The newer aldebarans are my favorite reels of all time...they’re so light, cast so accurately, ridiculously ergonomic and they’re so much more versatile than people give them credit for. However, the 50e platform still holds up. All this mess about reels getting smaller and smaller...when you consider the 50e reels, shimanos have been small and comfortable for a longggg time...and they’re so friggin cheap on eBay. Made in Japan, simple, easy to maintain reels that refuse to backlash. There’s a reason for their cult following.
Nice review and video.. I just traded for a 50 and had the bfs xg last year... I'm still a daiwa fan but have switched to abu garcias smaller revos at the moment. . I have the ltx-bf8, mgxtreme 2 and the trv.. The revo LTX-BF8 is by far the best stock bfs reel I have tried but I want to go the crazy light avail spool for the 50 and know another comparison shootout video against my ltx. . The alphas cosugi spool comes close but considering aftermarket spools run $150 themselves it makes more sense to just buy a capable bfs reel out of the box... the tsyurinoya XF 50 for $50 is hard to beat but I don't care for the size and weight. .. I've become a weight and size snob for sure. . Keep up the good work..
I'm betting the weight Diff is from the main gear...1 brass and 1 aluminum... I weighed my Metaniums xg/hg and the hg was just slightly lighter.....I wish I had waited for this real..I just purchased the 50...nothing beats the svs breaking system..👍🏻
The aldebaran 50 is one of my favorite reels of all time, it's a workhorse. I'm disappointed they didn't add Micro Gearing to the new Alde MGL. I'm just not seeing enough difference in the 2 reels to upgrade but I guess we will find out when you do your performance test. Although the 50 can already bomb light weight baits farther then needed for me.
The spools are interchangeable on both reels but they will only work with their respective non handle side plates due to mismatched design of the braking mechanisms so the 50 spool must come with it's brake side plate in order to fit and function and vice versa
Question….. I’m looking to take the plunge and purchase an Aldebaran. I’m looking to throw 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz lures. Which model would you recommend? I have a Curado BFS and it doesn’t cast very far. I’m looking for something to throw light, but not full BFS. You said in this video that Shimano claims “bait finesse” capabilities with the Aldebaran 30. I also seen that you put a BFS spool inside of your Aldebaran which made it really adaptable. Which reel would you recommend? I’d like to get one in my hands before Christmas morning. What are your thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated man. Happy Holidays and God Bless you and your family. Tight lines 🎣
This reel will not cast even as far as you Curado BFS, if you want to gain performance you have to get the Aldebaran BFS. FYI casting light baits is a combination between the reel the line and the rod and most importantly when it comes to casting distance is your skill with those things. Keep practicing with your Curado
Great review. Thanks. In another reply, you mentioned that you sent a reel back for cosmetic reasons. Did the company repair scratches, etc., to the reel? I didn’t know they did that.
This shop did, probably because Ive ordered thousands of dollars worth of tackle from them lol. It was a blemish in the anodization of the Antares DC. Im not putting up with that for what that reel costs.
Hey I really like these reels and am looking at buying one which one would be a more multi purpose for not just bait finesse, maybe for cranking or chatter bait or moving baits which one would be better. I love the Vids By the way
Reel just looks to pretty to use and for 350.00 I gotta ask do you use these reels or just buy them for show pieces, I'm rough with my gear that reel would look like crap in a month of use, it sure wouldn't be that pretty.
