So are the new Curados g series junk or what?The guy at my local tackle store talked me out of buying one which surprised me.Says it's nothing but a green citica from prior models,I love shimano but this has taken the wind out my sails
I wish it was a green Citica E or even a Citica before that, it's not even that. I would say that after having service several of these G reels, that the Citca E was a lot nicer reel than the Curado G. They basically took the caenan reel assembly line that was producing the graphite bodied Caenan reel and started producing a similar reel in an aluminum frame. To me, there are several things about the insides of the G reels that just resemble a cheap kids toy. I now suggest that if you want to buy a Shimano casting reel, then the Chronarch E is the lowest model that i would consider worthy of serious users.
Roger that ,it felt cheap in my hands,was what I was thinking,the chronarchs do feel really nice though thanks for the advise
I'm kind of surprised by your thoughts on the G Model? I know many didn't like them and didn't give them a chance after the initial reviews. I know you've got experience with them thought.
I find that the G is doing very well. IMO it's the old greenies with a smaller lighter frame. Parts are very similar to that of the Greenies of yester year and we all know how durable those reels were.
Now I have not tore into an abused G model and have only dealt with my own, that are well taken care of. So far I like what I see. I expecially like that they have found a way to make the price more comfortable to the wallet. The big question will be durability.
This all comes from someone (me) that absolutely does not believe that you need ten bearings in a reel to be good.
I have no problem recommending the Curado G
I should add a disclaimer that I've been defending the Shimano decision on this model since it came out.. And I shouldn't they don't pay me, slip me a discount, nodda I just personally like the reel.
I also have no afiliation with them or any brand. I personally use the E50, the Calcutta, some original CU 200's, several shimano spinning reels, some abu reels and some daiwa reels.
I myself was upset with the original choice to change the name of the Curado E to the Chronarch E. I wish they had just raised the prices across the board and kept all the E reels including the Citica E which was was a heck of a good reel. Thats not what they did, they started producing the Curado G on the Caenan assembly line. Now, I agree with Mike 100% on bearings, if everything else is built right and the bushings are of good quality, then they don't matter. 2 to 3 would be enough for a great reel. What I have seen in the Curado and Citica G reels that have been sent to me though has nothing to do with parts that are related to bearings. It's clutch's that are built out of a different material than they used in the past. Some sort of light gray plastic thats much softer than the white nylon of superior quality. It's sloppy fit of parts that had a much better fit on the E model reels such as the bar that keeps the sidecover from falling off when it's open. That bar now goes into a hole thats not a tight fit and when loose it just flops around. It's also little things like the way they used E clips to attach the nose cone instead of a screw. It's the stamped metal clucth pawl that might be fine but just looks cheap compared to other shimano clutch pawls. It's the fact that they had a need for a nylon spacer to fill in an area between the the pinion bearing and the clutch that used to be a lot more precise in the E models and only needed a very thin metal washer to space the bearing from the clucth. It's the bulky looking handle that reminds me of much cheaper reels. IMO, It's all of those things combined. Notice, I never said it was junk or that it would fall apart, it just doesn't remind me of the quality that shimano is known for. I would much rather use my CU 200 reels.
Everyone please remember that these statements are my opinion and i admit they could be influenced by my disapointment with what shimano did with a lot of reels this year. If the Curado G was called the Caenan G, i might not be quite so harsh on it. ::)
Oh Wow, I forgot to mention the plastic grommet that holds the clutch spring. Thats always been a metal grommet or straight into the frame on quality reels. WTF were they thinking with that?
What bothers me about the deal is I'm thinking when buying a curado it's going to be at least on par with prior models.I think they upset the curado and chronarch users through some clever marketing.This reel isn't what I expect from the curado name and I don't need to fish with it to say that.Good news is I love this Chronarch even though it's a downgrade for that model it's only 20 bucks more than the curado e was so I can deal with it.
I dont think there is anything wrong with the G. Time will only tell of its performance and longevity, but Shimano has never disappointed in the past. Everyone was upset when the E series came out syaing it was not as good as the D, and prior models, but look how that turned out. I have used the G, and know people that are using it and are very satisfied with it. I will be buying one in the future to add to the arsenal.
