China direct reels, anyone has one...?

[carpflyguy 0]

Great point Trampus, there are a few benefits to going cheap. You just have to be willing to take the risk that you may get a piece of complete garbage. Better for experimenting, before you're ready to commit, as you said. But if I knew I needed a ___, I'd go somewhere else before I bought direct from overseas.

[Bimini15 0]

Ha! I guess I am getting older because I do remember a time growing up where everything was made in Japan. In Spain there was an explosion of electronics stores selling all kinds of items, many of them without rebranding, at much lower prices that their Sony and other brands' counterparts.

 

Anyway... I guess nobody has reel experience with Chinese brands, at least not directly. I might just get me a $50 reel down the road and be the one to give you guys a review.

[Poopdeck 0]

Well I've never bought cheap Chinese junk from anywhere other then cabelas. I happen to be a fan of their fly reels. China manfactuers what the world asks for. If you want them to make a high dollar reel with the best of material and high tolerances you can get it there. If you want a cheap hunk of crap you can get that to. I have a friend that works in that industry and orders many things from a China manufacturing plant. He gets exactly what he asks for and the items go through various prototype stages and approval processes before the final product is ramped up and shipped.

 

Personally, I'm not paying for American wages in the production process if I don't have to. If you relied on a totally made in American product that's made with totally American made material the labor costs alone would render that product way way out of the purchase ability of the middle class. American made worshippers are watering down the term to a ridiculas level where assembled in the USA from parts made abroad is now considered American made. Let's face it we are not a manufacturing country anymore and we never will be again. It's just not economically feasible to an economy that relies on the purchase power of the middle class.

 

It's all about the quality and workmanship and that same quality can be found in Chinese products. So as someone already said, it all depends on what company is doing the ordering of the product. I'm not buying direct from China but have no problems buying Chinese manufactured items made to American company specs.

[Chris_NH 0]

I've bought over a dozen fly reels directly from China though both eBay and AliExpress. Of them all only had one dud. These reels are smooth, durable and cheap. The drag seems pretty good, but I don't use a drag that much, preferring to palm the reel. I get them for well under $20 shipped. They're CNC aluminum. Downside is they take upwards of 3 weeks to get here. When I get them I take off the spool, grease them good (some are pre-greased at factory and some arrive dry) and swap over the bearing making it left hand retrieve,as that's what I prefer. The quality really was surprising to me. When I get a fish on and want to take up a lot of line to get the fish on the reel I just swat the spool a few times and it picks up line fast. My more expensive reels that all click are terrible at picking up slack line.

 

My favorite is this design: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lowest-price-ALC56-74mm-black-color-Chinese-cheap-aluminum-die-casting-fly-reel/

 

They come in 75mm, which is 3/4 wt, as well as bigger ones 5/6 and 7/8. The reels are very light and I find myself using a reel the next size larger than the rod, for both better balance and to take up line faster given the bigger spool.

 

I'm sure the Orvis guys laugh at me, but as much as I fish I can't be babying equipment because I've spent $250 on a reel. Owning so many reels I've got lots of extra spools and always have the right line with me, carrying 3 or 4 extra spools everywhere. I haven't had one crap out yet, but when I do I'll toss the body and keep the spool for yet another backup because they're interchangeable in the same size, even the different colors.

 

I wouldn't likely take one to catch king salmon, but for typical trout usage and bass up to 4 or 5 pounds they're more than adequate for what I need. I've got a few still new in the box if you're curious I'll sell you one. Should be able to ship it for like $22 total paypal. Bare aluminum/gray or black.

 

That's one of those reels in this photo:

[Mike West 0]

 

American made worshippers are watering down the term to a ridiculas level where assembled in the USA from parts made abroad is now considered American made. Let's face it we are not a manufacturing country anymore and we never will be again. It's just not economically feasible to an economy that relies on the purchase power of the middle class.

 

It's all about the quality and workmanship and that same quality can be found in Chinese products. So as someone already said, it all depends on what company is doing the ordering of the product. I'm not buying direct from China but have no problems buying Chinese manufactured items made to American company specs.

Yep we use to be a great nation...we actually made stuff, we don't any more.

We are a nation of consumers and that's what the "Man" wants.

If we quit buying stuff the world would implode.

 

Just the way it is.

[Chris_NH 0]

 

Yep we use to be a great nation...we actually made stuff, we don't any more.

We are a nation of consumers and that's what the "Man" wants.

If we quit buying stuff the world would implode.

 

Just the way it is.

 

 

I don't think it has so much to do with what the "man" wants - I think it has more to do with it being easier to sit on one's fat ass and get foodstamps, obamacare, etc. Who wants to spend 40 hours/week making $7 an hour assembling fishing reels when they can stay home and get free money from the rest of us? Take away the free money and all of a sudden fat albert on the scooter in Walmart might be willing to do some actual manual labor.

[Mike West 0]

[Poopdeck 0]

Actually we are a greater nation. If we were still a manufacturing country we would be a third world country. It's the natural progression of a truly great nation. Just as we moved from agriculture to industrial to manufacturing we have taken the next step into a technological country. We are constantly moving forward. To remain one step behind would make us a lesser country. Our greatness is allowing not only us but the world to thrive. That's what makes us the best there ever was and will always be.

[islander727 0]

I own a few of the cheaper reels he sells. I only use them on my lighter rods, where I'm just storing line. I have a 2 wt line on it's way from him as well.

 

My glass 1wt came from China. Magor Studios or something like that. I sleep with that at night.

 

The amount of time it takes to ship the items is substantially longer. That's the only problem I've ever had ordering stuff from overseas.

 

 

Take a look at his reels, then look at the same reels sold on ebay for sometimes a 100% mark up by American sellers.

[Bimini15 0]

Now we are getting into a "what's the best vise?" type of discussion, in that most of us have strong opinions based on limited personal experience...

 

Just remember that good, bad and great are all relative terms.

 

EDIT - I was talking about nations.

[Saltybum 0]

Well stated Bimini. It's all relative.

[colotyer 0]

I own 2 3tand reels,made in china by the former designer of van staal reels,he also moved to china to oversee operations of these reels.$199.95 for the tf50,$209.95 for the tf70.From a angler like me who owns 2 abels,2 hatches,a hardy,a ross f1,a galvan torque and others you really should have a look at these reels.www.3tand.com.

[Bimini15 0]

Chris,

I am curious about your reels. Are they CNC? The link on the post goes to a die cast model.

[Cold 0]

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[JAMAL 0]

sorry to tell you that China reels are junk. I bought a few and sold it off.

the cheapest reel I would buy is Ajiking brand.