It's winter cleaning/organizing time again, and I just realize I have too many 34mm spools and reels. Some of them I didn't even get a chance to test last year. I need to thin the herd. So what are your favorite Daiwa reels that use 34mm spools, if limited to top 5?

Steez SV TW and A2.

Bonus question: as someone who just purchased their first Daiwa 34mm reel, why would someone want a different spool? I've done BFS conversions on Lews, but it seems like there are lots of aftermarket spools that aren't just for BFS. Is there a good primer on 34mm spools somewhere?

24 minutes ago, MontanaBasser said:

Bonus question: as someone who just purchased their first Daiwa 34mm reel, why would someone want a different spool? I've done BFS conversions on Lews, but it seems like there are lots of aftermarket spools that aren't just for BFS. Is there a good primer on 34mm spools somewhere?

It's the convenience of swapping spools according to your need and there are many to choose from, not just bfs/shallow type. 34mm are great all around for bass fishing applications.

Answer to OP trick question:

Yes.

Probably my favorite is the Zillion 1016, followed by the Zillion HD models.

The juice on spools are things like SV vs MagZ and weights on the spool & line quantity SV then SV Boost etc etc .Bearing upgrades are many depending on need. Plus being able to just transfer a spool to any other Daiwa 34 platform. @bulldog1935 has the engineering notes.. he is totally the BFS, ABU Daiwa guru, (among other things) , he can tell you off the cuff better than me by far.

TD-Z 105H

Zillion

Steez

SV103

T3 1016

TD-X 100HSDF

Coastal...both styles

TD-Z 103ML

That answer looks like a Yes to me.

14 hours ago, F14A-B said:

Probably my favorite is the Zillion 1016, followed by the Zillion HD models.

What handle/knobs is that in the first pic?

Studio Composite EX 90 D R24XXL

@Smirak

If you look at my photos above, both Avail STi2 + Avail A knobs, and Studio Composite giant carbon-tube knobs are lighter than stock handles and, especially, stock rubber I-knobs.

18 hours ago, MontanaBasser said:

Is there a good primer on 34mm spools somewhere?

Broken up across this one thread covers MagZ, SV and Boost, along with aftermarket Ray's SV and fixed-inductor BFS

So since your here Bulldog, can you swap a MagZ spool into a SV Boost reel? I have a bunch of the Diawa 34mm reels.

FM

@Fishingmickey absolutely, I do it all the time.

When you go back to TD-Z and older, confirmed in direct communication w/ Jun Sonada, they don't have strong-enough magnets for SV Boost, except maybe over a very narrow weight range. But newer reels all have the same magnets on MagZ and SV - the difference is in the inductors for picking weight range, e.g, SV will fish 1/8 oz, MagZ starts at 1/4 oz and will fish well over 1 oz.

Thank you, Bulldog! Now I have to figure out how many extra spools I should get (fricking monkey). Or if there was someone with some unused spools...

FM

On 1/22/2026 at 3:23 PM, MontanaBasser said:

Bonus question: as someone who just purchased their first Daiwa 34mm reel, why would someone want a different spool? I've done BFS conversions on Lews, but it seems like there are lots of aftermarket spools that aren't just for BFS. Is there a good primer on 34mm spools somewhere?

Which spool do you have? Sv boost? Mag z boost? I think that’s why, but I’m no expert.

Bulldog has the answer.

My favorite is the SV103 and nothing else is close.

The Great thing about 34mm platforms is that you can basically tinker any of them into doing anything.