Headed to Tennessee soon for a a vacation and some fishing! Thanks so much for all you do for us Victor!

Finally got the answers I was looking for and I like what you pointed out where if the person focuses on the minor things on the reel such as noise or other things out of self destructiveness, instead on focusing on enjoying fishing. Then the problem lies with them for wanting everything to be perfect when theres no such thing. Awesome content as always 👍

"The exist looks kinda like the sehara" hahaha thats like the biggest insult known to man, that had me lmao as I agree and the Stella is a beauty

Thanks for your work and honest opinion!!!!!! You are awesome!!!!

Great review! Answered alot of questions I had. Thank you. I am now a subscriber to your channel.

Great video, appreciate all the effort put into it

Wow, that was one thorough review! Both reels seemed pretty even at the beginning but you brought up some very pointed differences that we look for in our reels. That Stella👍. It’s going to be exciting to see what reel Shimano decides to bring those new features to next. Hopefully it will be in the next Vanquish but not the knob or that anti loop knot thing. My Vanquish’s are still as smooth and fun to fish as new. Know my next I’m looking forward to is a new Vanquish and a new Tatula Lt. Thanks again for the great review and hopefully your feeling better!

Great review ! Thanks a lot man!

I needed this review

“If you put a gun to my head” that escalated fast 😭

the reeling resistance comparison, was very eye opening. what gave you the idea to do this? great video.

Very good video!

A stellar review of both reels (sorry for the pun)! Good point about some of the "improvements" (ex. line lay) not being so necessary as there was no problem in the first place. I have had no line lay troubles with a used 2018 1000SSSP Stella. There is something about the feeling of the 22 Stella model that I really like yet I can't explain it. The weight is a bit of an issue, so I am considering the 22 1000 SSSP Stella for it's low gear ratio and as it is the lightest of the lineup at 165g. Thanks Victor for another detailed and insightful review!

Hi, great video. I have a Daiwa Exist 2000 D-P model 2022 combine with Shimano Soare 610L-S, and man i can thell you this is a pure enyoying, i can feel everything in water. Mainly i am fishing in Adriatic Sea saltwater and for some trout on local creeks, just perfect combination. Braid is Varivas avani 0.04mm, leader Seguar Premium Fxr 0.16mm. Enyoying every time on water with this tacke. Keep out doing this nice videos👏

Thank you very much for this honest review.What i wanted to know,something very important to me,while every time with every reel i must change the drag washers by 2500 size.I didn’t like them in any 2018 Stella or Exist,in fact by Exist was the most sticky drag i have ever encountered. How they compare this year? Can you make a video or a review only for drag smoothness? Because other than drag sound,this is very important,we loose fishes without a very smooth drag,and for 800 dollars/euro it must be the best in the industry.Many thanks,all the best!

If the Twin power FD and the Vanquish had a baby, this would be the outcome of that love child.

The other brand I can't even say it is always bringing up the rear in their reel designs! The stella is the best looking spinning reel ever created

You are doing great videos friend good luck and many thanks

The Shimano field tester said the Stella heavier rotor is purposely design that way to have momentum to reel heavier lure. I guess is true then

I can't speak for the Exist but my 22 Stella C2000SHG is THE smoothest reel (Out of the box) I've ever touched and I've been fishing for 50 yr.s and spun thousands of reels. Close second would be my 19 Vanquish C2000S and Vanquish 2500S. I do agree Victor that I'm not crazy about the Stella's handle grip. My Stella weighs 6.1 Oz. vs. 5.2 Oz. with my Vanquish C2000S so I find myself reaching for my Vanquish when Ultralight fishing.

For me: Daiwa 15 Exist and Shimano 14 Stella are best looking reels ever

I think the 2022 Stella is a substantial upgrade when compared to the previous model! What are your opinions on the aesthetics of the Aero Technium XSD? I think that it possible they used the same kind of beautiful paint they used on the Stella

Stella all day son, I personally like the Stella knob and if not its a easy change. I have heard that the bail arm fin is easy to remove...

I love the new Exist Super Fines!!

I have a 5k 22 Exist and 4k Stella FK, and personally I like using the exist more. It's just so light! 7.5 ounces in the 5000 size. Makes casting for stripes all morning much more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Stella as well, and might actually prefer it over the exist in smaller sizes like 1000-2500. But for the larger sizes and heavy casting all day I definitely prefer the Exist. Keep the vids coming man, always love to hear your takes on everything ultralight!

