Daiwa Fuego? 2024
alexandboi reply :
I found a local craigslist listing on a daiwa fuego baitcasting reel. The reel looks pretty new still, and the guy wants $175. My question is, is it worth it? I've been looking for a new reel too, but i don't know anything about this reel so i thought I'd ask here first.
Quitlimpin reply :
Really nice reel, but that price is way to steep. $125 tops for a used Fuego is more like it. I traded one in recently, and I think it brought about $110.
ww2farmer reply :
I bought a NIB Fuego several years ago for $100, sold it for the same after one years use. That was a smoking deal and all, but IMHO I wouldn't give much more than that for it anyways. It was nice, smooth, and light. But it was far from an "all purpose" reel for me. It had, what was, and maybe still is, the trademark of every Diawa reel I ever owned, and that was when cranking any type of bait that offered the slightest bit of resistance, it felt like your were reeling a water logged wooden picnic table off the bottom of the lake. It just didn't have any power. My Shimano Curado 51E's which are smaller and (I think) lighter, with the HEG gearing make everything feel effortless.
alexandboi reply :
Alright. Thanks guys I guess I'll pass on that then.
Bass Junkie reply :
On 4/17/2013 at 10:37 AM, ww2farmer said:I bought a NIB Fuego several years ago for $100, sold it for the same after one years use. That was a smoking deal and all, but IMHO I wouldn't give much more than that for it anyways. It was nice, smooth, and light. But it was far from an "all purpose" reel for me. It had, what was, and maybe still is, the trademark of every Diawa reel I ever owned, and that was when cranking any type of bait that offered the slightest bit of resistance, it felt like your were reeling a water logged wooden picnic table off the bottom of the lake. It just didn't have any power. My Shimano Curado 51E's which are smaller and (I think) lighter, with the HEG gearing make everything feel effortless.
You're spool tension knob was too tight.... And although the Curado 51E is slightly lighter, a good part of that is because it employs graphite sideplates on both sides of the reel.
ww2farmer reply :
On 4/18/2013 at 12:51 AM, Bass Junkie said:You're spool tension knob was too tight....
Ummmmmmmmmm..............no, nice try, but laughable. I have been around casting reels for a while, like, oh IDK 20+ years.
Bass Junkie reply :
On 4/18/2013 at 10:41 AM, ww2farmer said:Ummmmmmmmmm..............no, nice try, but laughable. I have been around casting reels for a while, like, oh IDK 20+ years.
If you've had this issue on every Daiwa reel you've ever owned, including the Fuego, then you are doing something wrong my friend. I have a Gen2 Revo Premier that is barely smoother, if at all, than the Fuego. And the Fuego is certainly smoother than my Gen2 Revo STX. The Fuego does have a slightly different feel, due to the fact that it is a Magnesium framed reel, but it is still a very smooth reel. And I wouldn't discount someone's opinion without knowing them first, they just might have some experience themselves 
Paul Roberts reply :
Well, I have one. Paid $80 NIB at BassPro. Seems they'd mismarked it. I've scarcely used it though so I can't say much about it.
Hooked_On_Bass reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 1:06 AM, Paul Roberts said:Well, I have one. Paid $80 NIB at BassPro. Seems they'd mismarked it. I've scarcely used it though so I can't say much about it.
Great score and great reel!
roadwarrior reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 1:06 AM, Paul Roberts said:Well, I have one. Paid $80 NIB at BassPro. Seems they'd mismarked it. I've scarcely used it though so I can't say much about it.
Maybe ghoti. will respond on this thread, otherwise send him a PM. He loves these reels after they have been
tricked out. He will have several helpful suggestions.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 1:36 AM, Hooked_On_Bass said:Great score and great reel!
Yeah, it was actually a little confusing. They had a US Reels Pro for $40 too. I have three US Reels and knew my xtra spools would interchange so I was going to grab that too, until I realized someone had mismarked things. So I put it back and they pulled it from the shelf. The Fuego I bought and it wasn't until a manager lead me up to the register to see the deal through that I realized it was mismarked too. I actually didn't know what they retailed for. I said, "Jeees, I don't want to take advantage of you guys." He said, "You should. Our mistake. Take it. Merry Christmas."
I used to work in a large tackle shop and remember some mistakes made there too, and saw people try to take greedy advantage. We were a local shop too. One time I remember a guy came to the register with a basket filled with a grossly underpriced item. Our shop manager allowed him to only take one. The guy said that he'd sue! The manager said, "Go ahead." And the guy left with one item and we re-marked them.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 1:47 AM, roadwarrior said:Maybe ghoti. will respond on this thread, otherwise send him a PM. He loves these reels after they have been
tricked out. He will have several helpful suggestions.
Cool. I'm all ears.
