Shimano Vanford 500. The lightest spinning reel

A quick look/review of Shimano Vanford 500 size (2020 model).
Topics covered
-Weight
-Drag
-Built quality
-Power transmission
-Bail
-Bail clicker removal
-Comparison to Daiwa
Shimano Vanford on AliExpress bit.ly/34CwN6v
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[@gavin7706]

Thanks for the videos throughout the year 👍 Merry Christmas mate 🎣🎅🎣

[@AndrewsKnots]

Happy holidays! 👌👍 Thanks

[@alanlinthwaite2670]

Excellent review, Have a happy Christmas, keep up the great vids

[@AndrewsKnots]

Thanks, you too! 👍

[@davidcloyd1296]

Great video! We call that color “gun metal” gray. I love the loud drag clicker, more fun when a big fish goes on a run!

[@AndrewsKnots]

Very true.

[@mitzij]

Nice video mate! I wanted to know a few things about this reel and i could not find any of this on the internet untill i found your video. Keep it up!

[@AndrewsKnots]

Glad I could help 👍

[@mitzij]

@@AndrewsKnots i forgot to ask you, where is this reel made?

[@my9281]

Another great review, Andrew. Thank you! I already got two Vanford reels from Ali: 2000S and 2000SHG. Both are great. Used it with #0.2 Varivas polyester line - no problems with handling. They cast like a dream and the light weight feels fantastic on XUL rods. The best reels I bought in 2020. I was kind of disappointed with Soare CI4+ 500s and went for a larger size but not with deep spools and I am super happy now. Merry Christmas!

[@AndrewsKnots]

Great to hear! Merry Xmas 👌👌

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

If you're not an ice fisherman, then buying 500 series reel is a waste of money and I can say with confidence that vanford is better than soare ci4+ in term of smoothness and low inertia

[@bronzeback29]

@@mishahagihiruko1256 that is not correct, I have both the Vanford 500 and the Soare CI4+ 500s and the Soare is the better reel in smoothness, inertia and it also contains 1 more bearing, they are both made from the same machining.

[@maddgoatee9708]

@@bronzeback29 I use both 500's also. And I agree the Soare is way smoother. And the Vanford cast way farther. But I knew that when I bought JDM. Don't think the Soare can handle anything bigger then 4lbs without braid. Never been broken yet on 2lb mono. But been pretty close.

[@loganpaul3374]

Hi Andrew, great as usual, I've being using shimano sahara 500,love it. Merry x mas.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Thanks, you too! 👌

[@paulgiannetto8377]

Best wishes for a happy and safe festive season

[@AndrewsKnots]

You too!

[@Matt-uq3in]

Just bought this reel to go with TTS 510s , and like you said it's perfect Andrew 👌💥

[@AndrewsKnots]

Glad it helped.

[@shafiqabdmalek]

The best UL reel and also can long cast

[@hoiung]

What other alternative 500-size brands and models would you recommend that are also smooth, reliable, and robust! I'm also a Daiwa fan and was tempted by the Shimano Vanford 500!

[@ferst5937]

HI Andrew, have you tested the bigger brothers? I bought a Vanford 2500HG but the handle is wobbling a lot and also quite a lot of scratching/grinding noise from spinning. Curious if you had the same?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Don't have any bigger Vanfords, I am afraid.

[@quanloikid1]

I have the Vanford C3000XGF and find that incredibly light. I also swapped out 5 bushings and replaced them with bearings to increase the bearing count to 12. I didn't notice any difference in sound or performance. Listening to your review of the 500 It seemed to me that you were trying to convince yourself that you made a worthwhile purchase. It is difficult for me to imagine how light the 500 must feel. Having watched your videos I know you will put it to good use. I would also like to mention a new Piscifun reel Viper X 500, you might find interesting and very smooth. I bought it on sale for $29....10+1 double shielded ball bearings, carbon fiber drag, and 150+ grams. I have had good luck in the short time I have used it and we''ll see if it holds up.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Re "Listening to your review of the 500 It seemed to me that you were trying to convince yourself that you made a worthwhile purchase." - yes, it was said in the video, that I am on the fence whether to keep it or sell; if you like, you can look at this review as "daiwa user looks at shimano reel".. 👌 In any case, I used Vanford 500 about 10 times now, and it's great reel. A keeper. I will check that Piscifun reel - thanks.

