the professor is correct the new stradics have water proof drag system. the only real difference between the stadics ($200ish) and the sustain($300ish) is a few ball bearings and about $100.

Stradic=:musc:

The sustain is a bit more stimulating visually. :)

I'm a Stradic guy....had no idea they were this popular...I actually see other people fishing them only rarely.

ok since a lot of you guys use the spheros, I think it's an appropriate time to ask. I dont use is anymore but I really like the reel and want to hold on it, but there is one huge problem and I just want to know other users epxeriences. When I was fishing this reel couple of yrs ago, I went through 4 (not a joke) spools due to salt corrosion. I understand maybe one due to a product malfunction but 4??!! It got to a point that Shimano Customer service got sick of sending them out to me lol. The good thing is that I didnt have to pay for any of the spools so hats off to Shimano. I use braid and I was thinking that it maybe b/c of the saltwater that hangs out in it. I have no idea. I gave up on the reel and just bought a better reel but I want to keep it for a back up? Any thoughts? Its really weird:confused: but other than that its a great reel:drool:

This was my first season with the spheros 8000 and I'm very satisfied.

Ripitsik, I use braid, and haven't noticed the slightest bit of corrosion. I have gotten the reel wet, but do rinse it off after every use.

For the money, its a great reel. Also had a Stradic 4000 for 10+ years so I can side with those as well. If they now come with a waterproof drag, will only make the reel better. Are the bigger stradics sub $200?

560 Penn Slammer. Beat the hell out of mine, dunked many times during the season, and haven't had any problems. One of them is 5 years old and still works fine. Break them down at the end of the season for a good cleaning, otherwise it's just a quick rinse down the body and clean the drag once a month. Easy to break down and get parts if you did need them. Plus they handle braid very well.

i have tried it all and it continued. It got to a point that shimano customer service just told me to pull out all the line and water it down with fresh h2o and let it dry. That was when I said "eff that" and bought a vs. Its the older version, I don't know how the newer versions have performed but I don't understand it

I liked the stradics even though I broke them all eventually.
Mostly my fault and from poor maintenance. Didn't know the new ones had waterproof drag. Got a VS now but would be willing to try the stradics again, the 6000 or 8000 model. I've got four spare 4000FI spools around if anyone could use them.

I would say odd.I still use an original 1st year Spheros 8000 and still am using the original spool.I change line regularly and am very religious about freshwater rinsing.

I am also a diehard user of Sentry Solutions products on all my reels.This is key.You will not find any better anti-corossive products than made by this company.

Bass

do you coat the reel before use? Or do you use it as a cleaner after fishing?

its crazy, ill take pics of them and show you them... I still can't believe it. You start to see the white dust like appearance underneath the line. As soon as you start to unravel the line you start to see the pits. Ive tried putting the whole spool in freshwater for a night to get all the salt out of the braid, didn't work. Ive tried just rinsing, nothing. I have no idea :confused:

No love for the 704z?????
Not one vote?
That's a true 'surf' reel IMO.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Corrosion
 

I agree about the corrosion issue, as I have experienced the same thing. I rinse my reel (never soaked) but thought this was just a braid issue as my switch to Power Pro corresponded with my switch to the Spheros about 3 years ago. All in all its not a VS and at the price I always felt the reel was somewhat disposable. I really feel bad saying that but most products made these days are not made to last and I just chalked this up to one of them. I fished with the corrosion all year BTW after cleaning out the pitting and never had an issue. I am sure it will get to me at some point......
Its funny you bring this up because I was going to post if its just me or if everyone out there using braid has similar issues and its just a braid thing regardless of reel.

i could use a spare spool

same here with the corrosion issue on the older model spheros spool....
no problems with the Stradics and I like the Saragosa's as well...
Shimanos are all I own until I can afford a real submersible reel

PM sent

[QUOTE=ProfessorM;725549]I almost think that the Stradics have a water proof seal now on the drag Mike. I could be wrong though as I usually am a few times a day. But I could have sworn I saw a seal on the 8000 I just bought. When you going to change your addy to Westport?[/QUOTE]

NEVER.....My body is in Westport, my mind is in the ocean, but my heart will always be in Kingston.........

I use a spheros 5000 and love it (30 pound power pro braid- not an issue so far, but we'll find out when I change braid this winter). It has not been seriously abused, but used/splashed for two full seasons now with just a wash with fresh water, then back in the trunk for the next time.

Alright, on a side note, I am looking to get a 4000 class reel for some early season/late season fishing...(I do not want to jump on someone elses thread, so i can start a new one, please let me know).

Is there a difference in spool size from the spheros to the new stadic at this level? If they are both "waterproof," then is the stradic worth the extra $50?
I am looking for the largest spool- to allow the 10-15 pound braid to come off easily (less wind knots).

Thanks you all for your help!

Chris

Pen 704 or 706. older off ebay.

I love a Cabo 60, but it can't take the abuse!

i have no idea just how long i've been using u.s.a. made penns. 40 yrs. easy.
very simple maintence. readily available parts for when the something does break. keep it clean and rinse after every trip.

Call up shimano and complain and i'm sure they will send you another spool. They sent me 4! Does anyone know if the new style spool fit the older model reel? I am wondering if this same corrosion issue is happening to the new styles:confused: