I feel like just about every company who makes reels has models that can compete with the others. Granted, Daiwa reels hold value a bit better than Abu or Okuma or Lew's, (and other dozen) and Shimano the same.....But for any brand...You get what you pay for. Buy a $200 Okuma or Lew's reel and it will hold up if you take care of it and last a decade or more and perform great. Okuma also has best customer service from my experiences but have owned more Okuma products than others. High End Okuma reels hold up great, inexpensive reels wear out over time....They will replace products if you break a guide series rod lifetime warranty in the car door or lose the side plate over side of boat. 

 

Every Brand has to outsource and they all use OEM's in different locations in case the supply chain is interrupted so they all use factories in China, Korea, Thailand etc....Not a bad thing, that's where products are made these days and it's interesting how CDM tackle like BKK and Haibo-Ark - and other's,  are starting to make some waves in the USA....Kast King has high end reels now and from what I understand great service and stand by products so I would guess there $300 reels are as good as any others for $300...Just my take. They also can sell reels for less with how they set up their business. 

 

Marketing is marketing, amazing how many new companies have popped up recently and they all look alike.    Daiwa does make great reels, Still have 2 Cabelas Prodigy "Engineered by Daiwa on the sides" 15 years old and going strong. Also have a 15 year old OG ABU Garcia Silver Revo SX and Heavy Metal Pflueger President that is going strong and super easy to dial in.....

 

I guess my rant is...You get what you pay for....However, I have had $70 reels last longer than reels 3x the price. I would never buy Quantum again based on my personal issues with them, but I am sure others loved them when they had the smoke and exo etc....

I service my own reels. I have owned Daiwa Tatulas in all sizes and generations. I have owned Shimano from the Chronarch MGL on down including the Curado K, 70, Scorpions, and all the first gen SLX’s.

 

Use what you want. There are merits to all of them. Doyo’s are fine. Banax is fine. Haibo may be one of the best right now. 
 

Having had them all in little pieces on my bench, I say who cares. Use what you like. There is no drastic difference in the quality of the small parts in any brand. 
 

I will also add that that the only reels that I have owned that always end up feeling geary as a coffee grinder is the Shimano 70 and the Scorpion 70. I have had at least a dozen and they are ended up rough to the point you could hear it and feel it.
 

Heck I have a Black Max that is 7 years old that isn’t wore out. It’s a reel. Buy and use what you want.  You want to buy a plastic Shimano for $270? Do it. You want a plastic Revo X for $100? Do it. 

I’d say Abu Garcia is living rent free in the OPs head. 

25 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I’d say Abu Garcia is living rent free in the OPs head. 

She paying rent, don't worry.

20 hours ago, ABU is overpriced said:

They're made in Thailand, its a Tat, you ain't gonna find one made in Japan. I was referring to where you should be buying them for sub $150, which is always in Japan.

Ah, gotcha. 

My first couple bait casters were Abu’s and I thought the Revos were fine for the price at the time. Once I got a better paying job, I started to upgrade to Shimano and then Daiwa.

Abus used to provide the most bang for buck.  Here in my neck of the woods (PNW) the ambassadors were workhorses.  Used 5500,6500 and 7500 c3’s for all different applications from fishing for sturgeon on the Fraser River to Coho Salmon on our small streams.  For the price of one shimano calcutta, I could get 2 or 3 ambassadors.  Parts were more readily available and most of us tweeked them with upgraded bearings and drag washers.  Maintaining them was super easy compared to calcuttas and low profile offerings from Daiwa and Shimano.  Alas, I desired reels that were smoother and abu’s were a little “rough around the edges “.  Not to say they weren’t reliable, but required constant maintenance to keep them that way.  
 

Nowadays, the price gap isn’t so large anymore.  Here in my area, low profile reels are becoming more and more popular and Shimano and Daiwa both have Abu beat over selection and price.  

I’ve only owned and used 13, Shimano, and Lews. I bought an Abu Revo ALX ($249.99 when they made them) and returned it the same day. I just couldn’t for the life of me get it dialed in. Too much brake, wouldn’t cast far. Knock it off a notch, it was backlash city. I wouldn’t mind trying an SX or STX if I found a hell of a deal on one. 
 

I recently got my first Daiwa (Tatula Elite). I think all I’m buying now is Daiwa. I didn’t know what I was missing out on.

I've been reading all the comments on this thread and have been wanting to respond but wasn't sure if I should or if I did, what would be the right thing to say. I could go into detail about my experiences with the other reels outside of Daiwa and Shimano or explain why l prefer Daiwa and Shimano but instead I think I will answer the original question this way....

