REVIEW: Daiwa TD Sol II 2004

One of Australians favourite spinning reels, the Daiwa TD Sol II has been redesigned with some of Daiwa’s ground breaking technology to create an even better version of this mid range workhorse reel.

FEATURES

INTRODUCTION/IMPRESSIONS

Known to be one of Australia’s most popular reels ever, the original Daiwa Sol’s had a strong following thanks to its performance and longevity. The new Sol II builds upon its foundation as a great all round workhorse reel and adds on some of Daiwas more recent innovative features like Mag Seal, UTD and Zaion Air Rotor.

Apart from its name and body coloration the Sol II shares very little with its predecessor, employing a brand new body and rotor design.

Sticking with the traditional Sol orange coloration with the addition of charcoal and gold highlights the new Type II reel looks better than ever. I especially liked the carbon fiber insert trim on the reel body and spool.

While slightly heavier (30g) than  comparable reels in this size class, the Sol feels solid in the hand. You know it is going to be a reel which will take a hard life in its stride but still perform extremely well.

Daiwa have gone with an EVA handle knob on the sol, of which I really like the feel and size of. Since weight reduction is not such an issue with the sol they have strayed away from the skeleton type handle knob like on the Aegis.

While handle knobs are personal preference I prefer the EVA over the skeleton.

Like similar reels in this price point Mag Seal technology also appears on the Sol II.

SPOOL & DRAG

Both the 2004 and 2508 models are shallow spool options. Its interesting to see Daiwa move away from offering deep spool options for nearly all of mid to high end reels. I believe the popularity of braided line, would have a large part to play in this decision.

Fitted with a Waterproof UTD (Ultimate Tournament Drag) the 2004 TD Sol II has 2kgs of drag, which is a fair bit of pressure fishing for the normal estuarine and freshwater species. If more stopping power is required the 2508 has a huge 7kg’s of drag. Drag pressure is smooth and even as we have come to expect from Daiwas reels sporting the UTD.

The waterproof drag is achieved by a rubber seal seated within the drag knob which keeps moisture out of the drag system.

After pulling apart the drag system I was surprised that it only consisted of a very basic drag stack , consisting of just a single felt washer, drag clicker plate and drag retainer clip. Which is in contrast to the 3 washer stack which is in the older model 2000 Sol’s. This hasn’t seemed to hinder the reel’s drag performance in any way though, with it getting a good test on some big pre-spawn trout earlier in the year.

CASTING & LINE MANAGEMENT

Not a whole lot new in this department from previous reels we have covered. Utilizing Daiwa’s tried and tested ABS II spool, the TD Sol II is like all the reels in the daiwa stable, offering great casting distance, good line lay and a distinct lack of tangles and wind knots.

I have been running 12lb SAS braid on the Sol and have found it to work extremely well for such a high breaking strain braid.

PRICE & APPLICATION

The TD Sol II is definitely a great all-rounder reel, being suitable as a hard working “workhorse” reel yet still able to do the finesse applications required of 2004 size reel.

My TD Sol is used predominantly as a bream and trout finesse reel paired up with a Daiwa Tournament Bream Specialist ULFSOH, and performs this job flawlessly.

Priced in at just under $300AUD the TD Sol II is well priced for its feature set and build quality.

CONSTRUCTION & DURABILITY

The body of the Sol is constructed out of an Aluminum alloy, Daiwa refer to as their Super Metal Body. While this does add a bit of weight to the reel, it also gives it a very sturdy solid feel. While this would normally be considered a less desirable trait I think for a reel in this price point and its target market its not such a bad thing.

The Sol has held up extremely well to our fishing adventures to date.  In the 6 months the Sol has spent a lot of time on the water both fresh and salt; including some tough hiking trips which have seen the reel in some less desirable positions. Normally submersion, drops and coverings of dirt would see a quick death to most reels, but the solid build quality and features like mag seal & waterproof drag system have seen no adverse effects on the mechanical operation and/or appearance of the reel.

CONCLUSION

The Daiwa Sol series has to be one of my all time favourite reels, I still have and use a couple of the original models which are now 10+ year old. If the new model is anything like its predecessor, I’m sure it will bring many years of trouble free service.

The TD Sol II offers a solid little package for those looking for a well made, strong performing & affordable reel. Available in sizes from 2004 through to 4000, there is sure to be a model in the line up to cover most situations.

PROS & CONS

WHERE TO BUY

The TD Sol II series of reels can be purchased from most good tackle stores. A list of Daiwa stockists can be found here.