Daiwa Saltiga 6500 Question

[rodbender]

Hi folks,
Awhile back, there was this discussion about the drag on the Saltiga 6000 series, that the drag on these reels are spikey, which means that after the initial strike and the drag starts to succumb, the line will start to release/slip. In others, drag slipping.

Stella on the other is thought to be better at keeping the drag pressure,due to a bigger drag assembly.

Is there any truth in this?

Component wise, I think the Saltiga has got alot of thing going for it, to make it really tough... but again, I have seen photographs of broken Saltiga from the reel seat area, apparently, the story was that the fish (probably a Tuna) was giving it constant pressure of at least 8kg.. there was comments that perhaps it was holes drilled at the area that weaken the reel at that area.

Any comments would really be appreciated.

[stickbom!]

The only problem with the Saltiga spinners was the jerky stock drags. Just change them to C-Tex and they're good to go.

[DaFrogman]

The problem with the breaking reel foot stem was in the smaller 4500 saltiga spinners. The 6500 has not so far shown any similar problems. There have been incidents where the 6500 roller housing has cracked though. I have a 6500EXP too.....

You will find a comprehensive discussion of the drag issues here:

Carbontex + 6500 Expedition = ?

As you will see from the link, I run greased Carbontex in my 6500 and it has eliminated any problems with drag spiking or stick whilst still generating in excess of 40lbs of drag. BTW, spiking in the 6500 means that the drag will typically stick initially for a short span of time before running at a more constant setting. The problem with that is that this subjects the reel to sudden shocks of drag that can be very high (think 60lbs+) and this can cause things to break, not just in your reel, but also in your terminal tackle like your mainline, shock/bite leader, swivels and hooks.


Regards,

Saimee

[rodbender]

Hi Saimee,
thanks for your prompt reply.. in your own opinion, would a Stella 20K be any different from the Saltiga? I happen to be in a tackle shop today, where the owner showed me a Stella 8K, and how the rotor was wobbling... it was pretty scary... myself, I own a stella 8K...

was contemplating on a 20k... but now pretty incline to know just how they match up together... (ie the Saltiga and the 20k)

[DaFrogman]

RB dude,

Stella vs Saltiga.....

Its a question and choice that has been bashed out innumerable times on this and other forums around the world.

The consensus more or less boils down to this:

1. The Stella 20k out of the box is smoother and does not need drag mods as it already runs carbonfibre drags.

2. The Saltiga is smooth, but not quite as smooth as the big Stella and IMHO needs the drag mods, but comes with a better sealing system that ensures that saltwater will not get into the gearbox under any form of normal usage.

I have seen busted versions of both reels, but to be fair, abuse of the reel and a lack of maintenance are what generally cause failures. The Stella I feel has been less known to have problems. The Saltiga has its weaknesses in terms of the roller housing.

Now the main reason I opted for the Saltiga EXP6500 is because my style of fishing exposes all my reels to a lot of salt spray and hard nasty usage. It takes a great deal of maintenance on my part to keep my reels working in tip top shape. That said, I am pretty good at maintenance and reel work, so fixing my reels is something I usually enjoy (in a masochistic sense ).

If all you are doing is mainly 2-3 long range trips per year in large vessels, then get the Stella 20K. If you fish like me in a small centre console vessel for 24hour periods with high speed runs and loads of salt spray and exposure, then consider the 6500EXP.

Finally, its down to a bit of luck. No matter how tight the QC from either manufacturer, I reckon a lemon or 2 still slip past into anglers hands... But that applies to all reels.

Good luck, hope that helped.

Regards,

Saimee

[$1.50]

Originally Posted by rodbender

I happen to be in a tackle shop today, where the owner showed me a Stella 8K, and how the rotor was wobbling... it was pretty scary... myself, I own a stella 8K...

was contemplating on a 20k... but now pretty incline to know just how they match up together... (ie the Saltiga and the 20k)

Hi,

Can I know if the rotor of the stella 8K had been damaged (knocked?) thus causing the wobble? It'll be quite bad if the reel wobbles when new considering the price we have to pay for them.

From the price i gathered a while back, the price of a Saltiga 6500exp is almost the same as a Stella SW 20K. As mentioned by Saimee, a stella has a slight advantage out of the box and it comes with a spare spool in the standard package. I think that might be the reason i've been seeing more people with stellas these days.

[eeyore]

Strongly agreed that after trip maintainance is very important if you wish to see long life for your expensive reel. I owned a Saltiga 6500 EXP for the last 4 years and I loved this reel very much and treated it just like my wife.

Proper maintenance is a must for me after every trip be it long or short but I sold it away about 6 months ago to a malaysian boatman when I saw paint corrosion at the stem of the reel but he think is a small matter. It really make me very disappointed, angry and keep on asking myself where went wrong during my maintenance processes ?

But no doubts this reel definitely one of the best and robust reels that I ever used and also help me to land many of my dream fishes.

[rodbender]

I've striped my Stella 5000 before, due to an unfortunate incident. But having said that, I've seen the drag system on my on stella 8k.. and as intriguing as it looks, its looks like a daunting task to be able to service the 8k (and above class of stellas) due to the complex drag assembly of the spool . (I smell a sticky here, anyone care to volunteer? )

I'm also a pretty hands on guy, and if not for my failing eyes, I'd love to do my own maintenence. The 20K FA series, cost considerably cheaper than the Saltigas.

Thanks folks for all the inputs... although I am beginning to admire the technology and improvements that Daiwa has worked so hard to put in, I think I will stick to increasing my stables of stellas...

[rodbender]

Originally Posted by $1.50

Hi,

Can I know if the rotor of the stella 8K had been damaged (knocked?) thus causing the wobble? It'll be quite bad if the reel wobbles when new considering the price we have to pay for them.

From the price i gathered a while back, the price of a Saltiga 6500exp is almost the same as a Stella SW 20K. As mentioned by Saimee, a stella has a slight advantage out of the box and it comes with a spare spool in the standard package. I think that might be the reason i've been seeing more people with stellas these days.

The wobbling 8K was after hooking on to a fish that was <10kg (so says the person who showed me the reel), the person showing me that reel, was trying to convince me that the quality of a 8K is questionable, and that I should consider changing camps to daiwa.

The SW is indeed the same or around the same price as the Saltiga, but for me, I would be getting the FA series, since and afterall, the Saltiga does not come with an extra spool, which would be an apple to apple comparison with the FA.

[DaFrogman]

The problem with the 8K is intriguing. I don't have an 8k, but I do have a Twinpower 8000PG which is a step down from the Stella. We have landed a bunch of Amberjack over 15kg on that reel (like the fish in the pic) and it has not blown up on me yet. Likewise, I have seen quite a few posts on nice fish being landed on an 8K without any problems.

This is what I meant by a bit of luck being involved in tackle purchases... I reckon that there are still QC issues on both sides of the border. I have also heard of a "wobbly rotor/spool shaft" issue involving a 6500EXP, but unless I see it with my own eyes and feel it with my own hands, I regard it as an unconfirmed report still.

I use both manufacturers products and have so far been happy with both.

Regards,

Saimee

[rodbender]

I saw the wobble with my own eyes.. and it was really scary... but then again... i will still be bringing my 8K on my coming Bira trip... afterall, since buying it, it has not since any action at all....