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Hirisi or similar chinese reels

Mike Thompson

Senior Member & Supporter
Hi,
I know last year several members ordered low priced reels from China. I am looking for a pair of small baitrunners for chub and tench fishing with 1.25lb test rods.
I am only planning to use these a few times each year, so am not wanting to spend to much.
If you purchased similar reels can you report good or bad experience please.
Thanks
Mike
 
Two years on my two Yumoshi reels, mainly used for spinning for Salmon haven't put a foot wrong. I still maintain that they're the best made fixed spool reels I've ever owned which include Mitchell, Abu and Daiwa.
They cost about £8 each +postage from China.
 
Old Chinese Proverb, buy cheap, buy twice. 😁 😁 😁
New Chinese Proverb, pay ya money, and take a chance. 😁 😁 😁

Sounds like Paul took a chance, and it paid off. :) 👍
 
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Have a look on aliexpress. Either on laptop or the Aliexpress app for smart phone. It opens up a complete world of shopping. I have been using it for a number or years and cannot fault it. Only the other month I needed a spod reel. I found a pit reel for around 20 quid. Looks like a Basia tbh. Arrived 2 weeks after ordering.
 
I have a small general one I use exclusively for lure fishing (loaded with braid) and a medium sized baitrunner for carp. Both still performing admirably after a few years' use. They're both the same make (Kastking) from eBay, but most of those Chinese reels are exactly the same underneath the paint and whatever random name they're given.

Yeah, for the money they're a no-brainer if you only use them sporadically.

I don't know if I'd ever use them for the bulk of my fishing (which involves the usual brand suspects), but I'm sure they'd be absolutely fine.

I guess the only real problem with them is what sort of working conditions they've been made in - production line manned by kids?
 
I suppose you just can’t be sure what kind of conditions the people that make these things work under. With that said many of these items are the same item off the same line as a more recognised brand, it’s not unusual to see the same item with different brand names on it painted different colours. Often the reason it’s cheap is your cutting out the middle man or buying like a factory second. There was a program on a few years ago about clothes and they went to the factory where George, M&S and Victoria’s Secret all have their underwear made, same factory, same workers. The reality is a premium brand is likely no more ethical and in some cases isn’t even made from better materials.
 
The Yumoshi reels look pretty much identical to Daiwa ones at 10 times the price.
Different paint schemes but the engineering seems to be as good if not better.
My two have 12+1 ball bearings whatever that means. IIRC Daiwa don't come with more than 5.
 
I know the ethical argument, but I very much doubt it would stand looking at with anything we buy today. I worked for over 30 years for a Danish company who made very high quality products. When I first joined them, 100% of the items were made in the Danish factory, even cables, switches and electric motors. By the time I left over 80% of components were purchased from all over the world, the parent factories doing nothing more than assembly.
 
A relative of mine works for the very British company Morphy Richards, they now produce very little in the Uk but import from China and re-package at was once their factory.
 
I worked for a small company in Wiltshire who designed PCBs ,my role was to find new business, the manufacture of these boards was on shore at the time, but we could not compete on cost especially on smaller runs. I had to find a cheaper route to manufacture and found a HK company who could supply our product approx 60% cheaper delivered. Soon the board's were contracted to be fully assembled in China, thus discontinuing our UK manufacturing completely. Of course the Chinese are subsidised and the ethics in dealing with them is a factor. It cost me my job, and a once bright innovative company is now just a mail order operation.
It's what we are in this country now I am afraid.
 
Have a look on aliexpress. Either on laptop or the Aliexpress app for smart phone. It opens up a complete world of shopping. I have been using it for a number or years and cannot fault it. Only the other month I needed a spod reel. I found a pit reel for around 20 quid. Looks like a Basia tbh. Arrived 2 weeks after ordering.

I’m using something very similar or the same reel for spodding. I’ve used it a lot and except for one of the line clips breaking off it’s done me well.

I’ve bought all manner of bits and pieces; 4 bite alarms for £13, binoculars, terminal tackle, electronic scales, one set of which is very accurate, the other is out by 50%.

I can live with the ethical issues - I’m buying in bulk most of the time so I don’t think the carbon footprint is too big compared to repeat purchases from uk stores, there’s much less packaging buying in bulk and since most of the cheaper tackle in our shops has been manufactured in the same factories I’m not sure there’s a great deal of difference in the working conditions of the people who make it. Except for the scales of it has been substandard quality and ended up in landfill or the recycling

I might be wrong, I’d happily think again if someone could tell me otherwise
 
Dave and Jon, what models did you go for as spodding reels?

Hi Ash

I bought one with a model number
FDDL 5000-9000 Size 12+1 Ball Bearings

I can’t remember if it was the 8000 or 9000 version. If you shop around on AliExpress there are slightly different prices and delivery times
 
Hi,
I know last year several members ordered low priced reels from China. I am looking for a pair of small baitrunners for chub and tench fishing with 1.25lb test rods.
I am only planning to use these a few times each year, so am not wanting to spend to much.
If you purchased similar reels can you report good or bad experience please.
Thanks
Mike

Try these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YUMOSHI-...9Y2/333047457869?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144
£25 the pair and no complaints but you will need to be a little careful when loading the line for the first time as the line lay leaves a little to be desired.
 
The Yumoshi reels look pretty much identical to Daiwa ones at 10 times the price.
Different paint schemes but the engineering seems to be as good if not better.
My two have 12+1 ball bearings whatever that means. IIRC Daiwa don't come with more than 5.
That's what Chinese rip off's are all about, they clone the real things with cheaper parts.
 
I'd be tempted to get a pair of Shimmy 2500 ST FA's off Ebay, for around £30 you'll get a near mint one In the future If it needs repairing you'll be able to send it to Felindre, and you won't have any problems sourcing spare spools. You get what you pay for imo.

The number of ball bearings in a reel isn't the best marker of a reels quality, take the Shimmy 3500b - it's absolutely bullet proof, silky smooth and got great cracking power, that's only 3 +1. It is the quality of the bearings (coupled with the overall engineering and tolerances) that really counts, imo.
 
That's what Chinese rip off's are all about, they clone the real things with cheaper parts.
Well judging by my experience with 3 different Daiwa reels, none of which have had properly functioning bale arms or clutches the cloned parts must be far better quality than the originals.
Either that or Daiwa buy the really cheapest and nastiest reels they can from Chinese manufacturers, put their name on them and put on a massive mark up.
 
I've always believed that Daiwa make the better rods and Shimano the better reels
I'm sure there's a cheap Chinese reel that's built and performs well and lasts though.
 
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