I bought this reel mainly because I do a lot of local fishing from my surfboard, and I wanted a reel that would have better water resistance than previous (cheaper) reels I've owned. So far, so good. After about a dozen outings, with the reel getting plenty soaked, though not ever fully submerged, it still feels smooth.
My one gripe (and I've read this from other reviewers) is the lack of a line retainer clip. It just makes no sense to me that Shimano would not include this simple and convenient feature. I'd happily pay an extra $5-$10 (most likely would cost less than that for Shimano) to have it.
Everything else about this reel seems well made, and am glad I purchased it.

Heavy, but that comes with getting a big ole' offshore reel. Super smooth like you'd expect from a Shimano. Very happy with mine so far.

You can pay more for higher model shimanos but this reel stacks up with them no problem!

This is a powerful reel with low gear ratio and Hagene body/gearing. I mainly use it as a winching reel for shallow water rockcod off SoCal coast, and it works better than any spinning reel I've owned. It does not exhibit any body flex under heavy load at all. With 50lb braid I could bring up 15lb ling cod easily. Highly recommended.

I’ve used the spheros 6000 extensively, it’s been completely submerged multiple times in surf, heavily jigged, and also used on my canal rod. I rinse after use amd almost two years later it’s as smooth as the day I bought it.

This is a saragosa, with one less bearing that has no impact on power or durability. It’s the exact same reel as a gosa. The larger 20000 model has two fewer bearings than the gosa 20000/25000 so if you’re going for large BFT probably go with a gosa. But otherwise the spheros is the reel deal, can’t say enough good things. I have a lot of reels and this is my go to, because it actually feels more sturdy and solid than my gosa 6000. Not sure why, but buy the spheros, you won’t be disappointed.

I use this mainly for surf and jetty fishing in NJ and it has proven to be extremely well made and durable. No problems to report whatsoever.

I bought the Gosa first, and after reading some online reviews, I purchased a 10000 Spheros, and then a 8000 because it was so good. The only difference between the Gosa and the Spheros is a bearing and the finish! I took the 10000 out on a tuna trip out of Galveston and it handles chunky football blackfin no problem, and horsed in a nice 70lb yellowfin as well. Still super smooth, still great drag as the Saragosa, but at a cheaper price. Highly recommended!

The Spheros is a great saltwater reel that is a step down but similar to the Saragosa. But if you need to save money the 5k Spheros is almost $70 cheaper than the 5k 'gosa.

Hey guy and gals. Gonna leave my review for my Spheros SW 8000. I have had mine for about a year a half, and have used it for every thing from bait and chunking 40lb redfish to pitch baiting mahi in the gulf. I can say that this is one tough son of a gun. If you are looking for an all around do all heavy reel this is it, pitch bait, big mutton, poppers, vertical jigging, etc, this is your reel. I have a couple Saragosas 6000 and 10000, these are great reels for specific tasks, but the lower gear ratio really makes the spheros an all duty reel. The lower price tag is nice as well, compared to the 250-300 I paid for the gosas. If you are specifically looking for a pitch bait or vertical jigging tee check out gosas. Hope this helps anyone who’s looking for this info. Keep on fishing.

This reel is one of my favorite. I plan on using it for bull Reds and cobia this summer. I Can't wait to try it out.

What I love about these reels is their durability, line capacity and drag system. I fish these reels on G. Loomis E6X rods and 30 pound Power Pro braided line, and use them for everything from tarpon, big snook and big permit to sailfish, cobia and dolphin. They are an all-purpose reel that will put the beat down on tough gamefish. The manual bail is nice in that it prevents wind knots in the braided line. I mostly use the 6000 series, but also the 8000's, and there's only the rare occasion that I have to chase fish. The line capacity is outstanding, the drag system, even after two or three years of daily use is smooth as can be. I do maintenance on these reels once a year and they've held up and are still in use today, which is more than I can say for any other reels I've owned. Simply put, when you buy this reel, if you take care of it, it will provide a lifetime of fishing memories.

I've owned this reel for one year and love it. Felt like a had to do a reveiw on it after landing a keeper cobia off the pier, I felt in control the whole fight and was impressed with the cranking power. Great reel for the money.

this reel wobbles right out of the box. Reading on one of the striped bass sites I see others have faced the same issue. I am going to return it if possible.

I use the 20000 with Terez rod and recommend it, very good and strong ... I already fished big fish with it ...

6000 is perfect for a 50lb jigging rel. great drag