@redmeansdistortion

I know the reel - you might want to visit this page on FFR forum - you were talking about glass rods.  

The Daiwa Tournament was enlarged into the surf reel sold in most of Europe over those same 35 years.  

Daiwa has very different subsidiaries on different continents - different products, different parts support, different manufacturers - Tica makes a bunch of Daiwa's reels.  

 

10 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Have a look at the Daiwa SS Tournament.  I have the 700 and 1300 models; worm drive, multi-disc drag, external bail trip, shallow tapered spool, a big beefy ratchet gear and AR dog to match.  They've been around $100 since they hit the market 35 years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Daiwa was still making them so I bought the 700 last year.  The line lay is still some of the best I've seen to this day.

I've had a SS Tournament 1300 that has been used in fresh and salt water for twenty-some-odd years.  Somewhere around the middle of that time, I tore it all the way down for a deep clean and re-lube (and I remember struggling to re-assemble it!).  It still runs beautifully and will probably outlive me.  

 

Not the smoothest... not the prettiest...  but a simple, rock-solid and reliable performer, I think.

1 hour ago, evo2s197 said:

Aside from the breaking [emphasis added], as far as mid range and up daiwa and Shimanos go, they are far superior in build quality than Abu or lews.

 

"Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" ?

 

I will have to admit that typo is what I get for looking down on lesser quality brands, a market exists for every demographic.

Just saw this so I'll jump in. I was a "Shimano fan boy" in the late '90's and early 2000's with a fleet of Curado 200B's, a castaic, and 2 citicas. I have learned more since then. The longest lasting and hardest working reels I own are Daiwa Capricorns and a  Theory A series spinning reels. I have beaten one Theory 1500a around for about 14 years now with annual maintenance and it is still going smooth and strong. Fished hard and long with it. I even pulled a 45 pound spoonbill in with it a couple years back.

   I now have lots of both reels. In Shimano I have a Calcutta, two Curados, an SLX, a couple of older Bantam baitcasters, a Saros, several Symetres  (various generations), 6 Saharas (4 FB's and some later ultralight Saharas). I have a couple of Sedonas and several cheaper reels too.

 In Daiwa I have a Zillion, a Tatula, a Tierra, an older Whisker baitcast reel, several pro casters, Capricorns, a Theory, a Whisker SS spinner, some old silver series ultralight Daiwas, and some cheaper Daiwas. BOTH companies make good reels and both companies put out a junker occasionally.

  I also have some good older Abus (Swedish) and Quantums (Japanese).