They're both good reels. I think the stella have better line lay unto the spool when you retrieve, where u get less line getting caught up between the spool and shaft, if u know what i mean. Daiwa tries to reduce this with that lip on the bottom of the spool. The stella is a little heavier and is noticeable. I find myself using my stella more than my exist, though... I have 2015 exist 2018 exist and 2022 exist. I like the 2015 exist the most tbh. I have the stella fj and fk. Both good reels Oddly i like the 3000 exscence the most!

Very interesting what will be the new Vanquish!

Hello, after spending time fishing finesse, what would you invest in, Stella or Vanquish or daiwa exist? all the best

Great review my man! I would love the new Stella FK someday, great to hear you love it. Till then I am enjoying my 3k Shimano Vanquish, still king of ultralight! One of the reasons I purchased the vanquish was from watching your reviews of it too and always wanted a JDM shimano reel. I definitely put the 3k vanquish to the test here in south Florida fishing inshore saltwater. Fish on brother!

Great video as usual. Pretty interesting comparing torque between the two reels. Maybe that's why i prefer shimano for moving baits and daiwa for bottom contact baits. Never really compared it side by side though. But like u, i have noticed shimano is slightly easier to retrieve a resistance bait than daiwa.

I am going through kinda same type test... I am looking for a reel specifically for throwing rooster tail lures 1/8 & 1/16 oz which has allot of resistance in the water an d can be quite hard on the reel after hundreds & hundreds of casts. Looking for the perfect reel & generally use 8lb test & not necessarily the looking for the lightest reel in particular. I have 1000 size Ultegra and it does really well but has started becoming geary while reeling. Diawa Ballistic mq 1000 & diawa tatula mq 1000 will be going head to head next couple of weeks to see which one will hold up.

Just to add my 2 cents.. Buy the stella if you need power. Forget the exist for finesse. Wait for the upcoming 2023 vanquish instead. Goodbye exist 😁 hello vanquish 😉 Release date: Q2 2023

I like videos fhising frend

I have exactly the same feelings but in the opposite way. My stella fk was noisy and had a good resistance. At this point I know for sure there is a huge difference from reel to reel. Its like a lottery you need to win a good and noise free reel. At this price point there should be al perfect

I fished all through the 90s and then stopped for 20yrs. I’ve just got back in to it and find it crazy that people think these modern shiny plastic reels are good looking! I think they look cheap and nasty; like toys. The Stradic/GTM reels of my youth will always be my favourite looking reels. Matte paint and minimal faceted panels always!

The difference in the resistance while retrieving while under load is due to line roller diameter, the shimano has a larger diameter line roller

The ease of lure retrieval in the Stella might be due to more rotor weight?

Since I haven't seen it explained in the comments yet, here you go for anyone interested in ordering any reel model: C = Compact and only has to deal with body size in relation to the spool. So a C2500S is a 2500 spool on a 1000 sized reel body. C3000 would then be a 3000 sized spool on a 2500 sized reel body... etc S = Shallow model spool. So a 2500 and a 2500S will have the same spool diameter, but the spool depth is different and holds different amount of line. This is usually to adjust amount of line, but keeps the same amount of line pickup on handle turn. If you choose to by S, it will obviously be shallower than a 2500, but 2500 itself doesn't dictate the amount of line on the spool. So with this knowledge now you can choose between something like a C3000HG and a 3000HG Exsence: The C3000HG will be a 3000 sized spool on a 2500 body. The 3000HG will be a 3000 sized spool on a 3000 body. Hence why you see the weight increase in the specs Some reels that come out will only be made in a 1000, 2500, and 4000 sized body. So the C is used to adjust the spool size and make 2000, 3000, etc available without having to manufacture 5 different body sizes... otherwise we would be paying even more for these already overpriced reels.

Greetings Viktor! Your analyzes are always great and I always look forward to a new video. Very nice review. Sorry for my bad English. I'll try to explain what I think about why the Stella is easier to handle (smaller mechanical torque) than the Exist... I think most of the answer lies in the number of spool oscillations per crank turn. The movement of the spool requires an investment of energy. With Exist, this happens a lot more times than with Stella for the same number of crank revolutions. This means that part of the energy and power invested goes to moving the spool. Exist uses much more energy than Stella because the spool moves more times. This movement is based on gliding. The forces used to overcome sliding are much greater than those used to overcome rotation. That is why the share of energy and torque used to move the spool is significant in the total energy input and torque produced. Also, a big influence can be in the way of lubrication and the choice of grease, but I don't believe that it was decisive in this case.That's some of my thinking. It doesn't have to be true. I would like to try those samples myself, but maybe someday there will be an opportunity. Once again, a big greeting!

