2021 Shimano Twin Power SW & Daiwa Certate SW
NOTE: Updated to include sizes 5000/6000 of the Certate SW, announced 5 months after this article was published.
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These new reels from Shimano & Daiwa were released earlier this year, and until I get to speak about them in detail I decided to write a few quick words to address what has recently become your most frequent enquiry, which is one form or another of "Twin Power SW vs Certate SW".
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Well, the short version of my answer is it's premature. Old readers know the drill, but for those new to this site I need to clarify that I only form an opinion of a reel after a period of fishing a few pieces in various sizes as needed. These have to be retail purchased reels so that I'd be testing the exact same reels you'd buy. The two models in question were released a few weeks ago, and neither is even available in all sizes at the time of writing, so we're still a good while away from a time when I can give a definitive verdict or make comparisons or recommendations based on actual fishing and testing.
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That fishing and testing phase usually took 3-6 months depending on the season and luck, but right now I have no way of giving you even an approximate date due to the ongoing pandemic disruption of both my fishing and life and in general. You've probably seen these chronicles where I stamp my feet and cry for my mum about it. I usually don't write spoilers and prefer to hold back until I'm done and ready to release a final evaluation, but considering the potential delay in reaching that point I decided to post a few bits of information and initial thoughts that you might find useful. Please keep in mind that these are mostly based on pre-production samples and show reels, and that any thoughts expressed here remain only my subjective initial impressions and they should be taken as such and nothing more.
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The Twin Power SW
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The spool cuts on this thing are so gorgeous they make me want to weep, but that's besides the point. This reel replaces the 2015 Twin Power SW, and it's built on the same platform comprising a hybrid aluminium/plastic body, a worm shaft oscillation, and an aluminium rotor. There are some tweaks here and there and certain components were moved around, but in my book the only practical advantages of the new Twin Power SW over the previous 2015 Twin Power SW are as follows:
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* Improved sealing of line roller and handle openings in the same manner employed in the 2019 Stella SW and the 2020 Saragosa SW-A.
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* A slightly smoother (quieter) operation, although I'm not sure if I can classify this enhanced smoothness as "practical".
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Will I publish a full review of it? I don't plan on doing that. I've already reviewed its two adjacent saltwater models, the 19' Stella SW and 20' Saragosa SW-A, so a full review would be highly redundant. I'll eventually give you my final thoughts on it in another context though, probably the next "What Reel" guide or an expanded blog entry like the one I did for the 2020 Stradic SW.
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So far the new Twin Power SW seems alright to me. No issues that stand out, and everything should work as intended. My senses though tell me that after all is said and done the 20' Saragosa SW-A will emerge as a better reel than this new Twin Power SW, for virtually the same reasons the Saragosa SW-A edges the 19' Stella SW. Not saying that the Saragosa will be only a "better value", but an overall better reel than the new Twin Power regardless of cost. I would be surprised if the outcome turned out to be different.
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The Certate SW
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This reel replaces the 2016 Catalina, and with that the "Catalina" name has been retired altogether. The Certate SW is completely different to the 2016 Catalina, so there is no point in listing the differences. It is built around the foundation of the 2020 Saltiga, and shares a large percentage of parts with that flagship reel, so I'll highlight the differences between the Certate SW and the Saltiga instead.
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* The Certate SW's rotor is made of the carbon-reinforced plastic that Daiwa calls "Zaion", similar to the previous two generations of Saltiga. The rotor of the 2020 Saltiga is aluminium.
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* The handle openings of the Certate SW are protected by an external rubber seal, and accordingly the two ball bearings of the drive gear are standard bearings. In the 20' Saltiga there are no rubber seals at the handle openings and instead the drive gear's ball bearings are the mag-sealed type, therefore those bearings do the job of stopping water.
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* The drag knob of the Certate SW is made and finished to a slightly lesser standard than the machined and anodised knob of the 20' Saltiga.
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* The spool of the Certate SW spins on a single bushing instead of two ball bearings in the 20' Saltiga.
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* In sizes 8000 to 18000 of the Certate SW the line roller spins on a single ball bearing that is self-contained with its own mag-seals, while in sizes 5000 and 6000 the line roller spins on two normal ball bearings with both ends of the roller itself sealed with mag-seal plates. The smaller Certate SW reels therefore imitate the design of the 20' Saltiga's line roller.
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* In sizes 8000 to 18000 of the Certate SW the bail arm has the familiar retainer screw that keeps the main roller assembly screw in place, while the small 5000/6000 reels don't have it due to dimensions constraints. The bail arm of the 20' Saltiga is made of a harder alloy so it no longer needed that secondary retainer screw.
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* The handle's stem of the Certate SW is machined, as were the handles of the previous Saltigas, while the stem of the 20' Saltiga is forged.
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* The Certate SW has a backup mechanical anti-reverse in sizes 8000 to 18000, just like the 20' Saltiga, while the small 5000/6000 Certate SW reels do not have that.
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* Sizes 8000 to 18000 of the Certate SW have the new extremely loud drag clicker at the top of the spool, again exact same design as the 20'm Saltiga, while the 5000/6000 Certate SW retain the older sheet spring clicker beneath the spool which works fine but nowhere near as loud.
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* Similarly, the 8000 to 18000 Certate SW sizes have the same large one-way clutch found in the 20' Saltiga, but that clutch wouldn't fit into the smaller 5000/6000 Certates therefore a different clutch is used in these two.
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* And of course I don't need to point out the lower cost handle grips and other obvious external differences between the 20' Saltiga and the 8000-18000 Certate SW, or between 8000-18000 Certate SW and the 5000/6000 sizes.
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Full review planned? Indeed. Actually last year when I wrote the 20' Saltiga article I told you that it was a fisherman's review because I was going to show you all the technical details the following year, and that was me alluding to the upcoming Certate SW but of course it was too early to announce it then. Not sure whether this review is coming this year or not, but I have every intention to do it at one point or another.
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My initial impressions of the Certate SW aren't as clear since I'm less familiar with it than I am with the Twin Power SW, but the one thing that's quite unambiguous to me is that the Certate SW is closer to the previous 2014/2015 Saltiga family than the 2016 Catalina was. Actually I wouldn't be utterly shocked if the Certate SW ends up being on par with the previous Saltiga, but that's such a big statement I perhaps shouldn't even be entertaining it until I get to put it through its paces.
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Half of what you've just read is purely descriptive, and the other half is my initial thoughts which is as useless as it gets considering that even my final thoughts are quite often incredibly stupid. I'm therefore afraid that you've just wasted 10 minutes of your life that you're not getting back. Well, the silver lining here is that now you know everything I'm willing to say about these reels at this stage when they're still making their way onto retail shelves, and you don't have to email me then wait a couple of days to hear it. I'll certainly have more to say in due time.
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That's all. I'll be finishing my tests of other reels soon, then hopefully I'll publish one or two genuinely interesting reviews later this year. Stay tuned to the News page for all updates, and stay safe on and off the water.
Cheers
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Alan Hawk
July, 15th, 2021
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