Bass Junkie reply :
Suggestions such as:
Boca Abec 7 Orange Seal spool bearings (Increases ease of casting, as well as casting distance)
TD-Z 100M spool (Lighter, quicker start-up, and just looks flat out cool in a Fuego)
TD-Z 103H handle assembly (has removable knobs, and a ball bearing under each knob, as opposed to riveted bushings)
Bearing Level-Wind upgrade (upgrades the levelwind from bushing supported to bearing supported)
Sending it off to a Super-Tuner to have the internals (clutch-plate, spool ends, gears) polished.
Paul Roberts reply :
OK...I'm all ears, but ... not all wallet. I suppose if you had to do one thing, it would be the bearings?
new2BC4bass reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 6:19 AM, Paul Roberts said:OK...I'm all ears, but ... not all wallet. I suppose if you had to do one thing, it would be the bearings?
One thing? Carbontex drag...about $8. Send to DVT and have Mike install the Carbontex drag while giving it a thorough cleaning. Mike tells me there isn't much you can do to a Daiwa reel when it comes to supertuning. Don't remember why. He gives a 10% discount to bassresource members. Sometimes a thorough cleaning gives a very noticeable improvement in performance depending on how packed with grease (or dry) the reel is from the factory. Mike will also perform a supertune on it if you want. Check for prices. You might be pleasantly surprised.
I have approximately 14-15 Daiwa reels including 3 Fuegos. I don't notice a picnic table affect under load on any of them like "farmer" mentions. Matter of fact my Alphas ito has to be the smoothest reel on retrieve that I have ever felt.
Bass Junkie reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 6:19 AM, Paul Roberts said:OK...I'm all ears, but ... not all wallet. I suppose if you had to do one thing, it would be the bearings?
LOL And that's not including a new drag star, carbon fiber handle, or... Well, you get the picture! It can get bad sometimes 
Bearings or drag would be my first choice. Probably the bearings, as the drag has performed adequately for me thus far. I believe why DVT said that there is not much to do to supertune a Daiwa is the fact that Daiwa does not use the centrifugal brakes, or the spool shaft through the frame design that Shimano and other brands use, both of which are key points in a polished supertune. There are still many options, the ones I listed above are just a start. I have seen both Fuegos and Sols that cost more to the owner than a Steez would have 
ww2farmer reply :
On 4/19/2013 at 12:57 AM, Bass Junkie said:If you've had this issue on every Daiwa reel you've ever owned, including the Fuego, then you are doing something wrong my friend. I have a Gen2 Revo Premier that is barely smoother, if at all, than the Fuego. And the Fuego is certainly smoother than my Gen2 Revo STX. The Fuego does have a slightly different feel, due to the fact that it is a Magnesium framed reel, but it is still a very smooth reel. And I wouldn't discount someone's opinion without knowing them first, they just might have some experience themselves
I didn't say it wasn't smooth, in fact it was a very smooth reel. What I said...............and now again for the third time..............is that it lacked power when pulling baits that offered resistance. I am not talking about jigs, T-rigs, small crankbaits, etc.....But things like spinnerbaits with big blades, medium diving crankbaits, and things like that, the lack of power in the reel, as well as ALL Daiwa's I have owned WHEN COMPAIRED to Shimano/Abu is very very noticeable. IF you don't think so................good for you. But I do.
What I see here is a Daiwa fan, that just won't let someone state their OPINION BASED ON ACTUAL USE OF THE REEL IN QUESTION on why they don't/didn't like a Daiwa reel,and basically your doing everything but straight up calling me an idiot. So who's the idiot? The guy who explained why he didn't like a reel THREE TIMES, or the guy who needed to be told THREE TIMES why I didn't like it , refuses to accept the fact that I just don't care for Daiwa products, and has to claim that "I am doing it all wrong" because I didn't like it.
roadwarrior reply :
Let's stay on topic.
Rangerjoe reply :
I have three Fuego's one I bought when they were being closed out and the other two were used. I think I paid $120.00 or $125.00 for the used ones. They are the poor mans TDZ.
Paul Roberts reply :
Thanks for the responses all. I think I'll leave it stock. I have some other reels that really need the attention and $. Like the two ABU XLTs I have with weak drags. Couldn't find replacement parts so I thought I'd make something, or talk to someone with more experience than I have.
new2BC4bass reply :
I bought 2 when TW was closing them out at $144 and change. Used one was $125 and is in pretty good shape. Don't think I would pay $175 unless like new and I had to have another and didn't want to wait for a better deal. Think the original price was $249 and change. However, I don't feel $175 is an outrageous price....just more than I would personally pay. See if he will accept $150. I would have no problem paying that much for a like new Fuego.
Recently a factory stock like new Sol went for $60 more than I paid for a like new one that had been tuned and upgraded. Buyer obviously wanted one in excellent shape and didn't mind paying.
