shimano reels from u.s. question

[jb2020]

hey blokes,

looking at fj stradic which are 160 aud delivered at the moment from u.s. compared to $200+ here

question about importing shimano reels from u.s.......
when asking my local tacklestore to match pricing, they said that u.s. shimanos are not the same as oz ones as they are more designed for freshwater over there and therefore not as rust proof - sounds a bit suss to me, I can't believe that the same make and model reel can be made with different components for different countries?? (tried emailing shimano to confirm but no response yet)

next question....why would you buy a 2500 stradic over a 3000? only difference I can see is 3000 has deeper spool and different style paddle on the handle - weight is the same, price is the same.

[tuan]

Originally Posted by jb2020

question about importing shimano reels from u.s.......
when asking my local tacklestore to match pricing, they said that u.s. shimanos are not the same as oz ones as they are more designed for freshwater over there and therefore not as rust proof

lol at this !

but to me, it is a bit rude to ask for price matching to an overseas price.

Originally Posted by jb2020

deeper spool and different style paddle on the handle

... and that's your reason. more line, bigger paddle for craking. i believe it's identical otherwise.

[Bremmer15]

Hey mate,
I don't think the stradics are any different in the US. There are no other differences between the 3000 and 2500. Most just prefer the smaller handle knob.
If you are going to buy a stradic from the US, then look st getting upgrade bearings. You can get 3 extra bearings sent for 30 bucks(2 in the handle, one on the worm gear). Really does make a difference in my opinion, a much smoother feel. Not to mention the upgrade to your bearing count. Love my stradic!

[T Curve]

Just remember that the 10 year Australian warranty is no good if you import the reel. For the sake of $40 to $60 I would go local, have the peace of mind of the full warranty and support local industry.

Originally Posted by jb2020

when asking my local tacklestore to match pricing, they said that u.s. shimanos are not the same as oz ones as they are more designed for freshwater over there and therefore not as rust proof - sounds a bit suss to me, I can't believe that the same make and model reel can be made with different components for different countries?? (tried emailing shimano to confirm but no response yet)

Sounds like the song of a savagely clubbed seal dance... Makes you want to say to the shop owner 'pull ya head in mate'.

Most reels made from Shimano, Daiwa etc are made to international standards - a Stradic that's made will be shipped to Aus, US and NZ for eg - if there are any special denotations specifically to that market that would be the only difference and whatever specifics they add or subtract from that. And dont forget the US of A is also lined with salt water and they do participate in some pretty hard core salt water game so they wouldnt have a Stradic thats specific to fresh and one specific to salt; would bring too many warranty issues up with Shimano.

In today's economy who wouldn't ask for a store to match a price? Most people in Harvey Norman, Domayn, JB and others are matching OS prices for digital items, not to mention Bunnings and others that are doing the same - I give it a go at every chance I get and on most occasions I come up trumps. Even ask them for the difference if you can spend it in store on other items?

The US and AUS dollars are near the same - have a stab, why wouldnt you give it a go to save a couple of dollars - what you save is better in your pocket than in theirs.

Originally Posted by T Curve

Just remember that the 10 year Australian warranty is no good if you import the reel. For the sake of $40 to $60 I would go local, have the peace of mind of the full warranty and support local industry.

Also isnt it a 'fine print' clause that you must have the reel serviced with Shimano every year to have the warranty validated??? I know they have updated their guarantee with their rods; seems that now you can claim a lost fish if the rod snaps inadvertently lol... I havent seen any fine print on their new reels - any news with that or clarification?

[Bremmer15]

Originally Posted by SLAZMO

Sounds like the song of a savagely clubbed seal dance... Makes you want to say to the shop owner 'pull ya head in mate'.

Bit off topic, but speaking of poor service, I went into a well known tackle store and asked for a price match on a rod that they had for $40 bucks dearer. I asked them if they could price match with bluewater tackleworld. I was told "yeh, we can do that because tackleworld are a low end competitor." really? Low end mate?
Then , after waiting 20 mins for him to go and check their price, he comes back out and apologizes to me: "sorry about the wait, they are pretty useless over there" I was just about ready to leave, without the rod. What a tool. Bagging out a well known competitor in front of a customer. Pretty sure tackleworld has more products, at a cheaper price to most other tackle stores. I've only ever had good customer service from bluewater, not just some tool talking up his store.i know where I'll be going from now on!

Back on topic, as stated above, the warranty is pretty important IMO.

[jb2020]

thanks for the replies guys.
I think I'll go the 3000 as it has the same knob as the stradic FI 2500 which I'm used to - fat fingers no good for little knobs!!
cheers
jb