 

Why would you buy an ABU over a Shimano or a Daiwa?

 

Some people want to be different and that's ok.  

7 minutes ago, FishTank said:

 

Some people want to be different and that's ok.  

Except for people who put Shimano reels on Daiwa rods, and vice versa. Then that’s just cringe!

32 minutes ago, Junger said:

Except for people who put Shimano reels on Daiwa rods, and vice versa. Then that’s just cringe!

 

I just purchased a Daiwa Steez Real Control Rod and was this close 🤏 to putting a Shimano Metanium DC on it or I thought of waiting for the new 25 Antares but it just didn't seem right.  I picked up a 24 Steez SV TW instead. 

 

With that said I mix and match my reels all the time to whatever rod feels best. I think I have 3 or 4 Daiwa reels on G. Loomis (Shimano) rods now.....  Sacrilege 

 

27 minutes ago, FishTank said:

 

I just purchased a Daiwa Steez Real Control Rod and was this close 🤏 to putting a Shimano Metanium DC on it or I thought of waiting for the new 25 Antares but it just didn't seem right.  I picked up a 24 Steez SV TW instead. 

 

With that said I mix and match my reels all the time to whatever rod feels best. I think I have 3 or 4 Daiwa reels on G. Loomis (Shimano) rods now.....  Sacrilege 

 

@FishTank Although nowhere near as bad as your Daiwa/Shimano combo would have been I have a 2 Daiwa/Lews combos and an Abu Garcia/Lews combo. How’s that for mind blowing 🤣😆😂🤯 And yes I’m a rebel 😉

18 hours ago, Junger said:

Except for people who put Shimano reels on Daiwa rods, and vice versa. Then that’s just cringe!

 

How about this one? I remember someone saying this was taboo or something. 

 

33 minutes ago, FishTank said:

 

How about this one? I remember someone saying this was taboo or something. 

 

I bought a Revo Premier years ago. At the time most of my reels were the OG "Green" Curados, which were super solid and easy to setup.  I tried and tried to get the Revo dialed to no avail.  No matter what I did outside of casting 3/4oz and up jigs I couldn't get it to work with any consistency.  I would fight that reel even when I had it working at its best.  I couldn't stand the reel and gave it away.  I will not buy an Abu Garcia after that experience.  I currently have all daiwa for casting and all shimano for spinning.

On 1/27/2025 at 5:45 PM, FishTank said:

 

I just purchased a Daiwa Steez Real Control Rod and was this close 🤏 to putting a Shimano Metanium DC on it or I thought of waiting for the new 25 Antares but it just didn't seem right.  I picked up a 24 Steez SV TW instead. 

 

With that said I mix and match my reels all the time to whatever rod feels best. I think I have 3 or 4 Daiwa reels on G. Loomis (Shimano) rods now.....  Sacrilege 

 

I was thinking about getting a daiwa steez real control rod. Which model did you get? And how does it feel compare to the regular steez rod. I have the spinning the one and casting universal power steez and like them both a lot.

9 hours ago, FellowAnglers1 said:

I was thinking about getting a daiwa steez real control rod. Which model did you get? And how does it feel compare to the regular steez rod. I have the spinning the one and casting universal power steez and like them both a lot.

 

I have the 6'11" MH Fast. There is nothing much to tell about it yet. The lakes are still frozen.  I can say that it's light and strong (stiff). I haven't really fished the regular Steez rods so kind of hard to compare.  Off the rack, it was hard to feel a difference but the blank is definitely different.  This is also my first Daiwa rod. When the weather warms up, I'll report back. 

On 1/23/2025 at 10:50 PM, MediumMouthBass said:

$700 worth of really nice Team Lews Custom Pro rods for $200 taxed

How?

On 1/24/2025 at 7:39 PM, little giant said:

I bought a '24 tat 100, Amazon Japan

Did you have to make an Amazon Japan account? 

I’m w @bulldog1935 on this.  Why does it even matter?

 

Abu seems to have a  social media presence.  My main YouTuber hawks them.  
 

 

@Banned User No need to make an account as long you have an USA account. It figures out shipping and taxes if any. I did this quite awhile ago.

i like my revos all are used bought used i prefer  the gen4 over any of them..i wouldnt buy them new...now i have a arsenal of shimano  curado/citica 100s in various models. and also Calcuttas 100s.... ive used other shimanos ..but IMO the Japan made ones all the best...Malaysia made not bad but the Korean made abus are smoother and more palmy ..