Shimano SLX

I had a chance this past weekend to tear down a Shimano SLX.

My .02

The reel is impressive and well built.
Hard to believe the retail price is so low.

A couple of minor improvements could be made and I think it would be an amazing reel.
Upgrade spool bearings, add bearing to main shaft and upgrade drag washers.

What amazes me even more than the price of the reel.....is the price of the combos. It's basically 20-30 dollars more than the MSRP priced reel for a rod and reel.

And the rod is pretty good itself.

I agree that they are a solid reel. I have 4 of them. The only thing I don't like is the tiny phillips screw under the thumb bar. Easy to strip if it gets stuck due to corrosion or not being opened up for a long time. I've seen this in a few other shimanos as well.

Use this in salt water at all?

I bought my son 2 of them the other day - SLX XT and SLX DC. They seem to be really nice. He's been in the yard every evening casting both of them. I think we'll hit Fork on Monday and let him break them in.

I just wish the rod had cork handles on it. Call me old fashioned, but I can’t say that I care at all for any of the foam/eva or Winn handles or any of the other foam/rubber feeling handles. I ended up pairing mine to an H2O Xpress Ethos HD rod because of that. The H2O comes with nice cork handles, a solid Fuji reel seat, Fuji guides, and an IM8 blank for a very reasonable price, especially if you catch them on sale. This setup looks and feels perfect combined with the SLX reel.

I really can’t believe that they are able to sell the SLX for only $100 MSRP. It truly has to be the best baitcaster bargain out there right now. I really appreciate the rigidity the aluminum frame provides, as most of the competitors use cheaper graphite frames that you can really feel flex and bind under heavy load. I’ve got an older Caenan 100 reel that retailed for about the same price this new SLX dies and it’s night and day difference between the two. The aluminum frame vs the graphite frame, power grip handle knobs vs the foam ones, the compact size vs the larger body despite having a smaller spool capacity, and the general refinement of the SLX vs the clunkiness off the Caenan almost makes me want to chuck the Caenan into the trash can.

Still waiting about response for use in saltwater.

The SLX seems to be marketed in some markets as saltwater ready, but it does not have all the seals to keep the saltwater out of the reel that higher end models do. A Tranx would probably be better suited to saltwater fishing since it’s designed for that, but it is also a lot more expensive. You could buy 3 SLXs for the same price and just discard if they get too corroded or damaged, but I wouldn’t think that would be too much of an issue since the reel is mostly aluminum and plastic. Rinse the saltwater off thoroughly after each use and oil and grease it often and it should be fine.

Thanks JR for the update

I recently picked up and SLX and really like it and has the 8.2 gear ratio. I don't see the need for the XT or DC models, the standard version is great.

Regarding older Caenan 100's I like those too, if you ever want to git rid of yours let me know.
I like the way they fit in your hand, good brake system and 7 bearings but I definitely agree the handle and drag are not very good.
Need more time with the SLX to see how it holds up.

Well [censored], you are a day late. I literally just sold my Caenan yesterday and upgraded to a Daiwa Tatula CT. Personally, I never really loved using the Caenan. I owned it for probably 7 years maybe, I rarely ever used it and it still looked absolutely mint when I sold it, no scratches or anything. Any time I go fishing I always opt for a Curado or my SLX instead.

I’m really looking forward to trying out this Tatula. It’s my first Daiwa baitcaster ever and it feels amazing in hand. 8 bearings I believe, aluminum frame, 8.1:1 gears, nice handle, and it feels very smooth when you turn it. I’m so used to shimano VBS brakes so not sure how I feel about the dial controlled ones yet. We’ll see how it compares to the SLX.

Sure that is a nice reel at that price point-

may also look at the Lew's SS at $99.99 Retail.

That reels specs blow away a lot of comparable reels- 10 bearings, 15# Mx Drag, Alum frame, 95mm handle, P2 pinion.

Would be worth a look.

Good fishing all!

You will love the Tatula!
My 3rd is being delivered today from a great July 4th sale, $109

I will have to try one.