I spooled it with 8 LB test mono for lighter lures, gave it some practice casts and found that it did cast well czcams.com/users/postUgkxSlytCJqozTF7EbdP4LWP-HUXf9WRDJ0e , except that the anti-backlash setting had to be turned up almost all of the way to keep the "overcasts' ' down. I disassembled it, and found that if I potted some "shim washers" behind that anti-backlash magnet assembly, it got the magnets closer to the spool without rubbing, and I could get better control with about a 6 to 7 out out 10-Max setting. I also noticed that the handle shaft had some internal end play, maybe only 2 or 3 thousands of an inch, but it's still noticeable. If the anti-backlash and shaft tolerances were "tightened up" this would be a fantastic value. I've only used it for 4 days of fishing in a month's time, but I plan on keeping it.
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Man, really without exaggerating at all I have to say that the things you explain are really extremely important to me too, until now I thought I had some mild mental disorder, but when one thinks about their hobby every single detail has to be taken into consideration! Thank you very much for your time, I am really impressed! Stay healthy, man!
I dont see many honest reviews on CZcams nowadays. I am so glad I found your channel. I feel your channel should've deserved much more subscribes. Nice work sir!
Just got the Exceler LT1000. Nice smooth reel, but it's the most flexy reel I have ever handled! I'll keep it because it is nice and on my UL rig won't get tortured... the light weight is nice, but I do sometimes miss the old 80's, made-in-Japan Daiwas and Shimanos made of a solid chunk of Aluminum and rigid as a stone wall.
Jim Hinson yes. Not sure if u saw my sahara vs nasci video, but there i complain that the LT teels flex too much to be used for bottom fishing in 4000 size. Check that vid if u havent. Its my most popular vid.
This has got to be the most detailed review of any reels I've ever seen, your attention to detail is amazing, I like the humor also :) You have a new subscriber, keep up the excellent work buddy. Now I just need to make my mind up which to go for the Legalis LT or Sahara FI here in England the best price I can find for the Legalis 2500 is £60 and the Sahara £50 Would you say the Legalis is worth paying the little extra? I'm 99% a freshwater fisherman would you say I'd be fine using either for two or three salt water sessions a year as live miles from the coast I rarely get the chance to fish in saltwater. I would clean the reel after each time....
both of these reels have zero seals and need to be cleaned good after saltwater sessions. I have detailed review on the Sahara vs Nasci, which is my top video on the channel, and I recommend it. may I ask what fish u gona target and what size u gona buy? Here in US sahara is more expensive and in my opinion sahara is the better reel for sizes 4000 and up. Sahara has much stronger frame, it is very rigid during reeling under load. It also has higher quality gears - machined aluminum vs cast zinc on the Legalis. However, if u gona use it for roach or perch or small fish, in sizes 3000 and under, I much prefer the Legalis. First, the legalis is significantly lighter than the sahara, which make holding the rod a pleasure. Second, it has lighter rotor and less resistance without load (less start up inertia). Both reels are equally smooth. The legalis has flimsy frame to save weight, but when u play those tiny fish you don't get any frame flex anyway. And the gears are not as durable, but again, for tiny fish u don't put much load on the gears anyway. They do feel very different and are NOT substitutes! Legalis LT is a ultra finesse tool for small fish. Sahara is a power machine that will pull a 40 pound carp even in size 4000.
thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it. And when people like me say that, you can trust them. U put ur opinions out there and u hope for the best, but at the end it is just your opinions, and it feels good to see someone appreciates them
i dont think it will : ) It has the cheaper zinc alloy gears and super thin frame. But its super light and super smooth and feels like a $200 reel. But i would not put it under stress if i were u. Durability is not the strong side. Finesse is the strong side.
@@ifishcatfish it does feel like a $200 reel. I caught a 33 inch northern pike on it yesterday and it handled it no problem. It feels like a super durable reel. And if anything breaks on it over the years, I will just buy a new part and replace it
buying parts from Daiwa is such a big pain that its cheaper to buy a new reel. Shimano is better in that regard, but shimano doesn't have any ultralight reels under 100$ at all
You do a great job with these. I am going to your videos over others because you cover things like the aesthetics. Liking the way a reel looks is important to me. Overall, great job.
Fantastic channel sir! Based on your reviews I just ordered both a Daiwa Legalis LT & an Exceler LT, as well as a couple of Presso Pack rods. My son turns 16 this month & he and I hike into most of our spots. I imagine these will make great little combos.
I need to make a separate review of the presso travel rod. This is a very different rod. Very stiff. Still excellent components, still very light, but not iltralight. More like medium power. Keep in mind the regular presso is a very different rod, it is a true Ultralight. U may want to order one of those too :)
@@ifishcatfish Thanks. I wish I knew about the rev. stream via your Amazon page. I'll use it in the future. Regarding the travel rod...I like a 5' or 5'6" rod & I think you mentioned the sub 6'6" standard Presso were a bit too soft? I wonder if the 5'6" travel rods will also be less stiff than the longer ones? My son currently uses a 5' Shakespeare Micro UL & I use a 5'6" Gander Mountain Angler UL. Guess we will see.
I have a Shimano Sahara 4000 comming soon to me and Im so happy I bought it I didint even try it, but I know it will be a good reel and I hope it lasts.
Excellent review. Just subscribed. My wife and I fish fresh and saltwater from kayaks, wading and from bridges and jetties. We've both dunked reels in fresh and salt. I have some smaller 2500 size reels that I love but our workhorses have been Sahara 4000 for over 10 years. But lately I've been looking at the new reels and I'm really impressed with the Daiwa lineup. The Saharas have been so good though, zero parts replaced. Just yesterday I completely tore down cleaned and lubed all of the reels, four Sahara 4000, Stradic 4000, two Sahara 2000 and one very old Stradic Aero 2000. The only one that will need any parts is the Stradic 4000 purchased in about 2004 and that is a friction seal on the base of the rotor. I'm retiring the Aero. 😂 1992 model. I certainly agree with you that I don't need 20# of drag on a 2500 series reel. On the 4000's I usually run about 6-8# drag with 15# line if that much. I like "finesse", she, not so much. More just crank 'em in. 😂 I'm thinking of a new Sahara for her but undecided for me. I'm really looking seriously at the Saltist Back Bay 400 for a new "finesse" reel for trout and redfish. Your opinion? She primarily fishes bait, live and dead and I primarily fish artificials, mostly top water and soft plastics.
That is a great reel and one of my favorites. The new saharas FI are much better thsn the old. Still have no seals though. Not sure how u use them in saltwster so many years. U must be cleaning them well. The saharas are just as smooth as the back bay, but lack the seals.
got a bunch of them lined up. New Tatula, Daiwa Luvias, Shimano Vanquish. Second review on Legalis - the best finesse fishing reel for the money. For trout and crappie - get the Legalis, for bass - get the Sahara, which is heavier but sturdier. No time for video, with the kids and work... i can barely make one per week..
I live in Vietnam where they make these daiwa reels and i can buy the legalis for like 50 usd and the exceler is like 20 usd higher, very nice reels for that price
Well… again, you offer fantastic insight that is most helpful. I appreciate your work and your insight has been most helpful to me. Please, keep the great content coming and thanks again!!
SHIMANO all the way... I have a 3000 LEGALIS and two SAHARA - 1 4000 which is almost 4 years old and a 1000 I recently bought and the 4000 is just as smooth as the 1000 which is brand new due to SHIMANO's HGN gearing material with X-SHIP gear alignment and my 3000 LEGALIS which is almost 3 years old - I can feel the gear wear...
This may sound crazy, maybe not, but I ordered an Exceler LT to replace my old Shimano Sustain 3000. Mainly for the weight reduction and I found it at a good price. My Sustain weighs in at 9.5 oz. and the Exceler at 7.2 oz. The Sustain is still as smooth as the day I got it but I'm going outside the box on this one. To be paired with my trusty St. Croix Avid 6'6" med. light rod. I will in the future upgrade to a higher end reel but the LT line of Daiwa has me curious. Let's see what it can do, just for kicks.
Only issues I've had with ebay reels is from the older team daiwa reels. I own every lt model they make and have had zero issues. Just gotta know who to order from.
i really want to do that, because there are interesting comments to be made there. I analyzed the reel already from schematics, even without owning it. But can't do video without reel and can't keep buying all these reels : ) If u leave the video a thumbs up i will give u the down-low: it is amazing reel and even better than the Legalis and Exceller when it comes to bass fishing or fishing bigger fish. Extremely smooth. But for ultralight fishing the Legalis and Exceller are better because they are much lighter and have less resistance and inertia and just feel more finesse. So for ultralight go exceller, for more than that go Regal LT
I wish I had my Sahara here with me I bought back in 2000 used that thing for everything. l fished Berkley Trilene XL lovis green 6 lb test I caught ocassional bass on it and loads and loads of crappies and some sunnies, my share of walleyes and to some Northerners ta boot. no Biggie's but you know up to 30 inch that thing was a Workhorse at I just pretty much fish with that one rod and reel about 99% of the time once in a while I go lighter I wish I could tell you which model it was a fe or whatever I don't know. I later got a better walleye rod but started using Shimano Sienna a less expensive real that seems to hold up pretty good for me you won't hear me complaining about Shimano reels especially after using that Sahara for so long man I like that real the only thing I ever did to that real was take off the spool and clean it up put fresh line on it put back together and fish it I never had it open to the oil it or grease it nothing not once not ever like I said that reel was put together well... I started using Shimano reels back in the 80s I think they were pretty good good reels not saying that Diawa's aren't good reels cuz they are and I have some of them too.it's just that I use shimano's a lot
u should buy the new Sahara FI. It is a different reel than your 2000 Sahara. Cold forged aluminum gears and special coating... it has the smoothness of a 200$ reel. And still very affordable. Sienna is alright but to be honest Sahara is a better value even at the higher price
@@ifishcatfish the only problem with that is if I buy that new Sahara and I like it as well as I liked my old one then I'd have all these new reels that I've bought in the past two years and I would never fish them ever again LOL just saying I'll have to pick one up and give it a spin been thinking president or diawa LT series tooooo so I dont know buy em all and fish hard lol
1. Sahara FI 2017 is FAR SUPERIOR that the old sahara, objectively. I don't care how sensitive you are to fishing tackle - you WILL FIND THE NEW SAHARA AMAZING. As a matter of fact, i think Shimano screwed up by making the Sahara so good, because now for freshwater there is no point of buying anything else, makes the stradic reels useless. 2. Pflueger reels are very nice, but DO NOT COMPARE to Daiwa LT line, or Shimano Sahara FI 3. LT reels from daiwa and Shimano Sahara reels are NOT ALTERNATIVES. LT is better for finesse, for sizes up to 3000. For sizes 3500 and higher, the Sahara is better. That is because the LT reels have a thin frame and weak gears, but are lighter and more sensitive, but sahara has thicker frame and stronger forged aluminum gears and is better for carp and catfish or even bass for that matter
@@ifishcatfish how bout this scenario... I bought a bass pro MIL96MLS-2 9'6" 4-10lb med lite fast action bought this for steelhead ... so! Would you go with the Sahara or the diawa lt or the president or here's a curve ball for ya how bout the okuma? I've used noodle rods set ups on the St.Joe north pier in the past but it's been a while so this is to be my main rod with 6# line...that rod I bought at the bass pro off i94 by Burns Harbor last fall. Its currently paired up with a Cabela's pro guide 2500...a diawa made for Cabela's reel. I'm thinking about duplicating that rig as you are allowed 2 rods, but since bass pro merged with Cabela's they discontinued that reel. I do like the rig nice... So... Decisions Decisions oh ya.it a beautiful cork handled rod I need to get som U40 on lol and it was comparable to as I showed the salesman a St Croix I was fondling and told him I really like this rod but I dont like the price he walked me over a couple. Isles and said try this one out, it really is a nice stick. I'm heading for The north pier in the next couple weeks gotta get some pier time in soon.
I would go with Sahara for steelhead, for that long rod. No, Okuma is not comparable to daiwa LT or Sahara FI. There is no okuma at any price that feels as smooth as those reels. It was different 10 years ago. But in the last few years, Daiwa and Shimano started using a new technology for cutting the gears with incredible precision. Nothing else compares today. Not that the other reels are bad, but they are not as smooth, and also have a lot more resistance when u spin them.
