Is there anything out there that compares oranges to apples?

My wife just bought a St. Croix Avid AVS66M  It is a M with fast action with recommended 6-12# line 3/16-3/8 oz baits.

I just traded for a Gloomis IMX 782  It is a M withfast action with recommended 6-12# line 1/8-3/8 oz baits.

When compared side to side with the same pressure the Gloomis is much stiffer than the Avid an has only 1/2 the diameter.  I would like to see some more specs if they are available.

Jig Man

Question, are you comparing spinning to spinning, and not spinning to baitcasting rods. If you are then that's were your going wrong. The tapers are different between spinning and baitcasting blanks.

Also the Avid blank has thicker blank walls than the IMX.

Some day it will all be clearer to the general public, that comparing blank features across manufacturers isn't comparing apples to apples, no two blanks are alike.

My post wasn't clear enough.  They are both spinning (Avid AVS66MF)  (Gloomis IMX SJR872).  What I noticed was the difference in the diameter of the blanks + the IMX is quite a bit stiffer than the Avid.  So I guess there is no standard for what is a UL, L, ML, M, MH or H from one company to another.  If that is the case then all this recommendation going on in these forums is pretty much a waste of time, right?

So I guess there is no standard for what is a UL, L, ML, M, MH or H from one company to another

short answer:  That's correct.  It's all based on someone's perception.  

longer answer:  Some companies are wildly different in spinning vs. casting rods plus don't get fooled by the differences in a rod's action.  Many of the IMX rods are closer in action to other company's X-fast so they might seem heavier since the backbone starts further up the rod. (and that is one attribute of a spin jig rod)  And some just use a lighter tip than others which will feel different even if the tapers are comparable  Other things also play into it but aren't worth a page of type to explain subtle diff's.

No 2 companies rate power or action the same.  Some are closer than others but this is why it's so tough to buy stuff online if you haven't held/used it before.

Yes, it's a very complicated subject. I had to do a lot of research.

Most off the shelf, low cost rods use a L, M, H rating that just covers the overall usability of the rod. It's a simple, generic type rating that takes line rating and lure rating and lumps it into a general rating.

Some of the higher up rods have seperate tip action and backbone ratings. This is where M and F come into play. Fenwick, St. Croix, ect... use this system. It seperates the action and power ratings becouse they make same power rating rods, with different action tips, unlike the low cost rods that are generally just power rated.

G Loomis has seperated themselves from that, becouse their rods are different. They use the same action ratings, XF,F,M-F,M, ect... But they rate the backbone power in numbers. 00-9 I think. To further complicate things, the number system used by Loomis, is rod type specific. Meaning, a 2 power SJR, is not the same as a 2 power CR rod. A 2 power CR is not the same as a 2 power MBR. The number is used to compare powers in like rods, not along the whole line of rods they sell. While they do also use the L,M,H, names, they are mostly used to help new customers, I think.

One of the differences between lower end rods, and higher end rods is the blank size and feel. It was part of the reason why I chose to "invest" the extra $$$ into Loomis over lower cost rods. It's all a preference thing though. There is no right or wrong when choosing brands, it's all in what a person prefers, and can afford.