Farmer, Normally I don't throw anything with drag heavier than a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait. I do have a 3/4 oz. one. Most of the lakes I fish are shallow. A crankbait running 14' deep wouldn't make it through the weeds.
I will have to do a side-by-side to see if I can notice the difference you mention. I'm not nearly as observant as I should be, but even I should be able to notice that much. I can compare several models of Daiwas to an STX-L Gen 1 and Chronarch 100B.
WRB reply :
A friend gave me a Fuego, said he couldn't cast it without back lashing every other cast. It was in perfect condition and I told my friend that I would check it out for him. He was right very difficult to cast, so I took the reel to a good technition and he took a quick look and told me the early serial numbers had defective break disk and the reels were recalled or repaired with a hit. He told me you can put a drop of superglue to hold the disk together and he did that for me.
Tried to give the fixed reel back and told my friend what was wrong and he didn't want it back. I fished with this reel about a year and really like it, light weight, well balanced, the stock drag was replaced and haven't had any issues with it.
My suggestion is offer less money with the explanation the reel needs to be upgraded with recall kit and the cost is about $50 plus postage.
Fuego is a good light weight reel.
Tom
Hogsticker reply :
I picked one up some time ago for 95 bucks. At that price I added a TZD 100-M spool, spool bearings, drag upgrade, and four bearing handle. Not much this reel won't do. Fits my hands great!
.ghoti. reply :
I have six of them. A "classic" supertuning is not much benefit. This calls for polishing the part of the spool shaft running through the pinion gear, and polishing the centrifugal brake drum. Daiwa reels do not centrifugal brakes, and do not feature a spool shaft passing through the pinion gear; thus the "classic" supertuning is not applicable.
What some folks call supertuning is more what I would call upgrading.
First step wpould be the drag. Carbontex washers are a nice, cheap upgrade. Polishing the metal drag washers is a nice, free upgrade. Doing both is very wothwhile.
Next would be a four bearing handle. For my money, you can't beat a TD-Z handle. Four bearings, smooth knobs, light weight, and under 50 bucks.
Next would be a clutch polishing. Take a good look at the clutch mechanism. You can easily see which parts slide over other parts, and can quickly identify where to polish. Basically, any metal part the moves when in contact with another part. This doesn't make the reel cast, retrieve, or fight the fish any better. It does make pushing the thumbar down to disengage the spool, and turning the crank to re-engage the spool silky smooth. It takes some time, but I like it, so I've done all of my Daiwa reels. Polish the ends of the spool shaft and the tip of the levelwind pawl while you're at it.
Now the spool bearing question. I'm gonna open a can of worms right now. The first thing you should do is properly clean and lube the stock bearings. Do this right, and you will probably be suprised at how well they perform. A pair of ABEC7 stainless steel bearings will give you a slight performance gain over stock bearings. A pair of ABEC7 ceramic hybrid bearings will give you a very slight gain over ss 7's. It's up to you to decide if the slight improvement is worth the cost. All of my Fuegos have stainless ABEC7 bearings. Since the Fuego, Zillion and Alphas all use the same size bearings on the spools, I've swapped some into a couple of Alphas and one Zillion. Neither reel saw much improvement. In my case, the Fuegos showed the most gain, but it still is not that much. What I can get is the same distance with a little less effort. A little less effort equates to a bit more accuracy, and that would be the critical factor in casting. Distance may be good for the ego, but accuracy puts more fish in the boat. If you decide to upgrade spool bearings, go into it with a realistic set of expectations. I'm sure you've all ready reports stating a 25 to 30 yard increase in casting distance. That, simply put, is a large steaming pile of what drops out ouf the south end of a north bound bull. Thirty feet is stretching the truth; by quite a bit.
I do not like ceramic bearings. I've bought two different brands, tried them, and sold them. They are way too noisy for my taste. I've said it before; I think my reels should be seen, and not heard. If you want to try them, you will soon enter the debate about running them dry vs oiled, and with or without the shields. I've heard every side of these arguments. They are noisy when lubed, and intolerable when run dry. Keep in mind that the only part of a ceramic bearing that is ceramic, and thus corrosion proof, is the balls themselves. The races and cage are steel, and will corrode. Most people run orange seal bearing without the seals for one simple reason. They are difficult, if not impossible to get back in place perfectly. It is very easy to re-install the seals, and end up with a seal in contact with the balls and/or cage. This, of course, totally negates the performance improvement you think you're going to get.
Spool upgrades? Tried that too. You can get a small improvement in light weight casting performance, which comes at a premium price. A TD-Z 100M spool will fit a Fuego, and can be had for under 100 bucks. Want to spend that much to make your Fuego a little bit better at casting the lightest of baits? Only you can decide if it's worth the coast of admission. For me, it is not.