Pole Nime i hope u are subbed. Dropped mine in the lake and had to open it and do maintenance. Interesting video coming up. Fyi, its still a fantastic reel
you can always buy it on ebay or have it shipped from somewhere else. $80 seems much. However i will say that the Legalis is a far better reel than the Okuma Ceymar.
I went to Bass Pro today mostly just so I could get my hands and these and play around with them. They didn't have a Legalis out, but they had the Excellor and Sahara. I think they were even 2500 size, too. I simply couldn't get over the handle on the Sahara and how ugly and cheap it felt. The spin and smoothness, though, seemed identical to the Exceller. As you said, no other reels there seemed to me to be in the same class with these reels for the price. Overall, I really like the Exceller, and I think I like the screw in handle enough to pay a little more for it over the Legalis, but probably not too much more. The other thing I wanted to see was how the 2500 size felt since you've been really advocating for that size. In terms of lightness, the 2500s are plenty light enough, especially since you use longer rods than I typically use, but I really don't need a reel that big and with that much line capacity for my smaller multi-species set-ups. I'm almost certainly not going to have to battle anything over 10lbs on a regular basis with this reel. So, I'm still leaning for a smaller 1000 or 2000 size. If nothing else, they take less line to spool up...so many choices to make for next season, but one of these Diawas (and probably a left-handed Lexa with a clicker) are on my list. Just need to keep my eye out for sales. Thanks for the reviews, they help me narrow down my shopping list considerably.
I buy zebco mono from walmart. $1.50 for 10 miles of it. To fill the bottom half of the spool. The bigger spool diameter is a serious advantage in ultra light fishing. I don't think you have used these spools and you have not given this much thought. The line is not as curly after you cast. Also there is less friction when the line is leaving the spool. You get more casting distance, quieter cast, and after you cast the float doesn't want to come back to you because your line is curly. With respect to the gears, COME ON, 2500 size is NOT a reel for 10 pound fish! 2500 is a good size for large crappie and large blue gill - that's it! I do not recommend 2500 for bass fishing because those violent hooksets ruin the gears real fast. I am not sayin 2500 is the perfect ultra light size. But you are not talking ultralight , but instead multi species, and that size is perfect for that. Additionally, you got a pretty long Presso rod, and I know the 2500 size will balance just perfectly with that presso. Exceller is pretty much the same reel, if you want to go for it. The Legalis has a little less inertia, which I put high value in, but other than the handle they are the same (I think Legalis also looks better). As for Sahara - yes, the gold is ugly, but if you want a reel for bass and channel catfish - THAT IS THE REEL. The frame is thicker and much more rigid, and the gears are totally different class, also more durable. I use them for bottom fishing.
@@ifishcatfish 10 lb fish is a rare catch on the smaller set-up, not everyday. If I'm going to fish for bigger catfish, carp, or bass, I use a 2500 or 3000 baitfeeder. But sometimes I do get into one on the smaller reel and I've had no problem with the occasional 5-10 pounder on a decent 1000 to 1500 size reel. The bigger problem is usually the line (if I'm using 4lb) and they get hung up on something. That said, you make a good point about the wider spool. I actually prefer a bigger spool than the typical 1000.
I have the Daiwa Exceller 3000H and I am really annoyed by the pickup which does not always stay properly blocked when lancing and it pops back. I have actually lost some lures because this one. I have bought a Shimano Sahara to my father and I like it way more than the Exceller...More smooth and the pickup sticks to its position.
Never had that happen. People usually complain of the opposite - that the shimano bail clicks too hard and is noisy and annoying on every cast. Most people prefer the silent and smooth Daiwa bail trip
Thank you for this review, it helped me to see better some differences. I am thinking to buy a Nasci, for salt water fishing, spinning in particular, do you have other suggestions? Thank you my friend, God bless you.
No. Nasci is the best, in my opinion. Especially if u buy size 4000 or smaller. If you are buying bigger reels, go daiwa BG. But for finesse saltwater i prefer Nasci
The legalis Lt spool has a reverse taper to pay out line in bigger loop's Reducing out going friction And improving casting distance, The line Was meant to To lay that way. Look up this particular reel up on diawa's website the information is there for you.
i know big coils are good, i talked about that in my last video actually and why i like daiwa Theory. However the spool has no taper. You can examine a spool without line and will see it is completely flat. I have long distance tapered spools and know what taper is and what it does. Reverse taper is not used for long casting distance though, exact opposite, regular taper is used for long casting distance - just look at any high end surf reel, they all have regular taper. Reverse taper is put on cheap reels to reduce wind knots because it actually ADDS friction and acts as a brake. Sound stupid, but the buyers of cheap reels often struggle with that. Anyway, all of this is theory, because this reels does not have any taper of any kinds. The line lay is not flat because it is impossible to make it flat with locomotive oscillation gear.
Congrats for the great review. Really informative and usefull. Thanks to it I'm now ready with my choice of an ul reel. My personal opinion is that there are other brands offering reels with even lower resistance in the same pricing segment. For me Ryobi Zauber CR beats all of these reels with lower resistance, thousand times better line lay, no noise, no free plays. However I would still go for the Legalis because weight is one of the most important factors for UL and when it comes to weight Ryobi cannot compete the leading brands.
Ryobi was a great brand 25-30 years ago, leaders in the industry. Today Ryobi is a label. They make NOTHING. They order from chinese factories, and the chinese put the Ryobi label on the products, and they are sold all over Europe. I am not saying all of their products are bad, because chinese factories make a lot of good products, and usually the price is competitive. But if you are looking for the the very best products in the world, they will always come out of Japan, and Ryobi will never be able to compete at the top. Ryobi can compete at the lower price ranges. I am personally no longer interested in Ryobi. If I want a chinese reel, i will buy it directly from Aliexpress
Hi! thanks for the review. Excellent!. Is the Legalis or Exceller in 2500 size suitable for weekend bass fishing or too much flex? I also can get a Shimano Ultegra 3000 on sale (2X de price of the Legalis)? What you you think?
@@ifishcatfish Thanks good news. Sadly I am kind in a hurry. So as today between the Shimano Sahara FL and Ultegra FB 3000 sizes - 40% price different between both, which do you think is the best choice?
When you're spooling your line and when you find out that the line is not laying straight and you need to add a shim. Do you need to completely unspool the line and then respool or can you just add the shim and continue spooling?
Good question. Theoretically you should, but it is very difficult to unspool correctly. Almost impossible. It is better to make the adjustment and fishing spooling. Then go in the back yard and just make the longest cast you can, and then walk a few feet until all line is out of the spool. Then just reel it all and it should all fit perfect, assuming you did the right adjustment on the first place
Hey! I am (just like you) a fan of low gear ratio and all black spinning reels. Is there anyone that you would recommend (3000-4000 size) except the Exsence? I tried the Penn Conflict 2 and the Revo but they are both high gear reels?.Best regards, PK
Brother really need your help with reel ist better shimano exsense japan in c3000 or shimano vanquish c3000 19 model or the daiwa certate lt 3000c i know they are all different but i have a nice deal at the moment just need your help
Vanquish is the best of the 3 reels for sure. I would go for the low gear ratio models. I would probably get 2500 instead of 3000 so i get a more shallow spool
I'm looking at buying the Regal LT 2500 or the Sahara 2500 for multi species and occasional 5-6 lb catfish or carp. In terms of gear durability, which reel would be more more durable?
6:28 Ooooh, decades. Lol. That is not what I originally heard. Anyway, great review. Way more detail than most people would dedicate to "budget"-ish reels.
No. Smoothness is determined by the physical smoothness and fit of the gears. Expensive grease can actually hide imperfections and increase smoothness, but then it adds resistance. Lack of grease can improve Resistance, but could not possibly improve smoothness
@@ifishcatfish I partially agree with you, but you must admit, that companies apply less grease not only to reduce costs but also to make cranking as light as possible - and light cranking does give the average buyer the feeling of smoothness.
So between the Legalis LT 2500, the Exceller LT, the Sahara or the NASCI which one would you pick based on your experiences using them out on the water?
for finesse fishing - panfish, trout, crappie... Legalis is the best of them all, because it is the lightest and has the lowest resistance to spinning. The Exceler has some extra seals that create rubbing and resistance and doesn't feel as free. The shimanos are amazing reels but in size 4000 for carp and catfish. For finesse their 2500 size is too heavy. I want to note that while significantly heavier, somehow they match the low resistance of the Legalis. But legalis is the best finesse reel under 200$ for me.
Exceller LT. I have them all in 3000. If you want to take it to saltwater, none of these are adequate. I'd even take the Exceller over Stradic FK for the price.
I would prefer the Sahara for bass, because it has better gears (machine cut aluminum vs cast zinc). Also the sahara has thicker frame and does not flex, while the LT reels flex too much in the frame. None of these reals has ANY kind of seal, so no saltwater with these. But for panfish and trout - Legalis LT, for Bass and carp - Sahara because of the thicker frame and stronger gears.
i_fish i see .. so what is a budget reel you recommend for saltwater spinning? nothing too crazy ... i was considering sienna , catana , crossfire .. what would you recommend around that range? i only want to do saltwater spinning
Dude i agree with your theory on Ebay reels. I no longer buy from their either anymore. I've had several issues as well. Latest I bought a "brand new" shimano symetre about a year ago. The bail flip mechanism, it's a little plastic part that flips the bail back over. It NEVER worked smoothly from jump. I don't care who you are, that would have been caught when testing. I had several issues prior as well. I think the worst "line lay" is the Pflueger president. I find the Diawa Revros and Regal AB pretty darn good as well.
i stopped buying from ebay as well, even though half the time the reels are OK and the price is good, and in the other half I have been able to return and replace the reel. There is still a high cost for me, even if the return is free. I have to send emails back and forth, attach pictures, wait for weeks and sometimes months, and then pack everything, and drive back to post office. It drains all of my positive energy and i got sick of it. Now I go to digitaka and platt and japantackle and usually the price there is pretty close, but i haven't had any issues. The lowest prices on ebay are reels with issues in my opinion, but sometimes the issues are so small that people dont notice them.
shimano Sedona is exactly shimano Sahara, with one of the bearings on the pinion removed to make the reel 10 bucks cheaper. I don't think reels need more than 5+1 bearings, but I think both bearings on the pinion are very important and i recommend people to pay the extra $10 and get the Sahara. Sahara has many more expensive variants - Nasci, Ultegra, but i don't recommend those because the extra bells and whistles are not worth it. But removing a bearing from the pinion is something i strongly dislike, so i tell people not go go for Sedona and spend 10 more buck for Sahara. I know you are confused, but i am not crazy. The relationship between Revros and Legalis is absolutely the same like Sedona and Sahara. Same reel, but bearing on pinion removed. Feels fine out of box, but under load the Legalis LT feels much smoother. Legalis is the one u need to buy, out of the entire LT line, from Revros all the way up to Ballistic, none of them are worth the money, Legalis LT is the best thing in finesse fishing
@@ifishcatfish have you found a reel that you 100% feel is the best casting spinning reel? I do a lot of spring fishing, mainly walleye's off shore on river systems. Some days 10 feet on a cast matters, other days the fish are 20 ft from shore....I know there are several factors, length, action, type of line...but last year I tried a shit ton of different stuff and I still go back to the 4lb Trilene XL, 7ft rod, wider spool type setup. I just can't find a spinning reel that is the "shit" for long casts. I mean i'm throwing a 1/8 oz jig so it's not like i'm using a 4 oz bucktail with some weight. i'm going to order a legalis LT in the 1000 series. I need one more reel for late ice....i'll put it on a gill rod for summer.
NO! Don't do that! That is your first mistake! The legalist LT 2500 is only 200 grams! It is ridiculously light! Going to 1000 does not save u much weight, but your line will get super curly from the tiny spool! I have 10 ultralight rods and a dozen ultralight reels, and they are all 2500 size, to the very last one of them. The LT reels are so light that going for 1000 size is just silly. Trust me, u can put the 2500 legalis on any ultralight rod and it wont be heavy!
