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World's first look inside the Team Daiwa Pluton
(continued)
  The
Pluton will be offered in both a 200H and 200SH version with respective retrieve
ratios of 5.1:1 and 6.2:1 and both will feature the same machined spool which
has a line capacity of
12/185, 14/155, 17/120.
The 200H will be capable of winding in 23.6” of line per crank and the 200SH
will add another 5.1” on top of that. Unfortunately, at time of release only
right hand retrieves will be available.
The Pluton sideplate reminded me
of a billet gas cap
We've
tested the drag on the 200H model before disassembly and the reel delivered
13.9lbs of drag counter pressure - not a whole lot for a reel designed to tackle
big game, but we did note that the drag was exceptionally smooth. We could not
get the drag to stutter even when fully buckled down. When fishing with light
lines for big fish it makes sense that the drag not be overwhelmingly brawny but
rather smooth and consistent to protect those lighter lines.
A look at the master gearing
and top of the drag stack
To get an
idea of how easy the Pluton will be to service, we dissembled the Pluton under
the pressure of a stopwatch. At this time there is no packaging available for
the reel, therefore, we had no accompanying schematics. None of this proved to
be an issue as the Pluton is among the easiest reels I have ever taken apart.
Once you remove the handle and drag star there are only three screws holding the
handle side plate in place. Inside we got a look at the master gearing which was
as robust as we expected. As with the casting, we will reserve our final
judgment of the gearing once we have had an opportunity to crank the Pluton
under load and fully test the reel’s torque.
The drag delivered 13.9lbs of counter pressure in our lab the
200SH should be around 11lbs due to the enlarged gearing. The wet drag consists of composite
fiber and steel washers
Inside the
reel was clean, simple, and all gears were lightly lubricated. The drag stack is
a wet design with both fiber composite discs and steel washers sandwiched
together with ample lubricant. Servicing this reel is straightforward, and even
without schematics we were able to break down the reel in under 5 minutes.
The gear is shielded from the
elements with a plate that is flush with the handle side sideplate
Ergonomically the Pluton felt very solid when paired with a rod and is small
enough to palm when retrieving. The copious use of aluminum in this reel does
add up however and the 200H weighs 12.5oz with the 200SH expected to weigh in at
.2 oz more.
just in case there was any doubt,
the Pluton is made in Japan
Daiwa
shared with us the price point of the Pluton, and in December the reel will
retail for $369.95 per copy. This puts the reel at a 40 dollar premium over the
Shimano Calcutta 200-GT, 130 dollars less than the Calcutta 200DC, and 130 over
Daiwa’s own TD-Luna reels.
One more look at the simple yet
elegant front end of the Pluton before we spool her up
Conclusion:
The
Daiwa Pluton has been shrouded in mystery and while our first look only
scratches the surface of what the reel is all about, we wanted to get this
preview up within hours of receiving the reel. After examining the reel inside
and out, and marveling at how refined this reel appears, I find myself even more
excited to find out how it will perform under our real world tests. I haven't
been this excited about a round baitcaster since the Calcutta TE DC was
introduced, and the fact that Daiwa actually recommends the Pluton for the extra
pressure, torque and punishment of big game is even more intriguing. From what
we have seen so far, Daiwa is delivering the goods both in terms of design and
refinement, but now it is time to see if the Pluton has the muscle to back it
all up. Stay tuned as we spool the Pluton up and go fishing.
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