kind sir,,,you can't tell a reel is smooth or not smooth by loosening the drag pressure all the way, the gears weren't even moving if the spool is not spinning, or that little movement will not let you know if it's smooth, the only thing you can tell from that is the bearings on the shaft and the worm gear are smooth or not. please...although i don't disagree that the new aldebaran might be a lil bit less smooth/undergreased, since even my friend's curado k and my curado 70 came with significantly less grease compared to my old curado i but the "right" way to test a reel's smoothness is to tighten the drag maybe halfway or so, and then lightly place your thumb on the spool to give it a bit of resistance while reeling, that will give you quite a close preception on how smooth it'll be on the water just my humble 2 cents
Well he’s not wrong. His method would show you how the retrieve was under load. I agree with him about you commenting on the smoothness of the reel while the drag was completely backed up. I laughed during that part of the video and began to question your credibility. I know you know your stuff but come on. Literally only the driveshaft, drive shaft support bearing, and the levelwind is rotating when the drag is that loose. Also the added weight might be from another driveshaft support bearing outward from the arb under the star drag. I know shimano added it to a few new reels of theirs, met mgl, Ch mgl, cu k. Check the schematic. Anyways, keep it up, you’re always up to something interesting.
FYI the drag was tightened down when I first pulled out out of the box and turned the handle at 1:45, how about you use your eyes and pay attention before opening your mouths? And Im not worried about my credibility to you one bit :)
@@THEREELTEST what is up with the attitude man? Come on get "reel" if that's the way you feel like testing a reel and someone questions you about it sure defend yourself but don't be a jerk to the people who view the content you post.
I only own the newer MGL style brakes on my Shimano's, is the brake cone/brass raceway in sideplate different for the original SVS Infinity? Trying to imagine where that weight came from... Same bearings, same handles, couldn't be just paint/color differences...
Yes the newer brakes fly open from the base of the hub, while the old ones from the top, So the brass cone of the newer ones is much bigger... in fact I think that may be where the weight came from now that I remembered that lol. But you get credit for pointing that out. Ill try to show the size difference in the next video
Question, are the only difference the spool and brake system? If I were to take the previous gen gears and slap them into the new 30MGL, would there be any issues or loss of performance? I accidentally ordered a 6.5 from Japan as well and would rather not have to mail it back. I cannot find any ALDMGL30 parts online.
Hi man! Hello from Eastern Europe, Romania! I own a Shimano 51e with avail microcast spool and it's awesome for finesse lures. I'm searching to buy a new reel, something that can cast lures from 3 grams to 10-12 grams. What model of Shimano Aldebaran can you recommend me?With which model i can get long casts?
@@THEREELTEST Thx for the anserw buddy! I am very determined to buy the Shimano Metanium MGL. My only concern is if i can realy cast 3-4 grams jigs with it...
Is there a microspool available for this reel in order to change it from borderline bfs to completely bfs? My initial googling has proven unsuccessful.
I do have the Aldebaran mg7 and I just sold my core 50e + Scorpion xt 1000 to buy the version 6.5:1 hope it's a great choice!!! I will use it to play with the yellow peacocks !! Great review dude!
hmm.. i would have kept the Core lol.. not saying its better, its just a personal favorite. I plan to do a shootout between the Core and MGL sometime to see if the Aldebaran is an improvement in casting
THE REEL TEST agree with u, but to me core = to Aldebaran mg7 that I still have!! The plan for mgl 30 is for small lures that i use here in my region in Brazil for yellow peacocks... Unfortunately in my state we oy find the small one, no more than 2kg, so I use a lot small lures with 5~9g
Gregory Jones I think the stock Shimano SARB bearings are better than either of those. Ive done a few tests where it shows they cast farther hybrid ceramics
Mine didn't either. The Steez does as well as the SV Light. The Steez is a tier above this reel but, the SV Light I unboxed did. I do remember getting a reel bag for the Antares and the Conquest, can use those with a rod though. It was really ment as a joke, as I am partial to Daiwa.
I love my alde 50hg. I'd been all over this reel if it had deeper line capacity and come in a xg model. it's just to close to a bfs reel. hopefully the do come out wit a deeper spool xg model!