I fish for crappie and I cast 1/32 tiny crappie jigs with my ultralights. So I am super sensitive to casting performance as well. I think you already focused on everything that is important and if u buy the 2500 Legalis this would be pretty much everything u can do. Your line is pretty good, u wont gain distance if u swap it with other lines, but you will probably gain strength / diameter if u use 6lb Seaguar Red Label, which is what I use. U should probably get the Red Label anyway if u jig, because the sensitivity difference is significant. With respect to reels, in theory u need wide and long spool, with hard and smooth lip, and slow oscillation line lay. None of these things are available in affordable reels. Titanium lips can only be found on exotic reels. Slow oscillation was highly appreciated 10 years ago, but now was replaced with fast oscillation virtually everywhere, so the reels can handle braid. Only surf reels and some dedicated carp reels have slow oscillation these days, but u wont find these in sizes suitable for walleye. The cheapest reel with wide spool is Daiwa Theory, reviewed in this video, and this is a reel you should buy if u can afford it. In 2500 size of course. Oscillation is fast, but the big spool helps. Good luck!
Great review thanks. I have the exceller 2500 and was curious if you found that the bail can contact the drag knob on top sometimes? I only notice it every once in awhile
THanks. I have never noticed that, but u should be able to reproduce it easily. U don't need confirmation from me. If the issue is there it is always there. The 1,000$ Shimano Stella 2019 had that issue - if u try to open the bail exactly when the spool is all the way up, it would touch. This is not a defect, it is a design compromise. Otherwise they have to make the reel a little bigger and heavier for no benefit. This is the reel with highest bang for buck on the market even today - so enjoy
No. Legalis LT is the best finesse reel under 200$. Revros is not the same reel. The body is different and made of different material, and the reel is much heavier. Also it is missing a very important bearing on the pinion gear. Legalis LT is the best.
I own 3 exceler LT: 2500XH, and two 1000XH (yes, two of the same reel!) why? Because for ultralight to light game this reel have no competition for the price. As simple as that. Not even fuego can beat exceler LT (Because of crappy magseal). The closest performing reel would be stradic (same screw in handle, but twice the price) But, I dont recommend it for medium to big game fishing because the resin body is too flexy. For larger target species I’d recommend adding 20 bucks for BG. Hands down best reel for the price, crazy smooth drag. Just know the reel limitation to not carelessly dunk it in water.
did you ever try the Legalis? I own both, i own daiwa theory, stradic, exsence,.. I think the Legalis is the best LT reel, not the exceller. Not mechanically, not on paper, but on feel. The exceler has some extra resistance, from a seal or the handle - i dont know exactly why. The Legalis has unbelievably low resistance when u turn the handle. Like its full of air. My $300 reels don't feel better. Bug a 2500 Legalis. I think you will appreciate it. After all - its only one more : )
Any hex-shaft daiwa reel would be easier to turn the handle compared to the screw in handle. Its just because of gear meshing tolerance are much wider in hex shaft handle reel. Heck even my revros A 2500 (30 bucks) is easier to turn the handle compared to my friend Exist LT 2500-XH! I just like how sturdy the feels of screw in handle with very little play.
there is something else, because the Legalis and Exceller have identical internals (same part number for the gears, if u want to buy replacement). Only difference is seals and handle. I am not going to profit if you buy a Legalis, so I don't care : ) . I just wanted to give u a tip from my experience, owning both. If you are jigging a tiny jig for crappie, the Legalis' light feeling allows u to better feel bites. If u fish with bobbers and whatnot... then sensitivity doesn't matter and u will be better off with the exceller. Legalis is all about sensitivity.
Sahara. Do u need 3000? It is the same as 2500, but with deeper spool. Which you will probably fill with backing before u start fishing anyway. If you are buying on amazon, please consider my amazon page for finesse reels. www.amazon.com/shop/i_fish
I'm still trying to decide on my 1st reel....Thank you for your assistance and patience. I'm looking to buy smaller reel, specifically, the Sahara 2500. My question is will the gears on the 2500 wear down faster because of the smaller gear size if it is used for bigger fish? I believe you commented on this but I was unclear.
if this is your first reel, you will not be catching many fish, so don't worry about that that much : ). 2500 size is good enough for bass, and occasional catfish. It is very unlikely that you will WEAR the gears. Beginners usually destroy the reels using them improperly. Wearing out of gears is something that almost never happens, maybe never..
@@ifishcatfish On a separate note, have you had any issues with your Shakespeare micro series rod? I'm considering it but also saw a few reviews of the tip/ rod breaking?
No. I think people who buy $20 rods don't take good care of ultralight rods. If you are going to throw it in a truck bed with the tip hanging out of the bed - thats not the rod for that..
I ended up buying an exceller 2500D-XH, I think I’m going to make this my ultra light setup if I mostly shore fish should I go with a shorter rod than the 8 ft presso you suggested or would this suit my needs ? I’m going to shore fish for trout and whatever else. I’m also going to get an everyday set up beside that for the channel cats and bass.
ben anthony patrick like all other rods i know, the different lenghts have totally other characteristics, so it like buying another rod. I own the 7,8 and 9’ presso. 8 ‘ is simply perfect for small jigs and panfish. 7’ is too soft and has slow recovery. 9’ is just too stiff, it should t even be rated UL. 8’ is perfect. If u want more tips, make sure u get line that has 0.20mm diameter or close to that, and then spool the reel all the way to the lip. U can put cheap line on bottom to fill half the spool. But fill spool all the way to the lip. Before u spool, look at the spare spool washers for adjusting the line lay. Use them if u need. It will be the perfect set up. I know. I have it.
Hey man nice review on these beautiful reels. Not sure if you've heard of a reel, basspro Johnny Morris carbonlite 2.0. I think it's made by Diawa pretty much a exceler Lt or Fuego Lt but only for $60.
@@ifishcatfish I actually bought one currently using it for ice fishing. I also have an exceler Lt. I gotta say other than the spool everything else is the same with a different paint. It's the same weight as my exceler. It's the white body with silver and gold accents one. I was able to interchange handle with exceler and spool with my Revros Lt.
I know these reels, but look at the weights. They are one whole ounce heavier than the LT reels. I believe they've been selling them for many years - before LT reels even showed up. Still good reel, but a kind of heavy for Ultralight. For bass fishing would be a good choice
1000 size 6.7oz 2000 7.4oz 3000 7.8oz... buddy these are the same spec as Exceler Lt. I don't know what reel you're looking at now... these carbonlite 2.0 came out a year or 2 ago.
hey , i have a problem, i dismantle my exceler lt , and when i put it back i can see that bail on opening is hitting the spool when it is in highest point. any toughts what could be the problem? thx
I have only ever had 2 reels seize on me, one was a kastking and other was daiwa. Tried to get the maingear replaced at the shop i got it from and instead they gave me a shimano to replace it...
the drag number is BS, but the drag is the last thing u need to fight big fish. Remember, you can always touch the spool with your finger and add as much drag as u want. But the problem is the small gears will wear very fast and u have to throw the reel. Also the frames flex too much and can break. In all honesty, if u catch an accidental carp or musky, you won't have problems pulling it out, if u take your time. I have a video on my channel fighting a 40" musky on my ultralight. I took my time and got him. Not much problem. But I still would not use ultralight for musky : )
Well these are pretty cheap.. Anyway , i dont make much money at all, but have no other hobbies and spend all my free money on my reels. I am actually in my 40s, and have been buying reels for 20 years. Little by little u accumulate them. I jave about 5000$ in reels and 2000$ in rods. I think in america everyone can have that, especially over several years. Think about where your money goes. I dont drink or smoke. Dont play sports. Just from these things u can save enough for all my gear. And of course my channel is making money now... so i am trying to show interesting stuff. If u live in USA u can have all these reels if u put ur mind on that
What do you think about the daiwa regal? I dont see it in your reviews. I bought Daiwa regal LT 2500D-XH for my ultra light setup. I wonder if its a junk reel thats why you dont have a review on it?
Hi. İ want to buy rod and reel. Which do you prefer Shimano Nacsi 4000 fb or Daiwa Exceler 4000 dc for saltwater? and savage gear salt shore 10-32 gr 280 cm vs daiwa legalis seabass 10-35gr 270 for long shots? Can you help me please?
In one of your videos you mention that the Legalis LT 1000 and 2000 are the same body size and that the difference in spool size is less than 2mm - does this mean that 1000 and 2000 spools are interchangeable ? Thanks
@@ifishcatfish That’s good to know - thank you for responding so quickly, Keep up the good work - your reviews are excellent and more informative than anything put out by the actual manufacturers of the reels.
Great video!!! Hi from Spain! I would like to buy a 2500 size reel for spinning and Rockfishing, and I would like to use it for two rods: one wit 2.70m and 10-50gr action and the other 2.44m and 1-10gr action. I'm looking for the Sahara fl and Exceller lt 2020. Wich one do you think is better? Thank you very much and congratulations for the channel. Yo have a new subscriber. Stay safe. Bye!
I understand you on the drag sound. To me that's the music of fishing. I have a Daiwa BG. Everyone claims it's so great. I commented the drag was not CZcams friendly. The drag is to quiet to hear it scream. People thought I was crazy
May I ask for your opinion. I can get a Daiwa Ballistic 4000 or a Saltist 4000 the Saltist at my local store is only $10 more than the Ballistic. Should I save the $10 or is it worth the small amount more. I know the difference in price is normally a bit more.
jariol i think the saltist has a stronger frame, which makes it heavier. If u will be holding the rod in ur hand, u may prefer the lighter reel. If it will be in rod holder most if rhe time, and u expect heavy fish regularly, go saltist.
Whats the difference between Legalis and Exceler...which would you recommend..the only difference between it i see is the handle..Exceler is a screw in and the Legalis is not...will there be a difference in performance over time?
Jai Demaio in the long run exceler will probably be slightly better. But i think besides the handle there is another difference, exceler has perhaps an extra seal somewhere. Im saying thatbecause the exceler has a little more resistance when u turn the handle. I dont like that resistance! I actually prefer the feel of the cheaper legalis. As of today i still do. Feels super light
i_fish i've bought the Legalis but was told by a friend of mine that i should have bought the Exceler instead. But like you mentioned, i too felt that Legalis is slightly smoother while testing it at the shop. So i guess, its all up to individual preference and i prefered the Legalis. Cant wait to field test it. Thank you for the input.
it is not smoother. The gears and bearings inside are the same daiwa part number, if u want to replace them. It is 95% the same part numbers. The only difference is the Exceler has a screw-in handle, which I prefer, and it has one extra seal, which also sounds good. The problem is that extra seal creates RESISTANCE when u turn the handle. Seals are only useful if your reels sees water. When I jig with 1/32 oz head, i don't like the extra resistance of the exceler because i can't feel my jig as well. Legalis is so light when u turn that you have to buy a 200$ reel to feel anything similar. So, to be clear, I think Exceler is the better reel mechanically, but I prefer the Legalis because of the light feel. Both great reels, so don't worry. Nobody made a mistake.
@@filipefurtado8073 malfunction. If the reel feels good otherwise dont return it for that. Just open it to see if the spring is out of the bed. Thsts a simple Mechanism. Also never in my life have i heard about such issue on any reel.
No, this is an ultralight reel. Very light but soft frame. Not strong. Better get the Sahara. Just as smooth but stronger frame and gears. Yes, its heavier, but legalis is not a great lakes reel
@@ifishcatfish great i like it to but it's a little bit too expensive do know a reel which is near the quality of a daiwa certate lt and cheaper? And btw. do you like the daiwa certate lt or the shimano vanquish 19 more?
one is metal and heavy duty. one is carbon and ultralight. They are used for different purpose. if u need metal reel get certate. if u need ultralight the vanquish is the best
No. I mean LT. They all share same body and weight is same. Vanquish starts from 145 grams. This starts from 205. Becaise the whole reel is aluminum and the vanquich is carbon.
Curious to.see if you can do a video after use. Think that would be good after breaking in and using. Daiwa looks good, just hate the switch underneathe.
well one of these went to the bottom of the lake , but was recovered. Waiting to see what flooding will do to it. I did clean it out tho : ) It was the Legalis. Exceller still like new.
Video is way too long only way to really test reels is to actually fish with them. Want a good quality affordable go with the Daiwa Revros LT 1000 excellent reel for the price cant be beat in my opinion.
All 3 of these reels are better than pfluegers in my opinion, even compared to pfluegers over 100$. For crappie, i recommend the sizes in the video, Legalis 2500 is only $50 on amazon and will be only HALF of the weight of your current reel. If u do get one, let me know how u like it!
