Shimano reel markings and technologies

Updated: 02/26/2021 13:43:46

Expert: Ostrovsky Nikolay Vladmirovich

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Shimano reels are the most popular category of gear on the Russian market. The first models began to be imported into the country back in the 90s of the last century. They are distinguished by the highest quality, a huge range and compliance with all modern technological standards.

The editors of Expertology magazine conducted a study of the fishing tackle market and selected 12 of the best SHIMANO reels for you. The criteria for forming the rating were the following parameters:

1. popularity among experienced fishermen;
2. expert reviews;
3. technical execution;
4. reliability level;
5. Compliance with the stated price and overall quality.

Rating of the best SHIMANO reels

Shimano Catana

Shimano Catana is perhaps the most popular model. The use of reels in this series has become possible due to the affordable price and optimal parameters that satisfy the needs of almost any angler.

The main advantages of Shimano Catana series reels:

• Ensuring smooth and soft operation of the mechanism through the use of stainless steel bearings.
• The ability to use the same lightweight aluminum spool (supplied) for both monofilament and braided line.
• Thanks to the Dyna Balance system, the reel rotates easily without backlash.
• Clear friction braking is achieved thanks to the Super Stopper technology, which ensures safe fishing for large fish.
• The various sizes of reels in this series provide a wide choice for purchasing models for fishing with both feeder and other rods.
• Availability of reels at prices for any angler: from beginner to expert.

Best Shimano Trolling Reels

Trolling is an aggressive type of fishing that is performed from a motor boat or speedboat. It places special demands on the equipment of the fishing rod. As a rule, multiplier reels are often chosen for trolling, which provide easier casting and guiding of the bait.

SHIMANO CURADO 71 HG

Rating: 4.9

CURADO 71 HG earned the first place in the rating due to its excellent suitability for trolling and casting for fairly large prey. Despite the fact that it is much smaller in size, this does not make it a weak and less functional model. Experienced fishermen have become accustomed to aggressive fishing in small bodies of water, where its qualities are fully revealed. Take, for example, the lightweight operation of the gearbox: the gear ratio is 7.2:1. With such data, you may feel the bite a little worse, but you will get an advantage and more control when fishing.

The miniature CURADO 71 HG mechanisms include six ball bearings and one roller bearing. Thanks to the use of an aluminum body, the weight of the model was reduced to 185 grams. The spool is also made of light alloy and is designed for 150 meters of 0.25 mm fishing line. If you equally love casting and trolling, then this device will be your successful purchase.

Advantages

• very light and beautiful reel;
• high gear ratio, which makes fishing easier;
• smooth operation in friction units.

Flaws

• high price.

Shimano Exage

Shimano Exage is an interesting elite series of reels that belong to the luxury class, but with a more affordable price. Exage coils have the following characteristics:

• Lightweight aluminum spool with high strength properties.
• An additional spool is included in the kit.
• Efficient line winding is ensured by the smooth running of the reel due to the use of four bearings.
• The handle is made of aluminum and is highly reliable.
• The reel is balanced using the Dyna Balance system.

Best Shimano casting reels

The casting fishing method gets its name from the type of fishing rod. This “stick” has visible differences from standard spinning rods. For example, it has a so-called “trigger”, which allows you to more accurately control the cord and control the bait, as well as bite. Naturally, completely new gear was required for casting rods. Special inertial multipliers called “soap boxes” are used here as coils. They allow casting and are used in various tests: from ultralight to heavy weights.

Shimano TwinPower

Shimano TwinPower is an elite line of reels with an excellent reputation. An excellent series that has many advantages:

• The line is laid perfectly evenly due to the special manufacturing technology of the line layer and the use of a one-piece bracket in it.
• Using a Power Roller virtually eliminates the possibility of line twisting.
• The spool can oscillate at different speeds of reciprocating motion, thus ensuring tight laying of the fishing line and braided cord.
• Maximum strength and light weight of the reel is achieved through the use of aluminum alloy with XT graphite.

Shimano Nexave

Shimano Nexave is a budget model, but also has good performance and a long service life. The advantages of this series include the following features:

• A color that stands out from the crowd. The perfect combination of blue metal body with silver spool, comfortable handle and rear part is a winning quality among other reels.
• Improved performance of the drive mechanism (increased smoothness, softness) due to modernization of the design.
• Equipped with high quality bearings (6+1) that can withstand most 9 ball models. The presence of such high-class elements adds additional power to the design.