THE REEL TEST I figured that's what you were doing aha. I'm just growing Impatient it would be awesome if you did a comparison to the Antares dc. It would help me with my decision between the 2! Thanks for actually responding by the way
When you are turning the handle explaining how it feels under greased, you have the drag so loose that the spool isn't even turning. real attention to detail. ugh
![135g!! [disassembly & review] SHIMANO ALDEBARAN MGL 2018](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lho7ub6iVIc/mqdefault.jpg)
The newer aldebarans are my favorite reels of all time...they’re so light, cast so accurately, ridiculously ergonomic and they’re so much more versatile than people give them credit for. However, the 50e platform still holds up. All this mess about reels getting smaller and smaller...when you consider the 50e reels, shimanos have been small and comfortable for a longggg time...and they’re so friggin cheap on eBay. Made in Japan, simple, easy to maintain reels that refuse to backlash. There’s a reason for their cult following.
Nice review and video.. I just traded for a 50 and had the bfs xg last year...
I'm still a daiwa fan but have switched to abu garcias smaller revos at the moment. .
I have the ltx-bf8, mgxtreme 2 and the trv..
The revo LTX-BF8 is by far the best stock bfs reel I have tried but I want to go the crazy light avail spool for the 50 and know another comparison shootout video against my ltx. . The alphas cosugi spool comes close but considering aftermarket spools run $150 themselves it makes more sense to just buy a capable bfs reel out of the box... the tsyurinoya XF 50 for $50 is hard to beat but I don't care for the size and weight. .. I've become a weight and size snob for sure. .
Keep up the good work..
I'm betting the weight Diff is from the main gear...1 brass and 1 aluminum... I weighed my Metaniums xg/hg and the hg was just slightly lighter.....I wish I had waited for this real..I just purchased the 50...nothing beats the svs breaking system..👍🏻
The aldebaran 50 is one of my favorite reels of all time, it's a workhorse. I'm disappointed they didn't add Micro Gearing to the new Alde MGL. I'm just not seeing enough difference in the 2 reels to upgrade but I guess we will find out when you do your performance test. Although the 50 can already bomb light weight baits farther then needed for me.
If my past tests are an indication, the new brakes and mgl spool should provide about a 10ft increase, but we wont know till we test them
I have an Aldebaran MG7, still have the original packaging, and box. Reel is also in mint condition!
Hang on to it!
Oh I sure plan on it!
It’s amazing how smooth and light it is.
Brother, just want to ask, can the alde 50 spool insert into alde 30?
like the casitas?
I would like to know also
The spools are interchangeable on both reels but they will only work with their respective non handle side plates due to mismatched design of the braking mechanisms so the 50 spool must come with it's brake side plate in order to fit and function and vice versa
@@laserfinn I’m wondering if this is also the same with the bfs spool and brake side plate.
Good time! What weight of lures (min-max) for Aldebaran mgl and Aldebaran bfs can use?
Always love these videos . Which is the ideal alderbaran on a 6'4" ml rod 3/16 - 1/2 .
Question….. I’m looking to take the plunge and purchase an Aldebaran. I’m looking to throw 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz lures. Which model would you recommend? I have a Curado BFS and it doesn’t cast very far. I’m looking for something to throw light, but not full BFS. You said in this video that Shimano claims “bait finesse” capabilities with the Aldebaran 30. I also seen that you put a BFS spool inside of your Aldebaran which made it really adaptable. Which reel would you recommend? I’d like to get one in my hands before Christmas morning. What are your thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated man. Happy Holidays and God Bless you and your family. Tight lines 🎣
This reel will not cast even as far as you Curado BFS, if you want to gain performance you have to get the Aldebaran BFS.
FYI casting light baits is a combination between the reel the line and the rod and most importantly when it comes to casting distance is your skill with those things. Keep practicing with your Curado
Great review. Thanks. In another reply, you mentioned that you sent a reel back for cosmetic reasons. Did the company repair scratches, etc., to the reel? I didn’t know they did that.
No it was replaced for one they had in stock.
THE REEL TEST Oh, nice. But they’ll replace it just because it’s cosmetically damaged (without any mechanical defects)?
