Product Insight : Zillion TWS a.k.a. Tatula Z?

[stevenhatchy]

One of the most informative and direct articles ever posted here. Great job!

[k3fishing]

Thank you Tackletour... You have answered the valuable questions about these 2 reels in the last review that was just posted. This info is very helpful for those of us that were on the fence. Thanks again for the info.

[Aaronb]

When the Tatula first came out I thought Daiwa had apparently paid way too much attention to Shimano. It seemed very similar in design to the Shimano E reels. Then they cheapen the Zillion like Shimano did with the Chronarch.

Shimano finally is building a more diverse line up. Now Daiwa is consolidating. I hope this run with Daiwa is short lived.

I still don't understand why they had to completely abandon the T3 platform in the US. An aluminum framed T3 with no hood and a regular line guide. I guess they felt pushing the T wing was more important.

[Teal101]

Did Daiwa ever actually say that or was it just assumed because of a different name?

It's our understanding that the Zillion TWS was explained to the company's sales reps as a new platform.

Really great article! So does this mean that with a relatively cheap gear change we can fit a standard tatula with 9,1:1 zillion gears?

This won't work because when you change gear ratios, you also need to change the pinion gear. Pinions between the two reels are not compatible.

Can you swap the main gear, pinion gear, and spool between the two models? IE swap in the 9.1:1 main gear, pinion, and a zillion spool or does the cast control cap style prevent that?

Great article guys, no punches pulled! Looks like Daiwa pulled a Shimano on us this year

[taylor5877]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

[Tavery5]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

[Bronzeye]

As I recall, this article only compared casting performance with 5/8 oz. lures, and not pitching performance, The regular Tatula has a heavier spool than the Type R, and I would assume the Zillion has at least as light a spool as the Type R; if that's true, one cannot conclude (without more data) that the regular Tatula pitches as well as the Chronarch CI4, or that it casts light lures as well.

[Cal]

Can you swap the main gear, pinion gear, and spool between the two models? IE swap in the 9.1:1 main gear, pinion, and a zillion spool or does the cast control cap style prevent that?

No because there are differences as to how the frame on each reel receives the spool as well.

As I recall, this article only compared casting performance with 5/8 oz. lures, and not pitching performance

Correct, I didn't compare the two reels in pitching performance.

[Tavery5]

TT Shootout : Zillion TWS vs Chronarch CI4+ (continued)


http://tackletour.com/reviewshootoutci4vstwspg2.html


Pitching: For the pitching tests, I tied on a 3/8th ounce jig from Bass Patrol and once again found that after about a dozen pitches with each reel, distance was roughly the same. The interesting observation here was that at times it felt as though the Zillion TWS could pitch further, but that the pitch was choked of at the end by the magnetic brakes. Oddly enough when I backed off the brakes entirely, pitching distance didn't improve by much but that choked off sensation no longer presented itself.



The Zillion TWS line guide lets the line come off the reel's spool effortlessly during a pitch.



To be sure we were making an apples to apples comparison, I backed off all brakes on the Chronarch CI4+ as well and also found out pitching distance was more or less the same as when the brakes were on. For both reels, pitching is such a low spool speed presentation, the spool probably doesn't spin up fast enough for a long enough period of time for the casting brakes to have any real effect. Advantage : DRAW



But the Chronarch CI4+ was no slouch either. Result? A draw.

Low End Casting Limit: The last casting test we made with these reels was to see how light of a bait they'd let us cast. Three eighths (3/8ths) of an ounce is the lower end rating for the Megabass F6-72X4 Destruction, so we switched these reels over to identical Phenix Recon PHX-C682 instead to test out their lower limits. During each of the reels' individual product reviews, I got a sense they'd be able to handle baits down to one quarter of an ounce, but I never really investigated further.

[Teal101]

Can you swap the main gear, pinion gear, and spool between the two models? IE swap in the 9.1:1 main gear, pinion, and a zillion spool or does the cast control cap style prevent that?

No because there are differences as to how the frame on each reel receives the spool as well.

As I recall, this article only compared casting performance with 5/8 oz. lures, and not pitching performance

Correct, I didn't compare the two reels in pitching performance.

Gotcha, good to know!

[Bootytrain]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

Cals brake settings on the Chronarch for the distance test were almost 50% which is what he is comfortable with. Had he went down to one brake on and maybe 3-4 on the dial, the Chronarch would have won the distance portion too.

[Tavery5]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

Cals brake settings on the Chronarch for the distance test were almost 50% which is what he is comfortable with. Had he went down to one brake on and maybe 3-4 on the dial, the Chronarch would have won the distance portion too.

So your saying that an experienced angler like Cal needed to use 50% of the Chronarch's available braking to make it comfortable to cast with. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

[Bootytrain]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

Cals brake settings on the Chronarch for the distance test were almost 50% which is what he is comfortable with. Had he went down to one brake on and maybe 3-4 on the dial, the Chronarch would have won the distance portion too.

So your saying that an experienced angler like Cal needed to use 50% of the Chronarch's available braking to make it comfortable to cast with. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Look in the thread of the test comparison to enlighten yourself.

[Tavery5]

this article highlights why at the "street price" of $100 all day the regular Tatula is one of the best deals in fishing.

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

Cals brake settings on the Chronarch for the distance test were almost 50% which is what he is comfortable with. Had he went down to one brake on and maybe 3-4 on the dial, the Chronarch would have won the distance portion too.

So your saying that an experienced angler like Cal needed to use 50% of the Chronarch's available braking to make it comfortable to cast with. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Look in the thread of the test comparison to enlighten yourself.

I read it when it was released and I also seen your post to Cal stating much the same thing you did in your previous post as well as his reply. You and I both know that casting distance is way down on the totem pole of features that make for a nice reel. So I guess in my mind the point is probably not worth debating.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

This, and if we give the same weight to the comparison test done here between the Zillion TWS and the Chronarch CI4 where the testing showed the Zillion TWS to be a better caster and equal to the Chronarch in pitching.

With this new insight basically saying the Zillion TWS and the Tatula are the same reels, with no real world difference shown by the free floating spool, would this not mean that I can purchase a 100 dollar Tatula and have a better caster and the equal pitching reel compared to the 280 dollar Chronarch?

Cals brake settings on the Chronarch for the distance test were almost 50% which is what he is comfortable with. Had he went down to one brake on and maybe 3-4 on the dial, the Chronarch would have won the distance portion too.

So your saying that an experienced angler like Cal needed to use 50% of the Chronarch's available braking to make it comfortable to cast with. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Look in the thread of the test comparison to enlighten yourself.

I read it when it was released and I also seen your post to Cal stating much the same thing you did in your previous post as well as his reply. You and I both know that casting distance is way down on the totem pole of features that make for a nice reel. So I guess in my mind the point is probably not worth debating.

Thought you were the one going on about casting pitching distance so it must be of some importance to you. I do know a tat cant hang with a ci4 tossing 1/8oz spinnerbaits