So , in the Daiwa spinning reel line up under $100 you have four fairly decent ones in the 3000 series  : Exceller , Legalis Regal & Revros - all in that $49 to $79 range ... Those with experience chime in on your experiences for best value as I'm looking for a new spinning reel just for Neko rig , Shaky Head & light T-Rig worm set up .

I got my BG for less than $100.  Love it.  No experience with the others.  I did get a Revros for a brother-in-law about 3 years ago.  He is my fishing buddy when I visit.  He is still using it without any complaints.  The BGs aren't the lightest on the market, but my little 1500 feels like a little tank.

Fuego LT. I have the Exceler too, but it's not as good as the Fuego. They go for around $80 if you search around. 

I don't have the fuego, but I would assume the fuego would be the best, since it is the most expensive.  I has magseal, while none of the others do.

As for everything else under $100 from daiwa, they are pretty much all the same. All share similar parts that can be swapped out for the most part. 

I've actually be very pleased with my revros 2000 LT. It seems to be more smooth than the other LT reels. It is heavier though and the frame is thicker than the others.

I don’t think I need Magseal and that make it harder to service reel myself, so my choice under 100 go to either exceler or legalis. The regal is cheaper but no air bail, Revros use different material altogether, that is why quite a bit heavier.

The BG is a tank and will last a long time but with finesse technique, I think lighter reel would match lighter rod better.

BUT if you come with 30-40 bucks more and wanna stay with 3000 size, Tatula LT is a one heck of a reel to have. 
BTW all these reels are 2000 none Magseal size which at least for me, perfect for techniques you listed. I don’t really see the need of drag or line capacity from 2500/3000 size, unless you plan to use light mono as your mainline and need bigger spool for line management.

 

BTW if you are interested in Exceler LT 2000, 5.2 gear ratio (not available in US). Let me know, I think I’m gonna sell it because I bought Kage LT 2000 right before it arrived.

I have the Fuego and have been pleased with it so far and this is coming from a Shimano guy.

*Good information - I'll refine my search a bit to look at the Exceler and Legalis .

I have a Fuego LT and while it isnt as smooth as my Ballistic FW LT or Luvias FC LT's, it's still enjoyable to fish with. Don't let the magseal be a detractor, whether you need it or not is irrelevant if the rest of the reel is still great.

 

 

I have a Legalis and I love it. Got it for like $60 on Amazon this past winter.

I have the Legalis LT and 2 @ Revros LT, both in the 2500 size with extra high speed gear ratio. 

 

For me, I can either make the Revros my choice, or eliminate it based on one major (IMHO) difference: line capacity. The Revros holds half the amount of line that the Legalis or Exceler do. That's either a feature or a flaw depending on your unique circumstances.The Revros has one less ball bearing, and doesn't have the Air Bail feature, but those are not huge difference makers for me. For me, that (line capacity) either makes the Revros my choice or rules it out and leaves the Lagalis and Exceler to duke it out. The Revros weighs 1.3 ounces more than the Legalis or Exceler too, but I haven't found that to be an issue, however YMMV as to whether or not it is a difference maker vs line capacity..

 

If the Revros is out, that means I have to find what separates the Legalis from the Exceler. The main difference I can find is that the Exceler has a screw in handle and the Lagalis does not. If there is anything else besides colors that differentiate them from each other, I haven't been able to find it.

 

There isn't big difference between the way the Lagalis and Revros perform for me. They're both fine reels for my purposes, but if I were going to buy another, I would go with the Revros simply because I don't need the line capacity of the Legalis and the Revros is cheaper to boot. 

 

A price point below $100 is rather restrictive, even in the absence of brand loyalty.

Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending a Daiwa spinning reel

south of the Fuego or BG. Between the two, I'd personally give the nod to Daiwa BG. 

 

Roger

7 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

A price point below $100 is rather restrictive, even in the absence of brand loyalty.

Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending a Daiwa spinning reel

south of the Fuego or BG. Between the two, I'd personally give the nod to Daiwa BG. 

 

Roger

The BG is heavy and built like a brick outhouse and he's fishing Neko rigs, shaky-heads, and light texas rigs.

 

What is to fear on a sub-$100 spinning reel fishing finesse baits like these (presumably on light line)?

I have both the Regal LT and the Legalis LT that I use for trout, these reels are way, way high up there for value, you get a lot more reel than you pay for, they are almost the same reel, so grab whichever is on sale, I don't think I have ever fished a better sub $50 reel than these two

My only experience is with the Revros LT2500. I took what I thought was a gamble on a sub-$50.00 spinning reel, but IMO the gamble paid off well. I love this reel. 

