It's been a few years that i wanted to see a high end baitcaster from Daiwa that isn't using it. With the T-wing, the front of every Daiwa reel is kinda limited, which i am really not a fan off of. Would love to see a tapered line guide like what's on higher end shimanos being used on a Zillion, a Steez, etc. To me, this feature over-stayed its welcome.

I’ll take the way Daiwa has built their reels over the last 5+ years. No change needed. 
 

I don’t want or need the T wing gone. What would you replace it with? Would the replacement make a difference on the water? Is removing the T wing going to suddenly change the dynamics of how my zillions handle? Nah. 
 

The T wing is Daiwas thing just like the MGL spool is Shimanos. Removing or changing it doesn’t make much sense at this point.

21 minutes ago, TNBankFishing said:

I’ll take the way Daiwa has built their reels over the last 5+ years. No change needed. 
 

I don’t want or need the T wing gone. What would you replace it with? Would the replacement make a difference on the water? Is removing the T wing going to suddenly change the dynamics of how my zillions handle? Nah. 
 

The T wing is Daiwas thing just like the MGL spool is Shimanos. Removing or changing it doesn’t make much sense at this point.

Replace it with a tapered line guide like what's on a metanium or an anteres. Casts perfectly fine, i can't notice any differences between it and twing, and the front of the reel wouldn't need to be so fat. And as of late, i've noticed that they're decreasing the size of the t wing itself. So originally, they made the twing because the wanted line to fly through it more freely, but now they're going back to smaller, and more narrower twing. Doesn't make much sense, it's just marketing at this point. People say how the twing is good with thicker lines, but who exactly is complaining about thick lines when using an anteres or a bantam? Nobody.

Daiwa has been the obvious undisputed king of meaningless marketing jargon for at least a decade.  

Does T wing actually result in an increase in casting distance that merits the addition of another vulnerable function that the reel CANNOT operate without?  IMO, no.

When nylon lines dominated the market, I could see T wing being worth the hassle.  Currently, the amount of braid users grows every year.  Many connection knots and the T wing system don't mix well together.  As guides become smaller and more braid friendly, its only natural for the T wing to be included in that evolution as well.  

Daiwa is stuck.  They have pushed that feature too long, to just omit it out of the blue without coming up with some other marketing scheme.  T wing is essentially a proprietary novelty at this point.

In order for Daiwa to begin to phase it out, they would have to come up with a line guide that legitimately is a net gain for reel performance.  

If Daiwa does come up with a possible replacement, they would introduce it on a mid to high-mid grade product like Tatula or Zillion.  If it succeeds then they will put it on a flagship reel like Steez and if it fails, it will be a dead end.  

No question T-wing reduces line friction coming off the spool - it reduces the total line contact to about 10% of a round line guide.  

 

If you're looking for a distance edge, it's one of those last-word features like microbearings.  

How could anyone not dig a falling line guide.  

2 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

If you're looking for a distance edge, it's one of those last-word features like microbearings. 

Totally agree. My Tatula-100s get more distance than my Patriarchs - which DO have tapered guides...this is using the same line, on the same rod, casting the same lure.

 

T-Wing gives a distance advantage - no question.

The T wing definitely helps with non braid flowing out of the reel at high spool speeds and especially with heavier, stiffer fluoro like 14+ Sniper.  With braid or limper, smaller diamer non braid I don't notice a difference between my T wing and non T wing Daiwas with similar braking profiles.  A TD-Z Type R+ and a Zillion SV Boost cast about the same for me with braid with the Zillion offering more control at higher mag brake settings for skipping being the notable difference.  With 16 pounds unconditioned Sniper?  The Zillion handles that line way better.  I have to reach for the spool tension with the TD-Z to slow the spool down enough to match the rate the fluoro slinky can flow out of conventional the level wind.  Not ideal.

3 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

No question T-wing reduces line friction coming off the spool - it reduces the total line contact to about 10% of a round line guide.  

 

If you're looking for a distance edge, it's one of those last-word features like microbearings.  

How could anyone not dig a falling line guide.  