Never touched that Okuma but have owned many okumas over the years and still have some Trios. I have never touched an Okuma, at any price, that can compare the smoothness of the gears to those of Shimano or Daiwa. Owning the Legalis I can bet $1000 that the inspira will not be as smooth or sophisticated. All of that said, if I had to buy a reel in size 4000 I would probably chose the Okuma, just because it will be sturdier and more reliable under heavy load. However I strongly recommend watching my Sahara video and buying a Sahara 4000 instead. $20 more but you will buy smoothness equal to $200 reels and better than anything Okuma makes. Thanks for watching - hope to see you around.
Thanks for the reply.....All the Sahara ,Inspira and Legalis are the same price in my country (New Zealand) $149, id swap smoothness for Sturdier in my case with snapper up to 8 kg inside our harbour, cheers Brett
I have both. The Legalis is by far more refined and smoother than the Inspira. On the other hand, the inspira frame is sturdier. I use the Legalis for very light drop shotting, and the Inspira for somewhat heavier crankbaits.
it is the same reel. Don't think too much. Only difference is screw in handle. The Legalis has lower start up inertia. The exceller will live a little longer with the screw in handle. But really don't matter much - both are great
Hello! If you would have time, I would be really thankful for your opinion. Has something changed from this video for the 2020 or 2021 Daiwa/Shimano reel linup? And what would you recommend for: 1. 3-15g rod. 2. 7-8g to 30-40g rod. I liked the Legalis more from your review and was planning to buy it, but in the comments you said it is only for ultralight and that info confused me a bit :)
the new Legalis has stronger frame. You can use it in size 2500. The old legalis had very soft frame and was twisting when under pressure. Only the bigger models had this problem. I don't select reels for lures. I select them for the rod, so it can balance and feel good. It depends how heavy your rod is, how long, and where the weight is balanced. You need to use your old reels to find out the perfect weight for your rod. Then, when you establish that the perfect reel for your rod weighs 185 grams, you can go and search for a reel that weighs 185 grams. So just put different reels on your rod, dont worry about casting with them, just use them to see how they balance with the rod, and find the perfect weight for your rod, and start from there
@@ifishcatfish thank you very much for the answer! So basically all the reels from this class and up are ok and durable for middle weight fish? Are Sahara's gears are still better made, than Legalis? And by new Legalis you mean 2020 or 2021? (cause I don't have the 2021 in my country yet).
I mean 2021. Yes, Sahara has higher quality gears, but is heavier. For ultralight fishing i recommend daiwa LT reels. For sizes 2500 and over, i recommend sahara or the new Ultegra 2021
@@ifishcatfish Thank you! I can't seem to find any new Saharas after 2017 (2500 FI), is it okay? They did not update their lineup? Love your chanel btw, objective reviews and comparisons, great humor and all around nice person to watch. Thank you for your work :) And hello from Ukraine.
spasibo! : ) Sahara and Nasci are not updated yet. They update the expensive models first (Ultegra) then the cheap. I expect new Sahara next year. The new Ultegra is fantastic reel. Better value than Vanford. And for some fishing its even a better reel than Vanford.
what are your first impressions? Also, did u know that daiwa 3000 is a daiwa 2500 but with deeper spool? So unless you need to put a ton of line, there is no point of buying the 3000. Then u have to fill half the spool with cheap line anyway : ). Better just get the 2500 and u can just spool it with good line. Actually even the 2500 takes way too much line and I had to put cheap mono on the bottom..
I did notice those reels had the same frame and different spools. Still bought the 3000. I'm very impressed with the reel. I loaded it with 15# Suffix 832. Went fishing this afternoon. Caught 5 schooler bass 1/2-3/4#. Easily casts 1/4 oz spinner about 70 yards. The lake level is very high now but the water is shallow out to 30 yards so the longer casting came in handy. The reel is so smooth operating and runs virtually silent. I used 15# line as it was what I had on hand. Spooled beautiful. The rod and reel is very well balanced and very light feeling. It's on a St Croix 7' fast action medium tip rod that I've had for a long time. The extra line capacity could come in handy as there are some very nice stripers in this lake and others in the area. Lake Travis, Austin, Texas. I understand the concept of using cheaper line to load half the spool but I've had over 150 yards of line off the reel with a fish from the same location I was fishing this afternoon. There are some very strong fish in this lake and the water is 70 to 100' deep and about 350 yards across where I'm fishing. It's a backed up river channel 300 mile shoreline. I prefer to reverse the line on the spool when the line has worn a bit. Then I cut back 50 yards off the front and reverse the line with backing to fill the spool. There is a little waste there I guess but it's how I've always done it.
Hi, i watched the video about 5 or 6 times, and still watching it becouse i can't deside between sahara fi 2500 and exceler lt 2500. Please leave a comment about long term use. How they compare in smoothness, gearing loudness and backlash and overall which one feels better . Thanks !
there is very easy solution. If you want a 2500 size - get the exceller or legalis. If you want a 4000 size reel, get the Sahara. They are both equally smooth, but the Sahara has stronger thicker frame. For that reason Sahara is much heavier reel, and I don't like it on ultralight rods. It is too heavy. But for carp fishing or catfishing, sahara is much better, because of the strong frame. The daiwa LT reels have too much flex in the big sizes because the fram is thin. Gears are just as smooth.
backlashing is a user error. Especially on a spinning reel you should never ever have backlash. If u do, you spooled your line wrong and have too much twist. Or u spooled too much line. Or something else twisted your line. But its the line. Spinning reels do not create backlash because spool is not moving forward. The reel is completely static. If something happened to your line, it wasnt because of the reel.
@@ifishcatfish i will use it on a filstar finesse 3-12g 1.98m. Currently using 2000 reel, about 260grams. So at max size 2500, and im afraid it will be big for it. Not concerned about weight becouse it allready balance pretty good at 260g reel.
for this setup i would get the daiwa. Both reels are amazing. Just buy both of them. I prefer the daiwa for light setups like this because it will make u love fishing it. The sahara is more for bottom fishing, but if u don't mind the weight, u can get it too. The weight is important though. I used to say that I am not concerned about weight, until i fished all day with a light rig. It makes fishing double as pleasant.
@@ifishcatfish Yes, you are right, but as far as ballance either will be ok. I was at a local shop and view them personaly, but that shimano feeling as you say... and 2500 size is just perfect. The legalis was very light when you touch the handle it spins, but when spining the reel, the "magic" isn't there. I think it's like car's. There is Mercedes and outher brands :D . Thank's, you helped me a lot !!! :)
Nasci is the way to go for saltwater. If u want daiwa - go Fuego. It has some seals. But Nasci is better. The reels in this video have no seals anywhere. U will ruin them fast
two thumbs up brother ... not a big fan of spinning gear but good review, and do u fish fox river ... if u have a kayak u are more then welcome join us
I'm using 7' medium heavy rod with 20lb fish line, do you think legal 1000d will be good for this rod? cuz what I see is legal 1000d is pretty a small reel
I spooled it with 8 LB test mono for lighter lures, gave it some practice casts and found that it did cast well czcams.com/users/postUgkxSlytCJqozTF7EbdP4LWP-HUXf9WRDJ0e , except that the anti-backlash setting had to be turned up almost all of the way to keep the "overcasts' ' down. I disassembled it, and found that if I potted some "shim washers" behind that anti-backlash magnet assembly, it got the magnets closer to the spool without rubbing, and I could get better control with about a 6 to 7 out out 10-Max setting. I also noticed that the handle shaft had some internal end play, maybe only 2 or 3 thousands of an inch, but it's still noticeable. If the anti-backlash and shaft tolerances were "tightened up" this would be a fantastic value. I've only used it for 4 days of fishing in a month's time, but I plan on keeping it.
I designed a panfish jig with Japanese hooks. It is made by a reputable factory, not in a garage. Please check it out if you fish for bluegill or crappie: ifishtackle.com/collections/jigs/products/bg-1-micro-jig-head
Man, really without exaggerating at all I have to say that the things you explain are really extremely important to me too, until now I thought I had some mild mental disorder, but when one thinks about their hobby every single detail has to be taken into consideration! Thank you very much for your time, I am really impressed! Stay healthy, man!
appreciate the comment
I dont see many honest reviews on CZcams nowadays. I am so glad I found your channel. I feel your channel should've deserved much more subscribes. Nice work sir!
Hey, thanks for taking the time to write this. Appreciative subscribers are just as difficult to find
Just got the Exceler LT1000. Nice smooth reel, but it's the most flexy reel I have ever handled! I'll keep it because it is nice and on my UL rig won't get tortured... the light weight is nice, but I do sometimes miss the old 80's, made-in-Japan Daiwas and Shimanos made of a solid chunk of Aluminum and rigid as a stone wall.
Jim Hinson yes. Not sure if u saw my sahara vs nasci video, but there i complain that the LT teels flex too much to be used for bottom fishing in 4000 size. Check that vid if u havent. Its my most popular vid.
This has got to be the most detailed review of any reels I've ever seen, your attention to detail is amazing, I like the humor also :) You have a new subscriber, keep up the excellent work buddy. Now I just need to make my mind up which to go for the Legalis LT or Sahara FI here in England the best price I can find for the Legalis 2500 is £60 and the Sahara £50 Would you say the Legalis is worth paying the little extra? I'm 99% a freshwater fisherman would you say I'd be fine using either for two or three salt water sessions a year as live miles from the coast I rarely get the chance to fish in saltwater. I would clean the reel after each time....
both of these reels have zero seals and need to be cleaned good after saltwater sessions. I have detailed review on the Sahara vs Nasci, which is my top video on the channel, and I recommend it.
may I ask what fish u gona target and what size u gona buy? Here in US sahara is more expensive and in my opinion sahara is the better reel for sizes 4000 and up. Sahara has much stronger frame, it is very rigid during reeling under load. It also has higher quality gears - machined aluminum vs cast zinc on the Legalis.
However, if u gona use it for roach or perch or small fish, in sizes 3000 and under, I much prefer the Legalis. First, the legalis is significantly lighter than the sahara, which make holding the rod a pleasure. Second, it has lighter rotor and less resistance without load (less start up inertia). Both reels are equally smooth. The legalis has flimsy frame to save weight, but when u play those tiny fish you don't get any frame flex anyway. And the gears are not as durable, but again, for tiny fish u don't put much load on the gears anyway. They do feel very different and are NOT substitutes! Legalis LT is a ultra finesse tool for small fish. Sahara is a power machine that will pull a 40 pound carp even in size 4000.
thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it. And when people like me say that, you can trust them. U put ur opinions out there and u hope for the best, but at the end it is just your opinions, and it feels good to see someone appreciates them
I bought the Daiwa Exceler. It’s amazing. Super smooth drag. Well built. Feels like it will last for 20 years
i dont think it will : ) It has the cheaper zinc alloy gears and super thin frame. But its super light and super smooth and feels like a $200 reel. But i would not put it under stress if i were u. Durability is not the strong side. Finesse is the strong side.
@@ifishcatfish it does feel like a $200 reel. I caught a 33 inch northern pike on it yesterday and it handled it no problem. It feels like a super durable reel. And if anything breaks on it over the years, I will just buy a new part and replace it
buying parts from Daiwa is such a big pain that its cheaper to buy a new reel. Shimano is better in that regard, but shimano doesn't have any ultralight reels under 100$ at all
You do a great job with these. I am going to your videos over others because you cover things like the aesthetics. Liking the way a reel looks is important to me. Overall, great job.
I recently got into ultralight fishing and glad I found your channel. Very detailed and honest reviews.
Wow, I love your passion for these reels! I love the details of your comparison!
Fantastic channel sir! Based on your reviews I just ordered both a Daiwa Legalis LT & an Exceler LT, as well as a couple of Presso Pack rods. My son turns 16 this month & he and I hike into most of our spots. I imagine these will make great little combos.
I need to make a separate review of the presso travel rod. This is a very different rod. Very stiff. Still excellent components, still very light, but not iltralight. More like medium power. Keep in mind the regular presso is a very different rod, it is a true Ultralight. U may want to order one of those too :)
Also please consider my amazon page if u order them from amazon. We get almost no money from youtube now. Everything helps
@@ifishcatfish Thanks. I wish I knew about the rev. stream via your Amazon page. I'll use it in the future. Regarding the travel rod...I like a 5' or 5'6" rod & I think you mentioned the sub 6'6" standard Presso were a bit too soft? I wonder if the 5'6" travel rods will also be less stiff than the longer ones? My son currently uses a 5' Shakespeare Micro UL & I use a 5'6" Gander Mountain Angler UL. Guess we will see.
