I thought all Daiwa Zillions were made in Japan? I ordered and received a Zillion SV TW G and spooled it up and cast it. Nope... went straight into ground. No matter what weight or adjustments the result was the same.
I've used daiwa and shimano for the past 20+ years , I can cast a baitcaster. I looked all over the reel and finally found the made in thailand. Are there any ways to tell where the reel is made when buying online?
Thanks
Daiwa or Shimano ?????
I cant say about previos Zillions, I dont have any of those, but I believe only the JDM version is made in Japan. The Japan version also has aluminum gears, and US bersion has brass gears. I purchased a US version because of the gear material.
Ask your dealer if you want to know where they are made. Any time folks ask about the origin of reels, I'm happy to tell them. The US Zillion G SV TW is made in Thailand and it's an absolutely fantastic reel. I also prefer the brass hyperdrive gears in the US version to the aluminum gears in the JDM version. I have three of them and have put them through a lot and they are still functioning as new. If you are having a problem with your newly purchased US reel, it is under warranty. The Tackle Trap is an authorized Daiwa Warranty and Executive Service center. Feel free to PM if we can help.
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Yeahhh that's a tough one. Last year I phased out every reel in my lineup that wasn't a Daiwa, just too impressed with the perceived quality and longevity of my Tatulas that I chucked everything else. Added a Tatula 103 Limited from ^ Tackle Trap which was incrementally better. Then added a couple of Zillions that were, again, incrementally better.
Bottom line, something's wrong with your Zillion.
I have 6 Zillions and all are smooth and cast great. You must have something wrong with your reel. Send it to Tackle Warehouse to have it checked out.
Last time I checked, TW doesn't do reel repair and isn't a Daiwa Warranty Center?Originally Posted by pabasshawk
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My 6 Zillions say Thailand. Little tweaking of the spool tension and magnetic break for each lure = all good. Plus a trip to Tackle Trap is always nice
Sorry, I ment Tackle Trap. It's hell getting old, one nice thing is I can hide my own Easter eggs.
Hahaha...
That's awesome!!
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As stated earlier, US version is made in Thailand. I have both versions and they work extremely well. I can say they work just about as well as my Steez.
2017 Triton 21TrX Elite
Mercury Pro XS 250
Ultrex 112, Mega 360 w/ Helix 10 Di Si Meg+
Garmin Livescope + on an Ultra 122SV at the bow.
Garmin Ultra 122SV and Ultra 126SV at the Helm
Did you tighten the spool tension knob? You're supposed to leave them loose and the brakes will take care of braking. If you tightened that knob then it will cast like garbage.
JDM Zillions are made in Japan. US versions made in Thailand (probably because they expected to sell more Zillions in the US and needed to produce them in a higher volume factory). You do get a brass gear with the US version. Counterpoint is you get better tooling and craftsmen in Japan. Personally, I’ve never had any issues with duraluminum gears (in high end reels). I’d be okay with either, but I’m sure there will be a few more lemons among the US versions because of the mass quantities produced. If it’s bad, it’s usually bad right away. Anything after that is typically wear and tear.
I didn't know the JDM reel had aluminum gears. Good thing I searched before I ordered one. Gary ,any idea when the new website will be done ? Thanks
We are working on it, hopefully soon. The Tackle Trap is shipping now however, so feel free to contact me if there's something you need, or call the shop during business hours 315 234 1050.
What better tooling and craftsmanship regarding comparisons of the Japan Zillion versus the US Zillion? Our shop is a Daiwa Warranty Center and cleans, services, and repairs more freshwater Daiwa reels than just about anybody else in the United States, so I'm curious how you came to this conclusion.
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Thanks for the heads up, Gary.
Read it somewhere researching JDM equipment. Can’t recall specific source, but I’ll repost when it comes back to me. Never said that the end result was any worse, but you gotta admit that it seems their higher end (and thus lower volume) models seem to be made in Japan. Intangibly, you also have to understand the Japanese culture - they seriously take pride in their individual craftsmanship. Obsessive levels. If I had a choice between something made in Japan vs Malaysia, all things equal (which is not relevant in this case), I’d pick Japan all day, every day… even though in todays world, it may not matter much anymore if the company behind the product has high standards. Apple computers are made in China, but are unquestionably the best made computers in the world.
We have seen no empirically discernible advantage in terms of quality or craftsmanship between the JDM Zillion and the US Zillion. The US Zillion has brass gears which just perform longer and better with less maintenance, which is unfortunately much more common with US anglers than our Japanese counterparts. Even with 5 years of Executive Service (free cleanings, warranty, etc.) for Steez and Exist platforms, it's still surprising how few take advantage of this incredible value added benefit of a flagship Daiwa purchase.
I do understand enough about Japanese culture to know that Daiwa in particular isn't going to release an inferior representation of a legacy brand like Zillion to a HUGE US market simply because they can "get away" with sending us something that wouldn't meet their domestic standard. It is absolutely less costly to produce more of them in their Daiwa owned, staffed, and operated manufacturing facility in Malaysia than it does in Japan, but I'll argue that there isn't a drop off in quality or craftsmanship based solely on the country of origin in this platform. To assume otherwise would not accurately reflect the level of importance Daiwa places on the US market in general.
Your point about the quality of China made Apple products is well taken. Made in China doesn't always equal junk, though it often does... there are a lot of very high quality products that come from there indeed.
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I agree that the company behind the products is more important than the origin. Daiwa, and Shimano, happen to be among the better ones. I’m not sure on the Korean sourced reels. I haven’t had any problems with any reels I’ve ever bought over the years, other than normal wear, except for ONE Garcia I got. That’s over 45 years of purchases, LOL. Reels seem to have a pretty good track record.
The original comment I referenced came from the Zillion review on Tackle Tour. It is only a premise.
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