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Wicked style, the limited edition Daiwa Black Widow II
(continued)
 Durability:
Have you ever noticed how
some reels start silky smooth then after only a short amount of time seem to
feel grainy? While sometimes foreign material can enter a reel and cause damage
to the gear surface the majority of the time the roughness is simply caused by
wear and tear on gears that are either too soft or do not boast tight tolerances
between components. This isn’t a problem with the BWII which makes use of
oversized precisely machined bronze gears. The frame should also hold up nicely
being constructed out of aluminum stock, except on the takedown plate. The only
possible problem area is the black paint on the reel, but throughout our tests
we didn’t see any reason for concern. The reel survived nicely through our
abuse, and while we didn’t notice any boat rash only time will tell, and we will
revisit the permanence of the finish after a full season of use.
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Out in the
open you can see the magnetic ring half of the Magforce-Z system |
Price & Applications: Other than its sinister good looks the Black Widow
really didn’t differentiate itself from it’s siblings in terms of performance.
Which really isn’t a bad thing, considering the Advantage reels already
delivered solid performance, especially when you considering the price. The BWII
is slightly more refined than the original Advantage, and it has a certain
enthusiast appeal to it, partly because it resembles the import Presso in
finish. In terms of applications the BWII will dole out plenty of performance.
The quick 6:3.1 retrieve allows anglers to work a great variety of lures. I
would consider the gearing “powerful,” and should be able to handle most
freshwater fish. Best of all the multi-disk Daiwa wet drag is extremely smooth,
even under duress.
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The other
side has a bearing and pin that separates from the master gearing on outcast |
Turning to
the issue of price, the BWII is priced at 119.99 retail. This is 20 dollars more
than the TD Advantage, and 20 dollars less than the HST. Sandwiched right in the
middle the only real difference between the Black Widow II and the others is a
single bearing, and slick cosmetics. If you are looking for the best deal when
it comes to the best “bang for the buck” you will want to stick with the sub 100
dollar original Advantage (TDA150H). However if you are looking for something
unique, the 20 dollar premium isn’t so hard to stomach. To draw a parallel the
new reel isn’t like a BMW M3 versus a 3 Series, in which the M3 features a super
tuned engine with performance to match. Instead this offering is more like a
special trim car, like a Limited Edition Honda Accord, which features mostly
cosmetic difference like limited edition interior trimmings.
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Another
angle of the spool |
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The Black
Widow is comfortable to palm |
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The familiar
Daiwa grips found on so many of the company's baitcasters |
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Got a lunker
on the line? The Black Widow II is ready for the challenge |
Ratings:
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Daiwa Black
Widow II Ratings (?/10) |
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Construction/Quality |
Solid construction just like the Advantage.
The look and feel of this reel is very good. Would have loved to see the
metal drag star on the HST make it to this reel, if it was also anodized
orange that would have been a big plus! |
8.5 |
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Performance |
Not as refined as higher end Daiwa reels but
offers plenty of performance for the money. Slightly smoother than a
standard Advantage. Magforce-Z is excellent, and offers a wide range of
minute cast control settings |
8 |
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Price |
A reasonable price for a quality reel. While
it isn't the best value if you look at the original Advantage it is a good
deal for a hard to find reel like this |
9 |
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Features |
The Black Widow is sandwiched right in between
the original Advantage and the HST supertuned model. While it has all the
normal features it would have been outstanding if Daiwa found some way to
implement the flipping switch found in the prior Black Widow reel
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8 |
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Design (Ergonomics) |
The design can be likened to a slightly larger
Sol...just like the other Advantages. The reel sits low on most reel seats
and is easy and comfortable to palm |
9 |
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Application |
This reel can handle most freshwater species
without any problem. It is not as well suited for straight up salt as the
Coastal so it isn't quite the crossover reel, but keep it in fresh and
brackish water and it will do just fine |
8 |
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Total Score |
8.41 |
Pluses and Minuses:
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Plus Minus |
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J
Wicked good looks |
L Wish
it was based on the Advantage HST |
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J Great
construction |
L Hard
to find |
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J Good
Value, reasonable price |
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J
Limited look and feel |
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Conclusion:
Style is what the Daiwa Black Widow II is all about. I would
have loved to see Daiwa further super-tune the HST model and make that into a
limited edition Black Widow reel, but then it probably would have deviated too
greatly from the original Black Widow which represented a solid balance of
features and price. Interestingly the Black Widow II is relatively hard to find.
While it has popped up at shows and on the shelves of some regional stores, for
the most part is not offered by the major e-tailors. This fact alone will make
the reel all the more appealing for collectors. To break it down, Daiwa
basically took an already quality reel and made it a tad bit better
functionally, and quite a bit dissimilar aesthetically…the result is a “wicked”
looking reel that should appease Daiwa fans looking for something a little more
distinctive in the mainstream space.
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