the FB is clearly a much better quality reel. does anybody know the difference between the two? tried to check specs online but didn't have much luck. maybe the FB is a newer model?
i just picked up a couple shimano sahara 2500's on ebay for cheap. both new. so one is a "shimano sahara 2500" and the other is a "shimano sahara 2500 FB"
the FB is clearly a much better quality reel. does anybody know the difference between the two? tried to check specs online but didn't have much luck. maybe the FB is a newer model?
Maybe we should start a 'thread" called 'JUST SPECS'
Looking at the latest series of all Shimano spinning reels, I see FB's, FE's, FJ's, FD's...So I think that the difference may merely be the FB is a new version as it appears this is how shimano labels their spinning reel lines. The latest line from Shimano Sahara is FD (and FD for this one is not front drag). Do the packages show they have the exact same specs? Weight, bearings, etc the same?
I've used wallyworld(walmart) rods and reels and caught fish.Just like hunting,they want you to buy all the scent blocker clothes,scents,etc.,claiming they help you get deer.I don't use any of that stuff and got myself a 158lb 10 point buck a few years back,and got a seven pointer last year.So is it really necessary to have the right
gear ratio and all that stuff???I know rod size can make a difference
in your casting for certain lures.
Do you guys believe the ratio and all that stuff for a reel makes that much of a difference in catching fish? I have used reels that come with the pole and never really paid attention to the gear ratio and all that.I still catch myself some nice fish.I think that gear ratio stuff and all that is just a gimmick to get you to buy the most expensive reels.
I've used wallyworld(walmart) rods and reels and caught fish.Just like hunting,they want you to buy all the scent blocker clothes,scents,etc.,claiming they help you get deer.I don't use any of that stuff and got myself a 158lb 10 point buck a few years back,and got a seven pointer last year.So is it really necessary to have the right
gear ratio and all that stuff???I know rod size can make a difference
in your casting for certain lures.
I think for the average guys (like me) it don't mean anything! I think we all buy (i do) the biggest,fastest,most expensive crap we can because we want to and maybe we get a false sense that it it cost alot it makes me better. I'm ok with that! ha, if i like it i buy it. If it cost more i kinda weigh the options and make the best guess
purchase that i'm ok with.
I think a better rod is more important than a expensive reel in spinning gear. I definitely think a decent rod and better reel is a benefit with baitcasters.
My average baitcaster cost 125-225.00 my average spinning reel is under 80.00 max.
Gear ratios with spinning i don't concern myself a decent drag is nice though.
Gear ratios with baitcaster i use 2-3 different speeds for different applications. Does it matter? prob not a ton but it's my hobby and i like to experiment.
I do like a good drag system on all reels!
Hope this helps
I have beaten the hell out of it and it has outlasted my Shimano's and Quantum reels I have never been impressed with Shimano. I have owned 6 of them and have had a problem with all of them. Buying a reel I guess is like buying a car, sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you get a lemon 
Do you guys believe the ratio and all that stuff for a reel makes that much of a difference in catching fish? I have used reels that come with the pole and never really paid attention to the gear ratio and all that.I still catch myself some nice fish.I think that gear ratio stuff and all that is just a gimmick to get you to buy the most expensive reels.
I've used wallyworld(walmart) rods and reels and caught fish.Just like hunting,they want you to buy all the scent blocker clothes,scents,etc.,claiming they help you get deer.I don't use any of that stuff and got myself a 158lb 10 point buck a few years back,and got a seven pointer last year.So is it really necessary to have the right
gear ratio and all that stuff???I know rod size can make a difference
in your casting for certain lures.
Absolutly!!!! Is NY strip better then Chuck? Is Audi better then Kia? Is Don Julio better then Jose Cuervo? The answer is YES!!!
The answer is also yes for fishing equipment. A $50 rod is better then a $20 one, A $200 rod is better then a $100 one. You get what you pay for in better materials, superior performance and durability. Better equipment makes you a better fisherman.
As far as gear ratios are concerned, they matter just as much. I feel that if you were to choose one, faster is always better because I can always slow down my retrieve with a high great ratio like a 6.2:1 or a 7:1. Try speeing up a retrieve to burn a spinnerbait or crankbait with a 3.8:1. Impossible. You cant physically reel it fast enough to accomplish what you want. I have different gear ratio reels for different apps. Low gear ratio reels have more "power". They are able to move bigger baits that create more resistance, more easily. Think of it as gears in your car. 1st gear has a lot of power but you can't go 60mph. Yet try going up a steep hill in 5th gear, you either have to downshift into a lower gear or the the car does it for you in an automatic transmission. If I am working a jerkbait I want a high speed reel because I want that bait moving fast and erratic. If I am fishing a deep diving crankbait, or slow rolling a big spinnerbait, I need the power of a 3.8:1 or a 5:1 reel so the bait runs properly and I don't get as fatigued.
can you catch fish in a tin can and no name line? absolutly. Will you catch a lot more on high quality stuff? Abso friggin lutly. It's all up to the individual on what he wants to spend and accomplish.
There are some great no names who make excellent gear who have just not gotten well known yet and sell their stuff at reasonable prices..some just above cost. While a price tag can be an indication of better quality, it isn't always. Sometimes a price tag is just a price hike for a name tag.
I do agree that no expense should be spared when buying quality gear though. You want your stuff to matter when it comes down to it, and if you have a weak link then the whole chain will collapse as soon as it is put to the test. You can get fish on a cane pole with no reel...but the world opens up wide when you have a very sturdy and trustworthy bit of kit in your hands and a monster on the end of the line just waiting to get its picture taken!
I am with them as i try to buy the best i can.
I'm not trying to be conflicting but I'm not sure if i would buy multiple 300.00 + set-ups ( 6-10) if i just threw my rods in my truck/Jon boat and went fishing here and there. It probably makes a difference but would that type of person know it?Prob not or would he care.
I like to have the best chance i can personally and i try to gear up rather well. Kinda crazy if you took inventory of all gear and boat. All this just to catch a fish? Heck yeah!!!!!!
So what if i coulda paid 1/3 my house off hahaha.
Buy the best you can and you won't be disappointed. Just take care of it and enjoy.
I agree with this, with a caveat.
There are some great no names who make excellent gear who have just not gotten well known yet and sell their stuff at reasonable prices..some just above cost. While a price tag can be an indication of better quality, it isn't always. Sometimes a price tag is just a price hike for a name tag.
I do agree that no expense should be spared when buying quality gear though. You want your stuff to matter when it comes down to it, and if you have a weak link then the whole chain will collapse as soon as it is put to the test. You can get fish on a cane pole with no reel...but the world opens up wide when you have a very sturdy and trustworthy bit of kit in your hands and a monster on the end of the line just waiting to get its picture taken!
I agree and I should have stated that price alone is not an indicator of the best but it is the starting point. No $75 rod is going to compete with a $150 one. There are a hundred $200 rods on the market. One of them is the best and another is the worst $200 rod. You have to look deeper then just the price. Look at materials used. How many moduals of graphite is the rod. Is it IM6, IM8, IM10 ect. What is the reel seat like. Does it have fugi guides, does it have Sic fugi giudes.
For reels look at ball berings, what the frame is made out of I.E Graphite or Aluminum or Magnisuim even. What are the geers made of ect. We all have our breaking point Mine so far is a $250 shimano reel and a $300 St Croix rod. Both of them are worlds away from an ugly stick and a shakespere reel.