Rod question desperate

10 Ball Bearing · #1 15-02-2003, 05:09 AM

Hello all,

Great website, I have learned heaps and I've lurked on the side and hope one day I can add something instead of the information at the moment just going one way

But first I do have a question that I'm desperate to have answered.

I want to buy a really good rod, I have had a lot of mediocre rods in my day and now want a good one.

The Daiwa Heartland rods are IM6 or IM7 graphite and feel absolutely terrific but they are only around $130-00.

Now the Black Diamond rods and the Ian Miller rods and the GLoomis rods are up around the $500 + range.

Why is this so ??????????????

Its driving me nuts, is it the finish ? the fittings? the blank ?
or is it just the name? I cannot afford to spend $400 extra dollars just to have the "status" of a top notch rod.

Are the Daiwa Heartland rods the equivelant to the other rods that I have mentioned?

If not what could I see, feel or expect to get for the extra $$$.

I have held ALL of the different brand rods and they feel the same, look the same, have very similiar actions, Fuji fittings, epoxied finishes, cork grips.........the only difference that I can notice is the $$$ on the price tags.

Am I just to much of a novice to see the difference?

Please if you can shed some light I would appreciatte it to no end as I'm going to be waiting outside my tackle store at 8.55am on Monday morning to spend my money and I want to be more informed about my impending purchases.

Thanks for taking the time out to read my post I hope that I have made sense and I have not intruded to much as I am only a newbie to this great website.

Thanking You

Mark

Richo · #2 15-02-2003, 06:26 AM

There is nothing wrong with the rods you mentioned and they are more than capable for breamin. I have a heartland X and a starling stella and they work well with both hards and softs, and Ive had no dramas with any fish Ive nailed so far.

Im also getting a Breamreaper myself in the next 2 weeks, and this will be for hard bodies, I should get more distance when casting and they are very light as well, great in strength. Once you have picked both up in a shop you`ll notice the difference, It all depends if you have the extra couple of hundred bucks spare or not, if 130 is your minimum I wouldn`t be to concerned at the moment.

cheers

richo

chris_lemess · #3 15-02-2003, 06:28 AM

Mostly it's to do with the modulus of the graphite used in the blank. On top of that there's the guides. "Fujis" is not an accurate description... they can be the cheapest AlO2 "O-Rings" (Like on the HL-IM6), or the Hardloys, or the Alconites, new light-weight Alconites, SiC, SiC Ti framed, or Gold Cermets as on the $1000+ Millernium series. Plus theres things like the reel seat, bindings etc to consider, as well as the difference between factory built rods and custom rods. You do pay for the name in a Daiwa, Shimano etc, but you still get what you pay for. If you can afford the more expensive gear, it will last you, no doubt about that.

Chris

Bear · #4 15-02-2003, 06:57 AM

One thing I will say Mark is that the Bream Reaper is no where near as expensive as the Loomis equ. It's only $389 and for the price is very hard to go buy.

Like Richo, I'll have my new one in my hot little hands very soon.

In the end it's to do with quality. As the guys have said, just because it says graphite with Fuji guides doesn't mean they are all the same.

Cindy · #5 15-02-2003, 07:28 AM

Hello Mark,

One thing which may help your decision is that our Black Diamond rods are designed and assembled here in Australia and you have the service and commitment of an Australian company behind the product.
Cheers,
Cindy Ross

LakeConjolaFish · #6 15-02-2003, 07:51 PM

Mark,

A increase in the price tag could also be evident because of wages paid in countries like Korea where a lot of Daiwa's products are made/assembled compared to wages paid in Australia.

I know its a lot of $ difference but some people just like to own the best that you can buy. A VW will get you from point A to point B fine.......just some people like to do it in a Ferrari.

Really buying a rod is a really personal thing and if your happy with a Daiwa or if your happy with a Black Diamond or a Ian Miller or a GLoomis or if your happy with a Kmart combo thats the main thing to worry about "what YOUR happy with".

You mention and I quote "I have had a lot of mediocre rods in my day and now want a good one".

What ever you do don't buy a rod if there is going to be the slightest doubt once you own it , if that could be the case either keep looking or save up more.

Its awful to fish with a rod when you keep thinking to yourself "I should have bought a better one" but on the other hand if you keep saying to yourself " Oh God how I love this rod I can't wait to use it again". You see my point ?......I hope I haven't waffled on to much and I hope you see what I'm trying to get across.

I'm a bit envious also of your impending trip to the your tackle shop, the only thing better than buying tackle is actually fishing.

Have you thought about the Penn Pinpoint Graphite IM6 that are for sale on the online store at Breammaster? At $149-00 delivered to your door these are a great rod.

Good luck with whatever you decide to purchase

10 Ball Bearing · #7 16-02-2003, 02:34 AM

Thanks a lot everyone who took the time out to answer my question. All the answers were helpful, but I have to be honest they didn't really answer my question.
Maybe there is NO answer to my question?

I will buy a Ian Miller rod tommorrow, I really liked them I just dont understand why they are nearly $400 more than the Daiwa's. I MUST only be paying for the name because in my opinion the Daiwa's are equal to them and even better than some of the black diamonds and GLoomis's I have handled.

Maybe I'm just label hound

after all. But it's a Miller I will buy.
It peeves me to buy it, to be really honest, deep down I know that the Daiwa would suffice nicely.

Oh well you only live once and Ian Miller has to make his mega bucks somehow doesn't he

Thanks everyone.

Cindy · #8 16-02-2003, 05:22 AM

HI Ball Bearing,
I am curious to where you do your rod shopping? Are you from the east coast? Just wondering which rods of ours you saw as our newest rods (made on USA blanks) are presently only available at Tackle Warehouse in Brisbane. The other shops carrying our brand will have some of the new rods within a couple weeks.
Btw, I am not trying to pursuade you from buying an Ian Miller. Just that you may find our new ones very different from last year's models.
I will also like to add a confirmation about the cost of rods like ours, Ian Millers and originally the Loomis rods we built here. These are very expensive to produce due to many high cost factors, some of which are the buying and shipping of US blanks, paying Australian wages/superannuation; expensive running costs: insurances, workers compensation, factory rental, specially made machinery, costly components, advertising, etc. ect. Yes, it is not easy or cheap to make a quality product in this country. But we still want to keep trying as we know there are anglers out there who appreciate what we are trying to do.
Good luck with your choice!
Cheers,
Cindy

Stuie_02 · #9 19-02-2003, 04:34 AM

hey 10ball Bearings

All the modoulus graphite rods in the world will not tempt fish into bite that lure/plastics. I personally have a SS Stella and love it i am looking at a heartland X but later.

If you cant use a Ian miller or gloomis then dont worry about it. go buy yourself a silstar and be done with it. I flyfish and now most fly rods come with a $100 odd replacement guide. That is if i smash my pride n joy they will replace the rod for $100 nice.

Do many rods have this rod gaurantee? The Gloomis might have this im not sure of any others.

Cheers
Stuie