For those of y'all that have used the T3, I was wondering how y'all like it. I found a good deal on one and was trying to figure out how it was? Also anything about the Diawa Lexas would be great to. I am by no means a Diawa guy, but was just wondering how some of them compared, especially to something like a citca or Revo SX( which I currently own)? Thanks

I own about 25 Lexas and they are amazing reels for the money. I had a ton of Zillions before hand and feel like I lost nothing by switching to Lexas. They have performed exceptionally well and held up to hard use well.
Personally I would hold off a couple of weeks until the Tatula series debuts. Had along conversation today with Daiwa corporate that I am not at liberty to divulge much yet but I can say they are about to unveil some head turners. They have a video preview on the Daiwa site if you want to see it. he Tatula series will be a true high end reel in a competitive price point.

Only 1 person with some info on the Diawa t3 or the Lexus?

The T3 and Lexa are really good reels, but Mark covered it pretty well.
Here is the video that he was talking about http://www.daiwa.com/index.aspx . You need to watch all of the videos in this series.
There are 2 more left. The last one should come out as ICAST starts around 7/9.

Mark, since you seem to be 'in' with these folks, for us 'newbies', would you be kind enough to explain "high end"???
Smoother reel action,i.e., more ball bearings?
When you say "high end", will those of us on limited budgets be able to afford this kind of tackle?
thanks,

Wait for the Tatula to come out and keep an eye on the Lexa100....great reel at a great price! One thing i like about Daiwa is that they continue to be consistent in their quality and offerings. Unlike the competition they have stayed true to their brand....

I watched all the videos they had last night. Very interesting. It looks like it has that t wing line guide, but not the big cover thing like what's on the T3. I just found a t3 ballistic for less than half price and some Lexa 100s for about half price. So when I do have money and get back from my cruise about mid July ill be hoping they are still there to try. If the tatula is in about the 100-150 dollar price range I will probably take a look at it. About how long after iCast do these new reels become available to the general public.

Daiwa has reels from very conomcal to high end. By that I mean they use premium components and materials to design a super light reel with ultra performance. Kind of an economy car to a Lambroghini type comparison. With the next products coming they are offering that high end type setup at what most other brands price their entry to mid level reels at. For a consumer its more bang for the buck so to speak.

Just to be clear I do work with Daiwa so I wanted to disclose that up front as some folks place less or more importance of comments and info from a staffer. I have worked with them for 7-8 years now and this is the strongest push I have seen them make in US market in the price points that seem to be the most popular. That is great news for the working man.

Thanks for the reply. Now understand more clearly. Man, I don't care that you work for Daiwa....only that you seem to always post clear, concise and honest answers!
Ok, so, how will I know when this line is available to us the general public? Would like to try one....if I can afford it..
thanks,
Lee in Texas (aka Fred)

September and October should see the lineup in retailers. I should have some samples here about I cast time.

Well I hope to hear good things about it. Also like the t wing system. It's different and interesting. Hopefully I will have enough money to pick up that t3 ballistic and Lexa to try. Any suggestions on rods to pair them with for about 100 bucks or less. Will probably use them for smaller cranks and lighter baits on a medium action rod.

Great question, I forgot to ask Mark about that one !!!!
Will await his reply....

I have a Lexa 5:1 and I love it. It is on a Bucoo and I mainly throw light wire hooks and crankbaits on it. This rod and reel is perfectly balanced!

Two things:
-Paired with a 7'MF Bucoo I can launch a KVD 1.0 a mile.
-I like to throw a GB Baby Rattlesnake with a small weight 2-3' above the hook and it seems to have a little difficulty but keep in mind it is a very light rig.

It's quality, quality, quality, real smooth and solid. It only has I think 6 + 1 bearings and it is low for the price point seeing how the Revo SX ($20 buck more) has about 9+1 but I don't think you will notice the difference.

I found mine for $101 on amazon and you can typically find them for around $100 on ebay, amazon, TFF, etc.

I played with the Ballistic at BPS and I thought it was pretty cool looking. I did a little test where I backed off all the knobs and breaks and spun the spool and it went on for 20 seconds which is about 50%+ longer than most of the spools. Keep in mind though in order to test bearings you have to put some sort of load on it. So my test may not be useful at all lol.

Good luck!

I had the T3 Balistic. Casting is nice. I was using it as a pitching and flipping reel. Pitching was nice becaue you could free spool as your lure dropped and then just close the top to engage reel. Quick. (I know I know Mark, all Diawas you can use your thumb to push up on the thumb bar to engage...akward!) I did have a problem with Flipping and the line getting stuck in the corner of the top cover. Worried that it would put a nick in the line. Personally, I would wait on the Tatula or try the Lexa.

Now you would tell a x-Navy guy a tall Texas tale would ya? LOL