It reduces friction, but does it reduce enough friction for it to matter? Like, you're getting plenty of friction on the guides on every rod out there. No shimano reel (ever since 2016 when they introduced their current brakes) has ever suffered from distance casting because they ain't using a t-wing. I am just not seeing the point of the thing, and as someone who is in Canada, fishing early and late season, when the line guide begins to freeze, the t-wing is simply unusable.

I like the T-wing BUT as someone who uses braid to leader a lot I would like a couple options from Daiwa that don't have it. For a while I was buying Fuegos for this reason and swapping out parts from the Tatula series to get the best of both. 

I honestly don't care either way. Both Shimano and Daiwa reels work just fine for me. 

Maybe ten years ago, but now the Twing reels are plenty comfortable to palm.

 

Also it's not like the OG Steez frame was narrow.

My T-wing Daiwas all have heavier plastic line spooled on beginning at 15lb Fluoro going up to 20lb BG. It easy to tell the difference between the near zero-friction line-flow-feel of a T-wing compared to conventional guides while using these lines. Easily noticeable. My two Fuegos both have braid spooled on. Why anyone might be "fatigued" by this tech is somewhat mystifying, But hey, you do you.

 

 

Last night as I was reading this thread it dawned on me I still have the reel I think the T-wing came from. This reel is a beast to work on. It predates the T-wing.

 

In this reel you click the cast button and both sides of the line guide instantly fly to the outside edges to make the cast. Start reeling it in and one side picks up and crosses all the way across the reel and once there it clicks into the other side and only then do they move back and forth together as normal.

 

Maybe some of you know all about the history of this reel and if it really is the granddaddy of the T-wing.

 

 

 

And a similar one on ebay

 

 

2 hours ago, PGA Dropout said:

Maybe ten years ago, but now the Twing reels are plenty comfortable to palm.

 

Also it's not like the OG Steez frame was narrow.

I don't know about most, but to me, comparing the OG steez with the 2016 steez, the difference in how it palmed was massive. The front of the 2016 Steez TW is/was massive, and no matter how long i tried to get used to it, i just couldn't. The og steez on the other hand, is not even that small of a reel, nor does it sit that low, but is super comfy to palm in 2006, or 2025.

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

My T-wing Daiwas all have heavier plastic line spooled on beginning at 15lb Fluoro going up to 20lb BG. It easy to tell the difference between the near zero-friction line-flow-feel of a T-wing compared to conventional guides while using these lines. Easily noticeable. My two Fuegos both have braid spooled on. Why anyone might be "fatigued" by this tech is somewhat mystifying, But hey, you do you.

Multiple reasons on why.

1. I use braid to fluoro leader. There's zero differences in casting distance.

2. T-wing is unusable in cold weather.

3. There's much more play on t-wing reels, which you can hear from a mile with vibrating baits like the bladed jig.

4. Leader knots to heavier line have trouble going through the t-wing.

5. More annoying to service/clean, and more parts that could break.

6. When trying to get unsnagged, doing the technic with a t-wing reel makes it much harder.

Probably forgetting a few, but that's plenty for me to want a simple, tapered line guide.

57 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

T-wing is unusable in cold weather.

First time hearing that one, and I fish in freezing weather.

57 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

5. More annoying to service/clean, and more parts that could break.

Never had a part break in the mech. Not that hard to service really.

57 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

There's much more play on t-wing reels, which you can hear from a mile with vibrating baits like the bladed jig.

Seriously? A mile? Oy.

57 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

When trying to get unsnagged, doing the technic with a t-wing reel makes it much harder.

Zero clue what this complaint means.

57 minutes ago, Micro Module Police said:

Probably forgetting a few, but that's plenty for me to want a simple, tapered line guide.

So, get an ARK Gravity 7 or 8 and be happy, or probably not. Similar enough mag brakes. Same with the Lew's Custom Pro with Paramag ITB which is nearly a Mag Z clone. Doubtful the T-Wing is going anywhere, which is fine with me.

The Twing works fine and so does the classic style. No complaints from me

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

First time hearing that one, and I fish in freezing weather.

Never had a part break in the mech. Not that hard to service really.

Seriously? A mile? Oy.

Zero clue what this complaint means.

So, get an ARK Gravity 7 or 8 and be happy, or probably not. Similar enough mag brakes. Same with the Lew's Custom Pro with Paramag ITB which is nearly a Mag Z clone. Doubtful the T-Wing is going anywhere, which is fine with me.

