Paikea Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Do any Raiders use both Shimano and Okuma reels? If so is there a lot of difference between them? Cheers Paikea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfisherman Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Yes I I own both types and can't really tell you that one is worse than the other. Okumas lifetime warranty versus shimanos 10 year warranty. Well who buys a reel these days and says I want to use this thing for ever, or 10 years even ?? It all comes down to which one you like the look of. Okumas range isn't as wide as shimanos, but they still hold a slice of the market. Harry If it's to good to be true, it usually is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasksta Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Well...... Ill tell anyone that listens, Shimano all day! I used to be a massive purchaser and advocate of Okuma from Trio to the V system. Great when new but would always stiffen up and require maintenance. Mate put me onto a Symetre and i never looked back. Im that guy that treats his tackle hard, used weekly, never serviced and i swear none of my Shimnanos have EVER missed a beat. I smash my 4000 reels on kings and dollies all season and they love it. Its a cliche but the stradic is hard to beat, for 4000 and under go the symetre. Hope this helps. Cheers Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I've owned and used both brands. I've owned at least half a dozen Okumas but don't have any now... which is an idication of what I think. Don't get me wrong, they are very good reels and I think that they have improved a lot over time. But the reason that some people experience them 'stiffening up' could be because IMHO, the bearings in Okuma reels are not as good quality as in Shimano reels. In its earlier days, Okuma was one of those manufacturers who marketed reels heavily based on 'how many bearings'. I'd rather fish with a reel with 3 high quality bearings than 10 cheap bearings. Good bearings operate better, last longer and are more forgiving (slightly) of lax maintenance. BUT the main reason people have Okuma or any other reels stiffen up is that they don't look after them properly. The best bearings and the best reels in the world won't keep working properly if they're not looked after. IMHO Shimano make better reels than Okuma but Okuma reels offer good value for money and are still great reels. Whether you get Shimano or Okuma PLEASE look after them properly. I makes me cry when I see what people do to some reels before then blaming the reel for not working properly. Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witha Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Get into it mate it's half the fun! And huge piece of mind knowing you've done it yourself/ that you've got your kit in perfect fighting condition Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbh00d Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I second what Slinky said as I have owned both of them and I noticed my okuma trio isn't smooth after a few months and bearing failed after 6 months of use. I have to say I did abuse it to the max by using the little trio to stop legal kings. However, while using the Shimano I found they last longer and don't seem to lose that smoothness. One thing you got to remember is Shimano also produce high quality gears for bicycles and this wealth of experience is one reason why they are still the king of fishing reel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefisherman6784 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Yeh I've had a okuma stiffen up on me and cannot move the handle a milli metre Okuma is a great brand but I would probably prefer shimano Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 G'day mate, after trying every brand out there from whiting gear to game gear, shimano is a real standout. Spend that little but extra and go with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostproperty Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Depends on your budget. I could have bought 3 Salina reels for the price of 1 Saragossa so to me that's value for money. Now the price of the Salina reels have gone up, and the price of the Saragossa reels has come down I would probably go with shimamo. Mines a 10000 and handled legal kings over summer in shallow water really well. Yet to test it jigging but for the $160 i paid I'm really happy with it. If it breaks in the next few years I won't be concerned as my expectations weren't very high for it, and it's performing well so far. Also it's got a lifetime warranty so if it does break or stiffen up ill just send it back anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydangler Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I fish hard and often. Up to 4 times a week for squid to tuna and if owned several different brands and for me if I have to replace a reel or send it back for warranty that means time I don't have that reel. Also if your reel is seizing up okuma will probably claim mistreatment. These days I own about 20 shimano reels and apart from the odd roller bearing replacement they all work great. 1 of my 10,000 Saragossa has gone through 4 jigging seasons and 4 summers fished hard for jews and kings from rocks beach and from boats and never missed a beat even caused me to buy another one for fishing multiple rods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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