Shimano Baitrunner 6000/8000 Vs 6500/4500/...

[choad]

A store is having a sale on these reels. Noted that the 6000 and 8000 were more reduced than the x500 series of reels.

has anyone compared the two?

i realise the 6000/8000 reels are newer, therefore probably less word about durability. Thinking of buying an 8000, but would pay extra for the older tried and tested reels if there was a definite difference.

opinions?

Edited November 18, 2006 by mrsswordfisherman

[domza]

I went through the same dilemma a few months back when trying to match a reel onto my brand new king rod.

The 8000/10000 BR have a rear drag compared to the front drag of the 3500,4500 and 6500.

I just felt both reels, and liked the feel of the 4500, very balanced and smooth.

In the end both reels are probably good, its all up to you and whether you want to save a few bucks.

good luck with the choice

[choad]

I went through the same dilemma a few months back when trying to match a reel onto my brand new king rod.

The 8000/10000 BR have a rear drag compared to the front drag of the 3500,4500 and 6500.

I just felt both reels, and liked the feel of the 4500, very balanced and smooth.

In the end both reels are probably good, its all up to you and whether you want to save a few bucks.

good luck with the choice

thanks.

reliabilty and durability are most important to me.

[Guest danielinbyron]

I'm on the market for a baitrunner and have held out to check the Okumas as they now come with a life guarantee.. Which makes me kind of interested.. I also asked about them in a previous thread and were told they were smooth and that the service dept. in Syd {same for me to ship to shimano service dept} were really good.... I have the luxury of being able to suffice with what i have , my flatmate has a 6500 b and i gotta say i like it allot. so far the main thing tipping me tward the shimano is the robust finish, although we have had to order extra washers to get them to lay line properly and caps for the left hand side bearings, the paint job on the shimanos seems better and the okumas look like they'll chip and flake.

[choad]

I'm on the market for a baitrunner and have held out to check the Okumas as they now come with a life guarantee.. Which makes me kind of interested.. I also asked about them in a previous thread and were told they were smooth and that the service dept. in Syd {same for me to ship to shimano service dept} were really good.... I have the luxury of being able to suffice with what i have , my flatmate has a 6500 b and i gotta say i like it allot. so far the main thing tipping me tward the shimano is the robust finish, although we have had to order extra washers to get them to lay line properly and caps for the left hand side bearings, the paint job on the shimanos seems better and the okumas look like they'll chip and flake.

i have three okuma reels up to five years old. i must confess that i probably don't look after my reels as good as i should with plenty of saltwater fishing use.

compared to the shimano, penn and abu garcia reels i have, (treated the same) the okumas seem to have aged a lot more than the others. At first i was a big fan of the okumas for features and great price, but have come to realise that by saving a few bucks at the time of purchase I'll probably be buying two okumas for every shimano, etc. that i buy. not much saving in the end.

perhaps things have improved with the okumas. a lifetime warranty sounds impressive. still wary though. want quality

[namesay]

i have three okuma reels up to five years old. i must confess that i probably don't look after my reels as good as i should with plenty of saltwater fishing use.

compared to the shimano, penn and abu garcia reels i have, (treated the same) the okumas seem to have aged a lot more than the others. At first i was a big fan of the okumas for features and great price, but have come to realise that by saving a few bucks at the time of purchase I'll probably be buying two okumas for every shimano, etc. that i buy. not much saving in the end.

perhaps things have improved with the okumas. a lifetime warranty sounds impressive. still wary though. want quality

I have this uneasy feeling with OKUMA. Had several reels blow up on me in less than 12 months. They are cheap but not for serious use with heavy drag. I even had to retire 2 okuma epix reels from even catching squid as they were starting to make a terrible noise whenever any load was placed on them.

That life time warranty is a pure gimmick. What does the warranty cover? and what does it mean by lifetime. If I wanted a part for a reel in 60 years time will they have one? ...of course NOT but it sounds good in the ads.

I now use SHimano and daiwa reels exclusively without any dramas, problems or headaches. I fish often and need gear to work when the pressure is on. I look after my gear impeccibly but the OKUMAs just don't cut it. CHeers Kelvin

[Dezmo]

I have not had good experieces with OKUMA. They look good, have great features for the price but unfortunately I have found they just dont last the distance.

The lifetime warranty is worthless. It doesnt carry corrosion with is usually the killer.

[Sammy0884]

i went the 4500, not too big, not too small.... juuuuussst right! stick some 20lb braid on it and terrorize some kings

[namesay]

I have not had good experieces with OKUMA. They look good, have great features for the price but unfortunately I have found they just dont last the distance.

The lifetime warranty is worthless. It doesnt carry corrosion with is usually the killer.

You are absolutely right on this one Dezmo. For some reason everything rusts inside an OKUMA. The bearings are the first to go then the rest.Cheers KElvin

Edited November 19, 2006 by namesay

[James]

mate those cheap 6000/8000 reels are a joke there is no way you could fish with them under heavy drag they are not a serious reel and should not even be compared to the 35 45 and 6500 range.

like the okuma they aint a performance reel and with the shimano 10 year warranty and the okuma lifetime warranty does that include your fish of a lifetime lost due to cheap gear.

best bet mate would be to spend a little extra and get something that has a track record and something that you can have 100% insurance it will give you the best chance of landing your fish of a lifetime.

mate i got 3 6500b and they are a great reel and i would recommend that reel to you mate

waiting for the 6000 and 8000 to turn up in department stores

Edited November 19, 2006 by James

[choad]

mate those cheap 6000/8000 reels are a joke there is no way you could fish with them under heavy drag they are not a serious reel and should not even be compared to the 35 45 and 6500 range.

like the okuma they aint a performance reel and with the shimano 10 year warranty and the okuma lifetime warranty does that include your fish of a lifetime lost due to cheap gear.

best bet mate would be to spend a little extra and get something that has a track record and something that you can have 100% insurance it will give you the best chance of landing your fish of a lifetime.

mate i got 3 6500b and they are a great reel and i would recommend that reel to you mate

waiting for the 6000 and 8000 to turn up in department stores

thanks for the replies.

my okumas too are corroding like rusty hooks on a wharf pilon.

does anyone own a 6000/8000?

[namesay]

I have a 6500 and a 4500. THey are great work horses. However, they are not suited for 10kg of drag. Reel starts to flex and the bail arm starts to bend ... but they still work great. That is the difference with these reels and OKUMA. ALso no corrosion after 3 years of use. I have a thunnus and that reel addresses the flex issues. Has more bearings but not as smooth.

The BEST reel under pressure is by far the stella. This reel underpressure must be the best there is..only a Daiwa saltiga would approach it. Absolutely no flexing and can crank 20kg of drag without any fuss. It is amazing to feel a reel this rigid!!!! Just need to go to the gym to use this reel to its full potential. CHeers Kelvin

[choad]

at risk of sounding like a broken record,

does everyone own a 4500/6500 because that was the only shimano baitrunner in this class until recently, or are people steering clear of the 6000/8000 because it's shit?

(promise i'll lay this topic to rest soon).

[domza]

the shimano 6000/8000 and 10000 have been around for a long time. My dad has the box of one that is maybe 10 years old but got stolen .

When i was buying mine at this years boat show, i had them both next to each other and the 8000 was about 25 bucks cheaper. I still went with the 4500 because it just feels solid.

Dunno if you've mentioned this but which rod/ and species are you planning on targeting with it.

And which line are you putting on it -mono/braid