Shimano or Daiwa? 2024
Johnpenguin reply :
Who makes better products?
Kidflex reply :
They both do. They are the top 2 in the industry. It’s all personal preference.
Jrob78 reply :
Both are excellent. Shimano uses centrifugal brakes and Daiwa uses an advanced magnetic system. I prefer Daiwa but use reels from both companies.
GreenPig reply :
Both a great. But I will not fish a T-winged reel.
ww2farmer reply :
I prefer Daiwa spinning reels. Not because they are "better" than Shimano, but most if not all of Daiwa's spinning reels are more feature packed and lighter then their respective price point Shimano counterparts. And Daiwa still makes the 2000 size reel, my favorite size. Shimano quit making 2000 sized reels a while ago.
Casting reels it's a coin flip. I have more Daiwa's than Shimanos...but only because the Fuego CT's were an unbeatable value when they were all over ebay for less than $70.
Jig Man reply :
I had Daiwas for a while. I had some problems with them so I tried a
Shimano. I now have at least two dozen Shimanos and am down to one Daiwa which I never use.
Spankey reply :
I use both. I probably have more Shimano stuff but I don’t have a Daiwa or Shimano product that I’m dissatisfied with over a many year history.
I could be wrong on this but it appears that both companies are trying to step up their game with their lower end/price point stuff also. Tough for some newbies to drop $160 - $200 on a reel. Or to justify it.
I'm thinking about getting myself on the pre-order list from TW on the Crossfire Reel. Get them for grandsons in the 1000 series. They are starting to get a nice amount of fishing tackle together.
Anyway, can’t go wrong with either.
N Florida Mike reply :
I used to fish Diawas more, but for no particular reason I’ve moved on to Shimanos.I don’t think I have any Diawas left now in my arsenal , just a few in my reel graveyard box.Have been satisfied with both though.
J._Bricker reply :
I have both, and enjoy using them for different applications. @Johnpenguin, it’s kinda like asking Ford or Chevy, Toyota or Honda which boils down to personal preference. And I do own more Shimano if we’re keeping score. You can’t go wrong with either company’s products...
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
My daiwa is slim down to just this.
The rest are shimanos. They both good, but would be better if you know what reel is best for what techniques and not just I prefer such brand or price.
Largies4Life reply :
I had been strictly a Daiwa fan, but picked up some Shimano gear this past winter and I have been quite impressed with it so far. I would say, once you get into the $150 range and above for both companies, whether it be a rod or reel, you really can't go wrong with either one! Just depends on what you're looking for in a rod/reel.
NHBull reply :
Ford or Chevy.....I am in the shimano camp and after casting the conquest 100, I was hooked!
BassWhole! reply :
Overall they both make quality products, they also both have (or have had) some misfires along the way. I fish both in fresh and salt water.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 7/15/2019 at 10:38 PM, JustJames said:My daiwa is slim down to just this.
The rest are shimanos. They both good, but would be better if you know what reel is best for what techniques and not just I prefer such brand or price.
So......want to go all Shimano and sell me these reels? 
FishingGeekTX reply :
Probably subjective, unless we established metrics (which are also subjective), and objectively rated them on it.
Not really sure 100% why, but I ended up mostly Shimano, no Daiwa. Also seems like most people call it DIE'a-waa, instead of day-waa, just kind of annoys me..like it hasn't tried to fix that 
Some goofballs of course say you pronounce Daiwa as "Shi-mahn-o".
I feel as though when I went to Cabellas, the two times I worked the Daiwa baitcasters, I felt the thumb bar was a little stiff and cheap feeling in comparison. That's purely subjective and I did not necessarily side by side test. But that's why I steered from Daiwa initially. With so many reels to choose from, having a reason to cut that number down that numbers I not usually second-guessed, if you know what I mean.
Subjectively, there were a lot more Shimano fan-boys, and having nothing much else to go on, that unfortunately factored in too early on.
Later, I hated having to learn the differences in models, it's so absurd. There is no clear cut anything...really in fishing in general, it's all smoke and mirrors and high priced luxury. I learned some Shimano, and I guess I didn't feel like trying to learn Daiwa's secret code of all the model names and what they mean, etc.
DC vs MGL for Shimano, it's noticeable. One is lighter and has a lighter spool and casts far. The other is heavier and costs more, heavier spool, but has great spool control and casts similar (as a result of better spool control). Are the Dawia "technology" offerings similar?