• The kit includes a stamped aluminum spool, which can be changed if necessary. A spare part is also included in the kit.
• The Power Poller system allows the use of braided line.
• The presence of a multi-disc clutch helps to successfully resist large individuals. This mechanism makes it possible to catch powerful fish despite the thin diameter of the fishing line.
• Low cost.

The size range of coils ranges from 1000-10000, which makes it possible to choose the best option.

Interchangeability of spools for Shimano R spinning reels (2004–2010)

Floaters and bottom fishers usually try to have spare spools , and when buying a new reel, it is important for many that the spools of the new and old reels are interchangeable. In addition, some reels are equipped with particularly successful spools, which are tempting to use on other, more advanced, lightweight or for some other reason interesting reels. Therefore, the issue of spool interchangeability is very often discussed on forums, in stores, and while fishing. Daily Fishing online newspaper, we looked at it in relation to the then most popular reels with a rear brake Shimano brand models .

Shimano spinning reels with rear brake (excluding Baitrunner ), which were present in the company's product range from 2004 to 2010, mainly belonged to three families:

1) P3 ( Power.Precision.Performance ): entry level, with a “locomotive” spool feed system (“crooked gears”).

Catana RA: P3 family

2) Navi L - Sahara R - Symetre R. Middle class, lower segment. Overall a more expensive and fairly successful basic design than the P3 , so, like all good things, it was gradually but consistently withdrawn from the market. “Locomotive”, a slowing down parasite in the system.

Symetre RJ: "intermediate" level

3) Family with an “endless screw” . Middle class. “Supers” , “Stradiki” , “Twin Powers” , the quickly retired “Aspire” , “Biomaster L” . From the 2004 season to the 2009 season inclusive, they were produced with minimal changes; in 2010, the design was revised and slightly changed (for the worse).

Super GT-RA: base series of the R family with endless propeller

Between reels within each family and between reels of different families there is, although incomplete, interchangeability of spools. This happened due to changes in the sizing system for reels in the “infinity” family after 2003.

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First, let's look at what might prevent you from using a spool from one Shimano to another.

1) The spool may be too large in diameter and not fit between the “horns” of the rotor. For example, the 4000th spool does not fit the rotor of models “1500” - “3000” generations RA - RB .

Twin Power 3000 XT-RA: the large spool does not go through.

2) The spool may be too small in diameter and not fit into the rotor “glass”. For example, spools of sizes “1500” - “3000” do not fit on the rotor of the 4000th size of the RA - RB (they also will not fit on a 4.5 mm rod, and their opening is narrow, but that’s another question).

Super GT 4000RA: small spool does not fit

3) The Shimano are fixed to the rod with a spring , which is located in the spool itself and snaps onto a groove machined on the rod near its upper end. If the groove does not reach this spring, the spool will not lock.

Spring fixing the spool

4) A transverse pin inserted into the hole of the rod prevents the free rotation of the spool around the rod and serves as a stop for the spool. Theoretically, this pin may either not reach the corresponding recess in the bobbin, or, conversely, reach the stop and prevent the bobbin from falling into place and the spring from snapping into place.

5) The width of the spool opening may not correspond to the spool stroke, that is, the distance over which the rod together with the spool is moved by the corresponding reel mechanism. Or the spool may be offset relative to the line roller, so that the line does not reach one of its sides.

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Now, in order.

1–2) In the P3 there are three real sizes of reels, which have different dimensions of bodies, rotors and spools. This:

A) «1000»;

b) «2500», «3000»;

V) «4000».

The size of the spool from the thousandth is approximately the same as that of the thousandth Symetre (there are also three sizes). Since 2004, R reels have no size 1000, they only have two real sizes.

Spools of sizes “2500” , “3000” , “3000S” , “3000M” are almost identical in size and differ from each other mainly only in the depth of the opening. The diameter of the front side of the 3000 size is 1 mm larger than that of the 2500 (46 mm instead of 45 mm ). All these spools, in principle, fit on reels of the 2500th size of the Symetre R and on reels of the 2500th and 3000th sizes of the family with an endless screw (except for the three-thousandth generation 2010).

The 2010 model “endless” reels 3000 , a body from 2500 , and a rotor from 4000 . Accordingly, the old spools “2500” and “3000” will not fit on this rotor, and the skirt of the new 3000 spool will not fit between the “horns” of the old reels.