Quote from: Pro Reel on December 08, 2012, 08:35:59 PM
I wish it was a green Citica E or even a Citica before that, it's not even that. I would say that after having service several of these G reels, that the Citca E was a lot nicer reel than the Curado G.............I now suggest that if you want to buy a Shimano casting reel, then the Chronarch E is the lowest model that i would consider worthy of serious users.
Totally agree ... been a die hard Shimano user for years ... pretty much have owned/fished/tuned/serviced (personal collection) almost every model produced in USDM and JDM market since mid 90's. This new "G" concept of Malaysian made Citica/Curado is no where near the refinement and quality of past generations in my opionion. With the exception of the Citica D in the 200 platform which was Malaysian also (100 Citica was Japan as was all D platform Curados 100/200/300). The Citica 200 D had right componets but was wrong on tolerances (origin issues) ... I think that Citica was so so but still maybe better than the "G" platform (although G plams better/lighter) Just my experience with the "G" so far. But if its working for ya thats all that counts !! 8)
Quote from: Pro Reel on December 09, 2012, 07:48:32 PM
Oh Wow, I forgot to mention the plastic grommet that holds the clutch spring. Thats always been a metal grommet or straight into the frame on quality reels. WTF were they thinking with that?
Humm I must have missed that? Only been in mine a couple times for a quick look and oil dab. They'll be getting a complete tear down this month and I may have more opinion on them. I'll have 10 months of pretty serious use on them.
I didn't realize that the Citica D model was a Malaysian? Interesting that it needed at service bulletin for the worm gear tolerance :'( I haven't had any issues with the G curados as of yet.
I have had a curado g series for about a year now and love mine. I fish around 30 tournaments a year plus and the practicing that I do, have had no trouble at all. Only time will tell but so far it has been awesome ! I have a 1 curado g series, 1 curado e series, 2 citca g series , 2 citica e series. You can tell the difference in them but I would still put them up against any other reel for equal money !
I did get a bad taste of Malaysian made reels when the Stradic spinning and the Citica 200 (not just for the line guide but for shere refinement) were made there. I was a happy when the Citica E hit Japan again and was very noticeable.
I just hate to see the Curado and Citica both go there as they have been such good work horse reels for over a decade now.
In all fairness Shimano has won me over on the Malaysian Stradic FJ again as it does seem like a more refined precision tool than some earlier releases from there and reminds me more of the older Japan models. On a side note though time will tell if it still will feel/fish the same after years of use.
Lets hope that down the road in a couple of years we still hear some of the same positive of the "G".
Agreed about the G's durability. The old greenies (CU) are amazing and still burning up the lakes today ~c~ Just not quite as low of a profile.
I don't own many Schimanos, but know that some plastics are good, sometimes better. and I trust the design people at Schimano are savvy enough to know when to use what.
They are rust resistant, self lubricating, some are better than steel in certain applications.
Don't shoot down a product because of plastic.
Poor tolerances, and wrong composites that deteriorate is a problem. But that could be tooling errors when setting up the new lathes, molds, or other tooling or even a bad materials vendor. Lack of product testing can be an issue also, but I am very surprised that Shimano would risk tarnishing the reputation that they have worked years to build over shoddy parts and workmanship.
I don't know how long they have been making reels in Malaysia, but I can bet that problems will get straightened out as quickly as they can.
I'm thoroughly confused now. So if I were going to buy a shimano do I get a citica now or is the curado ok? I know where a pile of the older curados are so would that be best? I use revos exclusively now and have begun switching to generation 3s however I don't like how the new premier fits in my hand. The STX is great though but I'm interested in shimano.
As a safety till all the "reviews are in down the road" my recommendation would be to buy the Chronarch E's or source out used in excellent condition or new Curado and Citica E's.
You cant go wrong with any of those three. In the E series citicas are running $75-85, Curados $125-$150 and Chronarchs about $165-$175.
Or spoil yourself with a Core 50mg7 $295-$305 or the 100mg7 arournd $315-$325 ;D
I am however happy to hear what Mike and Bass78 had to say so far on their G's.
The couple I have dont get too pounded on with the options I have in my roatation so they see limited use. They seem to be putting theirs to use lol !
On a side note ... On the Premier was it the side palming cover or the drop down gear box that didnt feel right when mounted to a rod ?
The gear box definitely.
Quote from: kidd on December 11, 2012, 09:36:25 AM
The gear box definitely.
There seems to be some getting use to on the drop down from what I hear ... especially from guys rotataing Gen 2's and 3's on the front deck.
