Jim,
Just thought I'd relate a story about the STS cassette reel. A friend was on an Atlantic Salmon trip in Canada when he hooked a fish that his guide estimated at some 20 lbs! That for most Atlantic Salmon fishers is the fish of a lifetime. He was using a STS cassette reel and the fish just smoked the drag. The reel just disinegrated and cost him the fish. Just one story about one reel. You might want to check out the Tiogas by Teton in that price range. See the archives for previous threads.
Mark,
I might add that dead drifting refers also to drifting the fly or bait in a natural manner with no drag at all from the line. This is achieved by various casts, by mending line on the water or by casting from a particular angle or spot.