Wanted

[Doc]

Hi All,

 

Has anyone got a Shimano bantam that they would like to sell me.

 

(reason) I stripped mine about 2 years ago to service it.Put it to one side in bits and forgot all about it.found it tonight and the spools missing.Knowing me I sold the spool or used it for a repair.

Facied a bit of spinning this week so it would be loveluy to get another one.

 

Cheers

Doc

[Chris Goddard]

Blimey Doc!! Why not just buy yourself a new reel!! And a DECENT one at that!! I have some beautiful "Spider" reels. Made by Pure Fishing under the Berkley label thay are 8 BB's and are as smooth as a babies!! Only the one spool I'm afraid!! But a nice reel!! Only £25 plus post!! Put anything shimano make to shame!! AND I'll bet they were made in the same factory in China!!!

[argyll]

Doc you are talking about a Shimano Bantam baitcaster arent you? Know how you feel, they were nice reels in their time. Absolutely the best place to find a replacement dirt cheap is ebay USA. Try the following link from an eBay search

 

Note link edited to shorten the display a bit. Newt

 

[ 30. May 2005, 05:18 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[jeepster]

so your reels are better than a gtm fightin drag reel chris? or a curado baitcaster? i'm all for you selling your stuff on here, but less of the bullshine

[Peter Waller]

Spiders are nice reels, Jeepster. Not well known in the UK but certainly not bad, and a darn sight better than a knackered old Bantam! But with good ABU reels on e.bay for £50.00 or so I know where I'd put my money!

[argyll]

'Spiders are nice reels, Jeepster. Not well known in the UK but certainly not bad, and a darn sight better than a knackered old Bantam'

 

Ah the sweet smell of bull.

 

The Berkely Spider is not known anywhere. With eight bearings and a retail price of £25 its not likely to last the distance and is probably from the same chinese stable as Toothy Critter, Marado, Tica and all of the other ABU/Shimano copies. Pure Fishing/Masterline all have these cheaper reels in their stable simply because they can buy them for peanuts, sell them for peanuts and make a profit. They dont make them, they dont design them, they dont even specify them. They simple buy them in by the pallet load with their logo attached. They may have 8 bearings, but when it comes to casting, only the two spool bearings are of real interest and in my experience of the cheap baitcasters that have come my way, the spool bearings are too soft to be of lasting value, as are the other components. After a year or so the bits that were once firmly bolted together are moving around like they dont fit anymore.

 

The Bantams in their various guises have been the workhorse of Shimano for at least 30 years and the original Bantam 50 is still available new in some parts of the world. Very few mass produced thirty year old reels are still sold for their casting ability and whilst it won't win any beauty contests I'd stick it up against any other sub 60 quid baitcaster available.

 

Anybody fancy putting some money on a Spider against a Bantam on the casting field ?

 

Sorry Chris dont mean to knock your goods but they dont compare with anything made by Shimano, outdated design or not. Not an expensive reel your Spider though and at the price, I'm quite sure that it would cope admirably with the needs of a beginner just starting to use baitcasters.

 

Doc..stick with the Bantam. If you've got the cash then 50 quid will probably buy you a used Bantam Curado from ebay and take care of postage VAT etc. If you want the older models then they are still easy to get hold of and cheaper.

 

Shimano UK are worth contacting to see if they can find you a spool for your original reel. If you have a problem putting it back together, then you could send it to me and I'll see what I can do. PM me if you need any further help.

 

[ 25. May 2005, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[jeepster]

i'm fully aware of spider reels peter, a walmart special, and often seen on ebay over here, they probably are justabout worth £25, but no more. a decent 5501 is a lot cheaper than £50 now, if you could still get £50 for them on ebay i'd still be selling them, £35 is closer the mark now

[RUDD]

Chris Goddard:

Blimey Doc!! Why not just buy yourself a new reel!! And a DECENT one at that!! I have some beautiful "Spider" reels. Made by Pure Fishing under the Berkley label thay are 8 BB's and are as smooth as a babies!! Only the one spool I'm afraid!! But a nice reel!! Only £25 plus post!! Put anything shimano make to shame!! AND I'll bet they were made in the same factory in China!!!

Strange, my seven various shimano reels have made in Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Japan on them.

Yes shimanos are expensive but you get what you pay for in this world.

I have used / had a go with just about every other manufactuers reels but they just dont compare with shimanos.

I am not saying OTHER makes are crap its just once you have driven a Rolls Royce a Mondeo just isn't the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only other make of coarse reel I own is an Okuma Aventa centerpin.

[Doc]

Chris mate your trying to sell reels to the wrong fella.How many multiplyers and fixed spools would you like mate?.

Firstly, I see more reels in a month to repair and service than you could imagine so i get to see virtually everything on the market.

 

I also have a scrap bin full of spider / tarrantula reels.They are ok while they are running after that forget it.

 

Over the years i have seen some lovely kit come and go.But when I see something I like I will buy it.My Bantam 150 has stood the test of time and caught many large sea bass as well as pike to 26lb.

Its a bit sentimetal really,I'm sure the spool is somewhere.

 

I have tried shimano uk and Holland and my good friends in Oz.e-mails have gone out to 3 contacts in the states so I might be lucky.

 

As for the gtm I use a pair of twin power 3500

the nuts but not for the fishing I do with the bantam.

[argyll]

Firstly, I see more reels in a month to repair and service than you could imagine so i get to see virtually everything on the market.

 

So Doc, you dont need a hand to put it back together again

 

If you havent already done so, you might try www.mikesreelrepair.com

 

[ 25. May 2005, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]