some of it - i just dropped a 12" JW rod (Chinese) on the floor of the shed and the bloody thing split at the 2 piece join.

Some of the lesser known brands are ok, but you are always wondering if it will keep on going. If you have the money, the big brand names are the way to go as you know what you are getting. It is a bit like driving a holden or a ferrari. One will do the job, the other will do it a lot better.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

hahahha

looks like your not going to the beach today then hey

aw ok thanks for that colin

(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

maybe you should UPGRADE to a Ford

pfft upgrade?????? more like extreme downgrade.......

formerly Irish

take a woman fishing and she will want to learn, teach a women to fish and she will outfish you for the rest of your life!

fishoreub i have got a viva ballet bf 3000

and i tell ya what is is a bloody good reel i got it from the wanaroo markets

the funny thing is after i brought it i went into gotone and it was $17.80 more

and it was the exacly the same reel

everyone has there own thoughts tho

cheers danobigfish 

yeah true

some reels can be dud and some can last you a lifetime

but thats true dano

all to their own on the matter

Have had two of there si reels for over a year, the si1600 has now landed two mulloway over 15kg on 20lb braid, has been dunked, goes out on the yak every trip, and is still a gem.

At around $200 tho, whats your definition of a cheapy?

I wouldn't be putting them all in the same bracket. Also, i believe the Banax machining works also does subcontract work for a lot of the "big" brands too, so what does that say about how much the "big" brands ride the name and rape our wallets.. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hobie Adventure - "Shufoy"

Brett Ozanne

My Shimano reel ($200) just packed up! Only had it a year or so. Totally seized up.

Going to rip it appart and try find the problem. Had it in bits about 2 weeks ago oiling her up and it looked ok then. Not fished the reel that much so disappointing to say the least.

Sometimes big brands only offer empty pockets....

Certainly had a few similar tales. My first high end spin reel was a certate HD3500, and it has been back to Daiwa for new bearings after not much work so not real impressed with it. My other high end one that has seen a tonne of work is a stella 8000fa and it is still gold. Would I buy another if it busted, absolutely. It has caught a tonne of bottom fish, heaps of tuna and mackies and even a few big trevs and still feels like new. You do get what you pay for generally, but the point of diminishing returns always applies over a certain point. Is the stella worth twice as mucha s the jap model twinpower, probably not, is it worth twice what the domestic TP is - I would say yes, having had the felt washers on a domestic drag themselves in the main shaft.

The big brands are big because they've built up a long reputation of good quality gear. I.e. their name is known because of their gear. They can still produce some cheaper stuff though, and their stuff will still break down. But by going with a name, its more likely that its going to be of good quality and have good support (not guaranteed of course).

Going back a few years, daiwa used to be a crappy name, but they've shifted their game by consistently making good products.

Other brands can be a bit like that. They have some good products, but they need to produce them for a while to get a name for themselves. But they have to make the good stuff before they're known for making the good stuff. They can often be quite good value, but it can be a bit hit and miss when you look at all their reel range. The banax GT series for example seem to be good strong reels, and at a good price for what you gear (though, the line rollers may be a little iffy, so perhaps some kinks need ironing out).

In general, you get what you pay for, so if a reel manufacturer only makes cheap crappy stuff, you'd cant expect them to really live up to the bigger brands. People still buy them though which is why they're in business. A name might increase the price a little, because you're paying for security and reputation a little (but theres a reason for that of course :p). So less known brands can be cheaper for a similar reel, but they usually wont be by a large margin. If it is, then its probably crap. You do need to spend money to get quality.

--------------

Always interested in someone to go fishing with

and Okuma make very good value for money reels. I love my Banax, it is a real workhorse. The big difference I have found between a Banax and an Okuma compared to a higher priced Daiwa or Shimano is the smoothness of the drag off the rack.
Of course you will get lemons sometimes when you buy big name brands (same as with cars), but generally I have found that the top brands have been pretty reliable. I have a 25 year old Shimano overhead that is still going strong.
The interesting brands are abu, pfleuger etc., which were the guns when I was teenager and still make great gear at a good price.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

thanks for the enlightenment on the topic guys

just got me because i was looking at how there was a reel similar looking to a saragosa but half the price

i was in the joondalup camping n fishing the other day talking to toni and he was saying how he had a silstar reel like a saragosa which was 2/3 the price of one and just as good if not better, he said he preferred it because of line capacity and something else but i forget cos my eye caught a glimpse of a saltiga and i drifted off haha

Banax have some good gear....but like the other bigger names you have to pay for 'better' stuff......Diawa and Shimano make cheap stuff as well as good exp stuff.....

compare a Daiwa Samari with a Saltiga......same with the Banax.....there is some cheap stuff and some good quality dearer stuff. the banax range of topend overheads look the goods....may need to upgrade the drag washers, but I have on my HD3500 Custom.....

if you fish a lot....better of spending the coin IMO

Banax GT are a very tough reel which would give any big named brand a good run for its money.

But this is the best…And no one has made any thing ever as good.
Abu Garcia Suverän : The finest spinning reel ever made.

We had a fellow from Banax at the kayak fishing comp last week,had all the range and the internals to show us, as mentioned by Albee, Banax make the parts for some of the top brands as well,,Banax don't spend millons on marketing so the public does not have to pay extra to factor there costs in,,,Banax is like factory direct .

Colin 3 > long standing and highly respect member of the prestigous Colin's club.

Gladiator is at the cheaper end of the market and is not to be mistaken as Banax, different reel/brand!

Banax is a strong, reliable and well priced reel on the market as Brett said. Shortys on the money, Daiwa & Shimano spend $$$ on advertising to push the name!

If the bigger stores & specialised independant tackle stores dont stock it then there's normally a good reason. Spare parts availability being one and back up service being another!

Daiwa has always been a reputable quality product!

* Oceanside- Advice, Knowledge, Experience....that's our difference *

Owner of "Oceanside Tackle & Marine"
364 South St, O'Connor, Perth Ph 9337 5682

Hi Ya,

I have a Banax Poseidon 5600 (I think it is).  Damn nice reel to use and cast.  Apparently built specifically for long distance casting.  Don't kow about now, but it held several Australian long distance casting records for quite a while.

Can't say anything about Viva although I have one (don't know which model).  Won it and have yet to put line on it and use it.  It is in the 4000 size.

Cheers.

RECFISHWEST member

aw ok

Ryan the lady in the markets said they are the same

think ill definitely trust you though.

also whats the deal with these jarvis walker penn's...?

are they just JW's with a penn sticker on it?

Fishoreub, Gladiator & Banax are both imported by the same person, the brands however are different!

J/W are the Penn importer/distributor in Australia, both reels also are different!

* Oceanside- Advice, Knowledge, Experience....that's our difference *

Owner of "Oceanside Tackle & Marine"
364 South St, O'Connor, Perth Ph 9337 5682

Every one makes a dud now and then Holden , Ford , Shimanno , Daiwa i reckon you can find some good gear in amongst the Hyundi's and Daewo's of the fishing world you just have to look.

Go the Leyland P-76