Spools 4000 are approximately the same in size, go everywhere and fit on everything.

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3) The spring that fixes the spool on the rod in a vertical plane is ready to snap onto any rod. For sizes “2500” and “3000” of all series the rod has a diameter of 4 mm , for “4000” - 4.5 mm . There seem to be no problems here either. On the flagship four-thousanders, the upper part of the rod is ground down to 4 mm , but this does not affect anything.

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4) But there is one subtlety associated with the pin inserted into the rod and fixing the spool in the horizontal plane. On the 4000s Aspire RA , Twin Power XT-RB and Biomaster L Aori it is shifted 2 mm to the upper end of the spool. A corresponding amendment has been made to the design of the spools for these reels, but the spools from the remaining 4000-s on “espires” and “twins” are not fixed, because the pin rests on the spool and the groove on the rod simply does not reach the locking spring.

On the contrary, spools from four-thousandth "espires" and "twins" fit on both P3 and "supers" and "stradics" , but are fixed on the rod too low, so that on P3 (where the rod is shorter and the spool stroke is less) the winding is completely wrong is not suitable (the line is not wound onto the lower part of the opening at all), and with “supers” and “stradics”, even when adjusted with washers, a strong reverse cone is obtained.

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5) The most difficult thing: the course of the spool and its opening . The reel sizes “2500” and “3000” P3 family and the “endless” family, as well as the size “2500” Symetre family have a spool travel of 14.5 mm . The average width of the forest opening for these spools can be from 15.5 to 16.5 mm . This fits well within the requirements. If the line falls on the spool with a loose cone, the profile can be corrected by raising or lowering the retaining spring in the spool by manipulating the washers surrounding it.

Adjusting the winding profile with washers

The spool travel of the four-thousanders of P3 family is 17 mm , the opening is about 19 mm . A difference of 2 mm is not critical for thick lines, but when using thin lines, gaps may form at the sides.

Spool stroke for four-thousanders with an “endless screw” 2004–2009. - 19 mm , forest opening width - about 20 mm . If you put a spool from P3 , then for thin fishing line it will be suitable with precise adjustment. P3 reels do not have a 4000-size match spool . And reels with “infinity” do have them. But if you put it on P3 , say, on Exage , then the difference between the spool travel and the width of the forest opening will be 3 mm . This is too much, especially for thin lines.

The 4000 reels of the 2010 model - Stradic GTM-RC and Super GT-RC - have less spool travel ( 17 mm RA and RB generation models , and the line opening is narrower (about 18 mm ). Thus, this is the narrowest forest opening among all 4000 spools (even the P3 has 19 mm ). If you put a classic 20 mm spool on a new “Stradik” or “Super” , it will sit and snap into place, but the winding of thin line will not be of high quality. If you put a new 18 mm spool on an old reel with a spool travel of 19 mm, then the reel will not wind “by” thanks to the beveled edge of the AR-C , but the winding will be uneven. This spool will somehow fit P3 reels

Brief summary

In sizes “2500” and “3000” (except for “ Stradics” and “Supers” RC generation ), the best match spool is from the match Exage 3000MHS , any generation, A or B. It is small and very light. If you are going to use any other reel of this size as a match reel with thin line, then get these spools - you won’t regret it. They fit any model of the appropriate size.

Twin Power with Exage spool

Of the deep spools in this size, relatively lightweight plastic spools of the RA .

Twin Power XT-RA

In size “4000” there are full-fledged match spools, which should be used on “Supers” and “Stradics” . Deep spools, again, are best used from RA . The thick wall metal spools from RB are too heavy.

When a “foreign” spool does not latch on the “flagship” 4000-size models ( Aspire , Twin Power , Biomaster ), then it’s all about the pin, which is installed too high on the rod (the length of the rod itself is the same for all 4000-size models with a “screw” ). The manufacturer probably wanted to prevent the use of spools from cheaper reels on more expensive reels. But maybe he had other considerations - or he didn’t have any...

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between four thousandth reels with “infinity” of the RA/RB and RC . The spool of a three-thousand-pound RC generally doesn’t fit anywhere other than three-thousand-pound RC ones : it has a skirt for a four-thousandth rotor, but the opening is for a small speed 2500 size!

Author: D. Balichev Photo: author, Shimano Inc.

Ivan Kutishchev provided assistance in the preparation of this material.