Would you guys agree that the Shimano SLX 150 is a quality and reliable reel for the price? I am looking for a baitcaster in the similar price range and am interested in one. Unless you have other recommendations you think I should look at.

What is the difference in the other models of the SLX family like the MGL 70, XT, or 150 A? What do the letters means? I know what the DC model is and why it's double the price for digital casting control.

I like the ones I have. For the price I believe they are a great value

The letters and numbers indicate which spool setup or gearing speed is installed in the reel. Or even braking applications. If you search for the letters and Shimano Reel on the web, you can find direct answers for each category.

The MGL reels are very good also.

The SLX I have (DC) feels “mushy”, for lack of a better word. It feels soft and disconnected from the rod. It’s also kinda heavy for its size. It works as intended, but it is my least favorite (therefore least used) reel I own. It randomly will have a GIANT line ruining blowup. I have caught a few fish with it, but I have now relegated the reel to punching and use it on a 7’6” XXH Falcon. Kinda a waste of a DC reel….but it is what it is.

I have 4-5 of the SLX XT's and one SLX A. In my opinion, they are the best reel at those price points on the market. The XT is a beefier frame and feels a little more solid. The A reel is still very good. A couple of my XT's are 4 years old, and I haven't had to do any maintenance at all. I do have an MGL 70 that is a dedicated flipping reel. It just doesn't hold enough 20+ pound line for long casts. Very good reel as well. The DC stuff is worthless.

I have several. I don't think you can beat them for the price. The XT has an extra fine tuning spool control on the side that the regular SLX doesn't have. Not that important to me, i have both. The 70 has a smaller spool and is more compact. I have one on my frog rod,.

I flip grass as well as frog pads and heavy with mine because it has that feel of stripping every gear in it at some point or another. Not a bad reel for the price by no means, but definitely not the quality of Curado K or Curado MGL.

Glad I’m not the only one!!

What about the Shimano Caius? Any experience with it and how does it compare to the SLX?

How well does the regular SLX cast since it doesn't have the spool control? Do you think this feature is well worth it for the XT?

I have an older model SLX on a 7’ med rod for small topwaters-I’ve had it for like 3 almost 4 years. Easy to maintain. Light enough. Drag is alright. Only gripe with me is it’s noisy on the cast. The “A” model has “silent tune”(A o-ring lol) to correct that noise.

The regular SLX cast fine. It still has the cintrifugal brake system. I've started my TW black friday list and it has 2 regular SLX and 1 SLX XT on it.

The SLX dc is my favorite reel, can get the most distance by far out of it compared to any other reel I have. Haven’t tried the standard slx.

I am stuck in a loop with the slx
Every time I put one in the cart, I break down and put more in to get a tatula 100. Then half the time I just get a sv tw or elite. It is a viscous cycle. I need 3 reels to replace some Tatula CTs as I want to go lighter, I can get 2 slx for the price of an elite, I just can't pull the trigger.