Buying a reel that will offer the angler reliable performance, superb build quality and value for money can be a daunting task. Virtually all major brands have now released a selection of reels that claim to be the reel to save us from Armageddon. The truth of the matter is many of these reels fall short and simply don’t have the technical and mechanical advances of the widely respected established reel manufacturers.

UKMA wanted to find a reel that had the power to cope with medium feeder work, the stresses of the pellet waggler and specimen float situations but at a price that wouldn’t empty your pockets completely. We then carried out a bit of bank side research and talked to several grass roots anglers, who between them have single headedly kept the tackle industry afloat for over a decade (Tackle Tarts).

After listening to the opinions of numerous anglers on many different reels that could handle the pressures of medium, to medium heavy angling situations. One reel in particular had definitely stood out in the crowd and had many anglers shouting its praises, and this reel was the Daiwa Exceler 4000E. So without further ado UKMA contacted Daiwa who have generously sent a couple down to be put through there paces, here’s what we found.

Daiwa Exceler 4000E

RRP £74.99

Vital Statistics

• 4 Ball Bearings plus 1 CRBB
• Infinite Anti-Reverse
• Twist Buster II
• ABS Aluminum Spool with double anodized spool lip
• Micro adjustable front drag
• Spare ABS Aluminum Spool
• CastLock
• Ratio - 4.9:1

First Impressions

The Daiwa Exceler 4000E is from the same stable as the excellent TD-R and Whisker range of reels. The Exceler offers top of the range features to the angler on a slightly tighter budget without reducing the overall performance of the reel. Although the cheapest in this critically acclaimed range of reels, the Exceler 4000E has a build quality you would credit to many reel on the market at present that carry a much larger price tag.

By using 4 ball bearings and 1 CRBB® (Corrosion-Resistant Ball Bearings) Daiwa have developed the Exceler 4000E produce an amazing smoothness and power level that is instant, you can feel the quality produced with every turn of the handle. Add to this the Infinite Anti-Reverse; Gyro Spin® balancing; and Twist Buster® line twist reduction and what you have is a reel that will store and distribute line to and from the spool under total control at all times.

The line lay produced by the Exceler’s numerous controlling features is superb, to accommodate this, the reel deserves a quality spool. As standard you get an ABS Aluminum Spool that is also fitted with a sturdy, no protruding line clip that reliably holds the line in place. The spool is clearly marked giving accurate line capacities in both metric and imperial measurements. As an added bonus the Exceler 4000E comes supplied with an identical spare spool as standard which is a very nice touch indeed.

Final Thoughts

If the price is a major factor in you next reel purchase, then the Daiwa Exceler 4000E is one reel UKMA would recommend to any angler looking for value for money, Based upon build quality, line lay, and general all round performance, the Daiwa Exceler 4000E compares admirably to its more expensive relatives the TD-R 3012D and the Whisker 3012. All in all the Daiwa Exceler 4000E can reliably handle hard work better than many reels that carry a much bigger price tag.