To anyone who owns both the Zillion SV and new(ish) Tatula SV, how do they compare in size?

I love the way the Tatula 100 frame palms. I have handled the Zillion before, and liked the way it felt, but I don't remember it being as ergonomic in my hand as the Tat 100/SV.

Other thab weight, what advantage does the Zillion have over the Tatula SV?

Just trying ot figure out if the $60 is worth it or not.

TYIA

Digitaka Tatula SV TW. 167.00

Zillion SV TW. 224.00

I own both, actual three of each. Both are rock solid and great casters. I prefer the Zillion drive train and can get additional distance. The Zillion also excels in pitching with light weight.

3 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Digitaka Tatula SV TW. 167.00

Zillion SV TW. 224.00

I own both, actual three of each. Both are rock solid and great casters. I prefer the Zillion drive train and can get additional distance. The Zillion also excels in pitching with light weight.

I own several of each and totally agree with you, but in a similar price range I prefer the Tatula Elite for casting distance.

I really liked my Tatula SV’s until I bought my first Zillion. Now I have replaced them all with Zillions.

The tat 100 and SV are smaller than the Zillion and palm better. Zillion has a couple extra bearings and a better spool.

8 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

what advantage does the Zillion have over the Tatula SV

Spool swaps. the Zillion has a ton of factory and aftermarket spools available.

7 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Digitaka Tatula SV TW. 167.00

Zillion SV TW. 224.00

I own both, actual three of each. Both are rock solid and great casters. I prefer the Zillion drive train and can get additional distance. The Zillion also excels in pitching with light weight.

I have a Steez SV and Tatula SV (well mine are older gen, but my kid has a couple newer gens), but it's basically the same difference.

I had one of the 24 tatula 100s. In my opinion the zillion is just a much better built reel. Smoother, better tolerances, nice clicking drag. While different class of reel. The zillion also has endless options with spools to be a long caster, or even a bfs reel. For the palming, they are pretty similar in size. They palm similar for me. I also have the 17 Steez sv which palms very well, better than you would think by looking at it.

On 3/19/2026 at 8:52 AM, Peacedivision said:

Spool swaps. the Zillion has a ton of factory and aftermarket spools available.

Yea...I forgot to mention that.

On 3/19/2026 at 6:26 AM, Tackleholic said:

I own several of each and totally agree with you, but in a similar price range I prefer the Tatula Elite for casting distance.

I always liked the Tatulas, but I was never crazy about the ergonomics of the reels. The bulge around the level wind just made a small 100 sized reel feel like a blocky 150. Ive never fished an Elite, but have fished with guys using them and the distance was impressive.

Daiwa did a great job with the new Tatula frames. Its small, the grip is intuitive and very comfortable. My hang up with the new Elite is its price point. Its up there for a Tatula. With tax your pushing $350 and at that point, it makes sense to spend another $50 and go for a JDM Steez.

On 3/19/2026 at 9:47 AM, KP Duty said:

The tat 100 and SV are smaller than the Zillion and palm better. Zillion has a couple extra bearings and a better spool.

Appreciate the response KP. FWIW your opinion has some weight to it.

I know Zillion is superior in just about every tangible metric. In the spring its goign to throw some cranks and after prespawn its going to be a close quarters reel for skipping and pitching.

Size wise, that's kind of how I thought they would compare in my head. Its just been a long time since Ive had a Zillion in my hand and wasn't sure if I recalled correctly. I was messing around with the zillion at TD when my buddy introduced me to the last Hundo they had, which made me forget all about that Zillion. I was checking out, which is where the high end reels are, and Im glad the Hundo was a lefty because at that point I was already in for a record total.

On 3/19/2026 at 8:18 AM, LonnieP said:

I really liked my Tatula SV’s until I bought my first Zillion. Now I have replaced them all with Zillions.

Yes. I had an older 103 as well, and liked it. I wound up trading it for some a few plugs that are insanely hard to find and what would be close to $200 of beautifully tied Jetty Caster like bucktails. I would make that trade again for just the bucktails as quality bucktail for larger jigs are extremely scarce.

