Are you using any Chinese manufactured reels?

[SSS]

Any of you using Chinese manufactured reels like the Piscifun, Loongze, Googan and all of these noname brands? What's your experience with them?

[zalan]

Chinese reels from Aliexpress are popular in my country due to price. I have experience with Tsurinoya and Ecooda. Tsu is probably the most popular here and most of their models are decent budget reels. Same experience with Ecooda, they are also decent reels.

Also do not need to overthink it, high end reels from the big brands are better, lighter and generally more refined. Basically you get what you pay for. If you need a budget reel, you can try them, just do not expect high-end performance.

[SSS]

Chinese reels from Aliexpress are popular in my country due to price. I have experience with Tsurinoya and Ecooda. Tsu is probably the most popular here and most of their models are decent budget reels. Same experience with Ecooda, they are also decent reels.

Also do not need to overthink it, high end reels from the big brands are better, lighter and generally more refined. Basically you get what you pay for. If you need a budget reel, you can try them, just do not expect high-end performance.

Personally, if i am on a budget, and wanted a brand new reel, i would grab one from shimano or daiwa, be it an slx or a tatula. Or even better, get a used reel like a TDZ/OG Steez/OG Alphas, and i would know for a fact that they will performance much better than anything those noname brands could even dream of achieving. I never understood this "i buy whichever Chinese manufactured reel because i am on a budget", when the used market is massive, and a reel like the few mentioned above, or a Metanium 2013 can be had for so cheap nowadays. A worn Met2013 is instantly superior than a brand new noname reel with zero quality control and the focus on copying the big three instead of coming out with their designs.

[zalan]

To be honest I was talking about spinning reels. There these brands give you more features for the same price and they work. They might not be as smooth or light, but they get the job done and affordable.

Casting reels are a bit different. I do not have any chines ones, but friends and my father have. What they did there is specialize in BFS reels. They have a large selection and cheap options. They realized that the big brands keep the BFS reels expensive and saw an opportunity there. I'm pretty sure that lately the BFS craze with Curado BFS and cheaper options are a direct answer to those chinese reels.

Obviously the big brands with their top reels are much better than a cheap one from China. Noone disputes that, but even the used ones cost more than the ones I was talking about.

With all these chinese stuff, my next reel purchase will probably be the new Twin Power. High end reels have their appeal and they are more joy to use than budget options.

[hoohoorjoo]

The Piscifun Alloy M reel is a solid option. I wouldnt pay the $90 full price for it, but for the $66 shipped that I paid for it, its a good reel. It was never slick-smooth, but again, still a good reel for what I paid. I suspect that the lower ratio reels would be smoother. Mine is 8.4 ratio.

[AlgonquinFan]

I'm still using a made in China Daiwa Caldia 2000-sized spinning reel. Aside from a couple of the design features that I don't like (just personal preferences regarding the non-folding handle and the rotor design), the reel's held up well over the years.

[dragon1]

I'm still using a made in China Daiwa Caldia 2000-sized spinning reel. Aside from a couple of the design features that I don't like (just personal preferences regarding the non-folding handle and the rotor design), the reel's held up well over the years.

Totally different scenario here...Daiwa and Shimano reels made outside of Japan is still 100% designed, engineered, manufacturered by Daiwa and Shimano, just the country of manufacturing is different to lower labor costs. --> Thus these are Japanese reels.

The original post is about reels designed/engineered/manufactured by/in China.
..otherwise a 100% Chinese product.

[SSS]

The Piscifun Alloy M reel is a solid option. I wouldnt pay the $90 full price for it, but for the $66 shipped that I paid for it, its a good reel. It was never slick-smooth, but again, still a good reel for what I paid. I suspect that the lower ratio reels would be smoother. Mine is 8.4 ratio.

Have you used it a good amount, especially with high resistance baits? Would expect it to have a super buzzy and geary gear set real quick.

[SSS]

I'm still using a made in China Daiwa Caldia 2000-sized spinning reel. Aside from a couple of the design features that I don't like (just personal preferences regarding the non-folding handle and the rotor design), the reel's held up well over the years.

That's no noname brand. The likes of daiwa and shimano have actual engineers and quality control. Same can't be said about aliexpress brands.

[LowRange]

I have a few to scratch my budget/beginner reel enthusiast itch. I like to be well versed in the cheap stuff to recommend to new anglers and I frequently use them as loner reels and on kayak fishing trips. They can spend months strapped to the headliner of my Honda Element.

Anyways the one truly good one is the Johncoo Ares. It's a 300 size aluminum frame with dual aluminum side plates and a double supported pinion for $48. Everything else out there is either over priced aluminum frame reels or plastic trash that feels like a coffee grinder.

The Histar Black Mamba has potential being an aluminum frame and handle side plate reel with a dual supported pinion but they want $77 for it and give you 3 spools. I'd prefer it for $60 with one dual brake spool. Maybe dial back the fancy paint job to lower cost.

[hoohoorjoo]

The Piscifun Alloy M reel is a solid option. I wouldnt pay the $90 full price for it, but for the $66 shipped that I paid for it, its a good reel. It was never slick-smooth, but again, still a good reel for what I paid. I suspect that the lower ratio reels would be smoother. Mine is 8.4 ratio.

Have you used it a good amount, especially with high resistance baits? Would expect it to have a super buzzy and geary gear set real quick.

I used it regularly for over a year with 40# braid and a tight drag, to drag big c-rigs and jigs. I also did throw a frog with it. It wasnt slick when I got it, mostly because it was dry. After lubing it, it was fine and didnt deteriotate with use. The gears are solid brass, fwiw.

[DirtyD64]

I will continue to use Daiwa and Shimano, probably till I die. That being said, 2 of the highest end models I have owned have had issues. My Steez A had a tick and I just had to dig into a Conquest SE to get my brake dial to even turn. That being said, even with those small issues they are still more solid and refined than Chinese reels I have used. My dad has a few he has ordered for filler reels and so does my uncle. Uncle has some Piscifun and like a Viper X or something. He fishes kayak tournaments and even though the reels are a bit loose and clunky they still get the job done for very cheap.

[Slazmo]

Did anyone invest in that Chinese made DC reel at all?

[slipperybob]

Shakespeare

[LowRange]

The Piscifun Alloy M reel is a solid option. I wouldnt pay the $90 full price for it, but for the $66 shipped that I paid for it, its a good reel. It was never slick-smooth, but again, still a good reel for what I paid. I suspect that the lower ratio reels would be smoother. Mine is 8.4 ratio.

Have you used it a good amount, especially with high resistance baits? Would expect it to have a super buzzy and geary gear set real quick.

I think it would. I have one and don't really like it. It's an ok reel. Very compact but the braking is really weak and it never been a super smooth reel. My Histar Black Momba on the other hand has been good so far with smooth power under load. It has a double suppored pinion with an aluminum frame and handle side plate. I hate the handle on it though but thats an easy fix. I have converted it to dual brake and use it on a 7'MH Lightning rod as a chatterbait/spinnerbait/buzzbait combo for kayak fishing trips sometimes. There will be weeks at a time I drive around with a kayak on the roof and fishing rods on my headliner and just kind of stop at little lakes I find. That kind of stuff tends to get beat up so having some beaters is nice.