 

It’s currently spooled with 8 lb. YZH. I had 20 lb. braid with an 8 lb. leader but preferred to eliminate having a leader knot. The line capacity is not a detriment to me. I don’t bomb cast finesse baits so I do not need 200 yds of line on a spinning reel. I just spool on 8 lb. YZH, tie on a 1/0 octopus hook and a 5” Senko WR and go fishing. 

 

I find the Revros to be smooth, silent and casts well, with little to no line twist issues. For the $$, it’s hard to beat. 

 

As soon as my backordered Aird X MF rod arrives, I have a Shimano Sienna to put on it that I “bought” with gift points earned in a company program. I want to see how these two reels compare. 

I really like my ss1300.  Not super modern, but I love the old school feel. Reel is bulletproof. 

 

Drag is still my favorite. 

16 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I have the Legalis LT and 2 @ Revros LT, both in the 2500 size with extra high speed gear ratio. 

 

For me, I can either make the Revros my choice, or eliminate it based on one major (IMHO) difference: line capacity. The Revros holds half the amount of line that the Legalis or Exceler do. That's either a feature or a flaw depending on your unique circumstances.The Revros has one less ball bearing, and doesn't have the Air Bail feature, but those are not huge difference makers for me. For me, that (line capacity) either makes the Revros my choice or rules it out and leaves the Lagalis and Exceler to duke it out. The Revros weighs 1.3 ounces more than the Legalis or Exceler too, but I haven't found that to be an issue, however YMMV as to whether or not it is a difference maker vs line capacity..

 

If the Revros is out, that means I have to find what separates the Legalis from the Exceler. The main difference I can find is that the Exceler has a screw in handle and the Lagalis does not. If there is anything else besides colors that differentiate them from each other, I haven't been able to find it.

 

There isn't big difference between the way the Lagalis and Revros perform for me. They're both fine reels for my purposes, but if I were going to buy another, I would go with the Revros simply because I don't need the line capacity of the Legalis and the Revros is cheaper to boot. 

*I use cheap mono backing on all my spinning reels , so I only load a top coat of 60 yards or so of premium line (usually braid) , so greater line capacity would only mean more yards of mono backing for me . Line management , smoothness of retrieve and drag are more important to me.

Don’t buy the reel weight on line capacity especially when you are using braid. The mono backing only weight 4-5 grams for 2/3 of backing. You can even use leftover braid (doesn’t matter how many connections knot as long as you have long enough main line)

21 hours ago, Big Hands said:

The BG is heavy and built like a brick outhouse

 

Revros 1000:  7.4 oz

BG       1500:  8.5 oz

 

That's a difference of "1 oz", but reels of very different quality

Foam bricks?

 

2 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

Revros 1000:  7.4 oz

BG       1500:  8.5 oz

 

That's a difference of "1 oz", but reels of very different quality

Foam bricks?

 

In common bass fishing sizes:

 

BG 2500:          9.3 o  $109   Bearings(6+1)

BG 3000:        10.8 oz $109   Bearings(6+1)

 

Fuego LT 2500: 7.2 oz  $99    Bearings(6+1)

Fuego LT 3000: 7.5 oz  $99    Bearings(6+1)

 

Legalis LT 2500: 7.2 oz  $69   Bearings(5+1)

Legalis LT 3000: 7.5 oz  $69   Bearings(5+1)

 

Regal LT 2500:   7.2 oz $59    Bearings(9+1)

Regal LT 3000:   7.6 oz $59    Bearings(9+1)

 

Revros LT 2500: 8.5 oz $49    Bearings(4+1)

Revros LT 3000: 8.8 oz $49    Bearings(4+1)

 

RoLo, I suspect you make the best choices for where you live, what you do, and how you do it and I genuinely respect you as a person, as well as a heck of a fisherman and contributor on this site. However, I do respectfully disagree that it would be a better choice to use a reel that weighs 23% more (Legalis LT 2500 vs BG 2500) to fish finesse baits like shaky heads and neko rigs when both are quite adequate for the task and the lighter one costs significantly less. None of the reels I have listed are dodgy by any stretch of the imagination. A lighter reel (and rod) is likely to aid in subtle detection of bites and there will be less wear and tear on you when casting. I'd prefer to put the extra money into a better rod. When I was reel shopping, I took my rod to the store with me and tried several different reels on it and could definitely feel the extra weight of the BG on the 2500 size. Just not my cup of tea.