good, so for fishing from the shore, for hunting toothfish, you would lean a little towards the daiwa exist or shimano sttela, what size and gear, thank you for the answer

Looks matter to me, but weight not as much. I want solid, with good line lay and dependable drag. The thing has to work well! Golf, when it went to the titanium clubheads, the Big Bertha driver soon went from 190cc to 460cc, then they went lighter and lighter. I bought a driver that was supposed to be the lightest ever up to that point and one was supposed to be able o swing it fast……but it was so light, I could not feel it at all…..and it was like swinging a helium balloon at the end of a stick. Every reel is light compared to what we old guys grew up with and even what we used 20 years ago. Is feeling a good tired after a day fishing such a bad thing?

Noice review, hope youre feeling better :)

Make sense for me. I use daiwa for UL in fresh water and prefer Shimano for saltwater (shore jigging) if you have a good catch you will see the difference.

Hopefully we will see a 2022 Vanquish, with the same oscillation as 2022 stella but in a much lighter package. Didn't you say 2022 stella is too heavy for light Japanese rods?? I appreciate the time you spend doing these reviews. God Bless you Victor.

Hi, Thanks for the nice video. Do you know what is the difference between the normal size 2500 and the PC 2500 version? The PC has 10 kg drag but what else? Thanks!

The q is does the osc mechanism has got any rule over reels torque ie worm gear vs locomotive , for me it does , but which part plays the greatest effect, i have tested many times certate lt vs tp fd both r 5000 size, tp would casts further n has got little more torque .

Hey, I was wondering if the Stella has handle wiggle? I just got a c2000s from Asian fishing portal and there is noticeable backplay and almost like a clicky feel. My vanquish does not have this. I ended up returning and buying a new one but scared the new one will have the same issue. Did you ever notice this?

Are you excited for iCast 2022? I hope we see some awesome new ultralight tackle.

Hello Air, How are you?? I have the 4000 XG reel. I had an issue with the drag/cap. I was hard to turn and seemed to be very uneven for drag smoothness. When i have my drag tightened pretty tight, i notice the spool slides up. I have a Very OLD shimano Spyrex and when I tighten that drag cap, the spool doesnt move. Can you see if yours does that? I contacted Shimano and i am waiting for their response. thanks a lot. appreciate it.

Sealed bearings on a high end bike hub can take 1000 miles of usage to loosen up.

Superb

locomotion cannot beat worm drive gear..

How’s the exsence compared to the Stella? Trying to decide between the two. Main concerns are casting distance, drag smoothness, & longevity.

Another great review as always. Cheers mate 🍻

I'm on my second stella first one bought and returned second I received yesterday with both reels I was and currently am experiencing a knock on retrieval some call it a click feels more like a knock to me. Seriously considering the switch to the exist. Has you or anyone you know experienced a similar knocking issue with either reel ? Thank you

Stella fk is in another game alltogather , casts like a big pit reels yet it’s light N on the top of all no magseal oil gimik to worry about , awaiting my stella fk 5000 size one

Do you have any opinion about the abu garcia Zenon spinning reel?

If you want to explain the diffrence under load open them bouth and ceck the contact surfaces on the pinions and you will see that the daiwa has smaller contact area to make smother more lasting reels .....

Great review as always. Been a fan for quite some time. We have a different fate with the reels. I would take my Exist 22 over my Stella 22. My Exist out of the box didn't have any noise, sound came out after 3 fishing trips I would say. My Stella 22's drag is a bit of a problem, it is too inconsistent compared to the Exist. I love the Stella oscilation as well. But the drag feels different on the reel and on the water, I really dunno how to put it. I shelved mine, and I am sticking to my Exist. 😁

Судя по надписи на опоре ноги, STELLA - S-K - она была сделана для внутреннего рынка Японии. F - экспортный вариант.

Hello, I just bought a lightweight spinning rod (3.4 oz) and was wondering what are the best best lightweight reel options under 350 USD? Thank you!!

I bought a daiwa ballistic MQ due to their marketing of MQ being “more torque/power under load but your real world testing actually suggest that the shimano infinity drive is actually better for loading under pressure.

