Some other opinions on this reel. Like anything else, it depends on who you ask:
That's easy, Sustain all the way...
Titanium Nitride line roller and spool lip with spare spool. Extra bearing on spool shaft for strong pulling fishes.
IMO, They should've just made a Sustain CI4, period. The stradic is such a waste for that.
Just got mine in yesterday. Right off the bat, you notice how light it is, but in terms as smoothness, its not great. Then again, I use mainly a Daiwa 09 Fuego and a Daiwa Certate, so the price difference is pretty substantial. The Ci4 isn't a horrible reel, but doesn't feel as refined as a Sustain or Twinpower. When you talk about price, the difference is pretty signicant when you talk about the other reels in Shimano's line.
I got mine today and love it, handles amazingly well on a variety of my spinning rods. It is crazy smooth, which I love but does make a whirring noise when retrieved. It is not very loud, and I believe it is just the sound of the gears and is just less dampened by the Ci4 frame. Another note on the Ci4 frame is that it is extremely rigid, exhibiting almost 0 flex for anyone who was concerned about it.
If you shop the big auction site, there are some killer deals going on right know. I picked up a Sustain 2500 FE for 165.00 shiped new in box. Something worth checking out. Good luck.
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