I have 2 Zillions on combos that I skip lures with. They are a tool that was designed for that purpose. For everything else I use Tatula Elites, because they are smooth casting reels that get much more distance - a tool they were designed for. If you can't afford an Elite, get the Tatula 100, they cast as far as an Elite and way further than the Zillion or any other SV spool.

SV will cast 1/8-oz loaded jighead to 150'. MagZ won't cast it.

SV brake was invented by KTF for Kahen BFS spool, and in their collaboration (KTF Zillion), they let Daiwa copy it.

Since spool swaps came up on the thread, the biggest advantage to Zillion is swapping 34-mm floating spools, MagZ for heavy weights, SV for light end, and fixed-inductor aftermarket spools for UL. SV Boost that comes with Zillion improves heavy end cast distance, up to 1 oz.

I have one Zillion, and a few different Tatulas, and Coastals. They all work well, and I can cast them all equally well, but my Zillion is special, and I lack the words to describe why. My advice is, if you can afford to buy multiple Zillions' buy one, if you can't afford more than one, don't buy the first, because you will always want more of what you can't have.

On 3/19/2026 at 2:41 AM, Columbia Craw said:

Digitaka Tatula SV TW. 167.00

Zillion SV TW. 224.00

I own both, actual three of each. Both are rock solid and great casters. I prefer the Zillion drive train and can get additional distance. The Zillion also excels in pitching with light weight.

If you buy via JDM, Zillion all the way. The JDM Zillion is made in Japan, while the USDM version is made in Malaysia with the Tatulas. If you buy USDM versions, save the money and buy the Tatula.

13 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Appreciate the response KP. FWIW your opinion has some weight to it.

I know Zillion is superior in just about every tangible metric. In the spring its goign to throw some cranks and after prespawn its going to be a close quarters reel for skipping and pitching.

Size wise, that's kind of how I thought they would compare in my head. Its just been a long time since Ive had a Zillion in my hand and wasn't sure if I recalled correctly. I was messing around with the zillion at TD when my buddy introduced me to the last Hundo they had, which made me forget all about that Zillion. I was checking out, which is where the high end reels are, and Im glad the Hundo was a lefty because at that point I was already in for a record total.

Yes. I had an older 103 as well, and liked it. I wound up trading it for some a few plugs that are insanely hard to find and what would be close to $200 of beautifully tied Jetty Caster like bucktails. I would make that trade again for just the bucktails as quality bucktail for larger jigs are extremely scarce.

Well, I do want to try a Hundo. Owners of them seem thrilled with the little reel.

I love my JDM Zillion. As stated above, I want more…

16 hours ago, king fisher said:

I have one Zillion, and a few different Tatulas, and Coastals. They all work well, and I can cast them all equally well, but my Zillion is special, and I lack the words to describe why. My advice is, if you can afford to buy multiple Zillions' buy one, if you can't afford more than one, don't buy the first, because you will always want more of what you can't have.

To be honest the reel I really want is that Coastal 80, especially because Daiwa is getting rid of that Coastal blue, I think it looks great. Issue is the same as Tatula Elite, its double the price of the SV @$300. I was pretty sick for 2 years and still have the medical bills coming out of my ears. A new coastal 80 should come out at icast and a new zillion this year or maybe next.

4 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

To be honest the reel I really want is that Coastal 80, especially because Daiwa is getting rid of that Coastal blue, I think it looks great. Issue is the same as Tatula Elite, its double the price of the SV @$300. I was pretty sick for 2 years and still have the medical bills coming out of my ears. A new coastal 80 should come out at icast and a new zillion this year or maybe next.

I had a Coastal 200 a few years ago, and it was one of the best reals I ever had. I used in Saltwater daily and fresh water every time I went. I liked it so much I bought a Coastal 150 which I still have and like, but it does not cast as far as the old Coastal 200 which I lost overboard. I have never owned a Coastal 80 so I can't comment on it. The Tatula 150 is a reel I use in both freshwater and salt, and have no complaints, but for some reason it isn't as smooth or cast as far as the Coastal 200 I had. None of these reals are in the same ballpark as my Zillion. They cast just as far, and catch as many fish, but there is something special about my Zillion that can't explain.

