Round 2 - Ergonomics: Ergonomics often boil down to personal preference, for example handle length can be very subjective. While many anglers prefer longer handles most anglers will not notice the difference unless a handle is extra long or extra short. All of the reels had standard handles with the exception of he Revo Winch which has a massive 105.35mm handle. If you are looking for extra bit of torque the extra long handle will suit you well, anglers used to the more traditional 80-90mm handle lengths may find the Winch's handle a bit excessive.

The Winch's 105.25mm handle dwarfs the other competitors

All of the reels in our roundup had micro click adjustment drag stars but the Daiwa Zillion had the most discernable audible click and on top of that had a micro-click adjustment on the cast tension knob as well. The Quantum Energy PT drag star is aggressively styled like a ninja star but we felt the edges were a bit too sharp when making quick adjustments in the field. While they are not sharp enough to break the surface of your skin they can be uncomfortable enough to make you think about dialing your drag in properly in advance.

The Zillion makes use of Daiwa's swept handle design

All of the reels in this roundup are relatively low in profile but all featured unique angles that made them either more or less comfortable in the palm of our hands. The Zillion CC featured the largest overall profile, but even it will disappear in the palm of any angler with a middle to large sized hands. The Curado E5 was the most comfortable reel to palm followed by the Revo Winch. Both offered copious access to the spool with comfortable non-handle side sideplates. The Energy PT is the right size but we did feel the bulge in the cast control as it jutted out just a little too much when we applied a lot of pressure on the non-handle sideplate against our palms.

The Quantum Energy PT features a more traditional handle length

The Curado weighs in at 7.6oz. making it the lightest reel in this roundup, and not far behind is the Quantum Energy PT which is just .1oz heavier at 7.7oz., the Abu Garcia Revo Winch weighs 8.5oz. and the Daiwa Zillion Crazy Cranker is the heaviest weighing in at 8.8oz. Weighing over an ounce over both the Curado and the Energy PT the extra weight the Zillion CC is packing is definitely noticeable.

Both the Abu Garcia Revo Winch and Shimano Curado E5 feature larger openings on top for better spool access

If you already have a knob preference then you should disregard the knob ratings. The Shimano Curado E5 and Quantum Energy PT both have sculpted barrel knobs while the Daiwa Zillion CC and Abu Garcia Revo Winch have flatter more traditional knobs. Overall the knobs on the Curado and Energy felt more comfortable to us, even when wet.

All of the reels in this shootout sat relatively low on traditional Fuji reel seats

The Curado E5's knobs are huge, and though visually they took a little time to get used to, after a while we really began to appreciate the additional grip made possible with the extra surface area. While the Zillion Crazy Cranker and Energy PT suffer a few strikes in this round the Curado E5 and Revo Winch trade serious blows as the Green Machine starts showing fans just why the series has had such amazing lasting power all these years, could this be the best Curado cranking reel yet?

The Curado E5 features the best ergonomics and is comfortable to palm all day long, the extra large septon handle grips may look sort of funky on a reel this small but they feel great