There's no way that you're fishing in freezing weather, and have not had any issues with the t-wing. The narrow space freezes, and the line gets stuck in the upper section of the t-wing, which is much wider than a line guide should be under retreive, and this makes the line lay on the spool an absolute mess.

Never had a part break either, but it has more pieces, movement and and more work while servicing.

You know what i meant... it's noticeably more audible than a standard line guide, and there's no way of decreasing it.

The bow n arrow technique i guess it's called. Much more annoying to do with a line guide that opens up when you apply pressure on it.

ARK is no better than Aliexpress pepper grinders. Ain't going from Steezes to aliexpress tier. Complaining about t-wing is all that's left i guess, and i fine with that.
 

Put me in the t-wing fatigue camp. The way I fish bottom contact makes any reel with a t-wing completely unusable. I would love a modern zillion without the t-wing. 

22 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Totally agree. My Tatula-100s get more distance than my Patriarchs - which DO have tapered guides...this is using the same line, on the same rod, casting the same lure.

 

T-Wing gives a distance advantage - no question.

Agreed the T-wing makes a difference, but also the A7075 spool of your Tatula 100 helps in terms of distance too. It’s the same/similar spool as the Tatula Elite. Both of those Daiwa reels out-cast the 4 Shimano MGL reels I had.  I’d say both features help to some degree. 

10 hours ago, Micro Module Police said:

2. T-wing is unusable in cold weather.

3. There's much more play on t-wing reels, which you can hear from a mile with vibrating baits like the bladed jig.

4. Leader knots to heavier line have trouble going through the t-wing.

5. More annoying to service/clean, and more parts that could break.

6. When trying to get unsnagged, doing the technic with a t-wing reel makes it much harder.

 

 

2. I have not had any issues with the T-wing down to sub-feezing temps. Ice accumulates but no more than any other line guide.

 

3. Not sure how this is the case since it's locked around the levelwind housing and and rides on a pawl the same as any other line guide. 

 

4. This is my only major gripe. I simply use a shorter leader (6'). 

 

5. Not really. I service all my reels and never have an issue. The levelwind housing just has a part of it that interlocks with the thumb bar assembly and you have to remember to interlock the two when reassembling. It isn't difficult at all. 

 

6. Never had an issue doing the "bow" method with a T-wing. 

3 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

5. Not really. I service all my reels and never have an issue. The levelwind housing just has a part of it that interlocks with the thumb bar assembly and you have to remember to interlock the two when reassembling. It isn't difficult at all. 

I'll double down on this one - I found the Tatula no more difficult to service than my Patriarchs or Supremes.

23 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

The T wing definitely helps with non braid flowing out of the reel at high spool speeds and especially with heavier, stiffer fluoro like 14+ Sniper.  With braid or limper, smaller diamer non braid I don't notice a difference between my T wing and non T wing Daiwas with similar braking profiles.  A TD-Z Type R+ and a Zillion SV Boost cast about the same for me with braid with the Zillion offering more control at higher mag brake settings for skipping being the notable difference.  With 16 pounds unconditioned Sniper?  The Zillion handles that line way better.  I have to reach for the spool tension with the TD-Z to slow the spool down enough to match the rate the fluoro slinky can flow out of conventional the level wind.  Not ideal.

Minor exception to this, though it fits well enough with my Ryoga 1016 and newer-generation magnets (common to MagZ and SV).  

My CV-Z with decade-older MagZ magnets is persnickety about centering line guide position for cast.  

 

If you begin cast without setting up to center the LW guide, it both measurably reduces cast distance and increases tendency to start-up and mid-cast backlash.  

I would like to see the objective data that supports the 90% reduction in friction of the T wing vs conventional.  Yes, always the skeptic.  Worked for a chief engineer who said "Only God may come without data."  

Quite simply, the 90% reduction is the line contacting the line guide itself.  

Doesn't really take an engineering degree to envision this.  

TX PE No. 75665.  

10 minutes ago, MickD said:

Worked for a chief engineer who said "Only God may come without data."  

Even from him/her/whatever I'd want to see the data and research method.