An extra bearing can be added to most Daiwa reels, on the handle end of the the worm gear. Been there done that. I've even done some maching and re-working on two Fuegos to get another bearing on the other end of the levelwind. I thought if one bearing on the levelwind is good, two would be even better. It was a lot of work to get that second bearing in there. This is supposed to give you a smoother cranking reel, and to lay the line on the spool better. It does neither. Two of my six Fuegos have this modification, and the only time I can tell the difference is when I tear one down for servicing. I have two more bearings to clean when servicing these two reels. That is the only difference.
I need to get into my lab. More later.
Paul Roberts reply :
Thanks for the complete rundown. I'm going to be leaving mime stock. I have 3 other reels that seriously need drag work.
Hogsticker reply :
I picked the spool up for 45 bucks which is not that bad at all. Not sure if the poster above has actually tried this or not, but I can tell you with the Gigas spool I can now cast a 1/8 oz. finesse jig or 3/16 oz jerk bait a very decent distance. Something I could not do stock. It really all depends on what you want out of the reel. I would much rather drop the cash on the spool upgrade than a 4 bearing carbon fiber handle. Even the TDZ handle is gonna run ya 60 bucks. Yes, ceramics tend to be a little noisy, but it doesn't bother me. For me the 95 for the reel, 45 for the spool, 20 for the bearings, and some personal polishing make this the best 160 dollar reel money can buy IMO. For persons interested in tuning/upgrades - the Fuego is one of the best, most cost effective places to start. It doesn't all have to be done at once, but for those who can't/won't drop 3 bills on a Pixy/Alphas and then dump even more cash into upgrades - again, the Fuego is the place to wet your whistle and decide if it's your cup of tea.
.ghoti. reply :
Hogsticker, where did you find that spool for 45 bucks? I bought two different "tuning" spools; one for 125 and one for 160. Both gave a me a slight improvement with light weight baits, but not enough to justify the cost. At $45, a spool upgrade is worth the cost of admission.
I agree with you about the Fuegos. Add the Sol to the list too. Both are fine reels out of the box, and with a little time and cash, both can be made excellent.
.ghoti. reply :
To the original poster; I think we will be seeing used Fuegos and Sols going up in price. Many are aware that both are great candidates for tuning, and that upgrade components are widely available. I have 6 Fuegos, and the most I paid was 135 for a NIB. Expect to see higher prices. Classic case of supply and demand.
kickerfish1 reply :
The TDZ 100m spools generally are around $70-75. The tackletrap has them in stock.
alexandboi reply :
Thanks guys. I didn't get it since i did think the price was a little too high, but I am keeping a look out on ebay and other places in case one pops up for a good price. Will probably be my first daiwa reel.
Hogsticker reply :
I purchased the spool from a guy on that other forum. TTrap has them for 70 bucks
.ghoti. reply :
Thanks Hogsticker, but for that price I'll pass. If I used any of my Fuegos for really light baits, I would be tempted. It is a much better price that what i paid for the Japanese spools.
The lightest bait i throw with a Fuego is a Poor Boys tube, on a 3/0 hook with a 1/16oz internal weight. The reel handles this bait just fine. For really light weight baits I have four Alphas mounted on medium or med-light rods. They don't need a different spool to throw an 1/8oz bait. I even took one of them, mounted on a 6'9" ML-XF LTB, spooled with #6 YZ, on a trout trip. I threw a 1/16oz hair jig, with no trailer, fishing for browns in the rocks. I couldn't throw it 50 yards, but I could toss it far enough to hit the bank while drifting downriver. Maybe 40 feet? Good enough for me.
Hogsticker reply :
On 4/25/2013 at 10:28 PM, .ghoti. said:Thanks Hogsticker, but for that price I'll pass. If I used any of my Fuegos for really light baits, I would be tempted. It is a much better price that what i paid for the Japanese spools.
The lightest bait i throw with a Fuego is a Poor Boys tube, on a 3/0 hook with a 1/16oz internal weight. The reel handles this bait just fine. For really light weight baits I have four Alphas mounted on medium or med-light rods. They don't need a different spool to throw an 1/8oz bait. I even took one of them, mounted on a 6'9" ML-XF LTB, spooled with #6 YZ, on a trout trip. I threw a 1/16oz hair jig, with no trailer, fishing for browns in the rocks. I couldn't throw it 50 yards, but I could toss it far enough to hit the bank while drifting downriver. Maybe 40 feet? Good enough for me.
Yes, them Alphas will spoil ya for sure. I really just did the Fuego out of winter boredom. It's kinda funny cause my TDZ U.S Trails is basically the same thing, but hey, I'm just a knucklehead like that
.ghoti. reply :
If you're a knucklehead, I must be as well.
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