It used to be jdm zillions. Under two years ago you could have bought them for $190. I should have bought ten.

Remember the show, Deal or No Deal?

We're at No Deal.

Still jdm zilllion, met, or bantam. All

About $250 right now.

The Zillion HD is still sub $250 on amazon jp. This can't be beat for what you're getting. As for the cheaper ones, the 24 Tat 100 is sub $120 from the same place, and there's no way this can be beat by any brand. Both can be found for even noticeably cheaper on auctions, but that's not for everyone.

If you want to save then graphite reels...I know, I know....graphite.....but it's the aluminum costs that's at the heart of a lot of these recent price increases and it's hit everything across the board.

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

Still jdm zilllion, met, or bantam. All

About $250 right now.

Tyd or before tax and shipping ?

1 hour ago, Bandersnatch said:

Tyd or before tax and shipping ?

$270 - 275 to my door for my last (2) Zillions from Digitaka.

Bought some Okuma Hakai reels back in 2022, they have been making me smile ever since, I bought them on sale for $89.99 at a local worker owned company who bought their end of year stock, I quit when they ran out of lefties at the store. I think they were originally in the $150 range and were a good reel to have at that price. Okuma has gone up in quality and technology in the last 3-4 years. They were under 6 oz. back then, haven't looked at the recent offering to compare.

Shimano Scorpion MD at $162 through Digitaka.

5 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

Tyd or before tax and shipping ?

That’s including shipping (free shipping from Digitaka) but not the tariff sharing 10%. So that makes it $270 TYD. Same reel is $450 USDM. You’re getting a jdm zillion for the price of a USDM Tatula SVTW.

On 6/7/2026 at 9:03 AM, WetBlanket said:

The Zillion HD is still sub $250 on amazon jp. This can't be beat for what you're getting. As for the cheaper ones, the 24 Tat 100 is sub $120 from the same place, and there's no way this can be beat by any brand. Both can be found for even noticeably cheaper on auctions, but that's not for everyone.

I'll add my vote in on the 3rd gen Tat 100 as well as one of the best values, I picked up several shortly after they came out at under $120, I've since put hedgehog air bearings and tat elite spools in both of them and they are fantastic general purpose workhorses. Even with the upgrades I have well under $200 into each reel, and I'd buy a few more if I wasn't currently on a pure bfs trajectory.

Then theres the alphas 800, currently at $156 at jls, it has got to top the list on value imo. I've got two already and contemplating another as they are just a great platform for bfs conversion.

1 hour ago, Bass Rutten said:

Then theres the alphas 800, currently at $156 at jls, it has got to top the list on value imo.

I don't want to discourage anyone from using them because it's a great site ran by great people but in terms of price do consider that doesn't include shipping or tariffs. Those are two big reasons why the prices have risen so sharply.

This might be a stretch but I purchased a KastKing Kestrel about 5 weeks ago for $100. I sold a Daiwa Tatula BF70 that was just absolutely frustrating to fish and replaced it with the Kestrel. It has been fantastic. It might struggle with stuff below 1/16 of an ounce but above that, it will cast a mile. I have put about 200+ fish on it. I have caught a lot of crappie and bluegill but I have also caught several nice size bass (a few 5lb's) and some big catfish, one was over 15lbs. I have been extremely impressed with it. I have it paired with a Jackall Revoltage II BFS rod and it matches up perfectly.

Also, I read that this reel is over braked. I don't think that is the case. I would say it's under lubed. I put a few drops of oil on all the bearings as they were bone dry and it made it smoother and cast further but I needed to up the brake setting. One more thing, I actually like it better than the Curado BFS's reels I have. I can't say yet how it will be long term compared to the Curado but so far it has taken a beating.

So for me, it has been the best deal of 2026.

6 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

I'll add my vote in on the 3rd gen Tat 100 as well as one of the best values, I picked up several shortly after they came out at under $120, I've since put hedgehog air bearings and tat elite spools in both of them and they are fantastic general purpose workhorses. Even with the upgrades I have well under $200 into each reel, and I'd buy a few more if I wasn't currently on a pure bfs trajectory.

I have 4 alphas 800s, great reels

Then theres the alphas 800, currently at $156 at jls, it has got to top the list on value imo. I've got two already and contemplating another as they are just a great platform for bfs conversion.

New-ish tatula 100s with hyperdrive, bought from Japan. They just work, and they are butter smooth because of the new gear cut.

Barring that, the zillion HD at 250 is so good for frogging or heavy punching.

The Zillion HD is better than the Steez A and the Steez A II, and look how much cheaper that reel is. Bet you both Steez A sales nose dived so hard since the introduction of the HD.

On 6/8/2026 at 7:27 AM, casts_by_fly said:

That’s including shipping (free shipping from Digitaka) but not the tariff sharing 10%. So that makes it $270 TYD. Same reel is $450 USDM. You’re getting a jdm zillion for the price of a USDM Tatula SVTW.

The 10% tariff is scheduled to expire July 24 FYI so that leaves just the 3.9% MFN charge

On 6/9/2026 at 9:37 PM, FishTank said:

This might be a stretch but I purchased a KastKing Kestrel about 5 weeks ago for $100. I sold a Daiwa Tatula BF70 that was just absolutely frustrating to fish and replaced it with the Kestrel. It has been fantastic. It might struggle with stuff below 1/16 of an ounce but above that, it will cast a mile. I have put about 200+ fish on it. I have caught a lot of crappie and bluegill but I have also caught several nice size bass (a few 5lb's) and some big catfish, one was over 15lbs. I have been extremely impressed with it. I have it paired with a Jackall Revoltage II BFS rod and it matches up perfectly.

Also, I read that this reel is over braked. I don't think that is the case. I would say it's under lubed. I put a few drops of oil on all the bearings as they were bone dry and it made it smoother and cast further but I needed to up the brake setting. One more thing, I actually like it better than the Curado BFS's reels I have. I can't say yet how it will be long term compared to the Curado but so far it has taken a beating.

So for me, it has been the best deal of 2026.

How have you been liking your mg-TI?

2 hours ago, Brycecover said:

How have you been liking your mg-TI?

It's been fine. No issues. It casts a mile and it's nice and smooth but I haven't caught nearly the same amount of fish on it as the Kestrel. I have it on a P5 One Ten Special and the jerkbait bite has been in short supply this year. I also use this set up for topwater.

To put it in perspective, I caught one today on a Showerblows with the Mg-Ti and on the Kestrel with a BFS crankbait, I caught 9 bass (6 keepers), 3 catfish, 20+ green sunfish/bluegill, and about a dozen crappie. I also lost 4 keeper bass (2 around 5lbs). The hooks were shot on the Megabass BFS Griffon I was using. I literally wore them out. In hind sight, I should have switched baits but I just kept catching fish.

I just got AL-Ti and I am really liking it. If you decide to get one use my code GEKBA10 for additional discount

Even in '26, the Zillion platform reels are still at the top I believe. I have been on a Chinese used market shopping spree recently, and came across these two CDM version reels:

1. Zillion SV TW but with the shallow SV Boost spool and a light weight carbon handle.

2. SV103 CS, the special Chinese version of the old SV103, aka TD-Zillion with a 34mm spool. This one also comes with a 34mm spool

Both can be had for around $250, and cheaper if you don't mind great condition second handed reels.