I wasbtalking about the regular presso. I tried all of the travel rods and they are all too stiff for me. They are bass fishing rods
Did you end up getting the Legalis and Exceler? If so any feedback? Which do you like better? Thanks.
I have a Shimano Sahara 4000 comming soon to me and Im so happy I bought it I didint even try it, but I know it will be a good reel and I hope it lasts.
Excellent review. Just subscribed. My wife and I fish fresh and saltwater from kayaks, wading and from bridges and jetties. We've both dunked reels in fresh and salt. I have some smaller 2500 size reels that I love but our workhorses have been Sahara 4000 for over 10 years. But lately I've been looking at the new reels and I'm really impressed with the Daiwa lineup. The Saharas have been so good though, zero parts replaced.
Just yesterday I completely tore down cleaned and lubed all of the reels, four Sahara 4000, Stradic 4000, two Sahara 2000 and one very old Stradic Aero 2000. The only one that will need any parts is the Stradic 4000 purchased in about 2004 and that is a friction seal on the base of the rotor. I'm retiring the Aero. 😂 1992 model.
I certainly agree with you that I don't need 20# of drag on a 2500 series reel. On the 4000's I usually run about 6-8# drag with 15# line if that much. I like "finesse", she, not so much. More just crank 'em in. 😂
I'm thinking of a new Sahara for her but undecided for me. I'm really looking seriously at the Saltist Back Bay 400 for a new "finesse" reel for trout and redfish.
Your opinion?
She primarily fishes bait, live and dead and I primarily fish artificials, mostly top water and soft plastics.
That is a great reel and one of my favorites.
The new saharas FI are much better thsn the old. Still have no seals though. Not sure how u use them in saltwster so many years. U must be cleaning them well. The saharas are just as smooth as the back bay, but lack the seals.
Great video I like how you go into great detail in your review.
When are you going to do follow up reviews on these reels?
I really enjoy your videos and feel similar about certain aspects of the reels.
got a bunch of them lined up. New Tatula, Daiwa Luvias, Shimano Vanquish. Second review on Legalis - the best finesse fishing reel for the money. For trout and crappie - get the Legalis, for bass - get the Sahara, which is heavier but sturdier. No time for video, with the kids and work... i can barely make one per week..
I live in Vietnam where they make these daiwa reels and i can buy the legalis for like 50 usd and the exceler is like 20 usd higher, very nice reels for that price
Well… again, you offer fantastic insight that is most helpful. I appreciate your work and your insight has been most helpful to me. Please, keep the great content coming and thanks again!!
thank you
Chicago????
Wow! I haven't been there in many years! My Dear Wife was born in Chicago!!! And winters are COLD there!
Yeah I use to have an old Sahara fe and the drag sounds were wonderful
manufacturer do not appreciate how important the sound of drag is. Creates incredible effect on your brain.
SHIMANO all the way... I have a 3000 LEGALIS and two SAHARA - 1 4000 which is almost 4 years old and a 1000 I recently bought and the 4000 is just as smooth as the 1000 which is brand new due to SHIMANO's HGN gearing material with X-SHIP gear alignment and my 3000 LEGALIS which is almost 3 years old - I can feel the gear wear...
This may sound crazy, maybe not, but I ordered an Exceler LT to replace my old Shimano Sustain 3000. Mainly for the weight reduction and I found it at a good price. My Sustain weighs in at 9.5 oz. and the Exceler at 7.2 oz. The Sustain is still as smooth as the day I got it but I'm going outside the box on this one. To be paired with my trusty St. Croix Avid 6'6" med. light rod. I will in the future upgrade to a higher end reel but the LT line of Daiwa has me curious. Let's see what it can do, just for kicks.
it will be smoother than your old sustain for sure.
Only issues I've had with ebay reels is from the older team daiwa reels. I own every lt model they make and have had zero issues. Just gotta know who to order from.
i have issues all the time. Even with expensive japanese JDM reels.
Would love to see a comparison of the new regal Lt against these. It's cheaper and has more bearings.
i really want to do that, because there are interesting comments to be made there. I analyzed the reel already from schematics, even without owning it. But can't do video without reel and can't keep buying all these reels : )
If u leave the video a thumbs up i will give u the down-low: it is amazing reel and even better than the Legalis and Exceller when it comes to bass fishing or fishing bigger fish. Extremely smooth. But for ultralight fishing the Legalis and Exceller are better because they are much lighter and have less resistance and inertia and just feel more finesse. So for ultralight go exceller, for more than that go Regal LT
I wish I had my Sahara here with me I bought back in 2000 used that thing for everything. l fished Berkley Trilene XL lovis green 6 lb test I caught ocassional bass on it and loads and loads of crappies and some sunnies, my share of walleyes and to some Northerners ta boot. no Biggie's but you know up to 30 inch that thing was a Workhorse at I just pretty much fish with that one rod and reel about 99% of the time once in a while I go lighter I wish I could tell you which model it was a fe or whatever I don't know. I later got a better walleye rod but started using Shimano Sienna a less expensive real that seems to hold up pretty good for me you won't hear me complaining about Shimano reels especially after using that Sahara for so long man I like that real the only thing I ever did to that real was take off the spool and clean it up put fresh line on it put back together and fish it I never had it open to the oil it or grease it nothing not once not ever like I said that reel was put together well... I started using Shimano reels back in the 80s I think they were pretty good good reels not saying that Diawa's aren't good reels cuz they are and I have some of them too.it's just that I use shimano's a lot
u should buy the new Sahara FI. It is a different reel than your 2000 Sahara. Cold forged aluminum gears and special coating... it has the smoothness of a 200$ reel. And still very affordable. Sienna is alright but to be honest Sahara is a better value even at the higher price
@@ifishcatfish the only problem with that is if I buy that new Sahara and I like it as well as I liked my old one then I'd have all these new reels that I've bought in the past two years and I would never fish them ever again LOL just saying I'll have to pick one up and give it a spin been thinking president or diawa LT series tooooo so I dont know buy em all and fish hard lol
1. Sahara FI 2017 is FAR SUPERIOR that the old sahara, objectively. I don't care how sensitive you are to fishing tackle - you WILL FIND THE NEW SAHARA AMAZING. As a matter of fact, i think Shimano screwed up by making the Sahara so good, because now for freshwater there is no point of buying anything else, makes the stradic reels useless.
2. Pflueger reels are very nice, but DO NOT COMPARE to Daiwa LT line, or Shimano Sahara FI
3. LT reels from daiwa and Shimano Sahara reels are NOT ALTERNATIVES. LT is better for finesse, for sizes up to 3000. For sizes 3500 and higher, the Sahara is better. That is because the LT reels have a thin frame and weak gears, but are lighter and more sensitive, but sahara has thicker frame and stronger forged aluminum gears and is better for carp and catfish or even bass for that matter
@@ifishcatfish how bout this scenario...
I bought a bass pro MIL96MLS-2 9'6" 4-10lb
med lite fast action bought this for steelhead ... so!
Would you go with the Sahara or the diawa lt or the president or here's a curve ball for ya how bout the okuma? I've used noodle rods set ups on the St.Joe north pier in the past but it's been a while so this is to be my main rod with 6# line...that rod I bought at the bass pro off i94 by Burns Harbor last fall. Its currently paired up with a Cabela's pro guide 2500...a diawa made for Cabela's reel. I'm thinking about duplicating that rig as you are allowed 2 rods, but since bass pro merged with Cabela's they discontinued that reel. I do like the rig nice... So...
Decisions Decisions oh ya.it a beautiful cork handled rod I need to get som U40 on lol and it was comparable to as I showed the salesman a St Croix I was fondling and told him I really like this rod but I dont like the price he walked me over a couple. Isles and said try this one out, it really is a nice stick. I'm heading for The north pier in the next couple weeks gotta get some pier time in soon.
I would go with Sahara for steelhead, for that long rod.
No, Okuma is not comparable to daiwa LT or Sahara FI. There is no okuma at any price that feels as smooth as those reels.
It was different 10 years ago. But in the last few years, Daiwa and Shimano started using a new technology for cutting the gears with incredible precision. Nothing else compares today. Not that the other reels are bad, but they are not as smooth, and also have a lot more resistance when u spin them.
Bought legalis today , first impression is awesome.
Pole Nime i hope u are subbed. Dropped mine in the lake and had to open it and do maintenance. Interesting video coming up. Fyi, its still a fantastic reel
The Legalis LT2500-D is like $80 in my country. The store took $70 for the Okuma Ceymar XT 1000-4000 so...
you can always buy it on ebay or have it shipped from somewhere else. $80 seems much. However i will say that the Legalis is a far better reel than the Okuma Ceymar.
Whath is the best and cheap i want to by thath?.
I went to Bass Pro today mostly just so I could get my hands and these and play around with them. They didn't have a Legalis out, but they had the Excellor and Sahara. I think they were even 2500 size, too. I simply couldn't get over the handle on the Sahara and how ugly and cheap it felt. The spin and smoothness, though, seemed identical to the Exceller. As you said, no other reels there seemed to me to be in the same class with these reels for the price. Overall, I really like the Exceller, and I think I like the screw in handle enough to pay a little more for it over the Legalis, but probably not too much more. The other thing I wanted to see was how the 2500 size felt since you've been really advocating for that size. In terms of lightness, the 2500s are plenty light enough, especially since you use longer rods than I typically use, but I really don't need a reel that big and with that much line capacity for my smaller multi-species set-ups. I'm almost certainly not going to have to battle anything over 10lbs on a regular basis with this reel. So, I'm still leaning for a smaller 1000 or 2000 size. If nothing else, they take less line to spool up...so many choices to make for next season, but one of these Diawas (and probably a left-handed Lexa with a clicker) are on my list. Just need to keep my eye out for sales. Thanks for the reviews, they help me narrow down my shopping list considerably.
I buy zebco mono from walmart. $1.50 for 10 miles of it. To fill the bottom half of the spool. The bigger spool diameter is a serious advantage in ultra light fishing. I don't think you have used these spools and you have not given this much thought. The line is not as curly after you cast. Also there is less friction when the line is leaving the spool. You get more casting distance, quieter cast, and after you cast the float doesn't want to come back to you because your line is curly. With respect to the gears, COME ON, 2500 size is NOT a reel for 10 pound fish! 2500 is a good size for large crappie and large blue gill - that's it! I do not recommend 2500 for bass fishing because those violent hooksets ruin the gears real fast.
I am not sayin 2500 is the perfect ultra light size. But you are not talking ultralight , but instead multi species, and that size is perfect for that. Additionally, you got a pretty long Presso rod, and I know the 2500 size will balance just perfectly with that presso. Exceller is pretty much the same reel, if you want to go for it. The Legalis has a little less inertia, which I put high value in, but other than the handle they are the same (I think Legalis also looks better).
As for Sahara - yes, the gold is ugly, but if you want a reel for bass and channel catfish - THAT IS THE REEL. The frame is thicker and much more rigid, and the gears are totally different class, also more durable. I use them for bottom fishing.
@@ifishcatfish 10 lb fish is a rare catch on the smaller set-up, not everyday. If I'm going to fish for bigger catfish, carp, or bass, I use a 2500 or 3000 baitfeeder. But sometimes I do get into one on the smaller reel and I've had no problem with the occasional 5-10 pounder on a decent 1000 to 1500 size reel. The bigger problem is usually the line (if I'm using 4lb) and they get hung up on something.
That said, you make a good point about the wider spool. I actually prefer a bigger spool than the typical 1000.
I agree with all what's you say... Thank you from France... I change the knobs of my reels with knobs from aliexpress... No space is standing...
Hey, would you mind Posting a Link to them? In case youre owning one of the Daiwa LTs
@@RealSnapshotHello, if you send me your e-mail I will add photos... I haven't any link or videos...
@@RealSnapshot czcams.com/video/paX42ir99sg/video.html
czcams.com/video/5UZxp9dfhNc/video.html
You need to drill the handle of the reel, the knob can be screwed or glued to ever kind of reel's handle... It changes your life... With big knobs...
I have the Daiwa Exceller 3000H and I am really annoyed by the pickup which does not always stay properly blocked when lancing and it pops back. I have actually lost some lures because this one. I have bought a Shimano Sahara to my father and I like it way more than the Exceller...More smooth and the pickup sticks to its position.
