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In all fairness to VS, if they were $300 and lower maintenance I'd buy one. I don't see the value above that.
Why do some folks buy them? Some people see a pic of a guy in a wetsuit having just "battled the world's most extreme elements" and is holding a big fish. People then figure hey, its the reel....if I get the reel I'll be just like the guy in the picture. I think others get em just to look the part....nowadays if you own a VS, wetsuit, or a tricked out canal bike you're considered a highliner, right? :spin: |
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Personally, I don't own a VS but have used them. After a full day of casting a bailess VS150 Makai let me use, I feel in love with it - smooth, no wobble on the retrieve and comfortable. |
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I used to think anyone who spent $800+ on a reel was an arsehole, especially if they said they sucked. Back then I wasn't wetsuit fishing and swimming around, so I had no need for a VS. If you're not dunkin the reel all the time, then I agree it is a waste of money. I used to bash them everytime. Then I started the swim thing and the Shimanos weren't cuttin it. Wife bought me a 200 for our wedding 3 years ago (holy SH#t, can't believe she has still stayed with me for this long!!!) and now I wouldn't fish with any other reel. First year was flawless. 2nd year after having it serviced, I blew a seal right at the start of commercial season. I fished it with 0 oil in it for the whole 2008 season. Never let me down. The insides were so bad that the guys at Rivers End didn't even know how to classify it. Cost me about $100 to get it redone. I have beat the ever living bag out of the thing and NEVER even rinse it off, yet it still keeps going. As I stated, unless you are swimming with your reel, there are better, more economical options. It is in my opinion a function specific reel, but for me well worth it. Will update on how much it costs me for this year once I send it back in.... Back beach is a hoot to watch swim a couple of hundred yards holdin his rod out of the water....... |
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:huh:What does a high end driver cost ?
I don't know, I hope to make an analogy. My VS's are under water enough to grow gills. Only send back for routine every 5 or 6 years. Was getting expensive replacing the penns and such. |
Absolutley positively love my VS 200. Best piece of fishing equipment I own. Sent in once (by me just for routine mantainence) in 5 years. I fish it all season long and it is a beast.:fishin: Highly recommend it to anybody.
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I like my vs 200 very much. Never had a problem. I can't say that about all the penns and schimanos I have bought that didn't hold up well at all. Spent alot of money on those and they all went into the trash.
Seems like alot of reels out there weren't meant to be exposed to saltwater or sand. |
for you guys doing the self service kit, remember that it doesn't come with anything to service the main seal.
i have no problem coughing up the $50 to $80 bucks every couple years. to me that justifies the time i spent last seasons taking apart and rebuilding the 706z, and cleaning the shimano drags that don't even like rain. i think the funniest part about every single vs & zeebaas bashing thread is that 90% of the people that bash either party have never even held one or fished one for that matter. Why does no one bash the guy who just spent $35k on a boat to just go fishing on a sunday afternoon? Like Islander said to each his own... :cheers: |
Saltiga---5 seasons, zero internal maintenence (line roller oiled a few times), no problems. Heavily used the last 4 seasons (I got it midway through the year the first season). The line roller bearing gets noisy when I crank against the Canal current. Probably shot.
VS 250--12 seasons (albeit no real use the last 4), zero internal maintenence, line roller oiled, no problems. I have a newer 200 with a shot line roller bearing, but all it does is sound like a 706, so I can live with it. :rotf2: I beat the piss out of the Van Staals when I lived on LI. Never seen the factory, and I wouldn't dare send them back now. If they ever stop turning, I'll open them with a pair of channell locks again and see what's what inside. I took a quick peek once, put grease on the gears to supplement the oil, and cranked them tight again. I do suspect the factory of unnecessary replacement of some parts, though. I believe you authorize them to perform up to $200 of "necessary" maintenence when you send the reel in--at least that used to be the deal. |
If they open it up for service they have to make them current.Too much trouble if they don't.I don't deny being a VS man,I'll even admit to being let down one time when I was left holding the crank with a 25# in the middle of the ditch.OUCH!!The last two I won which really makes me happy.I even caught a 180# tuna on a VS last year,performed flawlessly.Keep your fag daiwa piece of shiznit and ask yourself why you wasted all that money rather than sticking with $100 40# catching Penns.
