I'm looking for a new work horse. I've heard all about Shimano and Diawa offerings and I'm interested. I want my next set of reels to last 5 years. I've currently got a bunch of Quantum Smokes that are three years old and are wearing out. Suggestions?

Shimano 70XG. Best reel for the money.

Great crank bait reel! for 179.00 It's actually a Tatula

http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-ARACHNID-BC-REEL/1907828.uts

any shimano reel under 200 will make you more then pleased!

Shimano Curado 70.

my suggestion is go with daiwa lexa or shimano. both are very high quality reel that provides better longevity. here is full details best spinning reel reviews

I use the Diawa Tatula HD and they have been really good. Retails for $199 I think but you can get them on eBay for about $130 if your comfortable buying off eBay. For cranking I like my Revo Winch. The Revo doesn't perform better I just cast it better than the Tatula for deep crankbaits.

I've not used any of the newer Shimanos, but obviously they are the favorites of many people. You can find a Tatula Type R for around $130 on ebay...a $200 reel. I prefer the color of the original model over the CT model. However, the CT models are a little more compact. The standard models (of either) can be had for around $95 on ebay. Fish way above price, AFAIC.

A couple reels I love, but can't comment on longevity because I haven't had them very long are the Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS and Helios Air. The Primmus is $225 at TW. I found some for a lot less, but where I bought them no longer has any in stock. This reel is hand tuned at the factory. Quite light at 5.8 oz. Casts exceptionally well. I have to make slight adjustments to all my reels whenever I visit Florida because I have to change my casting stoke. This includes the Curado 201E7. Every reel but the Primmus, that is. Haven't touched a setting since first setting the brakes and spool tension when I took it out of the box.

The Helios Air is above your price point, but I got both mine for less than $160. First cast with this reel and I said, "Wow. This thing can cast!". I just ordered the regular Helios from Amazon for $120.10 plus tax. This is a $200 reel. Reviews I've read have been good. TackleTour gave it a "Great" rating. Both Helios reels come with ABEC5 spool bearings and carbonite drags.

Lew's has several reels within that price range. One I got not long ago and like a lot is the $140 Tournament MB. It can be found for $108 on ebay.

Tacklewarehouse has the Daiwa 8.1:1 Tatula Hyper Long Cast JDM on sale for $200. No experience with this particular model, but I own quite a few Diawas (including Tatula Type R and standard Tatula) and have never been disappointed.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Pflueger. Everyone recommends their spinning reels, but few mention the casting reels. Very under-rated in my opinion. I own the older Trion ($100 reel) and the older Patriarch XT ($250 reel). Both perform very well. Matter of fact I run the brakes on the XT lower than on any other reel I own. An ex-tournament friend bought a Supreme XT. He liked it well enough that he went out and bought a second one. This gentleman has fished some pretty expensive reels.

EDIT: Oops. A reel I like a lot (fits me very well) is the Concept A. Took me a bit longer than normal to get dialed in, but it is straight out of the box. A good cleaning may have shortened the dial in time.

I personally don't own the Curado 70XG, but I have almost every other reel in the Shimano lineup except the lower end ones under the Casitas, and the Antares. Of the ones under 200, I recommend the Citica I or the Curado 70XG. It looks really nice and I've handled it a few times. It's up to you if you want to spend the extra $$$ from the Citica to Curado, but I say it's worth it just for the upgraded parts and braking system. If you're looking for a deal, Tatulas can be found for around $100 on this forum or other sales.

The Curado I series reel is on for $149.99 at Cabelas, if interested in them. I still have like 14 200B reels and LOVE THEM TO DEATH. Just service them and keep them going year after year. Here is a link to the Cabelas sale.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/SHIMANO-CURADO-I/1808686.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId%3D734095080%26CQ_search%3Dcurado

Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Also on sale at BPS, too, for $149.99.

http://www.basspro.com/Shimano-Curado-I-Series-Baitcast-Reel/product/13112808013242/

Thad Rains

what he said. I have some that are 14 years old. I have some scorpion also. They are bullet proof.

On a side note Diawoia make a good reel in the price range.

The shimano B series reels were some of the best low profile reels ever made period. Lots of them still in use and going strong. Although parts for them are starting to become more scarce.

With exception of a couple brands, most any $200 reel should last you 5 or more years considering they are properly taken care of. That being said, you have to find what fits you and your style of fishing. How does the reel "Palm" in your hand. A guy with giant hands can palm about any reel. Not all reels are of the same exact size nor does all fisherman have the same size hands. Do you like a reel handle to have a short or long rotation? Do you like to have a flipping switch? Do you care for all the bells and whistles that some reels have or do you like them to be bare-bones? Is weight important to you? Warranty and service are also important considerations. I just recently sold a practically brand new expensive reel because it was not comfortable to me after I got it. Was this a quality reel that would last me the rest of my life? Probably so, it just wasn't comfortable for me to fish with. I went off the word of others and should have went with my gut instinct and gotten a reel I knew I liked and trusted. If you read reel reviews you will find, as I did, that there are some that will say good things about this reel and others will say that another is better. I read one that actually put a "Not very well known company's" $49.99 reel ahead of those costing 5-6 times as much. So what I determined from these reviews is that with any advertisement, folks are paid to say good things about products even if they are not actually true. So, I may read them but take what I have read with a grain of salt. I have had at least one of nearly all the brands out there and have found a name or price tag does not necessarily mean that the product is of the quality you'd expect. I have actually thrown expensive reels in the lake that have failed me in some form or fashion. One of which, the brand name has been mentioned here. If a reel fails me, I want to find out why. The outcome usually determines if I have lost faith in the product or not. On this list there are 3 brands I refuse to ever purchase another reel from. If I spend $200-$300 on a reel I expect it to last and not require warranty service after only a few months of use. I take care of my reels and expect long life from them. I now do have a favorite brand and have become a huge fan of their products. Some of which are now 5-6 years old and none of them have ever failed or required warranty service. These reels are used regularly and maintained regularly as well. I also have a box of reels I have collected over the years that have failed in some way. Looking through this box you would find that there are 3 particular brands that will stick out. Could I have had these reels repaired? Sure, but why do so to have them fail me again at a critical time when money is on the line. Find what works best for you and stick with it!!

You can always buy a used reel for the $200. There's some excellent deals for used high end gear for $200.

Lews...