Never had that happen. People usually complain of the opposite - that the shimano bail clicks too hard and is noisy and annoying on every cast. Most people prefer the silent and smooth Daiwa bail trip
@@ifishcatfish strange, maybe mine is faulty.
Great Review, very straight forward helped me decide on a trout reel.
ISH loved your comment on drag. 5lb drag would be plenty for those reels
: )
Thank you for this review, it helped me to see better some differences. I am thinking to buy a Nasci, for salt water fishing, spinning in particular, do you have other suggestions? Thank you my friend, God bless you.
No. Nasci is the best, in my opinion. Especially if u buy size 4000 or smaller. If you are buying bigger reels, go daiwa BG. But for finesse saltwater i prefer Nasci
@@ifishcatfish thank you.
Thank you very much for this video!
I like the looks of the handle on the Sahara most, however the Legalis reel looks best (except the handle)
I love the Legalis!
Kylee Bosserman my fav too. Best value in all of finesse spinning reels. Makes spending 200$ on a stradic a waste.
For the price-quality ratio, would you recommend me to buy?
laku86 legalis lt 2500D
The legalis Lt spool has a reverse taper to pay out line in bigger loop's Reducing out going friction And improving casting distance, The line Was meant to To lay that way. Look up this particular reel up on diawa's website the information is there for you.
i know big coils are good, i talked about that in my last video actually and why i like daiwa Theory. However the spool has no taper. You can examine a spool without line and will see it is completely flat. I have long distance tapered spools and know what taper is and what it does. Reverse taper is not used for long casting distance though, exact opposite, regular taper is used for long casting distance - just look at any high end surf reel, they all have regular taper. Reverse taper is put on cheap reels to reduce wind knots because it actually ADDS friction and acts as a brake. Sound stupid, but the buyers of cheap reels often struggle with that. Anyway, all of this is theory, because this reels does not have any taper of any kinds. The line lay is not flat because it is impossible to make it flat with locomotive oscillation gear.
Congrats for the great review. Really informative and usefull. Thanks to it I'm now ready with my choice of an ul reel. My personal opinion is that there are other brands offering reels with even lower resistance in the same pricing segment. For me Ryobi Zauber CR beats all of these reels with lower resistance, thousand times better line lay, no noise, no free plays. However I would still go for the Legalis because weight is one of the most important factors for UL and when it comes to weight Ryobi cannot compete the leading brands.
Ryobi was a great brand 25-30 years ago, leaders in the industry. Today Ryobi is a label. They make NOTHING. They order from chinese factories, and the chinese put the Ryobi label on the products, and they are sold all over Europe. I am not saying all of their products are bad, because chinese factories make a lot of good products, and usually the price is competitive. But if you are looking for the the very best products in the world, they will always come out of Japan, and Ryobi will never be able to compete at the top. Ryobi can compete at the lower price ranges. I am personally no longer interested in Ryobi. If I want a chinese reel, i will buy it directly from Aliexpress
Hi! thanks for the review. Excellent!. Is the Legalis or Exceller in 2500 size suitable for weekend bass fishing or too much flex? I also can get a Shimano Ultegra 3000 on sale (2X de price of the Legalis)? What you you think?
the new ones are coming in april. they have new, stiffer frame. They will be ok. The old ones flex too much for bass
@@ifishcatfish Thanks good news. Sadly I am kind in a hurry. So as today between the Shimano Sahara FL and Ultegra FB 3000 sizes - 40% price different between both, which do you think is the best choice?
Sahara for sure
When you're spooling your line and when you find out that the line is not laying straight and you need to add a shim. Do you need to completely unspool the line and then respool or can you just add the shim and continue spooling?
Good question. Theoretically you should, but it is very difficult to unspool correctly. Almost impossible. It is better to make the adjustment and fishing spooling. Then go in the back yard and just make the longest cast you can, and then walk a few feet until all line is out of the spool. Then just reel it all and it should all fit perfect, assuming you did the right adjustment on the first place
Hey! I am (just like you) a fan of low gear ratio and all black spinning reels. Is there anyone that you would recommend (3000-4000 size) except the Exsence? I tried the Penn Conflict 2 and the Revo but they are both high gear reels?.Best regards, PK
www.daiwa.com/us/contents/reels/saltistbb/index.html
Do the companies give a reason for the smaller guides on the rods sorry about how that question came out
i have a video called 'The Truth about Micro Guides'. It is quite controversial. I suggest u give it a watch. It is exactly on this topic.
How do you think they will do for some light saltwater fishing and what would you recommend .
Thanks for the video .
None if these are saltwater. Watch my video Nasci vs Sahara. Thats all u need to watch
i_fish thank you so much !!
Brother really need your help with reel ist better shimano exsense japan in c3000 or shimano vanquish c3000 19 model or the daiwa certate lt 3000c i know they are all different but i have a nice deal at the moment just need your help
Vanquish is the best of the 3 reels for sure. I would go for the low gear ratio models. I would probably get 2500 instead of 3000 so i get a more shallow spool
@@ifishcatfish thanks a lot very kind love your channel
I'm looking at buying the Regal LT 2500 or the Sahara 2500 for multi species and occasional 5-6 lb catfish or carp. In terms of gear durability, which reel would be more more durable?
the sahara. Especially the new sahara. I would get sahara if buying 2500, and Legalis if buying 1000
6:28 Ooooh, decades. Lol. That is not what I originally heard.
Anyway, great review. Way more detail than most people would dedicate to "budget"-ish reels.
thanks for dropping a comment. If you are interested in Legalis, check the Legalis vs Regal review
Another great review. But this smoothnes out of the box is beceause there is not enough grease in all new reels.
No. Smoothness is determined by the physical smoothness and fit of the gears. Expensive grease can actually hide imperfections and increase smoothness, but then it adds resistance. Lack of grease can improve Resistance, but could not possibly improve smoothness
@@ifishcatfish I partially agree with you, but you must admit, that companies apply less grease not only to reduce costs but also to make cranking as light as possible - and light cranking does give the average buyer the feeling of smoothness.
So between the Legalis LT 2500, the Exceller LT, the Sahara or the NASCI which one would you pick based on your experiences using them out on the water?
for finesse fishing - panfish, trout, crappie... Legalis is the best of them all, because it is the lightest and has the lowest resistance to spinning. The Exceler has some extra seals that create rubbing and resistance and doesn't feel as free. The shimanos are amazing reels but in size 4000 for carp and catfish. For finesse their 2500 size is too heavy. I want to note that while significantly heavier, somehow they match the low resistance of the Legalis. But legalis is the best finesse reel under 200$ for me.
i_fish How about for bass? I’m sorry I left that out of my comment. Very important point.
Exceller LT. I have them all in 3000. If you want to take it to saltwater, none of these are adequate. I'd even take the Exceller over Stradic FK for the price.
I would prefer the Sahara for bass, because it has better gears (machine cut aluminum vs cast zinc). Also the sahara has thicker frame and does not flex, while the LT reels flex too much in the frame. None of these reals has ANY kind of seal, so no saltwater with these. But for panfish and trout - Legalis LT, for Bass and carp - Sahara because of the thicker frame and stronger gears.
i_fish i see .. so what is a budget reel you recommend for saltwater spinning? nothing too crazy ... i was considering sienna , catana , crossfire .. what would you recommend around that range? i only want to do saltwater spinning
What line you have on the reels?looks nice😉👍thanks again for this nice review
i don't even remember... this was many moons ago..
@@ifishcatfish oké thank you😉👍
Dude i agree with your theory on Ebay reels. I no longer buy from their either anymore. I've had several issues as well. Latest I bought a "brand new" shimano symetre about a year ago. The bail flip mechanism, it's a little plastic part that flips the bail back over. It NEVER worked smoothly from jump. I don't care who you are, that would have been caught when testing. I had several issues prior as well.
I think the worst "line lay" is the Pflueger president. I find the Diawa Revros and Regal AB pretty darn good as well.
i stopped buying from ebay as well, even though half the time the reels are OK and the price is good, and in the other half I have been able to return and replace the reel. There is still a high cost for me, even if the return is free. I have to send emails back and forth, attach pictures, wait for weeks and sometimes months, and then pack everything, and drive back to post office. It drains all of my positive energy and i got sick of it. Now I go to digitaka and platt and japantackle and usually the price there is pretty close, but i haven't had any issues. The lowest prices on ebay are reels with issues in my opinion, but sometimes the issues are so small that people dont notice them.
shimano Sedona is exactly shimano Sahara, with one of the bearings on the pinion removed to make the reel 10 bucks cheaper. I don't think reels need more than 5+1 bearings, but I think both bearings on the pinion are very important and i recommend people to pay the extra $10 and get the Sahara. Sahara has many more expensive variants - Nasci, Ultegra, but i don't recommend those because the extra bells and whistles are not worth it. But removing a bearing from the pinion is something i strongly dislike, so i tell people not go go for Sedona and spend 10 more buck for Sahara.
I know you are confused, but i am not crazy. The relationship between Revros and Legalis is absolutely the same like Sedona and Sahara. Same reel, but bearing on pinion removed. Feels fine out of box, but under load the Legalis LT feels much smoother. Legalis is the one u need to buy, out of the entire LT line, from Revros all the way up to Ballistic, none of them are worth the money, Legalis LT is the best thing in finesse fishing
@@ifishcatfish have you found a reel that you 100% feel is the best casting spinning reel? I do a lot of spring fishing, mainly walleye's off shore on river systems. Some days 10 feet on a cast matters, other days the fish are 20 ft from shore....I know there are several factors, length, action, type of line...but last year I tried a shit ton of different stuff and I still go back to the 4lb Trilene XL, 7ft rod, wider spool type setup. I just can't find a spinning reel that is the "shit" for long casts. I mean i'm throwing a 1/8 oz jig so it's not like i'm using a 4 oz bucktail with some weight.
i'm going to order a legalis LT in the 1000 series. I need one more reel for late ice....i'll put it on a gill rod for summer.
NO! Don't do that! That is your first mistake! The legalist LT 2500 is only 200 grams! It is ridiculously light! Going to 1000 does not save u much weight, but your line will get super curly from the tiny spool! I have 10 ultralight rods and a dozen ultralight reels, and they are all 2500 size, to the very last one of them. The LT reels are so light that going for 1000 size is just silly. Trust me, u can put the 2500 legalis on any ultralight rod and it wont be heavy!
I fish for crappie and I cast 1/32 tiny crappie jigs with my ultralights. So I am super sensitive to casting performance as well. I think you already focused on everything that is important and if u buy the 2500 Legalis this would be pretty much everything u can do. Your line is pretty good, u wont gain distance if u swap it with other lines, but you will probably gain strength / diameter if u use 6lb Seaguar Red Label, which is what I use. U should probably get the Red Label anyway if u jig, because the sensitivity difference is significant.
With respect to reels, in theory u need wide and long spool, with hard and smooth lip, and slow oscillation line lay. None of these things are available in affordable reels. Titanium lips can only be found on exotic reels. Slow oscillation was highly appreciated 10 years ago, but now was replaced with fast oscillation virtually everywhere, so the reels can handle braid. Only surf reels and some dedicated carp reels have slow oscillation these days, but u wont find these in sizes suitable for walleye. The cheapest reel with wide spool is Daiwa Theory, reviewed in this video, and this is a reel you should buy if u can afford it. In 2500 size of course. Oscillation is fast, but the big spool helps. Good luck!
Great review thanks. I have the exceller 2500 and was curious if you found that the bail can contact the drag knob on top sometimes? I only notice it every once in awhile
THanks. I have never noticed that, but u should be able to reproduce it easily. U don't need confirmation from me. If the issue is there it is always there. The 1,000$ Shimano Stella 2019 had that issue - if u try to open the bail exactly when the spool is all the way up, it would touch. This is not a defect, it is a design compromise. Otherwise they have to make the reel a little bigger and heavier for no benefit. This is the reel with highest bang for buck on the market even today - so enjoy
Which has the best sounding drag? I love it loud
Shimano reels have better drag
I have both sahara and legalis. These are great reels for a small price.
they are the best under 100$
I'm ordering a legalis 1000D, do i have to add a shim for a better line laying on that 1000D ?
U need to feel some line first and see how it lays line. Every reel is different
Did you change your legalis handle? Mine is gold
this is an old video. I just reviewed the new Legalis and compared it to Old Legalis. Just browse my video from a couple of weeks ago..
