay is that you can feel up and down movement in the main gear as you are spinning it, and it makes a noise. I sent one back and got a replacement and it is doing the same. You notice any play like that in the Saltist MQ? Seems like it is a more beefier version of the backbay.

Personal tip for choosing reels: just go for Stella or Exist. Shimano or daiwa doesn’t matter, all personal preference. Just go for their top line product, it will save you time and money choosing between mid range products and upgrading over the years.

is it a coincidence that Lawson just bought a calcutta at the same time as you put this video out :)

To me the ballistic is the smoothest it's like reeling air where as other reels I've tried are more of a tight smooth

what power and action is ur VPR?

I fish all the time (2-5 times per week in the summer) and I don't think I've spent over $50 on a rod / reel combo in my life - currently 44 YO. Some of my favorite reels are ones I've picked up at goodwill for $2 - $4 each. Some older Daiwas and Shimanos that once I cleaned up and greased, worked like new. Am I really missing out on anything NOT having a $200+ reel?

I’m a big diawa Bg fan..

I was thinking of getting either the Shimano 4000 Nasci or Miravel for my semi heavy largemouth and pike rod. So, fishing around weeds, but not super heavy cover. The Miravel looks interesting with that light weight, but would it be sturdy enough? Any recommendations?

Slammer 4 all the way 🤙🏽

Can you do a review on the Daiwa Certate because I think it blows everything away for the price. You get all the internal functions of the $1k daiwa exist but not in a magnsium frame, its aluminum.

Compare your Shimano's to the BG MQ or Ballistic MQ. If you are dropping reels insaltwater these models are better options and the Ballistic MQ is mag sealed like the Saltist.

Daiwa all the way. You wouldn't believe some of the rods and reels they make for the Japanese and Australian market that are just beyond incredible that Americans never even get to see. Some serious high dollar stuff. Try to find the Australian saltiga maverick reels.

Saltiga beats the Stella

Both has good reel but I prefer shimano daiwa is very smooth light shimano is much more durable.

Best reel are ShiDiamanowa!

Why compare a 240 reel with a 100 fuego 🤔

I’m probably out of my depth but what’s the best reel for a beginner at $50-$75? Edit: Ok I upped my budget to $100… anyone… Bueller… Bueller?

nice

I'll take my visser and Van Staal and you can take any diawa or shimano and we can sit in the surf reeling our reels under water and see which one seizes up first! Ready when you are.

I’m a shimano guy like their bike parts and their reels have stradic and just bought a twin power aluminum body I do not like any of shimano CI reels paint sucks on them Daiwa anti reverse switch is a total weak point

Anyone who still says Shimano is better than Daiwa has never fished a Diawa MQ series

In my opinion the rod is much more important than the reel. For budget purposes I would spend (in order) on rod, reel then line.

I use boath...

Hrmm... I feel like lightness is a quality but "feel quality" should be a factor aswell. The vanford feels like junk.

They’re both great brand, but to be honest I prefer the looks and aesthetic design of Shimano much more than Daiwa, i know it’s bit biased, Shimano reel design catch my eyes more than Daiwa, in my opinion Shimano looks more beautiful

For the MQ saltist on the side where the mq letters are, the screw right under the rotor for the bail flip is way too big it really annoys me. But on the other side of the saltist with the decorative blue rings it looks amazing. On the other hand shimano looks good from all angles plus they have shielded anti rust bearings. Daiwa dosent even have shielded bearings. Daiwa dosent even mention what type of bearings they put in the saltist. Plus you cant take mq reels apart which another thing thats annoying to me.

Well,I use Stellas,Exists,Exsence,SW Twin power,Really being Honest have no preference for "Daiwa" or "Shimano" both makes of High end reels do the business.No preference.

Shimano baitcaster and for spinning for sure it’s gotta be van staal.

Nothing beats Shimano; just my experience

I have both. And Abu Garcia. They're all fine. These opinions are just Chevy versus Ford fanboi stuff.

Always liked Shimano but Daiwa has MQ technology which is better i think.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Nasci is pronounced na-ski

Damn.. thought I was looking at a young Bill Clinton! HAAHAA

Get good quality ceramic bbs, shimano seems too stupid for this part, it even happens with their latest reels, still shimano ahead for me n alot out there , overall performance n durability is their highest pros.

Well at least they’re both better than anything penns ever made

you cant compared 250$ shimano whit 90 or 500 $ daiwa bro..for me daiwa its better BUT they ar build difrent and you can like shimano more than daiwa just becose that ..its just they ar bouth good but difrent and evryone have they pros and cons and again i go whit daiwa over shimano but thats just me :)

Ohhh of course shimano!

Shimano or Daiwa? Shimano and Daiwa 🙂

Shimano BLOWS!!!

I personally like Diawa and Shimano but they are very over rated. Are they smooth? Hell yeah but they break sooooo easily. I have had a Revos and Regal break on me within a year. While my Quantum Throttle II is just as smooth, has a full aluminum body, 11BB and laser cut aluminum gears for the same price as the Revos. Please everyone don’t not buy Shimano or Diawa. Buy Quantum. They are better for less money.

All is good once you pass a 300 usd budget 🤑

I have shimano citica and a diawa zillion 100hsl, Citica is so much easier to maintain and the internals are a lot cleaner and simpler. Diawa just have too many washers, and random parts, and the case looks like someone went to town in autocad.

I have a fuego and it's 💩

I sold both for years and prefer daiwa but that is not recent, the old school daiwa ss whisker and early luvias and saltiga simply are as new except for scratches, I remember seeing a lot more shimanos come back with issues, just bought two vanfords 500 size and they look great the small reels have been perfect with high level Ian miller rods, forty year old ugly sticks and earlier loomis IMX just great. these days dont buy chinese they are our enemy and treat us like that so dont support them.

Daiwa is weak in US market

The Nazis? What the .......!

vanford !!! crap ..hate that reel i regret that i bought one.. wimply plastic and everything gets loose.. i tried cast som small 8 grams blade baits.. it cant handle that ..vanford is garbage

the vanford is $250, fuego $109. Why are you comapring tototally diference price ranges

Thanks.