Interesting thoughts. I guess, everything you said is quite logical and follow the old way of things: Exist for more finesse applications, Stella for heavy fishing scenarios. That was always the case. Power is a good thing, but it has its price - sensitivity. Depending on fishing type one can be much more important than the other. I made a mistake not so long ago buying 20 Twin Power 2500 for rather light fishing with lures up to 15 grams. Yeah, it wasn't bad, but once tried Exist on this rod I felt the difference. Stella has a problem, it's really heavy by today's standards for many fishing applications. Power is a good thing but having like 5lb line it's quite pointless, isn't it? I believe these reels have one thing in common - price point, everything else makes them different. It's like comparing Twin Power with Vanquish; very different reels.

I have 1 of each in 2000 size for my ultra light set up, they are both fantastic but the stella is a more refined product. Your stella was not special they all are this smooth. Running small spoons in the 1-3gram rang will make the resistance between the 2 reels even more noticeable. I have caught over a thousand fish on it and its just as resistant as the day I got it. I have also had issues with the drag on exist being jurky, I have not traced out the cause of that issue. I would have to disagree with your statement on the knobs. the exist knob has gaps on its end that rub against your fingers the stellas are sealed and are smooth. I will be getting a different knob maybe even handle, overall agree with your conclusion on the reels. they both good but the stella is more refined and is cheaper by about 100$ if you buy it in japan.

Have you tried the new ES2 esterline from varivas?

What’s the difference between the Stella 2500hgfk and the Stella C2500shg?

Shimano makes great gears. They dominate the bicycle gear market.

13:00 its because of infinity drive.

I have both, the Exist is a better performer than the Stella. Honestly the Shimano Exsense is by far the best bang for the buck. Cast like a dream and super light. On top of that it’s over $200 cheaper.

the STELLA rules once again!! (but not the SW series, the new SW kind of sucks and the 2020 SALTIGA rules the saltwater game)

Does the cheaper model like twinpower and ultegra transmit cranking power like stella ? i hope you test the power transmit on cheaper daiwa's and shimano's Great indepth review as always 🙏

Stella fk is the best reel no1

👍

Hello. 22 exist 3000 = 18 exist 3000 С ? Do I understand correctly? It's just that in the new series, the C index has disappeared somewhere.

There is a japanise yt channel review on 2500shg 22 exist 18 exist and 19 vanquish. Test has been done on light saltwater fishing. (Daiwa 22 exist 34min 56 sec eng subtitels) that video will give a consumer an idea what true potential is for these high end reels. Side note, guy tested 22 stella in another long review and did not metinon any other reels in that video,true stella lover🤣😁 . But at the same time as potential buyers watching this videos need to understand that reels can do more than ultra light. Nothing against your videos Viktor. ❤

Pretty annoyed by shimano changing the C2500 for no reason… it was great in the 2018 model when it had the 2500. Off with the 2500 gears still don’t know why they changed it.

The stella knobs really piss me off. Paying 700 for that knob is painful

What lake is that? Beautiful

high price like an apple smartphone what the heck but the design is damn not fair someone to buy

I notice that the exist rotor has more flex over Stella's rotor.

Listen, if there’s no review by “I-fish” then I’m not buying! his review of the 2020 twin power FD is an absolute master piece. I think under load the Stella could have a different grease? Maybe a lower gear?

5:31 you mean 2000 body?!

5000 $ How much figure of indian rupee 🤔

The Stella may be the best looking Shimano, but ugly compered to the Daiwa 22 Exist! The Exist also has so many more cleaver design details, higher precision and best gear alloy (A7075). When comparing torque, remember the length of the crank and not the least the PC models with larger main gear!

I have both 18 Exists Lt and 18 Stellas. The 22 Exist is just ugly to me beside the new looks of the matching color rotor. Very lazy designing on the 22 Exist. Though the 22 Stella looks similar in design, I would like to add 1 or 2 to my reel arsenal due to the improved gears and line management. I'm a true US tackle junkie with all the mid-high range prices Daiwa/Shimano. I don't care about light weight if it's already 7.4oz and under. I don't have them wrist/shoulder problems while casting 10+ hours a day. I was really fit when I was young and used to fishing heavy 2lb reels/rods combo. Now fishing with 8-11oz combo, I wouldn't complain. Since people worry so much about the weight of the reels. I would rather have 2 21 Exsence over 1 Exist. I had the 22 Exist for 1 week and thought the price doesn't cover the value that it's better than my 18 Exist. Now waiting on the 22 Stella. These are just my opinions in terms of price over values. Victor is spot with lots of the things he said.