What’s your thought on the Revros Lt? 2 less bearings and about 18-20% less price tag than the legalis lt. Great review. Thanks.
No. Legalis LT is the best finesse reel under 200$. Revros is not the same reel. The body is different and made of different material, and the reel is much heavier. Also it is missing a very important bearing on the pinion gear. Legalis LT is the best.
i_fish thanks for the quick response! Spending the extra 10$ is well worth it. Great review- I subbed
I own 3 exceler LT: 2500XH, and two 1000XH (yes, two of the same reel!) why? Because for ultralight to light game this reel have no competition for the price. As simple as that. Not even fuego can beat exceler LT (Because of crappy magseal). The closest performing reel would be stradic (same screw in handle, but twice the price) But, I dont recommend it for medium to big game fishing because the resin body is too flexy. For larger target species I’d recommend adding 20 bucks for BG. Hands down best reel for the price, crazy smooth drag. Just know the reel limitation to not carelessly dunk it in water.
did you ever try the Legalis? I own both, i own daiwa theory, stradic, exsence,.. I think the Legalis is the best LT reel, not the exceller. Not mechanically, not on paper, but on feel. The exceler has some extra resistance, from a seal or the handle - i dont know exactly why. The Legalis has unbelievably low resistance when u turn the handle. Like its full of air. My $300 reels don't feel better. Bug a 2500 Legalis. I think you will appreciate it. After all - its only one more : )
Any hex-shaft daiwa reel would be easier to turn the handle compared to the screw in handle. Its just because of gear meshing tolerance are much wider in hex shaft handle reel. Heck even my revros A 2500 (30 bucks) is easier to turn the handle compared to my friend Exist LT 2500-XH! I just like how sturdy the feels of screw in handle with very little play.
there is something else, because the Legalis and Exceller have identical internals (same part number for the gears, if u want to buy replacement). Only difference is seals and handle. I am not going to profit if you buy a Legalis, so I don't care : ) . I just wanted to give u a tip from my experience, owning both. If you are jigging a tiny jig for crappie, the Legalis' light feeling allows u to better feel bites. If u fish with bobbers and whatnot... then sensitivity doesn't matter and u will be better off with the exceller. Legalis is all about sensitivity.
Sedona vs legalis which is best for dropshotting and ned rig? Great channel btw
Sahara
Hi mate! I saw some of your video unboxing new reel from japan, i wonder if you can send me the link to order tackle online from japan, thanks.
Which 3000 size reel would be better for bass fishing? I want to pair it with a 7' medium power fast action rod.
Sahara. Do u need 3000? It is the same as 2500, but with deeper spool. Which you will probably fill with backing before u start fishing anyway. If you are buying on amazon, please consider my amazon page for finesse reels. www.amazon.com/shop/i_fish
I'm still trying to decide on my 1st reel....Thank you for your assistance and patience. I'm looking to buy smaller reel, specifically, the Sahara 2500. My question is will the gears on the 2500 wear down faster because of the smaller gear size if it is used for bigger fish? I believe you commented on this but I was unclear.
if this is your first reel, you will not be catching many fish, so don't worry about that that much : ). 2500 size is good enough for bass, and occasional catfish. It is very unlikely that you will WEAR the gears. Beginners usually destroy the reels using them improperly. Wearing out of gears is something that almost never happens, maybe never..
@@ifishcatfish 😆 hahaha....thanks for the reply!
@@ifishcatfish On a separate note, have you had any issues with your Shakespeare micro series rod? I'm considering it but also saw a few reviews of the tip/ rod breaking?
No. I think people who buy $20 rods don't take good care of ultralight rods. If you are going to throw it in a truck bed with the tip hanging out of the bed - thats not the rod for that..
I ended up buying an exceller 2500D-XH, I think I’m going to make this my ultra light setup if I mostly shore fish should I go with a shorter rod than the 8 ft presso you suggested or would this suit my needs ? I’m going to shore fish for trout and whatever else. I’m also going to get an everyday set up beside that for the channel cats and bass.
ben anthony patrick like all other rods i know, the different lenghts have totally other characteristics, so it like buying another rod. I own the 7,8 and 9’ presso. 8 ‘ is simply perfect for small jigs and panfish. 7’ is too soft and has slow recovery. 9’ is just too stiff, it should t even be rated UL. 8’ is perfect. If u want more tips, make sure u get line that has 0.20mm diameter or close to that, and then spool the reel all the way to the lip. U can put cheap line on bottom to fill half the spool. But fill spool all the way to the lip. Before u spool, look at the spare spool washers for adjusting the line lay. Use them if u need. It will be the perfect set up. I know. I have it.
Hey man nice review on these beautiful reels. Not sure if you've heard of a reel, basspro Johnny Morris carbonlite 2.0. I think it's made by Diawa pretty much a exceler Lt or Fuego Lt but only for $60.
I checked it out but it looks like the older daiwa reels. It is too heavy to be an LT reel. I think its based on the previous generation daiwas
@@ifishcatfish I actually bought one currently using it for ice fishing. I also have an exceler Lt. I gotta say other than the spool everything else is the same with a different paint. It's the same weight as my exceler. It's the white body with silver and gold accents one. I was able to interchange handle with exceler and spool with my Revros Lt.
I know these reels, but look at the weights. They are one whole ounce heavier than the LT reels. I believe they've been selling them for many years - before LT reels even showed up. Still good reel, but a kind of heavy for Ultralight. For bass fishing would be a good choice
1000 size 6.7oz 2000 7.4oz 3000 7.8oz... buddy these are the same spec as Exceler Lt. I don't know what reel you're looking at now... these carbonlite 2.0 came out a year or 2 ago.
i dono.. its been a while but i looked at their weights and they were heavy.. maybe this is a newer model..
hey , i have a problem, i dismantle my exceler lt , and when i put it back i can see that bail on opening is hitting the spool when it is in highest point. any toughts what could be the problem? thx
no, sorry, hard to tell like that
Shimano n Daiwa both great reels, prefer Daiwa due to its lightness for all day fishing
shimano has light reels too, but they are expensive. The Stradic CI4+ is about 150$ these days.. not too bad..
I have only ever had 2 reels seize on me, one was a kastking and other was daiwa. Tried to get the maingear replaced at the shop i got it from and instead they gave me a shimano to replace it...
Have you ever used the daiwa revros? How are they compared to these? Thankyou
watch my review on Legalis LT from last week. Revros is covered.
Very interesting and informative review! Thank you so much!
im quite a noob at fishing but i just was wondering what is wrong with catching big fish with these reels with 20+lb drag if u hv 20plus lb line .
the drag number is BS, but the drag is the last thing u need to fight big fish. Remember, you can always touch the spool with your finger and add as much drag as u want. But the problem is the small gears will wear very fast and u have to throw the reel. Also the frames flex too much and can break. In all honesty, if u catch an accidental carp or musky, you won't have problems pulling it out, if u take your time. I have a video on my channel fighting a 40" musky on my ultralight. I took my time and got him. Not much problem. But I still would not use ultralight for musky : )
Wow what do you do for a living? How do you have such money for using all these reel?
Well these are pretty cheap.. Anyway , i dont make much money at all, but have no other hobbies and spend all my free money on my reels. I am actually in my 40s, and have been buying reels for 20 years. Little by little u accumulate them. I jave about 5000$ in reels and 2000$ in rods. I think in america everyone can have that, especially over several years. Think about where your money goes. I dont drink or smoke. Dont play sports. Just from these things u can save enough for all my gear. And of course my channel is making money now... so i am trying to show interesting stuff. If u live in USA u can have all these reels if u put ur mind on that
Hi, I’ve got Legalis 2.34 mt. 1-10 gr. Rod. Which reel prefer 1000 size Sahara or other daiwa 1000 reel.
daiwa Legalis
What do you think about the daiwa regal? I dont see it in your reviews. I bought Daiwa regal LT 2500D-XH for my ultra light setup. I wonder if its a junk reel thats why you dont have a review on it?
I so have a review, comparing it to legalis. Pretty much same review as this
@@ifishcatfish i just watch the video thanks! I like your video! Its much more informative than the other reviews. 👍
Do they make carbonex washers for the Sahara?
If so I'm sold. Even though its unattractive, by comparison.
dont change the washers. Carbontex sux for ultralight fishing. It is no good for finesse feel. It is more for bass fishing and bottom fishing
@@ifishcatfish thanks. I wouldn't have known. Much appreciated.
Hi. İ want to buy rod and reel. Which do you prefer Shimano Nacsi 4000 fb or Daiwa Exceler 4000 dc for saltwater? and savage gear salt shore 10-32 gr 280 cm vs daiwa legalis seabass 10-35gr 270 for long shots? Can you help me please?
Nasci is much better for saltwater. I am not familiar with the rods.
In one of your videos you mention that the Legalis LT 1000 and 2000 are the same body size and that the difference in spool size is less than 2mm - does this mean that 1000 and 2000 spools are interchangeable ?
Thanks
Yes. They are. Not just for Daiwa. For shimano too. All reels follow this convention. You can swap 1000 and 2000 size spools in all reels
@@ifishcatfish That’s good to know - thank you for responding so quickly,
Keep up the good work - your reviews are excellent and more informative than anything put out by the actual manufacturers of the reels.
Great video!!! Hi from Spain! I would like to buy a 2500 size reel for spinning and Rockfishing, and I would like to use it for two rods: one wit 2.70m and 10-50gr action and the other 2.44m and 1-10gr action. I'm looking for the Sahara fl and Exceller lt 2020. Wich one do you think is better? Thank you very much and congratulations for the channel. Yo have a new subscriber. Stay safe. Bye!
Nasci. Watch my Nasci video. These reels are not sealed and no good for saltwater
@@ifishcatfish Thank you!!!
I know this is off topic but i just watched another video of yours both great by the way anyway back to the question
i missed the question
@@ifishcatfish do the company’s give a reason. For the tiny guides sorry and thanks
Are the legalis and exceler spools interchangeable?
of course, its the same spool and the same reel.
I understand you on the drag sound. To me that's the music of fishing. I have a Daiwa BG. Everyone claims it's so great. I commented the drag was not CZcams friendly. The drag is to quiet to hear it scream. People thought I was crazy
jariol exactly. If u r filming and dont have expensive micropjones some drags are hard to detect. And it is more prevalent on expensive reels
May I ask for your opinion. I can get a Daiwa Ballistic 4000 or a Saltist 4000 the Saltist at my local store is only $10 more than the Ballistic. Should I save the $10 or is it worth the small amount more. I know the difference in price is normally a bit more.
jariol i think the saltist has a stronger frame, which makes it heavier. If u will be holding the rod in ur hand, u may prefer the lighter reel. If it will be in rod holder most if rhe time, and u expect heavy fish regularly, go saltist.
Thanks for the info. I will be casting and retrieving a lot
Whats the difference between Legalis and Exceler...which would you recommend..the only difference between it i see is the handle..Exceler is a screw in and the Legalis is not...will there be a difference in performance over time?
Jai Demaio in the long run exceler will probably be slightly better. But i think besides the handle there is another difference, exceler has perhaps an extra seal somewhere. Im saying thatbecause the exceler has a little more resistance when u turn the handle. I dont like that resistance! I actually prefer the feel of the cheaper legalis. As of today i still do. Feels super light
i_fish i've bought the Legalis but was told by a friend of mine that i should have bought the Exceler instead. But like you mentioned, i too felt that Legalis is slightly smoother while testing it at the shop. So i guess, its all up to individual preference and i prefered the Legalis. Cant wait to field test it. Thank you for the input.
it is not smoother. The gears and bearings inside are the same daiwa part number, if u want to replace them. It is 95% the same part numbers. The only difference is the Exceler has a screw-in handle, which I prefer, and it has one extra seal, which also sounds good. The problem is that extra seal creates RESISTANCE when u turn the handle. Seals are only useful if your reels sees water. When I jig with 1/32 oz head, i don't like the extra resistance of the exceler because i can't feel my jig as well. Legalis is so light when u turn that you have to buy a 200$ reel to feel anything similar. So, to be clear, I think Exceler is the better reel mechanically, but I prefer the Legalis because of the light feel. Both great reels, so don't worry. Nobody made a mistake.
i_fish wow...thank you for the detailed explanation..
So pleas repear, I can expect that Fuego and Freams also feels same good as Legalis?
yes. Same reels, only different handle and different seals
@@ifishcatfish maybe legalis cheap handle somehow really more sensitive?
