Hate to argue with you Brian, but in a side-by-side comparison, it's actually a pretty darn close race between the Daiwa Saltist and the Shimano Tekota. I am in no way slamming the Shimano. It's an incredible reel and worthy of all the praise it's received over the years. But making a blanket statement about the Shimano being "all over" the Daiwa just isn't fair, especially when you actually take a look at the specs side-by-side.
Daiwa STTLW30LCHA - 4 Super Corrosion Resistant Ball Bearings, 1 Roller Bearing, 6.1:1 gear ratio, 35" of line picked up per handle turn, 19.40 oz, 230 yards of 25# test, 15.4 Max Drag, Carbon U.T. Drag
Shimano Tekota 600LC - 3 Ball Bearings, 1 Roller Bearing, 4.2:1 gear ratio, 25" of line picked up per handle turn, 16.0 oz, 240 yards of 25# test, 16.0 Max Drag, Dartainium Drag
You're right when you say it's Ford vs Chevy, so I will give you that!