The Revo platform seems to have been a overall solid performing reel through the generations as a whole.
Quote from: JPD0144 on December 11, 2012, 09:21:58 AM
As a safety till all the "reviews are in down the road" my recommendation would be to buy the Chronarch E's or source out used in excellent condition or new Curado and Citica E's.
You cant go wrong with any of those three. In the E series citicas are running $75-85, Curados $125-$150 and Chronarchs about $165-$175.
Or spoil yourself with a Core 50mg7 $295-$305 or the 100mg7 arournd $315-$325 ;D
I am however happy to hear what Mike and Bass78 had to say so far on their G's.
The couple I have dont get too pounded on with the options I have in my roatation so they see limited use. They seem to be putting theirs to use lol !
On a side note ... On the Premier was it the side palming cover or the drop down gear box that didnt feel right when mounted to a rod ?
I have the citica and the curado in the g series, there is nothing wrong with either one. Shimano still makes great reels. They took and added a bearing to the citica and took one away from the curado. I would still trust shimano over all others.
Academy has the Curado G series for standard price but give you a free ethos rod with it. Just in case anyone was on the fence.
I wouldn't worry too much about the use of plastic parts. If you think about it the Curado 50E had a plastic drag star, no problem. Also, if you know about handguns, most companies are going to plastic frames for weight and rust resistance. Many car parts under the hood are plastic too. Its a certain type of plastic, not just the plastic that your toy soldiers were made of, lol.
Quote from: LgMouthGambler on December 12, 2012, 08:07:30 AM
I wouldn't worry too much about the use of plastic parts. If you think about it the Curado 50E had a plastic drag star, no problem. Also, if you know about handguns, most companies are going to plastic frames for weight and rust resistance. Many car parts under the hood are plastic too. Its a certain type of plastic, not just the plastic that your toy soldiers were made of, lol.
All reels have plastic parts. There are places where it's good and places where it's not. The E 50 has a graphite composite drag star. Same as the Citica E. They are stronger than plastic but I still see several very month with one or more arms broke off. The parts in the new reels that have me concerned are areas that recieve a lot of stress and wear. I don't see it as a good idea to use plastic in those areas.
Quote from: Pro Reel on December 12, 2012, 10:18:24 AM
All reels have plastic parts. There are places where it's good and places where it's not. The E 50 has a graphite composite drag star. Same as the Citica E. They are stronger than plastic but I still see several very month with one or more arms broke off. The parts in the new reels that have me concerned are areas that recieve a lot of stress and wear. I don't see it as a good idea to use plastic in those areas.
Pro Reel, could you post any pics of the insides of the Citica G as compared with an E to illustrate what you're saying about the G's plastic internals?
I personally like my reels to have a lot of metal in them. Weight isn't a big issue for me, and I'd rather have the durability of aluminum. A plastic pinion yoke and levelwind gears are fine, but other than that I prefer aluminum.
Quote from: Mike Cork on December 09, 2012, 03:27:29 PM
I'm kind of surprised by your thoughts on the G Model? I know many didn't like them and didn't give them a chance after the initial reviews. I know you've got experience with them thought.
I find that the G is doing very well. IMO it's the old greenies with a smaller lighter frame. Parts are very similar to that of the Greenies of yester year and we all know how durable those reels were.
Now I have not tore into an abused G model and have only dealt with my own, that are well taken care of. So far I like what I see. I expecially like that they have found a way to make the price more comfortable to the wallet. The big question will be durability.
This all comes from someone (me) that absolutely does not believe that you need ten bearings in a reel to be good.
I have no problem recommending the Curado G
Likewise, I have 2 Curado G series reels, and I love em. Now I know it's entirely possible they only made 2 good ones and I got them both. Yeah, that's it, that's what happened.
Hootie
Quote from: hootiebenji on December 14, 2012, 10:25:49 AM
Likewise, I have 2 Curado G series reels, and I love em. Now I know it's entirely possible they only made 2 good ones and I got them both. Yeah, that's it, that's what happened.
Hootie
Hootie you sound like me, if there were two bad ones in 10,000 I'd get them :surrender:
Guys, don't get me wrong. I have not nor will i say they are junk. It's just my opinion that they are not up to my standards of the Curado name. There are several cost cutting measures that were done with the new G reels that I feel will lead to problems that are not going to be noticable right now or not even in the first year or two, but I feel that this model will not have the same long term durablitiy that was expected from previous Curado models. Hopefully I will be proven wrong. I don't mind being wrong every once in a while.