I think the exist look very beautiful. Its like italian design sexy curve with no over cosmetics.

Too many people are obsessed with reel weights of oz. 🙄 The weight of a reel is not as important as balanced rod and reel match.

Twoim zdaniem który kołowrotek jest lepszy

Sorry Viktor, I disagree. I guess if you're not fishing and you want to just hand handle the reels by itself and gaze at it- how it looks, feels, and sounds then the Stella wins. Now test on the waters and start catching fish- you will see the true work horse performance of the Exist! I had both reels and fished it for 1 yr. I ended up selling my Stella. IMO- The Daiwa has a very futuristic look and the smooth and sexy look. Now take a look at how squared and boxy that Stella still is?!

My 22 Exist beats the living Covid 19 out of my 22 Stella. I have many Shimano and Daiwa. I'm no hardcore of any brand but Stella is far behind Exist. To much to talk about it but to each it's own. To be honest the best reels I ever fished with are 22 Exist, 19 Certate and a very old Stradic.

is stella fk for saltwater?

Not that i have to buy this reels but i lean towards exist. All the youtube reviews i have seen leaves me impression that exist is a head. This video left more confusion on the table. I own 2500s vanquish and had luvias that i just gave away. I found that im falling in love every time more and more to vanquish if ill go fishing.We all have to wait the next vanquish. 22 exist is old vanquish and stella 22 is not perfect for light and ultra light with high end japanise rods. My only take away from this video was that stella was silent. In the shop all the ones 22 stellas i have spinned the 22 exist wins all the time. I feel that if you highly sensitive you need many rods and many reels and its hard to get the combo right. But if you get that far its more about how you feel and less about fishing.

To me there very plain looking. But I'm sure in person they look nice. I think the luvius looks better

for ultralight fishing that 1k-2.5k stella is gonna be absolute crap, firstly the weight is not gonna balance with any of the cutting edge rods out there like evergreens, graphiteleaders or ticts which are all cutting weight and ranging btwn 38-70g. secondly the metal rotor in the smaller sized reel would be totally uneccessary. its marketed as much stronger but its not as if people will be using it for reel destroying pelagics. the unwanted outcome of that is a smooth but totally dead (no feedback) fishing experience when using microlures sub 5g. first experienced that nonsense on a 19 twinpower in 1k size. working sub 5g minnows or 3g tailspin lures would usually give vibrational feedback but on the twinpower absolute zilch, meaning that many times when the lure picked up trace amounts of seaweed or debris and stopped working right there was zero indication as compared to other reels with a traditional ci4 rotor. i think shimano kinda lost the plot with their 22 stella in the 1k-2.5k department when the whole point about reels in those sizes was for light to ultralight luring and they seemed to have regressed at least 6yrs. a suitable comparison for reels with those kinda features and weight would be the 2016 certate and ive no doubt that the certate would beat the 22 stella, ive got 5x 2016 certates which are pretty much as smooth or at least 90% of what it used to be after years of heavy saltwater use and abuse (washing a month after use) without any issues.

when rusian mafia going fishing lol.

Stella is more beautiful but so heavy. For light rods unusable

Nice video but my diawa lt 1000 bollistic just as good if not better 11lb of drag shes so sexy with the pink 5lb braid...happy new year

Miss FJ Sustain, is much “hotter” than Stella.

Tolong arahkan saya untk membeli EXIST / STELLA PLEASE FOR ME🙏🙏🙏

Okey ill just be honest. In this review you talk about the looks, noises and how it makes you feel. In 35min you did not even talk how the drag performance worked both reels. Imagine a guy whos driving ford all is life and has change to drive and review porsche and ferrari while having them only for a week? You must watch that japanise guy and get a better understandig what needs to be reviewed beside looks and noises. Ill be honest what i have learnd so far from my experience playing with high end japanise rods and reels. First of all i have a very sensiteve hands. 2500 size reel can bang the first guide and it can be anoyinng 2000 size fixed that issue. Vanquish 2500s carbon handel transforms gear movement and you can sense occilation,metal handel mute it. If you have to retrive continuesly for example spinners or spoons,daiwa luvias 2000 feels more solid and no gear noises. What im looking from a new reel is metal side plate for sensitivity, less start up inertia and i dont want feel gear movement and humming as shimano is well known fot it and lets not forget that drag.My current combo is yamaga blanks blue curret proffesional and 2500s vanquish. Its for trout, black bream, sea herring,bone fish.