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Shoot for the moon, the well machined Daiwa Luna
(continued)
  Durability
cont'd: While the initial tests did not reveal anything after time
we started to notice that the Calcutta TE maintained its original feel longer
than the Luna. Perplexed we opened up both reels and did find that the Luna had
to be cleaned and maintained a bit more than the Calcutta TE. That however
wasn’t the only reason. Here the increased bearing count started to really
benefit the Calcutta. The bearings maintained their feel longer than the
bushings used in the Luna.
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The main
gearing and drag system |
The Luna’s bearings while top notch simply couldn’t match
the sheer number of bearings supporting the Calcutta internals and knobs.
The Breakdown: Calcutta TE wins.
The Calcutta proves once again why it is favored among saltwater anglers, it is
just plain durable and maintains consistent performance and feel longer than
other reels. That being said we expected the Calcutta TE to leave the Luna in
the dust in this category, but it hardly did that. The Luna vastly improves
durability in Daiwa’s traditional reels, and with proper care the Luna will
last.
|
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Cal lands a
striper with the Luna |
Applications:
The Luna proved to be a good freshwater reel, and performed well in inshore
applications as well. The reel is great for both mono and braided lines, and
ancillary features like an audible clicker (on the 300 size) even make the reel
a good choice for trolling applications. Left handed anglers will appreciate
that Daiwa mirrors each reel, even the larger 300 size. The Shimano Calcutta TE
series does have left handed models, but not all the larger sizes (CTE300 and
700 are right hand only) are available in left hand retrieve.
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While the
Luna is a great inshore reel it also proved to be a exceptional big swimbait
reel as well. Her we compare it head to head with the Shimano Calcutta TE |
Still Daiwa only offers the
Luna in small to the medium sized 300, whereas Shimano has a wider range of
sizes all the way up to the huge CTE700, which is among the most powerful
levelwind reels on the market.
The Breakdown: Calcutta wins. The Luna series is good
for everything up to large saltwater species, so good in fact that we wish the
reel was available in just one additional larger size. Kudos to Daiwa for
offering all the reels in both right and left hand retrieve, but Shimano’s
Calcutta TE series is just more well rounded, and there is a reel for just about
every application from tossing minuscule lures with the 50 size to massive iron
with the CTE700.
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Side by side
with the competition |
Price:
The bottom line, is the Luna worth the money? The 100-200 sizes on the Luna
retail for 229 dollars, and the 300 retails for only 10 dollars more. The
Shimano Calcutta TE series ranges from 329 to 389 depending on size, while the
Calcutta B retails for 189 to 279 dollars. In terms of price that puts the Luna
smack dab in the middle, and yet it is able to compete with the more expensive
TE series in many respects despite the fact it has a lower bearing count.
The
Breakdown: Luna wins. No contest here. In terms of value the Luna is a
surprisingly good deal, and a whole lot of reel for just over 200 dollars. The
amount of machining in this reel is impressive, and the level of refinement
blows away many reels costing over 30% more.
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The Luna
features a 5.1:1 retrieve ratio in all sizes except the Luna 103 which is a
faster 5.8:1 |
Ratings:
|
Daiwa Luna Ratings (?/10) |
|
Construction/Quality |
The Luna is a step up from the Millionaire and
the machining on the Luna is beautiful. The reel feels like a much more
expensive reel should, and is built with quality components |
9.5 |
|
Performance |
The Luna surprised us in some areas including
its excellent drag performance. It is a serious contender to the Calcutta TE
but falls short in a few areas. Overall the Luna is a surprisingly refined
reels for a reel with only 5+1 bearings |
9 |
|
Price |
The Luna is a great deal for the money, but
the best thing about the reel is that it not only is a great deal but can
hold its own against reels costing much more |
9.5 |
|
Features |
The Luna has a lot going for it including a
quality machined build, a powerful drag, external cast control on smaller
models. If it had bearing supported handles and just a little more torque it
would be able to knock the Calcutta TE for a loop and would also receive an
Editors Choice award |
9 |
|
Design (Ergonomics) |
The Luna exhibits good ergonomics. The smaller
sizes are much easier to palm obviously, and the 300 size is much wider than
the Shimano offering, but has a massive line capacity. The 300 size requires
the sideplate to physically be removed to adjust the cast control, the
attached sideplate system on the Calcutta TE is safer in the and faster in
the field |
9 |
|
Application |
The Luna is a great reel, unfortunately the
entire series is not as well rounded as the Calcutta TE series which has
tiny 50 sizes and a massive 700 size. The Luna is such a good reel we wish
it was offered in a wider range of sizes |
8 |
|
Total Score |
9.00 |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus |
|
J
Machined Construction |
L
No microclick drag star |
|
J
Refined connected feel |
L No
bearings supported handle |
|
J
Surprisingly powerful drag |
L
Not as much torque as TE |
|
J
External cast control (sub 300) |
|
|
J
Left hand versions (all sizes) |
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|
J
Great value for the money |
|
|
 |
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The Luna
reels in our tests saw a good share of striper action and had little
difficulty with these double digit fish |
Conclusion:
The
Luna is a natural progression from the Millionaire and is more than a match for
the previous generation Calcutta, and offers even further refinement over the
new Calcutta B in many respects. The Luna feels more precise and polished than
its predecessor, but the real question is whether or not it can dethrone the
popular Shimano Calcutta TE? Daiwa shot for the moon with the Luna, and the
mission was a success, unfortunately for Daiwa however Shimano already had made
the trip and back with the time tested Calcutta TE. In some categories it
actually manages to challenge the TE, especially when you figure in the price
delta between the offerings, but when the dust settles the Calcutta TE still
remains the one to beat….albeit not by as much as you
might think. The Luna while not quite able to topple the TE on all fronts, is by
all means a quality reel. Anglers looking for a refined traditional reel will
not be disappointed with what the Luna has to offer, and when it comes to bang
for the buck the Luna has great value written all over it. The machined
construction, superb components, and robust drag all make the Luna a viable
solution for some of the biggest and baddest fish out there at a reasonable
price.
Looking for a Luna? Try
Tackle Warehouse
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