[@bryanwong1625]

How do you change it

[@quanloikid1]

@@bryanwong1625 How do you change what?

[@aarahuffaztaha4421]

As opposed to others, vanford 500 has no micromodule ii, no mgl, no x protect, etc. Here in malaysia, the price are about the same with the 1000 (USD175). Price wise, I would go with the 1000 for those additional features, better startup inertia & but ofcourse with additional weight of 10g 😆. But sadly both 500 & 1000 has no S, SHG or SSHG variants but hopefully they do in the near future. Overall both reels are great for ultralight fishings & i would pair these reels with the 2020 zodias rod, specifically the 264UL-S/2 (or 264UL-S). Anyway, thanks for the nice & informative review. 👍

[@logicalrationalfishing7481]

Wish we had the lighter Zodias rods here. I hunt like crazy for a 6' to 6'6" light powered fast action rod.

[@mad4669]

What rod do you suggest with this reel?

[@Uygkuyfkutfkytfkutfv]

People always moan about the thin shimano bail arms but the only bail arm I’ve ever bent was a chunky Daiwa one. I have lots from both brands.

[@delwigzieful]

Always been a shimano man myself always will be they make the best gearing systems in my opinion there reels are exceptional there absolutely fantastic it all comes down to user opinions i have Daiwa reels but i still prefer my shimano a use the shimano Calcutta for all my pike fishing and salt water fishing the shimano Calcutta is an expensive reel but worth every penny of £300,00 tremendous quality nice review andrew thanks for posting yes that tool set looks really good,para

[@AndrewsKnots]

Right on. Most Shimanos and Daiwas are superb for any kind of fishing, so, as you say, it's all down to personal taste 👍

[@delwigzieful]

@@AndrewsKnots Andrew i forgot have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ALWAYS,para

[@maddgoatee9708]

@@AndrewsKnots which Daiwas do you favor? Skies the limit. I would consider at least one to try. I am also hardcore Shimano. Currently testing Okuma Ceymar CBF 1000 bait-runner. The bait-runner option peaked my interest.

[@SouthernFisherman]

Thanks for sharing I just got the vanford 1000 this one is 150 grams

[@AndrewsKnots]

Good choice!

[@Sunray-Scumbag]

That 2 grams added could be grease. Perhaps shimanos initial weigh in excludes lubricants??

[@AndrewsKnots]

Possible 😊

[@ChrisJu3]

that's a lot grease then, lol

[@tonykomer2997]

Not sure what Stradic version you had gear lash with but I have 2 1000 1 C3000 and a 4000 and all of them are rock solid very tight zero lash play. No movement at all. Maybe there was a bad ru n of them. I am in the USA but a couple where from JDM shop.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Thanks for sharing.

[@quanloikid1]

I hope the 500 has been treating you well. I like the Flood water perch. The Vanford 500 is available now at about $182USD. What is your freeling?

[@AndrewsKnots]

"freeling"?

[@quanloikid1]

@@AndrewsKnots I meant feeling? about the reel

[@AndrewsKnots]

@@quanloikid1 I used it now probably 20 times. I like it very much. Best Shimano I ever had. Considering trying out bigger ones.

[@quanloikid1]

@@AndrewsKnots Again I said the price has come down to $182USD? What do you think?

[@AndrewsKnots]

@@quanloikid1 it's a good reel. If you need it, get it 👌

[@lapooorpo318]

Small. Light.. smooth.. easy for ultralight casting.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Yes, and for SUL/XUL superb.

