SHIMANO or SHIMBINDO

[ksdog]

I was reading the posts on another fishing forum regarding the binding of shimano reels particularly the stradic. This seems to be a problem when the reels get wet . I'm thinking...great. This year alone, I bought a stradic, two symetres, and an older model sahara clearance priced. I did my research before making my purchases and ALOT of people like shimano. Yet...on this one particular HSOforum, shimano bashing is common. People are claiming that Shimano knows there is a defect in their reels and are covering up. What is the story ??

[gunflint]

I haven't had any problems with my Stradic. If you're not happy with yours, I'll be happy to take it off your hands.

[Deitz Dittrich]

ksdog- I am on the Shimano prostaff and consider myself "in the know" There is no Shimano defect that I know of or they even know of. The new ARB bearing is the best on the market. I have 7 Stradics I think some as old as 8 years some as new as this year and not a one is anything short of perfect. I also have 2 Saharas, 6 Sedonas all of which I consider awesome reels as well.

Shimano does use a free flowing bearing, so dirt can get in, however it also means dirt can get out. If your reel starts to bind you just need to get the bearing cleaned. Something I may do every 3 years with a spinning reel, and I fish 6 days a week in the summer.

Shimano in my opinion makes the best reel on the market!

[edited for spelling...just to make wastewaterguru happy! ]

[wastewaterguru]

Deitz,

Check the spelling......bearing, not barring. I was a nerd in my previous life. If I would have discovered fishing before college, then I wouldn't be able to spell either. At least we all know you fish better than you spell!!!

[HC Eye Hunter]

I have 3 Stradics, 2 older ones and 1 reel a couple of years old. The 2 older Stradics go into backreel if I set the hook hard or when trying to get snags out. I have sent both in to get repaired and both came back doing the same thing.

I also have another fishing aquantince that purchased the same Stradic reels at the same time as I did and both of his have the same problem as my older reels do. The newer Stradic is great and I have had no problems with it what so ever.

Does anyone know what may be wrong with my older Stradics? It sucks to spend a $100.00+ dollars on a reel and have it unusable.

Thanks,

HC

[CrappieJohn]

I fish Saharas and Symetrys and I love the animals.

[Chris Haley]

I thought my older Stradic was the only one that went into back reel when I set the hook hard. I took it in locally to have fixed and was told that the one way bearing would cost more than what the reel was worth.

[Scenic]

The older Stradics had a plastic gear lock on them to prevent back reeling but I think it was either located in the wrong place or the plastic was not heavy enough to stand up to a hard hook set. I have a new one also that I have had for a year or so not and have not had any problem with them at all.

I think Shimino had done a great job in this industry with their product and pricing both. I have had different models of their reels for years with very little problems. This is coming from a person who is a bit hard on equipment and honestly I never take them apart to grease them at all. I just use them.

[Chris Haley]

You, hard on equipment??? I just can't see it!!!

[CodyDawg]

I have a new stradic this year with no problems.

I do have a 250 calcutta that does not have a very smoot drag though. A big pike takes off and it goes zzzzzz......zzzzzzzz......zzzzzzzzzz.....zzzzzzzzz.

[Dennis Steele]

I am not affiliated with Shimano and I love their medium priced reels. (medium priced 'cuz I don't have big bucks!)

I have 6 or 7 Sedona's and some are 10years old or better. Never been cleaned.

I have had only one older one give out on me. This one I used mostly for shore fishing and the outside looked like its been sand blasted.

[BDR]

I have been very happy with the Sahara's I had for about 10 years (untill some one stold them 2 weeks ago). They always performed well even in the freezing temps of ice out river fishing. I can't say that I have recieved the same from some other reels I have owned.

[Northlander]

In all the Shimano reels I have bought, probably close to 30, I have only had a problem with 1. I cleaned it up and lubed it good and now its fine. My only complaint is some of them tend to get tight in the cold.

I do know there trolling reels are top notch. Expensive but top notch.