This shop did, probably because Ive ordered thousands of dollars worth of tackle from them lol. It was a blemish in the anodization of the Antares DC. Im not putting up with that for what that reel costs.
THE REEL TEST hahaha got it. I’m the same way with my reels, cosmetically. My Steez TWS got some scratches on it, and it made me crazy.
My only concern with these Jdm reels are the warranty. Have you ever had to send one back?,
I can understand that. Yes Ive had to send a couple back, not for warranty issues but cosmetic issues on new reels.
Hey I really like these reels and am looking at buying one which one would be a more multi purpose for not just bait finesse, maybe for cranking or chatter bait or moving baits which one would be better. I love the Vids By the way
Line capacity will be an issue with larger baits using heavier line
Reel just looks to pretty to use and for 350.00 I gotta ask do you use these reels or just buy them for show pieces, I'm rough with my gear that reel would look like crap in a month of use, it sure wouldn't be that pretty.
Kigai11 get a reel cover then
Just a little FYI, Shimano compares the level wind shape to a kernel of corn
and not an egg. 👍🏻
kind sir,,,you can't tell a reel is smooth or not smooth by loosening the drag pressure all the way, the gears weren't even moving if the spool is not spinning, or that little movement will not let you know if it's smooth, the only thing you can tell from that is the bearings on the shaft and the worm gear are smooth or not.
please...although i don't disagree that the new aldebaran might be a lil bit less smooth/undergreased, since even my friend's curado k and my curado 70 came with significantly less grease compared to my old curado i
but the "right" way to test a reel's smoothness is to tighten the drag maybe halfway or so, and then lightly place your thumb on the spool to give it a bit of resistance while reeling, that will give you quite a close preception on how smooth it'll be on the water
just my humble 2 cents
but the question is... who appointed you the decision maker of the "right" way?
Well he’s not wrong. His method would show you how the retrieve was under load. I agree with him about you commenting on the smoothness of the reel while the drag was completely backed up. I laughed during that part of the video and began to question your credibility. I know you know your stuff but come on. Literally only the driveshaft, drive shaft support bearing, and the levelwind is rotating when the drag is that loose. Also the added weight might be from another driveshaft support bearing outward from the arb under the star drag. I know shimano added it to a few new reels of theirs, met mgl, Ch mgl, cu k. Check the schematic. Anyways, keep it up, you’re always up to something interesting.
FYI the drag was tightened down when I first pulled out out of the box and turned the handle at 1:45, how about you use your eyes and pay attention before opening your mouths? And Im not worried about my credibility to you one bit :)
@@THEREELTEST what is up with the attitude man? Come on get "reel" if that's the way you feel like testing a reel and someone questions you about it sure defend yourself but don't be a jerk to the people who view the content you post.
Do you think there will be a new aldebaran 50 with new frame and micro gears anytime soon?
Your doing a Awesome job Buddy. Keep it up. I like this 30
I only own the newer MGL style brakes on my Shimano's, is the brake cone/brass raceway in sideplate different for the original SVS Infinity? Trying to imagine where that weight came from... Same bearings, same handles, couldn't be just paint/color differences...
Yes the newer brakes fly open from the base of the hub, while the old ones from the top, So the brass cone of the newer ones is much bigger... in fact I think that may be where the weight came from now that I remembered that lol. But you get credit for pointing that out. Ill try to show the size difference in the next video
Good vid.
Side note: Do you think you’ll be doing a bantam mgl distance test? Let’s have a new MGL shootout !
yes, just been waiting for the Aldebaran MGL to finally get here. Also going to start the DC shootouts after I unbox the met DC
This is very exciting, can’t wait !
I picked one of these up today and it’s insane how lightweight they are.
