Carretilhas Daiwa LT: avaliação pessoal

The Japanese company Daiwa’s LT (LIGHT and TOUGH) reels have made a sensation in reel building, especially in the budget segment, where for a reasonable amount of money we get a really technological, reliable, lightweight reel. In fact, Daiwa went the way of modernization of its initial series of reels, and most models eventually received the prefix LT, as a result of which became lighter, more compact, but at the same time did not lose the “Daiwa” reliability.

The company has achieved this primarily through the use of new composite materials, such as ZAION and DS5, as well as a number of technological innovations that were previously only used in the standard segment, but can now be seen even in the most budget reels. My collection includes seven reels of this concept, in which I will highlight the main distinguishing features of each reel and for what purpose I purchased it.

Exceler 17 LT 2000D

This model is particularly popular with those who prefer lightweight tackle

One of the first models of this concept, which clearly stood out among its closest competitors in terms of its characteristics. At that time I was just looking for a reel for my first ultralight tackle, and the choice was obvious. First of all, the weight of 185 grams for the 2000 size was surprising. Neither Shimano nor Daiwa had anything similar in the budget of 5 thousand rubles. Therefore, Exceler 17 LT became especially popular with fans of light tackle. The second pleasant moment was the screw-in milled handle – also an uncharacteristic feature of budget reels. Many appreciated the branded, finely tuned ATD friction, which, by the way, all reels of the LT series are now equipped with. A significant disadvantage of the Exceler 17 LT 2000D was the deep spool and the non-disassembling knob, but against the background of those innovations that Daiwa offered at the time, this was just a drop in the honey barrel.

Exceler 20 LT 3000-CXH

The updated model has a few changes

The updated 2020 Exceler has undergone minor changes. In fact, only the body material has changed, if the reel of the 17th year had DS5 as the body material, the Exceler 20 LT has received a really strong, composite material ZAION V (intermediate material between the branded ZAION and DS5). The reel has also changed in terms of design – black and gold tones were replaced by gray, which, as it turned out, perfectly harmonize with my favorite spinning SLrods Rush of the first generation. In principle, for spinning Rush 682ML up to 18 grams Exceler 20 LT 3000-CXH and purchased. For catching small pike, white predator, perch on small rivers, the power of the 3000-C reel (C – compact body, that is, the mechanism from the 2500th size, and the spool 3000th) is more than enough.

Daiwa Ninja 18 LT 3000 – CXH and 2000

I chose a reel with a higher gear ratio for fishing on small rivers

One of the most popular budget reels today. For a relatively low price Ninja 18 LT has not bad technical characteristics, good cord laying and at the same time is devoid of various “sore spots”, which were in the old inexpensive reels of this company. Ninja has a body made of composite material (DS4), aluminum spool is not lightweight, hence the weight of the reel is higher compared to other reels of the LT series in the same size. As with the Exceler 20 LT, for pike fishing on small rivers I chose a reel with a higher gear ratio (XH). Fishing has shown me that a high gear is not to be feared, and for tweeching or rafting I always prioritize a high-speed reel. For different tasks in ultralight fishing Ninja in 2000 size proved itself perfectly. It is light enough reel, so I had it on different spinning rods. A significant disadvantage of the Ninja 18 LT is the lack of a second bearing on the idler gear, which rotates directly on the body of the reel, so initially there is a slight backlash in the rotor. But, as personal practice of fishing with Ninja 18 LT reels shows, for ultralight, light and medium-light it is the best inertia-free reel in its price category.

Iprimi 19 LT 2000S-P

The reel was designed for trout fishing

Iprimi was intended by Daiwa engineers for area trout fishing, but in stream fishing conditions the reel has proved itself perfectly, and in pair with Zetrix Forra 632UL spinning rod it turned out to be a light, medium-budget tackle for catching in my case grayling on forest micro rivers. “Iprimi” stands out among the presented reels low gear ratio, which makes the reel’s stroke smoother than other reelsof this class, which allows you to filigree wiring, coaxing both pond trout and river trout on the bite. The fine profile spool (S) is also a big plus for this size reel. There is a ball bearing in the spool mechanism, albeit small, but the smoothness of the friction affects the friction in a positive way.

Regal 18 LT 2000S

Sometimes Daiwa makes you wonder why one model, conditionally speaking, has five bearings, while another reel, for example, Regal 18 LT, in the same price category has as many as nine. The number of “balls” is a great advantage when choosing a non-inertial reel, and Regal is an unqualified leader in this aspect, although in the roller is still a bushing, which can be replaced by a tenth ball bearing. As they say, if there is a gain somewhere, there is a loss somewhere. For example, the handle of the reel is pressed, and the shackle is ordinary, wire, not AirBail (hollow). Nevertheless, the reel is lightweight, with a soft stroke and a small-profile spool, so for micro-jig spinning it appealed to me.

Freams 18 LT 2500S-XH

The reel has absorbed all the best that there is in this price segment

The most expensive and the most beautiful reel in this rating. At the same time the most ambiguous. In fact, Freams 18 LT is a more affordable Fuego 17 LT, where the difference is only in the design. The Daiw`e Freams 18 LT is the end of the budget line of the LT series, followed by reels of higher level – Caldia LT, Ballistic LT etc. Therefore, the reel has absorbed all the best in this segment, including ferromagnetic system of Magsealed protection from water and dirt getting into the mechanism of the reel. In terms of power and weight of the reel 2500 size – the optimal choice for light spinning, for example, for catching white predators.

Daiwa LT – the right choice

The reels of the LT concept have an identical mechanism

In conclusion, I can only say that in the four years that I have been fishing with the LT concept reels, they have proven to be reliable workhorses for different fishing conditions, and I don’t remember any negative moments related to them. The mechanism of the above reels is identical, they differ only in construction and design. In general, they do not differ much in their capabilities, so you should choose a reel from the LT series taking into account the tasks at hand.