Pro Reel, I never took any of your posts as you saying they were junk. I agree that durability will be a factor, a big factor. Just like with the D models I felt like there were components in them that were used or designed to fail.
Unfortunately from a marketing stand point the C model was a disaster for Shimano. Once a customer had his 8-10 he was done, each year he didn't need to replace them as they were bullet proof. As a company trying to sell reels there is something to be said about a bullet proof product good and bad. Good in that anglers love them, bad in that they loose sales because you don't need to replace them. I felt like the D model had a couple components that would wear out (The bushing under the drive shaft for starters).
That's not an excuse to build a substandard reel, but look at BPS up until about 4 years ago they used to build throw away reels and only stock parts for two year models at a time. They did very well. However word got out and they had to step up the game and now have some great durable stuff on the market, but you can still get that 59.99 reel ;)
This isn't going any where other than food for thought. I wish they didn't feel the need to move to the G model. Curado sat on the C model for years. Then all the sudden they have come out with new models every 18 months or so. Why? The D was a bust, the E was a hit, why not stay with the E. IMO the G doesn't offer anything but a lower price and components that are yet to be determined as to durability. So why change, it's the same low profile reel. I guess there are some gearing options now that were not available in the E model. But I didn't see the need for the change unless they were afraid of another C economic disaster with the E so they shut down the E (except the 300 series) and built the G.
I know there are other factors like the consumer usage of the Chronarch and a price point that was suppossed to boost sales but I really think there was a lot more too it.
Bottom line for me is that the G Curado is cheaper, and so far it is just effective as the E model. So, so far, the consumer comes out ahead. If the price rearranging works then Shimano comes out ahead as well.
Honest opinion guys, should I get the Chronarch, Curado E, or Revo STX?
Looking for something to go with the Dobyn's rods I am looking at. If you choose the shimano, can you give me the best model number to go with as I am unfamiliar with them.
Quote from: kidd on December 11, 2012, 08:27:33 AM
I'm thoroughly confused now. So if I were going to buy a shimano do I get a citica now or is the curado ok? I know where a pile of the older curados are so would that be best? I use revos exclusively now and have begun switching to generation 3s however I don't like how the new premier fits in my hand. The STX is great though but I'm interested in shimano.
Scratch that thought. I went to my local tackle store and played with curados and chronarchs both old and new and there's no way I'm giving up my STXs for either one of those and with close to 20 reels now I guess that'll save a lot of trouble. They haven't let me down yet anyway so there's no point I guess.
Quote from: Down4ttown on December 14, 2012, 01:01:13 PM
Honest opinion guys, should I get the Chronarch, Curado E, or Revo STX?
I believe you can't go wrong with any of those three :-* And to make the best choice for you I'd recommend going to a store that carries them and put them on a rod and see how they feel in your hands.
Personally I would go with the Curado E but the Chronarch is very nice and I've never heard anything bad about the STX I've even played with a few. I don't have revo's because the fit just a hair different in my hands than the shimano line up.
Quote from: Mike Cork on December 14, 2012, 01:13:22 PM
I believe you can't go wrong with any of those three :-* And to make the best choice for you I'd recommend going to a store that carries them and put them on a rod and see how they feel in your hands.
Personally I would go with the Curado E but the Chronarch is very nice and I've never heard anything bad about the STX I've even played with a few. I don't have revo's because the fit just a hair different in my hands than the shimano line up.
I will be at BP on Saturday so I will give them all a try.
I'm actually getting ready to sell all of my STX reels soon. I just need to get the time to clean them up one last time so they are perfect when i sell them. The reason, I just can cast better with other reels, no matter what i do to the STX, I can do better to a Curado E or an E 50 or now, if you can't find a leftover curado E you would need to get the Chronarch E. The STX is a great reel, but I prefer my Shimano E reels.
So. my opinion would be to look for a leftover Curado or Citica E reel. If you can't find one then get the Chronarch E. The E reels have been out long enough that they are proven performers. The Chronarch E is just a white version of the Curado E and it comes in more ratios than the Curado did. It's being built with the same parts on the same line, it just got a few minor changes and a new name plate.