Picked up as in held at BassPro cuz I can’t afford it 😂
Who has it and where ya'll located. I've got 2 of the 50s, . Love my toys
Don Sisco basspro shops in San Antonio
Surge Outdoors , when I go visit my Baby Girl I will make a pit stop BPS
Thank You
Love those little gifts👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Digit does it, backlash, Japan lure shop that I know of.
Hello Friend! my name is Willian. What are you shopping for? What is the amount paid?
Would u get the 30 or the 50? I only have enough budget for one will be using it for bfs fishing targeting trout mainly with lures 1/6 and down
get the Aldebaran bfs then
Is it a long casting reel? Or one of those bfs reels where braking is so strong it doesn’t backlash even without thumbing making distance doodoo
Will the bfs spool fit in an mgl model?
Question, are the only difference the spool and brake system? If I were to take the previous gen gears and slap them into the new 30MGL, would there be any issues or loss of performance? I accidentally ordered a 6.5 from Japan as well and would rather not have to mail it back. I cannot find any ALDMGL30 parts online.
It should work but you can buy 30 MGL parts from Plat www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/optionparts/language/en/manufacturers/5/siries/31/
I like light weight reel but not shalow spool because i use pe line for snake head fish
Hi man!
Hello from Eastern Europe, Romania!
I own a Shimano 51e with avail microcast spool and it's awesome for finesse lures. I'm searching to buy a new reel, something that can cast lures from 3 grams to 10-12 grams. What model of Shimano Aldebaran can you recommend me?With which model i can get long casts?
Aldebaran MGL or JDM Metanium MGL.
@@THEREELTEST
Thx for the anserw buddy!
I am very determined to buy the Shimano Metanium MGL.
My only concern is if i can realy cast 3-4 grams jigs with it...
Where did you get it? And whats with the gift, seems nice
check out my "how to buy JDM tackle" video
Is there a microspool available for this reel in order to change it from borderline bfs to completely bfs? My initial googling has proven unsuccessful.
I do have the Aldebaran mg7 and I just sold my core 50e + Scorpion xt 1000 to buy the version 6.5:1 hope it's a great choice!!! I will use it to play with the yellow peacocks !! Great review dude!
hmm.. i would have kept the Core lol.. not saying its better, its just a personal favorite. I plan to do a shootout between the Core and MGL sometime to see if the Aldebaran is an improvement in casting
THE REEL TEST agree with u, but to me core = to Aldebaran mg7 that I still have!! The plan for mgl 30 is for small lures that i use here in my region in Brazil for yellow peacocks... Unfortunately in my state we oy find the small one, no more than 2kg, so I use a lot small lures with 5~9g
You put this reel to the test yet? Or you just been playing with the bantam? I wanna know how this reel compares to the 50 casting/smooth/feel wise
I had every intention of fishing it last weekend but the weather was bad. Dont worry vids about it are coming up
Are these smaller than the old mg7/core 50 or same size?
Can you put a BFS spool and a Drag Cliker on an Aldebaran 50 MGL ?? ... thanks
You can but you would almost spend just as much as buying a Aldebaran BFS
So can the casting ability be enhanced if the factory bearings are replaced with either Boca or HiSpeedSpool bearings?
Gregory Jones I think the stock Shimano SARB bearings are better than either of those. Ive done a few tests where it shows they cast farther hybrid ceramics
Hooah!!!! Thanks! @@THEREELTEST
Is it normal that the bearing on the spool is without a spring ? Shouldn't it be here for the silent tune to work ?
Yeah, i dont know what the logic is behind that, its the same with the Bantam MGL too
I'm amazed how it casts
what company in Japan are you buying from?
"Of course Shimanos are packed in bubble wrap, unlike some other reels"
That's because Daiwa provides reel covers for reels at that tier.
actually they dont, my SS AIR just came in a plastic bag in its box.
Mine didn't either. The Steez does as well as the SV Light. The Steez is a tier above this reel but, the SV Light I unboxed did. I do remember getting a reel bag for the Antares and the Conquest, can use those with a rod though. It was really ment as a joke, as I am partial to Daiwa.