I'd certainly like to hear a similar write-up from people who like Daiwa over Shimano..gear junkies get bored with things and like to sample other luxury wares
I suspect no matter which a person ends up with, the fact that both are quality, reputable companies, likely gives them comfort.
johnD. reply :
I look at it like , coke or pepsi , ford or chevy. Can't go wrong with either. I fish both.
FrankN209 reply :
As many others have said, I will concur, they both make great reels respectively. You can't go wrong with either of these brands.
LonnieP reply :
Both companies make quality reels. I prefer the ease of setup and braking of Daiwa.
Mobasser reply :
Both of these companies make good tackle.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 7/15/2019 at 11:36 PM, new2BC4bass said:So......want to go all Shimano and sell me these reels?
Do you have CQ51? I just got rid of Aldebaran in favor of Alphas Air. I almost cried all the way to post office.
zell_pop1 reply :
Both are great, I use reels from both, plus have a couple old Team Daiwa S rods.
TBAG reply :
I fish with both brand of reels, but own many more Shimano reels than I do Daiwa.
Like others have said, it's really personal preference.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 7/16/2019 at 1:02 AM, JustJames said:Do you have CQ51?
Nope. Wouldn't trade if I did. 
On 7/16/2019 at 1:41 AM, TBAG said:I fish with both brand of reels, but own many more Shimano reels than I do Daiwa.
Like others have said, it's really personal preference.
Yup. Agree with others having this same outlook. More Daiwas than Shimanos, but not planning on getting rid of any of them.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 7/16/2019 at 1:50 AM, new2BC4bass said:Nope. Wouldn't trade if I did.
I’ll add this one to the mix.
BTW, finally I got my hand on this one, that why I want 51 to fill the hole.
Jrob78 reply :
On 7/16/2019 at 2:09 AM, JustJames said:I’ll add this one to the mix.
BTW, finally I got my hand on this one, that why I want 51 to fill the hole.
Those Benkei's are really nice rods, especially for what they cost.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
Choice of reel isn't going to affect the fish you catch, but I have come to prefer shimano reels for their refinement.
5by3 reply :
Tatula sv for pitching/skipping and shimano for everything else. Really you can’t go wrong with either. Both are great brands.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Gotten rid of almost all of my Shimanos and switched to mostly Daiwas. Still have a few 200B Curados, a 50B Calcutta, 200E5 Curado, and 100B Chronarch. Only Shimano I'm keeping is a 300E Curado and I'm not completely sold on keeping it.
jbsoonerfan reply :
I have owned a ton of both brands. High end (Steez, Antares) to low end (Tatula, Citica) and EVERYONE of them have been excellent. You cannot go wrong with either.
NHBull reply :
On 7/16/2019 at 8:10 AM, newyorktoiowa57 said:Choice of reel isn't going to affect the fish you catch, but I have come to prefer shimano reels for their refinement.
^this......before I went deep with shimano, I spoke to several of the top guys know for reel service and all told me they have far fewer problems with Shimano. Doubt they will weigh in on the topic
Spankey reply :
I still use a 1300 Gold Long Spool SS from around ‘92. Possibly a bit older than that. I love it. I replaced parts and sort of done my own rebuild of it back some years ago. Wish I could buy another just like it. Not sure if the new versions are every bit of the old Japan versions. But I do own newer Daiwas that have been great.
FishTank reply :
I like and own both but personal preference is Shimano. You really can't go wrong with either.
Cgrinder reply :
Use both. Pick the standouts from both manufacturers. I am currently all Daiwa but a Bantam might edge out a Zillion here shortly.
drscholl14 reply :
Daiwa for me. Used both, liked both, but the Daiwa's just feel smoother to me.
CrankFate reply :
They’re both great brands. I give the edge to Shimano, for one reason only. Mechanical friction brakes. The way I cast, magnets are just not sufficient. A mechanical brake, IMO, handles very hard, high rpm casts better. Otherwise, Daiwa is not worse and might work better when I’m not casting as hard.
drew4779 reply :
Both awesome. Pick one...can't go wrong with either. I'd give a slight edge to shimano but only because I sometimes alter the external brakes on the daiwa's mid cast due to the way I palm reels. I've owned many brands (daiwa, shimano, bps, lews, Abu, pflueger, quantum, browning) and I reach for shimano or daiwa 90% of the time. IMO, shimano and daiwa are the most versatile.
