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Fighting Smallies with Fire, Daiwa Fuego style
(continued)
 Durability:
Gone are the days when anglers were warned to keep their magnesium reels away
from salt, for fear they would corrode promptly. Many manufacturers are going to
great lengths in order to make their magnesium reels saltwater safe, or at least
saltwater friendly.
Side by side with the Steez for
comparison
Daiwa doesn’t come out and
recommend the Fuego for use in saltwater, but the reel is capable of holding its
own in the salt, and certainly in brackish water conditions. Both the inside and
outside of this reel is treated with a protective finish, and the outside has a
painted surface that further protects the base metal. The reel features a seven
bearing drive system, with three of those being corrosion resistant bearings,
and the remainder are all constructed out of stainless steel.
The external bail trip engages when it comes
in contact with the handle
Gaskets line all critical areas, including the drag system, and the Fuego is
designed so that it is easy to lubricate the worm gear without having to
physically separate the magnesium body and side cover. All in all the Fuego is
nearly as durable as an aluminum reel, and is designed to take a beating from
fish and the elements. There are no areas of concern when it comes to
durability, and with proper care the reel will last many seasons.
The Fuego is made in Japan
Price
and Applications: The Fuego is priced with a flat structure, in which every
size retails for the same amount of 249.99. This is a boon for anglers, as they
can choose the right reel for their particular application without having to
concern themselves with the varying cost of ownership. In terms of value the
Fuego is everything it is made out to be, and in terms of competition it offers
true magnesium lightweight attributes with the quality performance and
refinement that Daiwa is known for.
A close look at the Fuego's rich finish
When matched up to the
competition the Fuego is priced higher than opponent offerings, but this is
rational considering there is more liberal use of genuine magnesium in this
reel’s construction. The Fuego can compare to the Certate in many ways, and just
feels a bit less fluid, but nonetheless very close in refinement. If you want a
magnesium reel from the Daiwa spinning lineup the Fuego and Steez are the two
choices, as the Certate offers all the refinement housed within an aluminum
alloy body.
The handle is the same one used on the Sol
and Tierra
The Fuego is a good value
overall, maybe not as good of a value as the Shimano Stradic MgFA, but when it
comes to refinement the reel stands on its own. Is it worth the 249.99 price
tag? Yes. Is it a better reel than the Sol? No. It is in fact just about the
same when it comes to performance as the Sol, just with the advantage of being
slightly lighter. Now the tough question, how does it compare to the Steez?
Truth is that the Steez is really twice the reel that the Fuego is. It is
lighter, it is more refined, and is unmatched when it comes to smoothness and
power. But then, how many anglers can really afford the Steez’s price tag of
499.99?
On the other side a knob locks the handle in
place
That is where the Fuego
comes in. Though it may not be pinnacle of spinning refinement, it is only half
the price. This in itself should make it an attractive solution for Daiwa fans.
While the most discriminating spinning angler will not settle for anything less
than the Steez, there are a great many anglers, myself included, that will pick
up the Fuego and use that leftover money and put it towards a matching red Steez
rod.
Ratings:
|
Daiwa Fuego
2000 spinning reel Ratings
(?/10) |
| Construction/Quality |
The Fuego is built solid
and makes generous use of magnesium on the frame and sideplate |
9 |
| Performance |
The performance of the
Fuego is rock solid overall. The reel performed well for a wide range of
applications and the drag is exceptional on this tiny reel. It does however
get .5 a point knocked off for the external bail trip system which needs
some momentum to disengage properly. |
8 |
| Price |
While not as good of a
deal as the Shimano Stradic MgFA the Fuego does stand on its own and makes
use of more magnesium in its construction for further weight reduction
|
8.5 |
| Features |
The Fuego has a number of
quality features that range from the extra spool to the quality sealed drag
system |
8 |
| Design
(Ergonomics) |
The Fuego is extremely
compact and overall ergonomics are very good. If the knob was supported with
quality bearings it would be even smoother... but then again it would be
entering the edge of Steez territory |
8 |
| Application |
The Fuego is finally
available in an ultralight size making it great for a wider range of
applications. But like our tests prove it sin't just about small fish |
8.5 |
|
Total Score |
8.33 |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
| J
Magnesium frame and sideplate |
L
External bail trip system needs more
momentum to disengage |
| J
Available in full range of sizes |
L
Not as aggressively priced as some
competitor Mg reels |
| J
Attractive high-quality
red finish |
|
| J
Excellent drag |
|
| J
Identical spare spool |
|
| J
Reasonable price for a reel of this
quality |
|
|
 |
|
The Fuego 200
size can be used to land both small trout and lunker sized bass
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Conclusion:
Fighting smallies with
fire, that’s exactly
what it felt like with
the brightly colored
Fuego. Though the
Smallmouths were hard
fighters they really
were no match for the
blazing hot performance
put on by the new
smaller Fuego. This reel
isn’t perfect, but it is
an exceptional balance
of a great many things,
including weight, drag
performance, and price.
I loved the reel’s small
size and compact
profile, and the reel
both aesthetically and
weight-wise was a match
made in heaven with the
Steez compile-X rod. The
one thing that had me
torn on this reel was
the external bail
return, but the
simplicity of the design
did make it easy to
service the product. All
in all the positives far
outweighed that single
concern, and when it
comes to price the Fuego
is one of the few reels
on the market that are
priced below 300 dollars
to offer both a
magnesium frame and
sideplate. The washable
drag system put this
reel over the edge in my
book, and the
release of the 2000 size
makes the series
complete. If the reel
had made use of an
internal bail return
system and used quality
support bearings on the
knob it would have been
perfect, but as it
currently stands the
Fuego is still a
fantastic spinning reel.
Those looking for a
premium true magnesium
spinning reel the Fuego
is the most polished Mg
solution under 300
dollars, and a red hot
value
overall.
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