I have used a lot of different reels in my life starting with Zebco 202's as a kid,i have always loved them growing up and as i got older i switched to Zebco spin cast reels and Mitchel's,they become my favorite reel of all time for freshwater fishing for big fish like carp channel cats and muskies,i used the zebco spin cast reels for smaller fish like large mouth bass perch crappie and small mouth.
When i got into saltwater fishing i didn't have a clue what i was doing,not having alot of cash to spare i started fishing Diawa D-Shock 3000' and 4000's and landed many huge fish like the red drum with my best on it at 58.50 inches.
In my opinion they were a great reel and did everything i wanted them to do,down fall was they only held up for 6 months to a year and i would have to buy new ones,but at there price they were affordable.
I started to buy higher priced reels once i became a guide since i wanted my customers to use better quality gear,i went with Shimano Sahara's and Diawa Excellors all really good reals at a good price that really didn't break the bank,they didnt do bad i would get over a year on the Excellors and the Saraha's less,you could send them back in and get repaired but it would normally end up costing you some money.
I started hearing about Wave Spin reels that were invented by Doug Hannon http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/201242681.html
I decided to give these reels a try since i was now spending 99.00+ on penn reels and wasn't having much better luck with them.
First thing i noticed was how smooth they were with the infenite stop on the reel second was the innovated spool design that claimed to stop wind knots,the spool was designed by Mr Hannon and patented.
Alot of reels claim they can do this and do that but i can tell you without a doubt this reel does what it claims,so far i have used the DHxL Wave Spin and there top of the line LEGEND 250 and by far i have been very impressed with them and there claims and i will be trying the other models of there reels
The specks for the legend 250 is 7+1 sealed stainless steel bearings EVA handles anti vibro system over sized bail roller with dead stop infinite anti-reverse
The line capacity is 205 yards of 6 lb mono or 20 pound braid
145 8lb 30
125 10lb 40
Gear ratio is 5.2:1 and the reel weight is 9.5 oz
The DHxL
Line capacity is 330 /2lb mono 8 pound braid
200/4 14
160/6 20
Gear ratio is 5.1:1 and weight is 8 oz
Another thing i really like about them is they have a 2 year warrenty on there higher priced reels along with a 1 year warrenty on there lower class reels and customer service is next to none.
These reels have truely impressed me and many others i have shown them too so far,they have done every thing they claim they do and then some with a heavier than normal drag set up for these reels there really isn't much you can not do with them and there is a real for everyone's budget.
I have been using them exclusively so far and have put my penns away the link below is some winter time drumming with the DHxL all slot drum
So if your in the market for a great real at a great price check out wave spin reels you WILL NOT be disappointed