[@golfish8589]

How are the spools different on the vanford 1000 and 2000? Am I just getting more line capacity with the 2000 over the 1000? Will the 2000 have larger diameter drag discs than the 1000? Will the top lip diameter of the 2000 be more than the 1000. I ordered the 2000 thinking it might cast further than the 1000. Thanks...

[@AndrewsKnots]

Have a read here fish.shimano-eu.com/content/fish/eu/gb/en/homepage/Product-detail.P-VANFORD.html by clicking on "MANUAL". All answers there. Cheers

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

The 2000 spool is just deeper than 1000 spool, everything else has the same dimensions except for the depth of the spool

[@ChrisJu3]

@@mishahagihiruko1256 the specs on their website does say so, but the pictures suggests that the spool on 2000 is a bit wider than what's on 1000. not sure which is correct.

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@ChrisJu3 The 2000 spool is much deeper than 1000 but there are 2000s which is shallow spool that has capacity almost half of 1000 spool. I hope this might help

[@shawneldridge4465]

🙋 that little spinning reel right there, would most definitely make a great trout fishing reel just saying.

[@AndrewsKnots]

For sure! I used it a couple times for that and it's ok 👌

[@shawneldridge4465]

@@AndrewsKnots 👍👍

[@logicalrationalfishing7481]

Strange that it has an anti reverse switch... The other 500 models I have looked up do not have that feature.

[@maddgoatee9708]

That reel is UK or JDM, I have one on my Shimano 500 Soare. Shimano US does not have anti reverse switches. I'm old school and love this feature.

[@JP-ic2ze]

Absolutely incredible reel, once I have bought the Aldebaran BFS reel, I intend on saving up for it. I wouldn't however buy it from Ali without there being a more generous discount being applied (as was the case with the Fuego, of which I have bought three after seeing your reviews). You can buy it in the UK For £179.00, therefore only a £20.00 saving.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Fair enough. In any case, you have the choice where to get it from 👍

[@danielpomeroy]

The daiwa dspin 500 is really good.

[@texugo_doidao]

Se não pelo peso menor, um Sienna 500 se equivale, mas as 40 gramas de diferença são bem relevantes quando sua vara pesa menos de 90 gramas.

[@royaldoubleup]

Would you pair this with the Kuying Teton 662L rod?

[@AndrewsKnots]

No. About 170 g. reel's needed for tts662l.

[@jskiiss8193]

Good look......

[@AndrewsKnots]

Thank you

[@mogtrader8]

Isn't aliexpress variants tho? What is the actual lb capacity on this?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Not too sure, what did you mean by "variants". In any case, all the info about this reel is official Shimano website. Cheers

[@piaoliang5467]

Who told u the gears in the small sizes are different? I couldnt find any such info on shimano’s japanese website. I opened my c2000s and gears are MM2. Is the 500 size different?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Well, gear ratio is different, so, without even looking any further it means that gears are different.. Anyway, the construction is quite different for 500 and 2000: dassets.shimano.com/content/dam/global/cg1SHIFSEH/EV/EV_OVS_SF36_20VF5.pdf and dassets.shimano.com/content/dam/global/cg1SHIFSEH/EV/EV_OVS_SF36_20VFC20S.pdf

[@piaoliang5467]

well .. i don't know about gear ratio... Every model of every reel has multiple gear ratios and its still the same gears, only size ratio is different. I saw that the 500 size is missing the oscillation worm and the MGL rotor that the bigger models have but the gears... that's explicitly advertised as MM2. You said 'Shimano themselves say this reel has different gears' - where did u get that? It might be true because they feel different...I am just looking for a reputable source so to avoid speculation

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@piaoliang5467 yeah I think the 500 size still retain that MM2 feature since I already check it up and you miss one another thing that is 500 size doesn't have x-protect which mean disaster for saltwater use but so far, my experience with shimano hagane gear, they don't rust in saltwater, just the salt will be deposited on the gear train but the other metal component were ruined like the bearings.

[@piaoliang5467]

@@mishahagihiruko1256 thanks.

