Shimano Chronarch vs Metanium 2025
HookingDreams reply :
i know this topic is talked about a lot but if i order from Japan Lure Shop, you can get the MET for $100 off US price, and the Chronarch $50 off US price. So my question here is, what is truly the best. i want a reel for all around. i mainly throw soft plastics, chatterbaits and a little bit of frog. Never throw HUGE baits such as swimbaits and etc. i am more than likely to throw either reel on a Dobyns, Favorite, or Fitzgerald rod.
Fishingmickey reply :
They both do a very good job, excellent casting and smooth drag system. Both are fine all around reels. I have two of each.
BaitFinesse reply :
I'd go with the met and upgrade to Curado K gears once the stock met gears become geary/noisy. The Chronarch already has micro mod brass gears which is nice but it is a plastic reel. I'd be concerned with the longevity of the reel and resale value down the road. The met seems like a pretty safe bet.
lmbfisherman reply :
I’d go with the Met.
Regarding the comment about plastic reel for the Chronarch. I will respectfully disagree. Maybe in 10 years I’ll get back to you, still enjoying my Chronarch MGLs. ????
puddlepuncher reply :
On 5/3/2018 at 6:20 AM, Fishingmickey said:They both do a very good job, excellent casting and smooth drag system. Both are fine all around reels. I have two of each.
I also own 2 of each.
If money is the main issue I'd go with the Chronarch, it's a great reel and the Met IMO has a few novel improvements and a fraction of an oz lighter. Performance wish I would call them even. I'd actually say the Chronarch get's a slight edge casting lighter stuff as the Met has an extra bearing on the spool that adds just a bit of start up weight. I bought the Met's only because I had the cash and wanted to know. I don't regret buying them but if cash was a concern I would have stuck with just the Chronarchs.
If you have the cash to drop I'd actually suggest holding each and seeing what one is more comfortable in your hand. They are the same size but have slight differences shape wise.
Don't get me wrong the Met is worth every penny, I just think the Chronarch is a steal for $140 less retail than the Met. Either way you end up with a great reel. The carbon frame is just as solid as the Met IMO, but you know what opinions are worth.
Lastly I'd check Ebay, you could get either for a slightly better price.
Riazuli reply :
If you're able to comfortably afford the met and the cost isn't a factor at this point, I'd say met hands down. If the cost is a factor, I don't think you can go wrong with the Chronarch.
OnthePotomac reply :
Don't own the Met, but I do have a "plastic" Chronarch MGL 8.1:1 LOL and it is an incredible reel. Very, very smooth and effortless to cast. In full disclosure, I normally do not spend this much on a reel, but gift cards prevailed. I hope no one from Shimano reads this threat.
fishballer06 reply :
Sold both of my Met MGL's, still have 2 of my 13 Met's, and I have 4 of the Chronarch MGL's.
For an all around reel, Chronarch MGL is the best all around reel I have ever used. Shimano has a real winner in this platform.
FrankN209 reply :
On 5/4/2018 at 1:13 AM, fishballer06 said:Sold both of my Met MGL's, still have 2 of my 13 Met's, and I have 4 of the Chronarch MGL's.
For an all around reel, Chronarch MGL is the best all around reel I have ever used. Shimano has a real winner in this platform.
Would you take the Chronarch MGL's over the 13 Met's?
HookingDreams reply :
On 5/3/2018 at 9:35 PM, OnthePotomac said:Don't own the Met, but I do have a "plastic" Chronarch MGL 8.1:1 LOL and it is an incredible reel. Very, very smooth and effortless to cast. In full disclosure, I normally do not spend this much on a reel, but gift cards prevailed. I hope no one from Shimano reads this threat.
i can’t stand the word “plastic” lol calling the Chronarch plastic is stupid. The frame is NOT plastic. The only thing that is so called “plastic” is the outside.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 5/4/2018 at 11:45 AM, HookingDreams said:i can’t stand the word “plastic” lol calling the Chronarch plastic is stupid. The frame is NOT plastic. The only thing that is so called “plastic” is the outside.
What is the frame made from?
burrows reply :
On 5/4/2018 at 2:58 PM, BaitFinesse said:What is the frame made from?
It is made from a type of plastic but it doesn’t feel like plastic much like a glock doesn’t feel like plastic, the chronarch mgl is made of a very dense plastic material it holds its value and will last a life time..
NHBull reply :
I have several of both and there is no wrong answer, but I do prefer the the Met.
I am holding out to see how the Bantam works out as they may replace the cronarch.....but truth be told, nothing beats the conquest 101
burrows reply :
On 5/4/2018 at 7:22 PM, Burros said:It is made from a type of plastic but it doesn’t feel like plastic much like a glock doesn’t feel like plastic, the chronarch mgl is made of a very dense plastic material it holds its value and will last a life time..
I must quote myself on this however, having the choice to pick either reel I would pick the metanium.
puddlepuncher reply :
Would it be fair to say they are both great buys in their price range? That's what my vote is.
Ironically the biggest issue I've ever read about with the older Chronarch CI4 version was never 'plastic' frame related issues, rather it was spool corrosion issues, a metal part.
burrows reply :
On 5/3/2018 at 4:47 AM, HookingDreams said:i know this topic is talked about a lot but if i order from Japan Lure Shop, you can get the MET for $100 off US price, and the Chronarch $50 off US price. So my question here is, what is truly the best. i want a reel for all around. i mainly throw soft plastics, chatterbaits and a little bit of frog. Never throw HUGE baits such as swimbaits and etc. i am more than likely to throw either reel on a Dobyns, Favorite, or Fitzgerald rod.
