Are Shimano reels made by Okuma?

[dogfish]

Cranfield

I accept your point about reels and I know I sidetracked a bit.I was trying to make a point that expensive does not equal better quality.I use Shimano myself. A few years ago I bought some Shimano Stradics in America and was advised locally that Zebco were much better rated than Shimano but Zebco have never made an impact over here and Do not seem to be sold much over here anymore but were probably just as good quality.They did not,however ,have the same level of advertising as shimano and that may be part of the equation.

Manufacturers seem to target their products where they think they will sell best.

In America and Australia Shimano are very much considered 'supermarket' reels and thought of as nothing special.I once saw a load of Shimano 8010 GT baitrunners on offer in a shop in Brisbane becuase no one was particularly interested in them.

Different Strokes.....!

[Peter Waller]

Well, I no longer own any Shimano fixed spool reels! But I would hate to part with my Okuma Epix!! But thats as maybe. Just me being contrary. My Swedish ABUs, Mitchells and Penns are also, I think, superior to Shimano.

 

I would have been very surprised if Shimano had admitted a tie-up with Okuma, or vice versa. But there is rarely smoke without fire .

[Jon Hedges]

Shimano reels are quite simply great. Okuma reels are perfectly well made.

I don't really see the point in who is better than who. It is all down to personal preference .... gimme shimano's everytime, but if someone prefers Okumas, then that is their choice.

[Peter Waller]

As Jon said, its all down to personal preference. The point that I am, in an obscure manner, trying to make, is that being fashionable doesn't mean that there are not good, or even better alternatives. But then that was not the question!

[Guest sslatter]

Woodzzz:

Line coiling off a spool is down to the line, not the reel.

Hi Woodzzz..

Can you elaborate on this point, please?

[phil hackett]

Many years ago I use to road race and time trial bicycles. Shimano cycle part had just come onto the market. They were cheap and cheerful but did the job adequately that was asked of them. Interestingly, the same facile argument took place in cycling then as is happening in this thread now.

Campagnolo (Italian) gears, chain sets, hubs, brakes etc were the bees knees, must have equipment. It was also sold at very over inflated prices, much the same as Shimano reels are today. Prior to Campagnolo domination was Huret, Simplex and so the story goes back into the annuals of cycling history.

 

Today Shimano and Campagnolo fight it out in the road racing market, both probably equally as good, with Shimano being the slightly cheaper option. So in 25 + years Shimano have gone from being laughed at because they were cheap and cheerful to rivaling the best.

 

The parallel I’m drawing here is do not write off Okuma because they are cheap, they are a very good products for the money. Probably the best of that mid to lower price range. They also have the ability and technical know how to produce reels to rival Shimano in the next few years at more competitive prices than them.

 

As someone has pointed out we are getting the poor end of their ranges in the UK at the moment, which is a business strategy I’ll wager, to get themselves know. Go and have a look at their US or Australian websites and see the real quality they produce for those markets. The King (Shimano) I think will be in his altogether when they get a foothold in the UK and start to put many of the high quality products onto the UK market, at the similar prices.

 

As a point of historical interest Shimano made Aeroplane parts during World War 2., many of which I understand were used in one way missions.

 

As to whether Okuma and Shimano are one and the same I don't know but they are as has been said, a multi-national Co. so its possible.

[Woodzzz]

Line coiling off spools...

 

Memory.

 

Some lines twist and coil, some dont, and often how you spool it up in the first place makes the difference.

[rich]

Phil,

 

I agree on the bike bits line. I ride a mountain bike (not just along the canal paths) and it's fully shimano equiped. In fact I rarely use anything else (certain components accepted). Shimano has never let me down on the bike and has never let me down on my rods/reels.

 

I may be a tackle tart but if it has gears shimano make the best (IMO).

 

cheers,

 

rich

[Guest sslatter]

Woodzzz:

Line coiling off spools...

 

Memory.

 

Some lines twist and coil, some dont, and often how you spool it up in the first place makes the difference.

The instances I mentioned in particular, concerning my own and my friend's experience with line-coiling-off-the-spool problems, involved perfectly laid and filled spools, not overfilled, as I wrote before.

In my time I've tried many different monofilaments, and I have yet to discover one that didn't twist and coil at some stage, when used with a fixed spool. I'd be interested to know which particular brand(s) don't do this when used in conjunction with a fixed spool. It surely can't be Ultima, Berkley, Maxima, Shimano, Shakespeare, or Daiwa which are just some of the brands that I've had the same problem with in the past.

I personally think it's down to the basic design of the fixed spool per se, but I'm willing to be educated if you could tell me the brand(s) of mono that don't get this problem when used with a fixed spool.

 

[ 09. September 2003, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: Graham X ]

[Woodzzz]

I always put my line on the same way. Put the spool in a bucket of warm water, reel on the rod, line through the first ring, and a wet flannel halfway between the reel and first ring to add tension.

 

Never had a twist problem with Daiwa Sensor, Maxima Chameleon, X-Line, Fox Soft Steel or Bayer Perlon. Friends have also had no problems with Berkley Ironsilk, Terry Eustace Pro Gold and Gardner's GR60.