I know you are... lol Yeah the Steez and SV light are like at least $100 above this reel.
Yeah I bought my first daiwa and I was pleasantly surprised to get absolutely nothing with my Steez A. Just schematics
Ajayr Fish I have a Steez A and its smoother than any Shimano reel I own(Curado K, Metanium MGL, Aldebaran 50, Chronarch MGL.etc)
Does Japan Lure Shop give you vision 110's every order!? I need to start buying from them!
where you order them to get free visions?
Reels should always be stored with the star drag completely loose. This one was sent with a tight drag.
I love my alde 50hg. I'd been all over this reel if it had deeper line capacity and come in a xg model. it's just to close to a bfs reel. hopefully the do come out wit a deeper spool xg model!
kevin henderson I would be closer trying this reel out if it came in the XG
im still waiting fir that metanium dc that you got. review already please!!
hahahaha! I know, I know... Im trying to space these unboxings out so they arent one after the other
THE REEL TEST I figured that's what you were doing aha. I'm just growing Impatient it would be awesome if you did a comparison to the Antares dc. It would help me with my decision between the 2! Thanks for actually responding by the way
Im going to put all 3 DC reels through the standardized testing so we can compare
Do you know of the new MGL51 has a clicker for the drag
I dont think it has a drag clicker, my 30 doesnt
i currently own bowth the bfs and the 50 im not sure im getting this one
maybe the field tests will show a big enough improvement in casting
can you interchange spool and side plate with the new one to old one?
one fits on the other but the other doesnt fit one lol... best way I can explain it
even the scissors are BFS
Will you be testing how far it cast
yep
Where did you order this from? I've been using Japan lure shop, and they send gift lures, but I've never gotten a Vision 110 dangit!
Japan lure shop, I think they give away whatever lures and colors that arent selling because no way the 110s Ive gotten are gonna work here
THE REEL TEST lol send me pics I would buy them off you. I thought one you had looked good
I may include them in a giveaway in the future
It's like a Robocop reel
Where are you ordering from in Japan?
japanlureshop
Wow is that reel small!
ddm62571 the curado 70 seems smaller. But yeah it’s a tiny reel super light
could aldebaran 50 spool fit in aldebaran 30?
The 50 mgl is a direct fit but the older 15 model 50 will fit but the brakes would have to be modified
Is it suitable for salt water fishing?
shimano japan says yes
Does a 50 size spool fit in it?
the 50MGL spool, not the 2015
Is it available on japan lure shop
thats where I got it from.
Noob question.what does Mgl stand for?
Shimano called some of their spools MagnumLite in the past. Now they shortened it to MGL
THE REEL TEST thank u for answering
You stole those scissors from work!!! Lol
more like a girl I used to hang out with lol
Yesss
Still the same size as the regular 50?
Says 30HG on the side. Guess it may be smaller.
everything is the same except the spool, brakes, paint, and a couple other minor things
just means the line capacity is smaller
The original mg is the Japan model of the core 50
More like the Core 50 is the US model of the original Aldebaran MG7 lol
Just bought the last Aldebaran MGL 31HG off Japanlureshop
I had mine strung up and ready to go today but we had bad storms all day long :(
I took the boat out yesterday and it was 70... today, 40 and raining... great spring so far
Are the spools interchangeable?
no
This guy needs to watch AVE unboxing videos. Those scissors are woefully under matched. He needs a mini chainsaw!
When you are turning the handle explaining how it feels under greased, you have the drag so loose that the spool isn't even turning. real attention to detail. ugh
There way over priced
Too small of a spool
I swear baby baitcasting reels is annoying. Why people by freshwater reels is beyond me.
And Fresh water fish taste so nasty. This reel is garbage
go away fat ass
You are an idiot.
Hey dummy drink a lot of prune juice, you seem very constipated.