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@piaoliang5467 you're welcome ❤️

[@povilasmikelionis1693]

labas Shimano Vanford 4000 feederiui ar tiktu svoriai max 80gr?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Daiwa TDR/TDM 👌

[@nasiuduk1665]

Shimano Soare ci4+ 500s vs shimano vanford 500 which one is better?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Don't have the Soare but very likely it's the same reel..

[@dranasudita4879]

I have both, soare is smoother n less line capacity.

[@PetitePecheTR]

Neden o plastik ve yayı çakardınız?

[@robertdubose9193]

I need a rod for this teel.You got any suggestions.

[@AndrewsKnots]

I use it on Kuying Teton TTS510S.

[@dranasudita4879]

Rapala keranga 1-3lb Will be nice

[@maasai-]

In general shimano out last daiwa for better gears n higher quality in the mid to lower end especially, better spool design , superior osc line lay n better ar clutch .lately i baught myself my first daiwa spinning reel the daiwa bgrr 5000 lt , damn this is the latest reel with inconsistant line lay , acute bail wire openning angle and less than expected torque comparing to shimano reel sizes.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Can't argue with that as I am still experience one of my Daiwas to break down. Shimanos I had served ok as well but never used one for longer than a year.

[@huybap8726]

vanford vs ballistic, which one is better AK ?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Both good reels. It's more about personal preference. If you can live with thin Shimano bail then Vanford is likely a better choice. Cheers

[@ericlemmond]

Depends on if you're using it in salt. I had a ballistic and loved it, but after 2 seasons of salt water use the main gear broke due to corrosion because it had an anti reverse switch on it. This 500 size vanford looked like it had the switch on it, the bigger ones don't. If you plan on using it in salt I would get the vanford, or wait til daiwa drops the kage mq lt, which is pretty much a monocoque ballistic without the antireverse switch

[@cmartinnorth]

Could there not be 2.75g of grease inside all the gears? Maybe they weigh it before they add this?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Maybe. Maybe not.

[@henriquefigueirinha2226]

The size is like symetre 500fl?

[@AndrewsKnots]

Don't own Symetre 500, so, won't be able to answer that.

[@sammoanboua4308]

Nothing beats shimano Daiwa come second best

[@AndrewsKnots]

In general I prefer Daiwas with some exceptions. This tiny Vanford being one of them 👌

[@yep.fishing]

Shimano reels on Ali express are real? I assumed they were knock offs but also thought maybe they were real ones that had imperfections

[@tonykomer2997]

They did not lye about the weight. The weight differenc3 of 2-3 grams is just the grease.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Great!

[@MaxJB]

What's the diawa alternative, ideally for a la moustique 2-10g?

[@AndrewsKnots]

As far as I know, at the moment Daiwa does not make reels less than 150 g.

[@nanolure8678]

Did you ever upgrade the bushes, drag washers, or bearings on this reel?

[@AndrewsKnots]

If I remember correctly, I did add carbon drag washers and knob bearings.

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

IMO, vanford 500 is such a waste of money unless you use it for ice fishing, vanford 1000 is much better with smooth and light reeling feel on the tip of your finger. If you're using fine line, it's better to pick c2000s one. I have a c2000s and so far so good but the problem I have is the 40mm handle is too short for me. I'm gonna find a new handle for it, at least 45mm handle will be perfect.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Well, yes and no. I agree that bigger Vanfords are a bit better than 500 but they are heavier AND sometimes that's a deal breaker. For example I have a couple rods, where 160 g. reel is too heavy.. I may try C2000S. As far as I understand, it's 1000 body and 2000 spool 👌

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@AndrewsKnots it's just 10g heavier, 1000-c2000 sizes is 150g only, 5g more than vanquish at the same sizes, it would be perfectly balanced with lot of SUL rod like kuying Teton TTS510S which I owned and other Teton rod series, they balance just fine with the balance point a little bit forward compared to normal but still would work if you place the reel foot between your ring finger and small finger. 1000-2000 has the same body(and weight), and c2000s is actually has less line capacity than 1000 since it is shallow spool which would be great with polyester line(I'm using Pinky 0.4 polyester from thirty34four).

