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World's first look inside the Team Daiwa Pluton
Date: |
9/17/08 |
Tackle type: |
Reels |
Manufacturer: |
Daiwa |
Reviewer: |
Zander |
Introduction:
So far,
details of the new Daiwa Pluton have been hard to come by, but we managed to get
our hands on one of the very first reels to roll off the Daiwa line and are able
to bring to you this exclusive look into the makeup of this new, highly
anticipated round reel from Daiwa.
We take a look at one of only
three Pluton's that currently exist, the reel will be made available in December
later this year
Just what is a Pluton? The dictionary defines it
as:
plu·ton /ˈplutɒn/
Pronunciation Key
- [ploo-ton]
–noun
Geology.
any body of igneous rock that solidified far
below the earth's surface.
The Pluton may be a compact round
reel but Daiwa has designed it to tackle big inshore and saltwater fish
Or perhaps
Daiwa named the new reel after "Pluto" the Roman god of the underworld, or even
the dwarf planet that orbits on the outskirts of our solar system. The theories
surrounding the naming of this reel can be argued either way as it certainly
looks and feels as solid as a rock, yet has a subdued, almost ethereal look (no
flashy color here) as one would expect from any product associated with the
Roman deity of the underworld. But enough about that, let’s get into the
details.
The tension knob is machined and
features an audible click
We were
lucky to get the very first reel to come off of Daiwa's production line, one of
only three of these reels in existence. Daiwa is prepping for a hard launch
sometime in December of 2008 and when the reel will begin shipping to retailers
and e-tailers around the country.
The black ring on the sideplate is
actually the cast control for the magnetic system completely housed within the
sideplate
The first
thing that struck us about the Pluton was how solid it felt - not just examining
the reel in hand but also when cranking its handle. Cal remarked that the reel
reminded him of the import ITO Monoblock. The Pluton feels like a cross between
the Luna and the Saltiga, and the gearing feels extremely precise delivering a
more connected overall feel. It is smooth, but not buttery smooth, there is no
doubt that when you crank on this reel the gearing is matching up tooth to
tooth. From a cosmetic standpoint the Pluton has very clean lines, and fans of
the Saltiga’s appearance will surely be fond of the Pluton’s utilitarian facade.
A closer look at the Pluton's
machined spool and inductor. The spool weighed in at .6oz in our lab
The Pluton
was designed by Daiwa to be a multipurpose reel, one that can be used for
tossing big freshwater baits, targeting inshore species, or loading up with
light line to target serious big game. It is designed to handle superlines as
well as monofilament, and the spool and cast control system can accommodate both
big baits and lighter lures - something we will certainly verify and evaluate in
our field tests.
A look at the inside of the
sideplate
Since the
Pluton is designed to operate in saltwater applications and not just freshwater,
Daiwa put extra emphasis on properly sealing the reel taking liberties to outfit
it with eight corrosion resistant CRBB bearings plus one roller bearing. The
entire frame is machined out of a single piece of aluminum and the subtle
branding is burned into the reel with three point laser engraving.
The Pluton's frame is machined
from a single piece of aluminum and you can see the machining marks inside on
the frame
The
Pluton’s magnetic cast control system is housed entirely within the removable
sideplate that features an external adjustment dial. We assumed the black ring
that encircles the non handle sideplate was purely cosmetic when we first saw
the reel, but what we came to discover is his ring is actually the mechanism by
which the user can adjust the cast control as it rotates back and forth with an
indicator that lines up with similar marks engraved on the sideplate. The ring
rotates easily with pressure from only one finger and all adjustments are
positively reinforced by an audible click facilitating even the slightest on the
fly adjustments.
Time to remove the handle side and
see what is underneath
On the
business side of the reel we find a swept handle, a newly designed drag star,
and a massive tension knob. Detailing of all these items is superb and audible
click adjustments are features of both the drag star and tension knob. The
Pluton’s knobs are also more subdued than the other mid-range Daiwa reels, and
somewhat of a cross between what we normally find on reels like the Luna and the
Steez in terms of design and feel. The infinite anti reverse is superb on the
Pluton, absolutely no backplay was detectable (and I mean absolutely NONE).
The Pluton features Daiwa's swept
handle design which is designed to reduce handle wobble
Next Section: A look inside the guts
of the Pluton |
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