Shimano engineering moguls?

spongebob

spongebob

Well-known member
Just serviced all me spinning reels for the coming lrf season. I stripped my £60 exage 2500 first which we know is supposed to be a decent reel in the line up. Got that Running sweet but then I stripped me £17.99 alivio 1000,now with the price difference you would expect the higher end reel to have higher end engineering right?? WRONG! !! Everything in the reels running gear was exactly the same bar the 3 other bearings and I know it doesn't cost £40 for 3 of the size thats fitted! ! So a word of advice: a would just buy a cheaper shimano reel and pay the xtra couple of ££££ for bearings online!!!!! Bish bash bosh you just enhanced the reel for alot cheaper. I cant see or justify the xtra cost they think they can charge . Do other companies use this "trick" what's your views on it??
 
I take it that instead of bearings they use bushes then.
Easy fix if so and you're spot on.

Reel manufacture can't be all that complicated surely. A decent gear set made from good quality metal is the most important thing along with bearings where they really matter, and I can't see how it could justify a huge selling price.
 
Most probably yes mate. Other than the top spec of a given range I think the difference is minimal. Looking at other shimano reels like the beastmaster, aerlex, navi, biomaster etc. The difference between them is as you say the number bearings. But I think once you get to the ultegra upwards the difference is noticable.
 
Yes lynnzer ya right m8 they have plastic little bushings.
Topbanana i would be interested in seeing the difference in a aernos and exage as this was the reel I was going to get to upgrade from the exage, but by chance nowhere had one in so I have bought a daiwa crossfire 3000 which is roughly the same spec as th exage for fraction the price ;);):D
 
we're getting ripped off left, right, and fully up the centre m8,

by all the manufacturer's, of everything we use, not just reel's.

but apart from that, is it a decent reel, am on the lookout.....?
 
with the big companys like pure fishing buying up all the makes, you now get Penns, Abus, Shakespears, Ron Thompsons all coming out the same chinese factory and all using same parts but then badged different.

Examples of this are Ron thompson axcellators and spinning rods using the same rod blanks as leeda`s and ugly sticks for a lot less.

Sadly gone are the days of each make having their own factory.

Im convinced Shimano and Daiwa are now sharing factories in thailand and south korea for the multipliers now as well.

But having said that, im still a huge shimano fan and love my exage!
 
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Im certainly not paying their prices now lads. Im quite interested in the ebay reels you get anything upto 9 bearings for not alot of dosh, not the route I wanted to go down as I like to support the local shops ;-)
 
found 1 for you bob m8,
shimano stella salt water black reel model 3000
14 ball bearing's.

your's for £1399.99..........

reduced to £1249.99, bargain
 
spongebob said:
Yes lynnzer ya right m8 they have plastic little bushings.
Topbanana i would be interested in seeing the difference in a aernos and exage as this was the reel I was going to get to upgrade from the exage, but by chance nowhere had one in so I have bought a daiwa crossfire 3000 which is roughly the same spec as th exage for fraction the price ;);):D
Click to expand...

If your reel is shown here then I'd suggest getting bearings from the similar model to replace the bushes.
I've had parts from them myself. Seem OK.
 
spongebob said:
Cheers lynnzer I went on simplybearings.co.uk they got what I need for £12 free p&p !! Happy days ;):D
Click to expand...

And now you have a £60 reel.
Easy innit.

Have tried some of the Chinese Ebay models with loads of bearings as someone suggested.
Did it to make some comparisons with the stuff we usually get here.
One of them supposedly has 9 bearings.
So? Plastic reel leg. Put any strain on the reel and the leg bends and would break. Can you imagine hauling a cracker of a doggie in and see the reel drop off??????

I got another one as well. Smaller and for use spinning for trout. Seems OK but it can't be easily openend up to look inside. But for £15 I can break it and not count the cost.

There have to be some gudduns out there though and unless you try you'll never know. Try searching alibaba.com

I got myself a Ryobi Ecusima from Ebay (Israel) and I love it.
 
Lynnzer said:
And now you have a £60 reel.
Easy innit.

Have tried some of the Chinese Ebay models with loads of bearings as someone suggested.
Did it to make some comparisons with the stuff we usually get here.
One of them supposedly has 9 bearings.
So? Plastic reel leg. Put any strain on the reel and the leg bends and would break. Can you imagine hauling a cracker of a doggie in and see the reel drop off??????

I got another one as well. Smaller and for use spinning for trout. Seems OK but it can't be easily openend up to look inside. But for £15 I can break it and not count the cost.

There have to be some gudduns out there though and unless you try you'll never know. Try searching alibaba.com

I got myself a Ryobi Ecusima from Ebay (Israel) and I love it.
Click to expand...


Cheers for the xtra info m8 much appreciated :cool::D
 
Good reading m8 got my bearings ordered yesterday for me alivio. Should bring it up to the the same spec as exage;):cool: and its for £45 cheaper! Happy Days :D:D:cool:
 
Well got the bearings fitted and the reel is running very smooth although I did notice a tiny bit play in the reel housing where the plastic bush had started to rub away thus not giving as tight a fit as I wanted. Fixed this problem with a tiny slice of paper at the front of each bearing to make it nice and tight!! . Roll on the warmer weekends! !!!:D:D:cool:
 
spongebob said:
Well got the bearings fitted and the reel is running very smooth although I did notice a tiny bit play in the reel housing where the plastic bush had started to rub away thus not giving as tight a fit as I wanted. Fixed this problem with a tiny slice of paper at the front of each bearing to make it nice and tight!! . Roll on the warmer weekends! !!!:D:D:cool:
Click to expand...

Really good job.
Now we all know. Buy an Alivio at £32 (sounds like some sort of Italian buttery spread) and get the bearings put in right off and you have an Exage at £59

Valuable bit of info there. Well done.
I guess the paper shim won't last long though in your current situation.
 
Going on this topic I assume the same applies to the Penn Affinity and Surfblaster as far as the bearings go. I see the Affinity has 3 more than the Sufblaster and the price is a chunk more for it.

Affinity 8000 is £120 and the Surblaster 8000 is £80. A 50% increase for what looks like the benefit of 3 extra bearings. Not on you life.

Anyone got any first hand knowledge of these in comparison as I will be looking for either the 7000 or the 8000 as the summer goes on.
Can't find a schematics of them either. Anyone?
 
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The newer model of the 2 I have heard people having failures and returning them anyone on here had to return a penn model mentioned above? ??
 
Lynnzer said:
Going on this topic I assume the same applies to the Penn Affinity and Surfblaster as far as the bearings go. I see the Affinity has 3 more than the Sufblaster and the price is a chunk more for it.

Affinity 8000 is £120 and the Surblaster 8000 is £80. A 50% increase for what looks like the benefit of 3 extra bearings. Not on you life.

Anyone got any first hand knowledge of these in comparison as I will be looking for either the 7000 or the 8000 as the summer goes on.
Can't find a schematics of them either. Anyone?
Click to expand...

Just to bump this up the listings again, I got a schematics for the Surfblaster and the Affinity 8000's.
Spot the differences?

No prizes but useful to see where your money goes and may well save a few quid in the long run.


Affinity 8000 parts list


Affinity 8000 schematics

Surfblaster 8000 parts list


Surfblaster 8000 schematics
 
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