Chronarch mgl is nice for what you want to do I throw weightless rage menaces on with my chronarch mgl easy I have a couple of them but having the choice right now I would pick a metanium only because I don’t have one.
keep us posted on what you got!!!
lmbfisherman reply :
Let me clarify, I own both. Although they both perform great, for the price if you compared the USDM versions, the net between them I’d take the Chronarch all day. If compared to the JDM, I’d take the Met all day. It’s about bang for your buck for me. The Met has a slight edge for my personal preference.
OnthePotomac reply :
Well, I checked with Dan at Shimano and all he will say is that the frame of the Chronarch MGL is a composition formulated by Shimano for lightness and strength, but they will not reveal what it is. Mystery solved.
Tywithay reply :
It's a graphite-based material, just like zaion. There are numerous different ratios of resin:graphite, plus other materials, it could consist of. For people that think graphite is weak, I use it everyday to build airplanes that will take on FAR greater loads than a fishing reel could even dream of, and it holds up without fail. It's all about how it's implemented.
anderb54 reply :
I own both. Both are fantastic reels. I like the way the Metanium fits in my hand a bit better than the Chronarch, but I feel like the gap in performance between the two is so miniscule that it really comes down to personal preference.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 5/6/2018 at 5:42 AM, Tywithay said:It's a graphite-based material, just like zaion. There are numerous different ratios of resin:graphite, plus other materials, it could consist of. For people that think graphite is weak, I use it everyday to build airplanes that will take on FAR greater loads than a fishing reel could even dream of, and it holds up without fail. It's all about how it's implemented.
You injection mold airplanes out of plastic?
Tywithay reply :
On 5/6/2018 at 10:17 AM, BaitFinesse said:You injection mold airplanes out of plastic?
Some pieces are injection molded, others are made from prepregs. Not all parts can be injection molded, because the cost would be outrageous, or the shape just isn't feasible. As far as rigidity and longevity, it all depends on the materials being used and the percentages of each respective material. Lower cost reels likely use powdered graphite, or at the most, maybe 20% of chopped graphite. They have around 60% e-glass, and the rest is polyurethane. They will have more of plastic feel and may have some flex, with a tensile strength around 20-30ksi. If you up that percentage to 50% graphite-reinforced compound, it will display a similar tensile strength to 7057-T6 aluminum, which is 80-85ksi. The zaion/ci4 compounds are likely on the higher end of the graphite scale. I wish we could get more information, but I know they want to hide their proprietary information to keep other companies from copying.
burrows reply :
????
BaitFinesse reply :
On 5/6/2018 at 12:15 PM, Tywithay said:Some pieces are injection molded, others are made from prepregs. Not all parts can be injection molded, because the cost would be outrageous, or the shape just isn't feasible. As far as rigidity and longevity, it all depends on the materials being used and the percentages of each respective material. Lower cost reels likely use powdered graphite, or at the most, maybe 20% of chopped graphite. They have around 60% e-glass, and the rest is polyurethane. They will have more of plastic feel and may have some flex, with a tensile strength around 20-30ksi. If you up that percentage to 50% graphite-reinforced compound, it will display a similar tensile strength to 7057-T6 aluminum, which is 80-85ksi. The zaion/ci4 compounds are likely on the higher end of the graphite scale. I wish we could get more information, but I know they want to hide their proprietary information to keep other companies from copying.
I hope it gets better that Zaion and ci4. T3s suffered from broken hoods and stripped threads while the ci4 Chronach had instances of broken reel feet. The material has a lot of potential in fishing reel applications. The strength to weight ratio of the high carbon content plastics rival that of magnesium and is corrosion resistant. The material is great in appropriate thicknesses but things like reel feet are a fixed size and are often the point of failure in plastic baitcast reels. If there was some way to strengthen the reel foot then I think that would easy the mind of a lot of anglers and allow them to view it as a material appropriate for higher end reel applications.
fishballer06 reply :
On 5/4/2018 at 1:23 AM, FrankN209 said:Would you take the Chronarch MGL's over the 13 Met's?
Absolutely.
bunz559 reply :
Never heard of Japan Lure Shop till now. Wow, great prices. May have to put in a nice order.
bunz559 reply :
Just received my Metanium MGL and I've have to say it's a beautiful reel! I haven't used it yet, but off the back I notice that free spool is much smoother and longer with the Metanium as it should be when being over $100 more in price point. Moreover, it is notably larger than the Chronarch MGL but weight difference is negligible. The handle on the Metanium is much larger as well.
I have had my Chronarch MGL for awhile now and I'd say that it would be my preferred reel for plastics and all around fishing. The Metanium would probably be left for heavier baits or heavier cover with that larger handle.
burrows reply :
On 5/25/2018 at 2:47 PM, bunz559 said:Just received my Metanium MGL and I've have to say it's a beautiful reel! I haven't used it yet, but off the back I notice that free spool is much smoother and longer with the Metanium as it should be when being over $100 more in price point. Moreover, it is notably larger than the Chronarch MGL but weight difference is negligible. The handle on the Metanium is much larger as well.
I have had my Chronarch MGL for awhile now and I'd say that it would be my preferred reel for plastics and all around fishing. The Metanium would probably be left for heavier baits or heavier cover with that larger handle.
Does it palm better than the chronarch mgl ?
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