Thank you for your helpful information. You deserve a lot more subs. Liked and subbed.
thank you
In Europe there is 2000Xh and a 2500xh drag and 15 grams beeing the main diference. Do you know any other differences for them? not sure which to pick
well its the same reel, but one is 1000 size and one is 2500 size. Pick 1000 size if ultralight fishing, and the 2500 if u fish heavier stuff
@@ifishcatfish Thank you very much for the answer. Went with the light one. Great channel, keep it up! cheers
@@ifishcatfish Well i have just got it and the bail is considerably hard to close. Is this a malfunction or does it ease with time?
@@filipefurtado8073 malfunction. If the reel feels good otherwise dont return it for that. Just open it to see if the spring is out of the bed. Thsts a simple
Mechanism. Also never in my life have i heard about such issue on any reel.
Awesome video. I'm seriously considering buying a 3000 legalis. Would it be good for big lake Ontario trout and salmon from shore? Thanks
No, this is an ultralight reel. Very light but soft frame. Not strong. Better get the Sahara. Just as smooth but stronger frame and gears. Yes, its heavier, but legalis is not a great lakes reel
@@ifishcatfish what if I were to get it in a larger size?
Thats worse. Legalis is ultralight reel.
I think you have to try the daiwa certate lt
i have tried it and reviewed it. Good reel.
@@ifishcatfish great i like it to but it's a little bit too expensive do know a reel which is near the quality of a daiwa certate lt and cheaper? And btw. do you like the daiwa certate lt or the shimano vanquish 19 more?
one is metal and heavy duty. one is carbon and ultralight. They are used for different purpose. if u need metal reel get certate. if u need ultralight the vanquish is the best
@@ifishcatfish the daiwa certate lt 19 is a light reel it has 210 gramms at a 3000 size i think you mean not the lt model
No. I mean LT. They all share same body and weight is same. Vanquish starts from 145 grams. This starts from 205. Becaise the whole reel is aluminum and the vanquich is carbon.
Curious to.see if you can do a video after use. Think that would be good after breaking in and using. Daiwa looks good, just hate the switch underneathe.
well one of these went to the bottom of the lake , but was recovered. Waiting to see what flooding will do to it. I did clean it out tho : ) It was the Legalis. Exceller still like new.
i_fish thanks. im deciding between the sahara, sedona, or nasci
i have a full review on sahara and nasci (one and same reel) . Both much better than sedonna
i_fish thanks!!
Video is way too long only way to really test reels is to actually fish with them. Want a good quality affordable go with the Daiwa Revros LT 1000 excellent reel for the price cant be beat in my opinion.
what u recomend to buy for cheap saltwater finess reel ?
Shimano Nasci is the best.
Which is the reel for a size 1000? Using it for trout/panfish
the new sahara FJ
@@ifishcatfish which one of the 3 is best for trout? In a size 1000.
Which reel is cheap and comparable to the pfleugers?
All 3 of these reels are better than pfluegers in my opinion, even compared to pfluegers over 100$. For crappie, i recommend the sizes in the video, Legalis 2500 is only $50 on amazon and will be only HALF of the weight of your current reel. If u do get one, let me know how u like it!
Have you tried the Regal LT?
yes. Great reel but metal instead of graphite. Stronger as a matter of fact. But too heavy for UL
@@ifishcatfish I believe there is a newly released Regal LT with graphite body and 9 bearings. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Still heavier. Great reel if u don't care for extra few grams. But for UL Legalis is my favorite
@@ifishcatfish 5-6 gram heavier than the Legalis LT2500-d which actually ways 208 gram (not 205 g as stated) is probably hardly noticeable.
Is the legalis a reel that will last you a wile is you don’t abuse it
yes. If u take good care of it it feels just as good as $200 reels
Have you or can you compare the Daiwa Legalis LT 4000 to the Okuma Inspira 40 ? I have the Inspiira and it is very tight (no flex in the frame) Cheers
Never touched that Okuma but have owned many okumas over the years and still have some Trios. I have never touched an Okuma, at any price, that can compare the smoothness of the gears to those of Shimano or Daiwa. Owning the Legalis I can bet $1000 that the inspira will not be as smooth or sophisticated. All of that said, if I had to buy a reel in size 4000 I would probably chose the Okuma, just because it will be sturdier and more reliable under heavy load. However I strongly recommend watching my Sahara video and buying a Sahara 4000 instead. $20 more but you will buy smoothness equal to $200 reels and better than anything Okuma makes. Thanks for watching - hope to see you around.
Thanks for the reply.....All the Sahara ,Inspira and Legalis are the same price in my country (New Zealand) $149, id swap smoothness for Sturdier in my case with snapper up to 8 kg inside our harbour, cheers Brett
I have both. The Legalis is by far more refined and smoother than the Inspira. On the other hand, the inspira frame is sturdier. I use the Legalis for very light drop shotting, and the Inspira for somewhat heavier crankbaits.
Would you pair one of these with a Daiwa Presso? Just picked up a 7ft and need to find a reel to pair. What size would you suggest?
Watch my video about the new Daiwa legalis 2021. Its really a family of reels. Any of those in size 1000 will be perfect. Whichever you find on sale.
@@ifishcatfish ended up getting a 2500 Exceler for now, going to be using it on more than just the Presso. Thanks for the great videos!
What do you think between the exceler and legalis. It is for light fishing
it is the same reel. Don't think too much. Only difference is screw in handle. The Legalis has lower start up inertia. The exceller will live a little longer with the screw in handle. But really don't matter much - both are great
@@ifishcatfish Thank you. I will go to my local tackle shop and compare.
There is not much to compare. It is the same reel
Hello! If you would have time, I would be really thankful for your opinion. Has something changed from this video for the 2020 or 2021 Daiwa/Shimano reel linup? And what would you recommend for:
1. 3-15g rod.
2. 7-8g to 30-40g rod.
I liked the Legalis more from your review and was planning to buy it, but in the comments you said it is only for ultralight and that info confused me a bit :)
the new Legalis has stronger frame. You can use it in size 2500. The old legalis had very soft frame and was twisting when under pressure. Only the bigger models had this problem.
I don't select reels for lures. I select them for the rod, so it can balance and feel good. It depends how heavy your rod is, how long, and where the weight is balanced. You need to use your old reels to find out the perfect weight for your rod. Then, when you establish that the perfect reel for your rod weighs 185 grams, you can go and search for a reel that weighs 185 grams. So just put different reels on your rod, dont worry about casting with them, just use them to see how they balance with the rod, and find the perfect weight for your rod, and start from there
@@ifishcatfish thank you very much for the answer! So basically all the reels from this class and up are ok and durable for middle weight fish? Are Sahara's gears are still better made, than Legalis? And by new Legalis you mean 2020 or 2021? (cause I don't have the 2021 in my country yet).
I mean 2021.
Yes, Sahara has higher quality gears, but is heavier. For ultralight fishing i recommend daiwa LT reels. For sizes 2500 and over, i recommend sahara or the new Ultegra 2021
@@ifishcatfish Thank you! I can't seem to find any new Saharas after 2017 (2500 FI), is it okay? They did not update their lineup?
Love your chanel btw, objective reviews and comparisons, great humor and all around nice person to watch. Thank you for your work :) And hello from Ukraine.
spasibo! : )
Sahara and Nasci are not updated yet. They update the expensive models first (Ultegra) then the cheap. I expect new Sahara next year. The new Ultegra is fantastic reel. Better value than Vanford. And for some fishing its even a better reel than Vanford.
Just bought a Legalis 3000 this morning after watching this review. I'll be only using it in fresh water. My first Daiwa spinning reel.
what are your first impressions?
Also, did u know that daiwa 3000 is a daiwa 2500 but with deeper spool? So unless you need to put a ton of line, there is no point of buying the 3000. Then u have to fill half the spool with cheap line anyway : ). Better just get the 2500 and u can just spool it with good line. Actually even the 2500 takes way too much line and I had to put cheap mono on the bottom..
I did notice those reels had the same frame and different spools. Still bought the 3000. I'm very impressed with the reel. I loaded it with 15# Suffix 832. Went fishing this afternoon. Caught 5 schooler bass 1/2-3/4#. Easily casts 1/4 oz spinner about 70 yards. The lake level is very high now but the water is shallow out to 30 yards so the longer casting came in handy. The reel is so smooth operating and runs virtually silent.
I used 15# line as it was what I had on hand. Spooled beautiful. The rod and reel is very well balanced and very light feeling. It's on a St Croix 7' fast action medium tip rod that I've had for a long time. The extra line capacity could come in handy as there are some very nice stripers in this lake and others in the area. Lake Travis, Austin, Texas.
I understand the concept of using cheaper line to load half the spool but I've had over 150 yards of line off the reel with a fish from the same location I was fishing this afternoon. There are some very strong fish in this lake and the water is 70 to 100' deep and about 350 yards across where I'm fishing. It's a backed up river channel 300 mile shoreline.
I prefer to reverse the line on the spool when the line has worn a bit. Then I cut back 50 yards off the front and reverse the line with backing to fill the spool. There is a little waste there I guess but it's how I've always done it.
Actually, the sahara is less sealed and lacks small feature in the design that the nasci does
you didn't watch my video, did you : ) You would never leave this comment : )
Advise me for off shore fishing which is Better to buy legalis, exceler or fuego lt?
Nasci.
i_fish thank you 😊
Hi, i watched the video about 5 or 6 times, and still watching it becouse i can't deside between sahara fi 2500 and exceler lt 2500. Please leave a comment about long term use. How they compare in smoothness, gearing loudness and backlash and overall which one feels better . Thanks !
there is very easy solution. If you want a 2500 size - get the exceller or legalis. If you want a 4000 size reel, get the Sahara. They are both equally smooth, but the Sahara has stronger thicker frame. For that reason Sahara is much heavier reel, and I don't like it on ultralight rods. It is too heavy. But for carp fishing or catfishing, sahara is much better, because of the strong frame. The daiwa LT reels have too much flex in the big sizes because the fram is thin. Gears are just as smooth.
backlashing is a user error. Especially on a spinning reel you should never ever have backlash. If u do, you spooled your line wrong and have too much twist. Or u spooled too much line. Or something else twisted your line. But its the line. Spinning reels do not create backlash because spool is not moving forward. The reel is completely static. If something happened to your line, it wasnt because of the reel.
@@ifishcatfish i will use it on a filstar finesse 3-12g 1.98m. Currently using 2000 reel, about 260grams. So at max size 2500, and im afraid it will be big for it. Not concerned about weight becouse it allready balance pretty good at 260g reel.
for this setup i would get the daiwa. Both reels are amazing. Just buy both of them. I prefer the daiwa for light setups like this because it will make u love fishing it. The sahara is more for bottom fishing, but if u don't mind the weight, u can get it too. The weight is important though. I used to say that I am not concerned about weight, until i fished all day with a light rig. It makes fishing double as pleasant.
@@ifishcatfish Yes, you are right, but as far as ballance either will be ok. I was at a local shop and view them personaly, but that shimano feeling as you say... and 2500 size is just perfect. The legalis was very light when you touch the handle it spins, but when spining the reel, the "magic" isn't there. I think it's like car's. There is Mercedes and outher brands :D . Thank's, you helped me a lot !!! :)
Exceler just has the screw in handle vs Legalis? Are screw in handled better in your opinion?
I want either reel for light saltwater fishing.
Nasci is the way to go for saltwater. If u want daiwa - go Fuego. It has some seals. But Nasci is better. The reels in this video have no seals anywhere. U will ruin them fast
@@ifishcatfish how about Freams LT. I like the new Stradic FL
Stradic fl is better but twice more expensive. Nasci better than freams and fuego
@@ifishcatfish fl or ci4? No brainer but where I live ci4 costs more than FL.
I want something under 200g for finesse fishing
FL for saltwater. Ci4+ if u buy 1000 size for trout.
two thumbs up brother ... not a big fan of spinning gear but good review, and do u fish fox river ... if u have a kayak u are more then welcome join us
I'm using 7' medium heavy rod with 20lb fish line, do you think legal 1000d will be good for this rod? cuz what I see is legal 1000d is pretty a small reel
U need something like sahara. These daiwas dont have strong frame. They are finesse reels, not for power fishing
piaoliang you have we chat?
sahara is good