The best cheap carp reels

Sonik's reels have impressed all who've fished with them in recent years, with the VaderX range signifying incredible value for money. Like its big pit sibling, this reel packs a lot of features for this price bracket. Complete with two machined aluminium spools, this lightweight reel has five internal ball bearings and one in the line roller. Its stainless steel main shaft offers rigidity and longevity, while the oversized free spool lever and sleek aluminium handle give it a visual personality. It's possibly the best looker on the test and the 6000 model weighs 455g.

Amazingly, our cheapest reel on test and it is a perfectly capable performer. It comes pre-loaded with a 12lb line, making it the ideal introduction to the free spool world. With Mitchell's name on it, you know it's got pedigree and, for the price bracket, it's a remarkable little bit of kit. The spool is aluminium, it has a multi-disc drag system, a retrieve rate of 87cm per handle turn and two internal bearings. At 486g it's neither worryingly light and flimsy nor cumbersome and unrefined. You won't be casting to the moon with the Avocet, but it'll certainly keep pace with your progression through the carp world.

A freespool shootout isn't complete without a genuine Baitrunner. Like Hoover and Tannoy, Shimano's Baitrunner brand has become a byword for this whole sector of the market. The ST 6000 RB is classic Baitrunner fare, with a distinctive double-handle grip and sleek body. In all honesty, its looks are fairly bland, but the reel is beautifully balanced and the drag clicks with precision. It's a safe pair of hands that'll last you for years, rather than a showstopper crammed with features. It has a single internal bearing, holds 250m of 0.40mm line and weighs 555g.

This is one of the cheapest reels in the whole Daiwa carp range, but it's still a quality offering, available for well below its official asking price. It shares a silhouette with the more expensive Emcast BR u2013 though the Black Widow has a shinier finish u2013 and still has recognisable high-quality Daiwa features such as AirBail, Twistbuster and the BR freespool mechanism. A top performer and well built, we love this reel at this price. The 5000 model weighs 473g, has three internal ball-bearings and a stated line capacity of 310m of 14lb line. There is nothing not to like about this reel.

Representing incredible value for money, the Rogue FS reels, which are available in both 6500 and 7500 sizes, are perhaps best classed as hybrid big pit/free spool monsters. With looks dominated by a big, wide spool, these reels have modern styling and appear more expensive than they are. The body is made from a graphite compound and the handle is die-cast aluminium. The oversized plastic knob won't be to everybody's liking, but it's easy to grab on to and begin winding, even in gloves. The freespool lever on the rear is similarly easy to use. The Rogue FS has five internal bearings and can take 290m of 0.40mm line. It weighs 654g.