Anyone out there have one of these? Looking for feedback from people that have them. From what I've seen written online, it seems like a decent reel with mostly positive reviews.

By the way, what (if any) is the difference between Daiwa and Team Daiwa?

I owned one sold it to a friend- the new shimano's citica and curado blow it away- for the same price range

I own a left handed daiwa supertuned advantage, and its a great reel. I have it paired up with a M action carrot stix and use it for cranks. The reel casts beautifully with 12 lb yo-zuri and gets those cranks way out there.

Out of a 10 id give it a 8-8.5

I bought 2 of these earlier this year. They are a solid reel that is silky smooth, and have very good braking system. IMO they are the cats meooow!

I have had one for a couple years and I really enjoy using the reel. I think its a good quality reel for the price.

This must be a "sleeper" of a reel. I am getting back into baitcasting after a looooooong time away, and this one is on my short list. I am considering the Revo sx also, but this one definately has my interest.

bilgerat64,

I have owned both of those reels and I would take the 153HSTA any day of the week. It is one solid reel and preforms flawlessly.

I owned one sold it to a friend- the new shimano's citica and curado blow it away- for the same price range

I have the new curados and the advantage hsta, I would say that the only  thing i would really give to the shimano is drag and the weight maybe the palmabillity other than that both fantastic.

By the way, what (if any) is the difference between Daiwa and Team Daiwa?

team daiwa is their lineup of rods and reels designed with input from and to meet the needs of their pro staff (guys like mike iaconelli, ish monroe, mike folkestad, takahiro omori, dustin wilkes). TD is more tournament-oriented gear.

The TD-A line of reels is a time tested design.  very reliable and very smooth, in that "Daiwa mechanical way."    

Thanks to all for the feedback.

I found out through a little more research that this is not a "supertuned" reel in the traditional sense (the gears have not been filed or polished or whatever is done after leaving the factory) It seems to be an Advantage reel with some upgrades. I'm new to this, correct me if I'm wrong.

One last question : The spec page for this reel shows line weight and capacities for 12 & 14 lb line. If I wanted to, could I spool 10 lb test IF THE ROD IS RATED FOR 10 lb ? The rod I'm looking at is an Avid AVC66MF (10 to 17 lb, 1/4 to 5/8 lure weight) I understand the importance of staying within the line weight limits as shown on the rod, how does this work for baitcasters? Any harm in going to 10 lb even though 12lb is the lowest weight shown ?

The reel capacities listed are a guideline.  10# line will work fine, but will obviously take more line to fill it up.  I have baitcasters spooled with everything from 8# up to 25# line, and from 50# to 80# braid.  Match the rod to the bait and cover, line to the cover and structure, and a reel that gives you the best balance and has enough capacity.  Use your drag accordingly to protect the weakest element of the setup.  For instance, if you need to spool up with 20#, set the drag so that it feeds line before breaking the rod.