Nice post Tom. I'm more like you when it comes to brands I suppose. I appreciate something that functions well for what I'm using it for. Yes, I appreciate high quality equipment as most do but it has to function well for my application.I can't afford as much as I'd like but I make do.  I'm a **** .. Abu, Shimano, Daiwa, Powell, Okuma....etc...love it all!!   LOL. The bait monkey says I should love them all, so I do!

In my previous life, I was issued gear, and always from the lowest bidder. As I tended to rely on it I replaced what I needed to at my own expense with the best quality I could find. I listened to many of my peers who had the attitude of "if they don't give it to me, I'm not buying it", and thought that was the most short sighted statement they could possibly make. I did learn the single most important lesson there is on equipment, "buy once, cry once".

 

As was previously mentioned in this post, I have a tendency to put far more credence on recommendations from forum members then The Pro's simply because of the motivation behind the recommendation. I have received a tremendous amount of real world practical advise from here and try and put it to use.

 

When buying gear, I research as much as possible, which includes handling rods/reels and will borrow one to fish if I can before making the investment. As I can afford it I upgrade my gear. I will note lately that more and more of my reels do say Shimano these days, strictly because I like how they work.  Brand names are only a starting place form me, if there's better elsewhere that's what I will buy.

I generally go on the value of what I'm buying. Name has a lot to do with the purchase, and I do have favorite companies, but I keep an open mind (and sadly, an empty wallet). I think I gain trust in a certain company and that urges me to look at their products first, but I also compare that to other similar products to make sure I am getting the most for my money. Pros and cons are more valuable information than the logo on the product.