Daiwa reels are very popular among anglers both in our country and around the world. Daiwa reels are a benchmark for quality and reliability. Japanese company Daiwa fishing equipment has been producing since 1945. The company is constantly developing new technologies and releases new reel models every year. Daiwa offers reels of various sizes, specifications and price levels. Every angler, both beginner and professional, will be able to choose a reel that meets his requirements.

In this article we will talk about the most important technical characteristics that have the greatest importance when choosing a reel, we will list 10 the best Daiwa reels in terms of value for money.

What materials are Daiwa reels made of?

• DS4 is Daiwa's proprietary composite material with good strength and light weight, used to make budget-class reel bodies and rotors.
• DS5 is a composite material that surpasses DS4 material in terms of strength to weight ratio and is used to make medium priced reels.
• Zion 5 is a new composite material similar to DS5, but superior in strength and lightness to Zaion.
• Zion is a high modulus graphite composite material developed by Daiwa and used in the production of daiwa reel bodies and rotors. The material is characterized by high strength, low weight and high corrosion resistance. Zaion's 20% is more durable than the nylon/ABS material used by other reel manufacturers. The strength of the Zaion reel body is equivalent to that of an aluminum-magnesium alloy body, while the Zaion is about 50% lighter.
• Air-Metall (Magnesium) is a magnesium alloy developed by Daiwa engineers in the early 2000s. It has the strength of high-quality aluminum alloys, but at the same time about 40 % less weight.
• Super Metal (aluminum) is a high-strength aluminum alloy used by Daiwa to manufacture reel bodies, rotors and reel mechanism parts. The alloy is heavier (about 40%) than magnesium Air Metal, but surpasses it in anti-corrosion properties and ability to withstand the abrasive effect of microparticles.

Daiwa Reel Manufacturing Technologies

Body

• HardBody-Z – the reel body is made of aluminum alloy, such a body reliably protects the reel drive and thus ensures high smoothness of rotation.
• MONOCOQUE (MQ) - unlike conventional reels, whose body consists of the body itself and a screw-on cover, the MONOCOQUE body acts as a support frame, and the cover is screwed into the body on a thread. The MONOCOQUE body provides more room in the reel body and accommodates a stronger, larger main pair.
• Air Rotor – hollow rotor is lighter than conventional rotors, ensures even load distribution, reduces vibration, improves balance during rotation due to lower center of gravity.

Internal mechanisms

MagSealed is a technology to protect reel mechanisms from water, dust, sand and dirt using ferromagnetic oil. The oil is saturated with microscopic iron oxide (magnetite) particles that are 10 times smaller than the flu virus. Ferromagnetic oil is used in conjunction with a rim of magnets, so the oil particles under the influence of the magnets are combined into a homogeneous liquid material with a stable, unbreakable contour. The resulting magnetic membrane of oil holds firmly in place, facilitates the rotation of the moving mechanisms of the coil and protects the interior of the mechanism from the ingress of foreign particles, dirt and water. MagSealed technology can be used to protect the rotor assembly, linear roller, ball bearings on both sides of the main pair shaft.

Gear technology

DIGIGEAR II (DIGITAL GEAR DESIGN) is a technology for high-precision computer calculation of the torque transmission of the main pair to the drive mechanism. The production of the main pair is carried out with a deviation of no more than 1 micron from the calculated dimensions. Computer calculation ensures maximum contact area between gear teeth, improves reel characteristics, increases smoothness of rotation and reduces friction.

INFINITE ANTI-REVERSE is an instantaneous reverse rotor system based on the principle of freewheeling, based on a roller bearing.

SILENT OSCILLATION - this is a slow and sliding reel system that includes rubber elements that dampen vibration, so the reel runs quietly and smoothly. The SILENT OSCILLATION system significantly reduces the load and allows you to achieve stronger and more accurate winding of the line on the reel.

TOUGH DRIVE GEAR - the technology of coating the main pair of gears with a special ceramic coating, which increases the power of the reel, increases the wear resistance of the gears, which ensures the long operation of the Daiwa reel.

ATD (Automatic Tournament Drag System) is a new type of Daiwa reel brake that replaced the UTD brake installed on previous generation reels. The ATD has very smooth and ultra-precise adjustment, allowing for fine-tuning of the load and smooth operation in various modes.

Daiwa reel bearings

• CRBB – corrosion resistant bearing. These are sealed type bearings made of high-quality durable alloy steel with a special wear-resistant seal.
• SHIELD BB – standard sealed type bearings to prevent contaminants from entering and retaining grease, a special hermetic seal is installed in the rotating parts of the bearing.

Trumpet production technologies

• ABS Spool - Anti-Backlash System, in the literal sense of the word - protection against slipping system. The ABS coil is an inverted cone coil. The ABS reel holds more line, holds the line better, has a larger inner diameter, which allows the use of larger diameter friction brake discs. The ABS reel increases the casting distance and allows you to increase the load and increase its speed.
• AIR SPOOL - literally a coil of air. A coil with a larger diameter core, which allows the use of larger diameter friction discs, allows for increased brake speed and brake precision. An increased diameter of the core reduces the capacity of the coil. AIR SPOOL reels are made using ABS technology.

• CROSS WRAP - the cross winding system of the reel line, which prevents loops from falling off the reel as much as possible, ensures easier line separation and increases the casting distance.

• TWIST BUSTER – is a line laying roller with hemispherical grooves that prevent the line from rotating around its axis. An anti-twist roller locks the line in the right plane and prevents most twists. The Twist Buster system has been used in Daiwa reels since 1995. In 1997, the Twist Buster II system was introduced: the bugle was mounted on a small CRBB-type bearing, which allowed the use of thin lines.

Daiwa reel marking

Let's try to analyze the Daiwa reel name: Daiwa 18 Frames LT2500S-XH

Daiwa - is the reel manufacturer's name.
18 - the year the reel was sold, the number 18 in the marking indicates that the reel was modified in 2018.
Freams – is a series of coils.
LT - indicates that the reel is made according to the (Light & Tough) concept, which means significantly lighter reels without compromising their strength and durability.
LT can be preceded by letters:
FC – Finesse custom – reels with a light handle and without Mag Sealed technology.
QD – Quick drag – Daiwa reels with the ability to quickly engage and disengage the friction brake.
The letters after the four numbers indicate the depth of the drum:
D - Deep - deep
S - Shallow - seedy
SS - Super Shallow - super shallow

Daiwa LT reels go in this order D > normal (unmarked) > S > SS.
For example: For a 2000 size coil, the deep coil will be 2000D, usual 2000, shallow 2000S and super shallow 2000 SS.

C - marking with a dash after four digits means "Compact Body". The size of the reel body is one size smaller than the size of the reel drum. For example, the LT3000-C has a 2500 body and a 3000 drum.
XH – indicates the gear ratio of the coil at the end of the coil marking.
It can have the following values:
Mr – Power Gear – power gear (gear ratio lower than 4.9:1)
H – High Gear – increased gear (gear ratio 5.5:1–5.9:1)
XH – Extra High Gear – extremely high gear (gear ratio greater than 6.0:1)
If no gear is specified on the Daiwa LT reel, it is considered normal gear, gear ratio 5.0:1-5.4:1.
DH – the letters at the very end of the reel marking mean Double Handle.