Not really, the colour doesn't really go with my preferred jigger and that is totally a deal killer.

Stellas, if you think they cost too much, then they do.

 Drag pressure!!!

I have used both saltiga's and Stella's (as well as cheaper gear)

the Stella's are by far one of the best engineered reels you will ever come across.

yes there are cheaper reels about and the fish don't know any different. However if you want it to last then the sge old saying "you get what you pay for" applies

 When I really load up my 8000 I'll let you know.

agree with you scano but I would put that saying with my saltiga gear used but not abused and it has never let me down and will last me years to come and yes it does cost more like the stella's but at the same time fishermen buy what they can afford dosnt make their pride and joy combo mean any less to them

 quality of gears is a huge one... not so much the material but the manufacturing process involved with making them. they last for ages and take the strain/pressure of winching big fish.

the anti reverse. extremely reliable its annoying when the anti reverse slips on a big fish 

quality of bearings. stella uses japanese bearings that are awesome. saltiga uses ones from thailand!

They are rigid, all the frame and rotor stay where they are suppose to even when on a big fish

They use a worm gear oscillation which is complex internally but give great line lay = awesome casting, better than most current production reels

The drags operate exceptionally well especially twin disk ones

I've allways wonder'd too. I understand they are a top quality reel , but why do you need to spend a grand on a reel, then $180 on a upgrade handle, $100 on an upgrade drag and $280 on a spare spool ? Surely for the price you shouldn't have to add anything to them .

Serious question by the way, ( not taking the piss for those that own them , I would like a few my self )

Why dont they sell them for $ 1500  with all the upgrades allready on them . ?

 Are they worth it? Yes if you value using the best, No if you’re happy with something not as smooth, light, strong and blingy.

Back when I was in year 7 I bought a Spheros and now 9 years, one drag upgrade and a couple of services later it’s still just as smooth, strong and reliable and it’s been used hundreds of times jigging, trolling bottom bashing, casting ect so by no means do you need to spend $800+ for quality reliable gear.

Nah they aren't worth it... thats what i tell myself any way. Until i can afford one.

 The way these top end reels are built, most of us won't even come close to pushing the reels to its capabilities. But how I justify owning a couple of top end reels is. 1) I work hard

2) there are not many things out there that I can afford the best, so if I can afford it.....why not:). I love cars and I can only dream of owning something better than my Honda.

So what are you waiting for.......

Cheers

I've owned one & used a few others. If you are consistantly targeting big hard fighting fish that will really put the hurt on your gear than yes they are worth it for thier extra toughness & longevity. If your just chasing your run of the mill species like tailor, mulloway, bream etc then no they are not worth it. Run of the mill species, even fishing very hard you don't need anything more than a stradic unless your one of those people with enough money to be worried about the bling factor. Depends on your budget & target/s is the short answer.

I have recently picked up several quality reels including the new sol 4000, a new sustain 5000FG and a Stella 8000.

To put the answer as simple as I can as to if they are worth the money;

As till said, IF your asking that question, it probably isnt worth it to you. That being said I questioned it for years, until I put down my "mid" range Gosa18k mid fishing trip and picked up a Stella 20k. (we were into a school of big sambos) The next time I had some coin in my savings (and it ment saving - no piss money for months). I went down and got my first stella.

Im saving now to go buy a 20k (2 weeks away).

As to why I so quickly became such a fanboy...

The reel is smooth, silky, the drag is incredible, and even under huge pressue it too is smooth, it will litterally lift you out of your chair if your silly enough to get yourself into that situation. It feels like quality, there was not movement in the gosa either admittedly but the gosa was rough, its drag sucked, it was not pleasant to fish with, felt heavy and hard to use under pressure, it just wasnt comfy, to the point where I started to leave my heavy gear behind and was fishing under gunned regularly. 

