Have a bunch of Curado I's that I'm thinking of replacing with K's. I've heard great things about the improvements of the K's vs. the I's. Are the K's that much of an improvement over the I's? I have a Curado DC 150 that I love which is the same frame as the K's so I know how they feel in hand.
2019 Ranger Z520C DC / 250 Pro XS 4 Stroke
No comparison to me. I sold all my I's and am up to 19 K's I believe. Haven't had to oil one yet to get rid of that awful squealing the I's were always doing!
2015 Ranger Z520c / 2015 Mercury 250 Pro XS
Thanks Brian...looking forward to the improvements with the K'sOriginally Posted by Spinnerb8
2019 Ranger Z520C DC / 250 Pro XS 4 Stroke
I am in the minority who like the I better than K. Yes you need to oil every now and then, but I could not get used to the thumb bar design on the K. Tried to like it and I just couldn’t make the switch. Well-built reel besides that though.
Same , here.
I handled a K recently and couldn’t own a reel with that tiny magnetic spool control dial. It is so small I couldn’t read the numbers and the one I had was frozen and wouldn’t move which I saw on Reel Advisors is a common problem due to a design flaw. No thanks. I love my Curado I 71XG.
In the same boat as you. I'll take the 200i platform all day over the 200K
K has larger handles, offers 8.5 gear ratio, and IMO has a smoother feeling satin finish, feels better palming, has smoother longer casting, casts lighter lures better, and is smoother reeling with the micro gearing. My 5 Ks have been problem free, except for having to loosen the brake dials, and replacing a pinion gear bearing, when the reeling became rougher.
If the brake adjustment dial is stuck or difficult to turn, you will need to loosen the screw a touch, and turn the dial back and forth a few times. (Yeah, you shouldn't have to do that on a new reel, but it's a 10 second fix.) The numbers are more difficult to see than the I, but the direction arrow, to know which direction to turn it is apparent, and it's easy enough to see when you've moved the dial by one number.
I never paid any attention to the thumb bar differences, but side by side, the I does have a more positive engagement with less travel than the K. The K's thumb bar is more aesthetic looking being contoured to match the lines of the reel
I wouldn't say the improvements are worth replacing the Is, because the 4 Is I have are still good, but 3 of mine are back on the shelf. If using both Is and Ks, I'd favor the Ks for bottom baits, plastics, jigs, and hard pulling crankbaits, and use the Is for moving baits, spinnerbaits, and smaller crankbaits.
Last edited by mossie3; 01-25-2020 at 06:27 PM.
My I's have been great reels but I'm ready for an upgrade. I'm a Curado guy so while I like the I's I have, I'm ready to try the K's since they've been out a while now. My main reels are still Curado E's that I have no plans of ever getting rid of. Hope the K's are as good as the E's.
2019 Ranger Z520C DC / 250 Pro XS 4 Stroke
The B, D and E series Shimano reels were the best. The I's are fine if you can stand the constant noise they make with the brakes squealing. I like the K's better than the I's. Now with that being said, I like several Lews and Daiwa reels a lot better than the Curado K.
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