[Fisher Dave]

I like the mid-price shimano spinning reels also. I have an older Stradic and I am having a problem as of recent with it going into backreel for a brief moment, or once in a while I need to turn the switch off and back on to have the reel operate properly.. keep in mind this reel is about 7 years old and has been put through everything... this is a 1000 series reel that has landed too many fish from sunfish to accidental flatheads and muskies grabbing my cranks.. no reel is indestructable in time. I do feel a slight binding once in a while...

I will take the reel apart and clean it and see what happens.. if it needs parts and they are not too expensive.. it is worth fixing.

Will I buy another Stradic? .. probably.

The only other shimano reel I have come to hate is the spirex reels.. the handle is very akward, and the only one I have has worn out in 2 seasons.. I feel bearings grinding.

Shimano reels are excellent reels.. the spinning reels are a great value.. the baitcasters are nice, but a bit spendy for my taste.. I cant see beating up a $200 reel fishing flatheads.

[freebledsoe]

I'm still using my Spirex 4000, had it for a good 8 years now. It has seen much use and abuse, never cleaned. It still works well, but it is starting to bind a bit. It has a "trigger" for casting, I dont remember what they call it, and it has been worn out for a couple years now, so I just open the bail like a normal spinning reel. I have a couple other smaller Shimano's, I love them all (especially for the price). Time to buy another 4000 size reel, and YES, it will be a Shimano.

[The Yeti]

I have a Stradic and have never had a problem with it. Rain or shine. I my opinion, Shimano is the only way to go.

[Ole #1]

I've got a stradic I bought two years ago and it makes a little noise sometimes, like there might be some dirt in there. But it winds very smooth and I've never had any problems with it. What do you guys mean by "binding"?

Ole

[TMan]

I think the original post said something about issues when the reel is wet. I too had a recent issue in a tourney this spring when it rained on us for a while and the reel bound up as suggested and I had to switch, to another Symetre of course. The reel was new earlier in the year so there should have been no issues with it. So I would say this problem possibly may occur in the rain.

I still like Shimano over other reels but I think if we hear more of this there may indeed be a pattern that they may want to look at.

TMan

[TonkaBass]

I have over a dozen Curado's and about 6 Stratics and a few symetres, most I have run for 6 seasons of tournaments. Still haven't broke on, but they do sink.

[Darin Ingalls]

I have used nothing but Shimano for my spinning reels for years. I have had few complaints. After our last trip to the BWCA the only thing I plan on doing is spooling them up with some better line. The only Shimano I did not like was the Sidestab. And that was for the hokey triger deal.

[Hap Shaughnessy]

There has been a lot of talk out on the lakes about the Shimano's binding. Having looked carefully at the offending reels, and doing exhausting research on the subject, we learned this: There are Shimano knock-offs being produced in Latin America. These reels are the only ones we've been to document as having binding problems. We attribute this to their inferior materials, and overall machining and Q/C. One of the keys to detecting these knock off reels is to very carefully inspect the company name on the reel body. The knock-offs are spelled Chimano.

[Fisher Dave]

well .. i never seen, or own a chimano..

The binding can be detected when reeling very slowly.. periodicly you feel the slightest bit of resistence on the crank... it may very well be a tiny bit of dirt in there somewhere... But att he same time, I had a smino reel years back that ran into a serious binding problem when I was way away from home, and had no idea where to get a new reel.. I continued to fish and the binding got worse for a while.. then it got better.. my backreel went out in the middle of the trip(was not clutch type) .. needless to say I took it in to get repaired and when I got it back the repairman told me I took the reel apart and didnt put one back in.. apperantly on that model rell the backreel part was small.. I must have grinded it away to nothing during use.. he didnt believe me.. but I know I never took that reel apart.

I still have the reel today without any binding problems.. my stradic probably has some junk int here causing my problems.. it doesnt get the easy life of sitting in a carpeted boat.. it gets river shore abuse.

[Muddog]

If Shimano is anything it is gears. It is what they do, gears. They are THE NAME in gears.

I think the problem is a simple ratchet. It may have become bent on your enormous hook set. Take off the end cover and bend it back or reconect the spring.

Loosen the drag!

[united jigsticker]

Well I bought 2 $19 Specials this year from Shimano and they work great!

[Kevin Turner]

I have two Shimbindo Stradics...