Okay, this is a hypothetical question about which 2 of the following 4 reels you'd get. I have about $150 to spend on 2 new reels. The first pair is a Shimano SLX and a Daiwa Fuego CT (or you could replace this with the Revo X) and the next pair is the Quantum Smoke S3 KVD Edition (on sale for $130 at BPS and then with reel trade in gets it down to $104) and the BPS Pro Qualifier 2 Limited Edition. Which pair would you choose and why? I'm not able to mix and match these pairs as each pair adds up to $150 and mixing them up would likely put me over.

Most everyone is going to say the SLX and Fuego. But I’d buy two Lews LFS. You can find them new on eBay for about $75-80 bucks. I still prefer it to my Daiwas and Abus that cost more. I even like it better than my more expensive Lews 

In store?  Or online?

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

In store?  Or online?

In-store for the BPS deal as you have to trade in a reel towards the Smoke to get it down to the $104 price.

I'm going SLX at $99 and Pro qualifier at $49 at Bass pro. Sorry I mixed and matched.

26 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

In-store for the BPS deal as you have to trade in a reel towards the Smoke to get it down to the $104 price.

Then, my answer would be to handle them and decide for yourself.

I don't know the difference between the "KVD" edition, and the regular S3 PT, but the Smoke is one of my favorite reels. Honestly, in my opinion it's the most underrated reel that's come out in the last few years. 

10 minutes ago, hwright38 said:

I don't know the difference between the "KVD" edition, and the regular S3 PT, but the Smoke is one of my favorite reels. Honestly, in my opinion it's the most underrated reel that's come out in the last few years. 

The KVD has 2 less bearing which I assume are in the handle knobs? If so who cares.  Also the regular S3 has anti corrosion bearings instead of the ceramics the KVD has. But for 90% of us that’s no biggie either 

In that case I would take the Smoke over the SLX every day of the week.

Fuego and SLX.  Better yet, 2 Fuegos

39 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Then, my answer would be to handle them and decide for yourself.

Only the Smoke and the PQ2 would be available for that.

50 minutes ago, nascar2428 said:

I'm going SLX at $99 and Pro qualifier at $49 at Bass pro. Sorry I mixed and matched.

darn you 

51 minutes ago, nascar2428 said:

I'm going SLX at $99 and Pro qualifier at $49 at Bass pro. Sorry I mixed and matched.

So you're basically saying you'd take the SLX over the Smoke?

I've never handled any of those, so I defer to others.  Couple of thoughts...if one or two of those have different braking systems, consider against getting one magnetic and one 'other than magnetic'...if all similar, then it isn't a consideration.   I don't have that Smoke, but I have a bunch of others.  If I'm ever looking at a Smoke vs something else around the same price, I'm probably getting another Smoke.

2 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Only the Smoke and the PQ2 would be available for that.

darn you 

So you're basically saying you'd take the SLX over the Smoke?

Honestly I don't know anything about the smoke, If I'm buying, it would be two pro qualifiers in different speeds and $50 of new tackle.

3 hours ago, nascar2428 said:

Honestly I don't know anything about the smoke, If I'm buying, it would be two pro qualifiers in different speeds and $50 of new tackle.

I know i could always buy more tackle but man, i still have sime lures i got from Christmas 2017 still unopened in their package...lol. I think a couple new reels are in my future ?

I would buy the Smoke (it's one heck of a reel), and then save up for the SLX or Fuego. 

I love my Fuego CTs, but I doubt you can go wrong here. I'm only 42, but all of these reels are so much better than they were 20 years ago. 

 

If you do get a Fuego, I really like the 8.1 ratio, great for buzzbaits.