 

I got the two Revros LT 2500D-XH reels I have for $29 each.

 

I have spent a lot on rods and reels (and lug heavier gear) if I feel there is a worthwhile point in doing so FOR ME.

 

Same with camera gear. I once bought a 70-200 f/4L lens for $500, and after a short time found it wasn't giving me the results I wanted. So, I sold the lens, and sold another lens for $450 and added another $200 cash to get a 70-200 f/2.8L that gave me an aperture with exactly one full f-stop more light and it was a LOT heavier (oh, the irony). And, for me, it was worth every nickel as it gave me the results I was looking for (and the first lens didn't).

 

Regards,

Jeff

I have 3 Revros and have been really happy with them. I've used nothing between them and the Tatula to compare but they're excellent reels for the money.

I've got the legalis and its been sweet for the money so far

6 hours ago, Big Hands said:

In common bass fishing sizes:

 

BG 2500:          9.3 o  $109   Bearings(6+1)

BG 3000:        10.8 oz $109   Bearings(6+1)

 

Fuego LT 2500: 7.2 oz  $99    Bearings(6+1)

Fuego LT 3000: 7.5 oz  $99    Bearings(6+1)

 

Legalis LT 2500: 7.2 oz  $69   Bearings(5+1)

Legalis LT 3000: 7.5 oz  $69   Bearings(5+1)

 

Regal LT 2500:   7.2 oz $59    Bearings(9+1)

Regal LT 3000:   7.6 oz $59    Bearings(9+1)

 

Revros LT 2500: 8.5 oz $49    Bearings(4+1)

Revros LT 3000: 8.8 oz $49    Bearings(4+1)

 

RoLo, I suspect you make the best choices for where you live, what you do, and how you do it and I genuinely respect you as a person, as well as a heck of a fisherman and contributor on this site. However, I do respectfully disagree that it would be a better choice to use a reel that weighs 23% more (Legalis LT 2500 vs BG 2500) to fish finesse baits like shaky heads and neko rigs when both are quite adequate for the task and the lighter one costs significantly less. None of the reels I have listed are dodgy by any stretch of the imagination. A lighter reel (and rod) is likely to aid in subtle detection of bites and there will be less wear and tear on you when casting. I'd prefer to put the extra money into a better rod. When I was reel shopping, I took my rod to the store with me and tried several different reels on it and could definitely feel the extra weight of the BG on the 2500 size. Just not my cup of tea.

 

I got the two Revros LT 2500D-XH reels I have for $29 each.

 

I have spent a lot on rods and reels (and lug heavier gear) if I feel there is a worthwhile point in doing so FOR ME.

 

Same with camera gear. I once bought a 70-200 f/4L lens for $500, and after a short time found it wasn't giving me the results I wanted. So, I sold the lens, and sold another lens for $450 and added another $200 cash to get a 70-200 f/2.8L that gave me an aperture with exactly one full f-stop more light and it was a LOT heavier (oh, the irony). And, for me, it was worth every nickel as it gave me the results I was looking for (and the first lens didn't).

 

Regards,

Jeff

*Regal LT has nice specs , low weight and a low price ... Might be the best value of the bunch ?

4 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Regal LT has nice specs , low weight and a low price ... Might be the best value of the bunch ?

I can't argue with that on any level.

 

When I bought my Legalis (before buying the two Revros'), I had narrowed it down to either the Regal or the Legalis. I liked the design of the Air Bail on the Legalis, and convinced myself that it was better to have that than the 9+1 bearings of the Regal. I also didn't love the blue-ish color of the Regal for the rod it was going to live on TBPH.

4 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Regal LT has nice specs , low weight and a low price ... Might be the best value of the bunch ?

Look at this video compare Legalis and regal.

just like @Big Handsi like the idea of airbail more than bearing, that why I went with Legalis. They both should serve you well. I got exceler LT because I also like screw in handle more than hex handle, but they all are almost the same. So whatever cheapest and you should be happy with any of these reels.

16 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Look at this video compare Legalis and regal.

just like @Big Handsi like the idea of airbail more than bearing, that why I went with Legalis. They both should serve you well. I got exceler LT because I also like screw in handle more than hex handle, but they all are almost the same. So whatever cheapest and you should be happy with any of these reels.

*Thanks !!