On 3/21/2026 at 4:21 PM, king fisher said:

I had a Coastal 200 a few years ago, and it was one of the best reals I ever had. I used in Saltwater daily and fresh water every time I went. I liked it so much I bought a Coastal 150 which I still have and like, but it does not cast as far as the old Coastal 200 which I lost overboard. I have never owned a Coastal 80 so I can't comment on it. The Tatula 150 is a reel I use in both freshwater and salt, and have no complaints, but for some reason it isn't as smooth or cast as far as the Coastal 200 I had. None of these reals are in the same ballpark as my Zillion. They cast just as far, and catch as many fish, but there is something special about my Zillion that can't explain.

The coastal is a US reel that has no JDM counterpart. Supposedly the design for the 150SV was heavily influenced by the redfish/trout/snook anglers of the southwest. The deep SV spool would theoretically give you the lightweight castability to throw a 17MR into wind, while having enough capacity for heavy FC or Mono, all in smaller 100 size frame. At that time the SV TWS 103 was well setup for SW right out the box with 5BB (2 CRBB)+1. If you wanted to throw lighter baits on braid the 17 Tatula SV was already there. The Coastal 150 was kind of like the power finesse reel. The 200 was for bigger plugs, jiggin bucktails or metal or drifting eels, all of which it did well. I was always interested in the coastals. Every time I saw someone with one I would pick their brain and play 20 questions.

I found both reels were popular, but the 200 was the clear favorite, especially for the guys who fished the deeper water in north jersey and long island. The guys who bought the 200 first almost always bought the 150, but that wasnt the case for guys who bought the 150 first.

The 80 is like a deep spooled small frame reel. Its great drifting in the back channel or throwing twiching plugs all day, as its under 7oz and very small, yet it can run heavy line. It also comes stock with 100mm handle, so its easy to chop a loaded plug and you have enough handle to put some muscle into it.

The googans complain about the 11lb drag in both the 150 and 80, but the reality is you dont need more than 6 or 7lb, even for 40+" bass or reds. If 11lb isnt enough you're so far under gunned, acidosis is going to claim those better fish you do manage to land.

JDM Zillion all the way. Still made in Japan. Enough said.

14 hours ago, CaughtMeABiggun said:

JDM Zillion all the way. Still made in Japan. Enough said.

Did you see the new Certate HD? Looks great, but I noticed something strange when I looked at all the images of it. Its a $700 reel and its made in China.

Hey Guys,

It’s great to see your passion for the brands you enjoy, and I encourage you to keep sharing your experiences and explaining why you like them. That enthusiasm adds real value for the community.

 

However, framing products as “Chinese” and implying that makes them inferior isn’t appropriate. Comments like that go beyond a product critique—they negatively stereotype an entire country and its people, which we don’t allow here. We want this forum to remain welcoming and focused on fishing, rather than disparaging groups of people.

 

Please keep the focus on what you like about your preferred brands, rather than casting others in a negative light. I know you have a lot of positive knowledge to contribute, and I look forward to seeing more of that from you.

 

Best,
Glenn

10 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Did you see the new Certate HD? Looks great, but I noticed something strange when I looked at all the images of it. Its a $700 reel and its made in China.

I haven't checked out the new Certate. Most of the brands now have manufacturing in China. It is disappointing to see that such high priced reel is not being made in Japan. Not because Chinese factories can't make great products, but because there is just something an little extra about the Japanese made reels. I have always felt like the Japanese made Shimano's and Daiwa's have a little more love baked into them. I think there is a a sense of national pride by the people in a country making their own product. That goes for the CDM reels and at one-time the Sweedish ones too.

11 hours ago, CaughtMeABiggun said:

I haven't checked out the new Certate. Most of the brands now have manufacturing in China. It is disappointing to see that such high priced reel is not being made in Japan. Not because Chinese factories can't make great products, but because there is just something an little extra about the Japanese made reels. I have always felt like the Japanese made Shimano's and Daiwa's have a little more love baked into them. I think there is a a sense of national pride by the people in a country making their own product. That goes for the CDM reels and at one-time the Sweedish ones too.

Certate, Airity, and Exist sre made in Japan 👍