[@AndrewsKnots]

​@@mishahagihiruko1256 re "s it's just 10g heavier", are you sure of it? It says 155 g. andrews-screenshots.tinytake.com/tt/NDk1OTM0N18xNTYyMTQ0Mg then it will be a few grams heavier than stated as always. Unless they are lighter than stated..

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@AndrewsKnots I already bought one, but if there's any specs difference, since I'm from SEA country, then I'm sorry. I mean the model name for EU market is Vanford F while in SEA country and Japan(if I'm not mistaken), it's just Vanford.

[@AndrewsKnots]

@@mishahagihiruko1256 Not a problem. Did you try to weigh your C2000S? It would be useful for other people, who will be looking for the info.

[@SouthernFisherman]

New friend here

[@AndrewsKnots]

Good to have you here.

[@MrAntinsk8]

Stop biting me))

[@AndrewsKnots]

Ok 😎

[@paulgiannetto8377]

Colour wise I would call it gunmetal

[@AndrewsKnots]

Good point 👌

[@user-dz3rd3wh9n]

shimano vanquish is the lightest

[@AndrewsKnots]

Can't see any less than 145 g.

[@js4391]

Had to pick 2500-3000 for strictly bass fishing Vanford Tatula lt Ballistic lt Lews custom pro spin Stradic fl Thanks

[@AndrewsKnots]

Can't comment on your choice as it's not clear what rod you will be using.. In any case, all fine reels on the list ✌

[@js4391]

Sorry the rods are the following Denali rosewood shakyhead 7ft med hvy mod fast 1/4-3/4 Lithium dropshot 7 med mod 1/8-5/8 Abu fantasista regista 7 med fast 1/4-3/4

[@vire559]

Same weight as Soare Ci4+ 500

[@AndrewsKnots]

Hint hint: same reel (very likely) 👌 That's not a bad thing.

[@vire559]

@@AndrewsKnots hahaha

[@emrahcanbaydar]

Lets see daiwas answer to vanford. 10 years later reels will hover with rocket boosters with 0 grams of weight in hand. I use fuego lt. I am happy with it but with the all lt series neck flex is bad. I dont like neck flex. They say you have to get a monococue body daiwa. But they are crazy expensive. I will try okuma epixor. Much cheaper.

[@AndrewsKnots]

I use Fuegos as well. Great reels for my taste. I don't fish for Sharks or other very big fish, so, they are solid enough for me 👍

[@emrahcanbaydar]

@@AndrewsKnots i am happy with fuego. I have lt 3000dc and will buy a 2000 for light spinning.

[@ericlemmond]

Daiwas answer is the kage mq lt, I think it comes out in the spring

[@emrahcanbaydar]

@@ericlemmond i think monocoque body is more exciting.

[@aidanlau795]

And daiwa luvias is lighter than that

[@AndrewsKnots]

Where did you get that info from?

[@2musiclover534]

No, no Luvias models are lighter than that Vanford 500F.

[@aimiliosgourgoulis4453]

Go back to Daiwa then.

[@AndrewsKnots]

Don't need to go anywhere - have plenty of Daiwas which I like and this tiny Shimano which I use because it's so light.

[@aidanlau795]

Shimano vanquish is lighter

[@AndrewsKnots]

Where did you get that info from?

[@paulgiannetto8377]

@@AndrewsKnots I also say that the vanquish is lighter than the vanford and is probably the finest ultra-light reel currently available. I don't think that the vanford brings much new to the table versus the Stradic CI4+

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

Vanford 500 is clearly lighter by a few grams

[@mishahagihiruko1256]

@@paulgiannetto8377 but still vanquish is another whole new level compared to vanford 500 which make the few grams of weight difference pretty much meaningless

[@Fahmi-oz9cp]

@@paulgiannetto8377 try gamer assasin ..lmao