Brett's_daddy reply :
Wow, what a can of worms...lol. Honestly, you couldn't go wrong with either. It's like saying which would you rather have, a Porsche or a Ferarri...you'll be happy with whichever one so if you can go into a store and put your hands on the different rods/reels just pick the one that feels better to you, at this point it's all personal preference as both company's make top of the line products IMO.
stratoliner92 reply :
I fish several Curados on Diawa rods ????
Chowderhead reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 2:50 AM, stratoliner92 said:I fish several Curados on Diawa rods ????
Nonconformist
RB 77 reply :
Both. They are the top two industry leaders and its not even close (IMO), and I own all Shimanos. That's saying something. I have owned Daiwa in the past (among all the other popular manufactures) and they are the only ones I feel match Shimano's build quality. I just personally prefer Shimano's ergonomics more.
smithy97 reply :
I have and love both, but what I prefer about Shimano is that they offer all models and gear ratios for both right and left handed. Daiwa only offers certain high speed options to right handed (ie, you can't get a tatula ct in 8:1 in left handed, only in right). Being a lefty, I had to start experimenting with Shimano. After buying a Curado K and a Chronarch MGL I wasn't disappointed. I do think they are more refined than my Daiwa's, but the brakes take a bit more getting used to.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
I have multiple issues with the last 2 daiwa baitcasters I have purchased so it will be some time before they get me a third time. Shimano bc reels have been spot on so most likely continue with them.
Spinning reels is just the opposite more likely to buy daiwa over shimano.
Yumeya reply :
Both, but I seem to go towards Shimano.
MassYak85 reply :
Right now I have all Daiwa reels because ei love the tatula lineup but my next baitcaster will probably be a Shimano just because I want to give them a fair shake.
Timberwolf530 reply :
Both make good products, but Daiwa has MUCH better customer service. So does Garcia. Shimano C.S. sucks with a capital S.
Fried Lemons reply :
I have some of both and could make a lineup from either company and be satisfied. I don’t have any of Daiwas latest low profiles because I’m not digging the TWS they pushed on all their reels. I’ve used the older Steez and Zillions which I really liked.
king fisher reply :
I have been a big fan of Shimano for 40 years. I owned a Diawa spinning reel when I was a kid. The line wore a grove in the bail, causing the line to fray. My next reel was a shimano, and I have been a big fan ever since. Last year a friend talked me into buying a Diawa BG spinning reel for saltwater use. I paid around $100. It is by far the best Saltwater spinning reel under $600 I have ever owned. I decided to buy a Tatula CT. for bass fishing. Cost was also around $100 Best bait caster I have. I can cast farther with it than other brands costing twice as much.
I still think the top of the line Shimano reels are the best especially the larger salt water models, but do believe Diawa has the edge in the $120 dollar or less market. Time will tell if the Diawa reels have the durability I have become accustom to with Shimano products.
Hartwood71 reply :
Similar to other comments, ford/chevy, coke/pepsi, i'll add Canon/Nikon. I have been a Shimano person and not been let down. The most important thing you can do is choose the proper specification for the style of fishing you're going to do. Making those decisions properly, canon the door to many other brands beyond Diawa and Shimano. Equally important, is making the right decisions with the line and tackle you use for the style of fishing: ie- mono for flex on top water if rod is stiff, flouro for slow deepwater, etc. Have fun with both companies and make good decisions around how you use them.
evo2s197 reply :
I've had both, mostly mid range to high end.
I've settled on Daiwa, I just like them more, but they are both solid and light years ahead of all the other options especially at the $180 mark and up.
I do feel that Daiwa spinning reels are a lot better than shimano in the spinning reel department dollar for dollar.
swhit140 reply :
This will be a never ending debate no matter what reel company anyone prefers. I've used both, my reel lineup are Daiwa. I don't care what people use, if they are out fishing and enjoying what they are doing is the most important part.
Shimano_1 reply :
Pretty easy to see most people think they're the 2 best. They've both had a long history of making quality products. I personally think some of the doyo platforms are just as capable and quality as well. My only gripe with daiwa is it seems their quality is all over the place. Get 4 fuego or tatula reels and they wont all feel the same. If they fixed that I'd probably prefer them. Shimano seems to be a little more consistent and this pleases my ocd lol. Plus most of the newer shimanos are smaller profile and this matters. I dont think honestly in the above 100 dollar range that there are any bad reels anymore. Just personal preferences
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