Honestly the 8000 stella holds more drag than the Gosa 18k, and it does it better. If you go and buy the optional extras (like a SOM spool) it can hold just as much line as a 18k gosa, this means you have a reel that weighs substancially less, is more pleasant to fish with, retrieves as much line per crank and performs substancially better in every other way (IMO). What about that situation is not a win?

Personally, I will wait and save until I can afford the best for every reel over the 20lb range from now on, below pe2 I think mid-high end gear is fine (the sol is a realy nice reel), the reel simply doesnt see the forces that make the coin worth it.

bit awkward to jump on this thread if you just pre ordered a 2013 stella. pretty sure my local store have deposits on at least several.

 There are options that will certainly deliver all round good performance and bang for buck other than a Stella.

stradics, daiwa freams, saltist's, for overheads the ever reliable tld25's are about as cheap and robust as you will find as well as a tyrnos.

it all comes down to how much you are wanting to spend, and how much you are going to give it a flogging.

as nentioned above there are usually some good second hand options to purchase for top end gear on here from time to time. That could be a good option also.

i reckon a Stella is like a good woman. You work hard to get a good one, look after her but put her through the paces when required, then look back on all the fond memories you have shared together as well as the good times ahead. ( for the ladies on here the same can be said for a good bloke too)

Had to replace too many punished mid range reels so now I am of the opinion to buy once & buy right especially with the amount of fishing I do, have to agree with Till's observation in the first post.

Yep they're bloody expensive

 20yrs ago we used 20yr old Penn Spinfishers.....

thanks guys i think ill wait a bit till the new one comes oout and see how much that is

 one last thing i sincerely suggest you look at the 2012 daiwa catalina... it is a top tier reel along side the saltiga and stella but not such a huge price tag. You would be doing your self a disservice if you dont check them out

 Lol I notice this turned into a Stella v saltiga thread.  Either way both are primo reels I like all my saltigas.  If you fish a lot yes they are worth it but if you can afford( and fair enough) buy what you czn afford and fish as much as u can

ok thanks how much are they roughly

 about 800 dollars for the 6500 still expensive as poison but the gears and drag are literally the same as the saltiga. thats a first. a second tier reel with the same gears as the tier 1 reel 

 Cheers

 Reason everyone wants one is because that's what all the clowns on TV use so magically they must be better! That's how they get away with charging excessive prices. I personally can't see how a Stella is $900 more than a Saragosa? Agree they are better but that much better?they both have a 10 year warranty? I bet if you took both apart they half the parts would be the same. I have 2 by the way, just think they are over rated

I was in the same boat as you a couple years ago mate.

Couldnt see why Stella's and Saltiga's were needed for the extra cost... And generally speaking, in Metro waters they aren't really required unless your chasing sambo's.

However up north they are well worth the extra cash. the Extra drag pressure and pure grunt of the Stella's goes a long way. Weather it be chasing GT's, or bottom bashing trying to get fish away from sharks.

If it were me i would be buying one of the current model Stellas. From what I've seen the price has recently dropped and you can pick up Stella 8k's for $799 at the moment (i just bought 2 Stella 8000's). which is at least $100 cheaper than most online stores and even more from local stores. Price drop is most likely due to a new model being released, and i wouldnt want to know what the price of that is going to be!

On my first trip to Exxy, I took a brand new good mid range (I thought at the time) reel (Daiwa Luvias). After 4 days of getting stuck into spango's and big goldens, it felt like a coffee grinder.

For my next trip I saved up before and bought a stella 4000FD for the trip. - not only did it perform flawlessly; taming many big fish on almost locked drag.....it has done so for the following 6 trips there as well ! - never missed a beat, and stopped some amazing fish !

That's testament enough for me that it's worth spending the money up front. sure, some cheaper reels will do the job for a short while; but my stella feels like it will keep going forever !

Dan

quite a few on here wondering about price?

http://www.rayannes.com.au/daiwa-shimano-reels-australia/rods-reels/shimano/shimano-spin-reels/new-shimano-stella-sw-series-pre-order-now-from-only-899/

+1 for scano's last comment