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Back on topic tho, i think everyone is going to find something wrong with any reel, unless i guess it was custom built for you or if you built it yourself. it is sadly just like buying anything else these days. hopefully like anything in life the good outways the bad. :fishin: :soon: |
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I'm not so sure I'd puke up $700-$800 for any reel at this point, regardless of its performance. Been looking to purchase a third spinning reel and can't bring myself to spend the asking price for any or these high performance reels. With either case, VS will not be on my short list when I get my next reel.....unless I win one or two of them like you did, oh great one... |
I think one of the main things it comes down to is "how you fish". If you are on the rocks all the time be it the Ditch, Narragansett, the Block, etc and don't "wetsuit" then you don't NEED an $800 reel. If you are one of the "young guns" who wetsuit and have your reel constantly submerged then you NEED a tank for a reel. Note the operative word here is "NEED".
God know, that in the 70s and 80s there were those of us who experimented with Cracks and Luxors. We almost to a man, either went back to Penn 704s or 706s or Sqidders. Those 3 reels probably have accounted for more Stripers than all the VS reels ever will. I am not bashing the VS. They are great reels and I fished one for 2 years but I do not wetsuit so my reel stays dry enough so a rinse and drag washer cleaning every so often is all I need to do. if you are afflent enough to be able to afford a VS or Saltiga and just want that luxery, then go for it. It's like owning a Mercedes. You don't NEED one to go grocery shopping but it's a nice car to own. |
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Now thats funny |
Brian,Looks like they did some good things to that reel.Like SD siad to make thm current.They had an issue with some of the spools and drags.The drag would actually loose as line came out.I have watched Steve C do try to get the drag stack out on some older ones it is not easy..They changed the drag configuration in the spool It will be much smoother...They installed a sleeve on the inside with new bearings and washers they replaced the line roller and bearing...Them little parts add up.And you should not have most of that expense in the future.
It will be better with a smoother drag.Ya it cost some but you will be happy.. Me I maintain em myself.Mobil one 50 weight oil.Fells like my Penns did.I love it. I also lubed the drag stack up with the cal's grease.I jammed like three spoonfulls in there an squeazed out the excess.. smooth as silk.You can also use a yamma lube.stay away from teflon grease with the VS as it will eat the rubber seals. |
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Its called the marching soldier swim. Its a cross between a one handed dog paddle and a one handed breast stroke :ninja: My Saltiga does go under many times and I just rinse it off at the end of the night.:bath: |
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Last year I used a Stradic that was dunked quite often. It's a great reel, but I know it's just a matter of time before a trip gets cut short due to it seizing. |
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I use the Stradics also...the issue I ran into was the Handle seizing. |
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I disagree slightly. Every hardcore guy needs a dependable tank. The reason I decided to buy a Saltiga (direct from Japan for $550 when the exchange rate was favorable) is because I had a Mitchell Nautill %$%$%$%$ the bed on me with a 25# on in the canal--the spool came detatched from the base, and I had no drag. The fish got around a bridge abutment, got itself hung up, and I had to listen to Slip and Mac crack my nuts about not knowing how to fight a fish for the 20 minutes it took me to somehow get the fish to move off the snag, and then palm the spool the whole time cranking it around the bridge and into the rocks. We had to keep the fish because it couldn't be revived. |
I don't think a VS is just for swimming. If your in the rocks and in the surf its not bad to have one. I will rock hop waist to chest high and not worry about the reel going in the water and can use the rod with the reel submerged to find holes. And when I do fall or set up in heavy surf. I'm more worried about falling and my safety and not concentrating on trying to save my reel. I beat the CRAP out of my 250 last year and had no problems I washed it down maybe 25% of my outings. When I opened it it was clean as a whistle. If it last a couple more years of heavy abuse I would say it was worth the $.
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Saltiga Game 3500
I wish Daiwa would bring this reel to the American market. They don't make any decent smaller higher end spinning reels for the salt from what I can tell.
DAIWA SALTIGA GAME 3500 I'd already have one if I had a place to get it serviced. |
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Why don't you sell me your Z and buy the new game 3500? You know you want it and now there's no excuse...:uhuh: Besides, they don't need expensive weekly service...its not a VS, you know...:hee: I'm keeping an eye on the BST forum. :laugha: |
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My Z isn't going anywhere. Neither are the VS's. I should have my new gold bling 275 any day. |
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Every Saltiga I ever heard about came with a Japanese language manual. There's no way to tell a US market Saltiga from a JDM Saltiga. The reel graphics are in English, but all the paperwork in the box is in Japanese. If Daiwa sells the reel in the US market, they will service it. |
all this reading and bickering,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
and i still haven't found out where
to get my Chinese VS ripoff??? same technology, same alloys smeared serial ###'s, for about 350 on the black market!!!! C'MAWWWN China, i thought you were better than that! :grins: :wall: :wall: :wall: :grins: |
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