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Chinese Reel?

20K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  DoctorDooom 
#1 · (Edited)
So I've been finding great prices on fishing tackle on Ebay. 30 new salmon spoons for $14, stuff like that. Turns out a lot of the sellers are in China. Normally I wouldn't bother but I notice that E-bay has a guarantee now on everything you buy.

Got me thinking about reels. A new Shimano Stella is over $1000. So, is there a Chinese version? Anybody had any luck with low cost, better quality Chinese reels? I'll bet you could find a Chinese made President for $14 if you didn't mind waiting 6 weeks for it to be shipped. . .
 
#6 ·
check out the reviews on those reels. they are generally some super oddball sized reel, like something for a 0wt or they fall apart immediately or grind. as far as lures go, most things you can tell by pictures, but I got a blade bait that only tracked one way. spend an extra whopping dollar or two for one that runs straight. there are always reels on clearance. a good fly reel can be had for under $100. better than spending $30, getting a piece of junk, then having to spend the $100 anyway.
 
#8 ·
I've baught a few reels from china off ebay over the years and they are actually not that bad. Just like any thing though you get what you pay for. I've noticed that the $11 reels on ebay are exactly that, but the $25-$40 reels are actually just as good and last as long as any of the $100+ shimano's or any other reel I have!
 
#10 ·
Here ya go... A knock off steez
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8BB-6-3-1-L...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Someone from another forum tried a zillion look a like and said this
It seems with these Chinese knock offs the ones with aluminum frames and handle side plates are fine, but the graphite/plastic ones are junk like the cheap Cabelas/Bass Pro value reels.

The handle looks like junk on this Steez reel as well, but if the reel is truly aluminum it might be decent. For $50 it probably isn't as close a copy in dimensions and internals as the Zillion copy was though at twice the price.

The steez knock off little review. Same person
So I got a wild hair and decided to buy one of the SWAGG Steez knock-offs from the auction site...

I bought it on Sunday and it got to my office from China on Thursday around 1PM, for free... Impressive.

The Reel is pretty nice, but unfortunately it is not Aluminum like the description said.
The body and both side panels are made from graphite or some sort of high grade plastic.
Weight is about average and as described.
Bearing are abundant and quite smooth.
Knobs are pretty crappy and riveted on.
Handle is nice otherwise.
Drag star clicks.
Cast Control Knob does not click.
Spool is not ported, but "only" weighs 20g according to my digital scale.
Spool free-spins with brakes off a good 15 seconds.
Spool has axle that runs all the way to cast control knob, not chopped off like most Daiwa spools.
Mag Brake cup on the spool is spring loaded ala MagForce V/Z.
Drag is multi-disc and some sort of carbon fiber weave similar to the Zillion/Steez style.
Drag is quite smooth and adjusts evenly.

Won't fish with it until the spring. So long as it casts decently it is an OK reel until the frame breaks down or warps.

If it had an Aluminum frame I would be quite happy with it. As it is, I'm trying to get a few bucks back from the seller for the inaccurate description. Worst case I'm out $42.

TDZ knock off lol
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Speed-...424?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2f3c1e00
 
#12 ·
Ya the $1000 stella's are prolly made in china anyway. I noticed the shamano I just bought is made in china, granted it's only a hundred dollar reel and not a thousand. But I wouldn't doubt if the stella's are made in china. Same story with the abu garcia low profile reels, I'm fond of those reels but they are made in China. I have two abu garcia c3's and those are at least made in Sweden. A lot of products are made in China even if the company is a USA company or whatever. ..
 
#17 · (Edited)
I bought a fly reel from China for about $30 and discovered that the one they sent was actually one they sold for $17. I contacted the seller and they offered to send me the correct one and let me keep the incorrect one if I would just paying the $6 shipping. I ended up buying a fly rod for $40 with free shipping and had them include the reel in the box. The $17 reel is painted aluminum, but works okay. The rod cast pretty decently but the finish was kind of lumpy. It was not half bad for the price I paid. I ended up giving them both to a friend for his kids. The $30 reel is polished aluminum and looks pretty good. I hooked into a jack big enough to tow me in my kayak, and after that, I noticed a scraping sound when I spun it. I discovered that the frame is so flexible that if you squeeze it just right, you can bend the cross pieces so that they run in the groove that runs around the spool. In contrast, the Wind River reel that retails for $30 and that I bought on sale for $20 doesn't bend no matter how hard I squeeze it. Bottom line is that the cheap rod seemed pretty decent for the price, and while the finish work was not very good, it seemed like it would hold up okay. The cheap reel looked nice, but not worth the price, as better quality can be found at the same price. FYI, if you do buy a fly reel from China, buy it one line size up from what it is advertised as, as the inside diameter of the arbors are very large and the reel will not take a lot of backing. I bought a 7/8 and it barely holds 7 wt line with a decent amount of backing.

FYI, I used the reel from China to fish saltwater, and needed something with a strong drag. The reels from China may hold up fine for smaller fish.
 
#18 ·
This thread is from last year. I bought about half a dozen reels in different price ranges. What I found is that you get what you pay for. Not surprising. ::). There may be high end overruns out there for cheap but I have yet to find them.

The house brand reels from Gander, Cabellas etc. are made in China and are a good value when you get them on sale. :smile:
 
#20 · (Edited)
So, an update:

I was contacted by a rep from Piscifun. ^-^ They are a Chinese company selling fishing gear. Primarily through Amazon, as far as I can tell. A quick look at their site shows that they sell braided line, reels for fresh/saltwater in spin, baitcasting and flyfishing. Also some rods, fishing pliers, etc.

Looks like the same stuff I was seeing a couple of years ago when I started this thread. Except the stuff from Piscifun is branded, and quality appears to be better. Prices are a bit higher too, which I guess is to be expected by now.

i was sent a reel for evaluation, Piscifun Destroyer MX30. This is available in 20 and 40 also, so these appear to be standard small, medium and large size reels. You can see pics and more detailed info on their web site. In the hand, this feels like a nice reel, as I would expect for their current $47 asking price. You can find it for less if you look around a bit.

https://www.piscifun.com/products/p...eel-pre-loading-spin-reel?variant=21140756229

https://www.amazon.com/Piscifun-Destroyer-Spinning-Fishing-Freshwater/dp/B01JLXEL4C/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1488059450&sr=1-1&keywords=piscifun%2Bdestroyer%2BMX30&th=1&psc=1

I first notice that the spin is nice and smooth, and the anti-reverse is solid, like the better quality Japanese reels I've been buying more recently in this price range. I'm a Shimano guy primarily but I also have bought reels from Abu Garcia, Pfleuger, Gander Mountain, Eagle Claw and even Harbor Freight.

Taking off the top to remove the spool (only one is included) shows a self contained "sealed" drag system. That's pretty nice :cool: but I'll have to fish it and let you know how it works in the real world. What I've found is that with more expensive reels, a large part of what you are paying for is the better quality drag mechanism. If adjusted right that can make all the difference between whether nor not you are able to land that big fish if you happen to hook up.

I didn't disassemble the reel further but a look at the diagram of the internals shows that they are proud of the construction including what looks to be quality drive mechanism and bearings. Bail appears quite sturdy, but again I'll have fish it for a while to really tell.

This is one of their mid-range reels but my initial impression is positive. I've ordered some of their other reels (on my dime) so I can get a better sense of the line and what you get for more and less money.

I'll update further when I've had a chance to do some more research and field testing.
 
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