I am looking to purchase a few new reels. I have had abu Garcia and shimano in the past. I have seen the new lews speed spool reels that are now available as well as the normal bb series they have. Lews


Anyone have any knowledge and/or experience with lews? How do they compare to Shimano reels? Are they good products?

I'm becoming more or a fan every time I get one. I'm a pretty big shimano guy but have got 3 Lews now and have been impressed.

Still just somthing about shimano that I prefer though. But no complaints about Lews except they are way over greased from factory

same here ... Lews are great casters!

I've got 5 Lew's and really like mine.

I've completely switched to Lews, so smooth and very good quality for the price!!! Love em

I use a shimano citica its great, I have no complaints I would highly recommend one.

I was die-hard Abu for years but have switched over completely to Lew's. I've used a set of Tournament MB's hard for a year now and they're still working as smooth as they were new.

Me changing over to Lew's was not so much about the products being better than what Abu or Shimano offer, but because you can get a better reel for the price by going with Lew's. And they appear to hold up well to heavy use, which was my primary concern.

I currently have a few shimano citicas with the braking lever on the bottom. I see where some of the lews reels have something where you put it on the line size or something and it is supposed to help with braking? Is that correct?

Is it hard to set or has anyone had issues with these types of reels?

Having used both I cant say I preferred one over the other. I have some old Curado Greenies that were excellent but when the Curado G series came out I was not impressed so I began to update with other brands. I have heard that the new Shimanos are good reels though I have not used one. Of the brands I have now I prefer my Quantums over the others including the Lews BB2 I have.

I love my Shimano reels and my nicer setups will always be Shimano but recently i purchased a Lews SuperDuty for my frog setup and it has done awesome. Casts great and am very pleased. I chose this one bc its made for heavier stuff and works great with thick braid.

I mostly use Shimanos, but have a few Lews. The newer light-weight Lews are very good.

I'm still Shimano since they have more left-hand offerings.

coincidentally, here is a really good deal for a lefty

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=699481

I have never had a Shimano, but I've had a Lew's SpeedSpool and have been very impressed. Casts way better than my Revo S.

Thank you for the input. I have not held one or used one as of yet but in checking the weight online they also seem to be somewhat lighter. I was concerned about how well they held up but based on your use and knowledge they seem to be doing fine.

Great info, one of the reasons I was interested was for use with braid and frog fishing during the summer. To this point everyone seems to like them and they seem to work well and last.

I have 2 supper dutys that are my frog rods and swimjig love the big handle on them and the fact that they have brass gearing

I have a Superduty, 2 speed spools, and a TP.

Great reels. Don't discount Diawas newer offerings, have a couple of Tatulas and just bought a Tatula CT. Love that reel.

Buy Shimano once or buy Lew's every few years. I have never seen a reel that holds up like Shimano.

I switched from Shimano to Lew's.

I have 3 of the Tournament Pro G reels

3 of the BB1 Pros

then 2 of the regular speed spools just to throw crazy stuff on.

I love all of them, and have never had an issue. Yes they come heavily greased from the factory, but that's better than not having enough.

I also really like how the newer reels include a lube port where you can service almost the entire reel without pulling the handle/spool tension cover. As well as a line indicator so you can remember which line you have rigged up, and a swing out hook keeper (only on the Tournament Pros and Magnesium reels). I wouldn't use anything else.

Edit: I just read the post above mine, I've stripped several Shimano reels, so buying them "once" isn't realistic, but I also fish at least 4 days a week, so that's lots of wear and tear. I have not experienced a mechanical failure with a Lew's reel, and I service them myself once a month.

I've drug in fish through brush and even WITH brush on a cheap $60 dollar Lew's speed spool, and my brother still uses that reel to this day with no problems.

It's a Ford vs Chevy deal here in case you haven't noticed, just giving you some of my personal experiences.

Any reel will do as long as it's a Shimano.

I try not put my opinions on equipment here on the forum..so I won't say which one I like.

I have tourneys and a BB1, and really like them all. I picked up a super-duty for frogs and flipping with braid. It's a tad bit heavier, but it really is a workhorse. I also just ordered one of the new wide spool super dutys to upgrade my swimbait setup.

i started off with lews, mg series and loved them, wanting venture out and used shimano citca/curado/chronarch ci4/ mentanium and they are were nice reels no complaints except for the curados i series i had more of those they worked fine until 2 or 3 weeks into fishing em and started grinding, replaced them with newer ones same thing, rick from anglers ended up mentioning that shimano doesn't lube them all the way or not at all, so I'm sure that caused but he didn't tell me that until after i switched to lews, witch i love tremendously!!! lews team tournament lite, and bb1PRO! BEST BRAKES HANDS DOWN

Lew's

I used to have a wide assortment of higher end reels and they all seemed to hold up well for a weekend fisherman. When I started fishing every day most of them failed to hold up very long. It didn't take long to figure out Shimano's were the only ones that held up for me being used every day. I still have some original Calais and Chronarchs that are 15yrs old and still work well today. I still use mostly Shimano but in the last year or so i've bought some Lew's that I really like. Time will tell how they hold up. For me, Shimano's are as solid as you can buy and the Lew's are nice but the verdict is still out on them.

Shimano for me.

They are more picky about braking set up than shimano I might add.

I bought one Calcutta and didn't like it. It sounded like it was coming apart when I threw it.
A good friend told me that they used to be made in Japan but are now made in the Philippines.
and quality has gone down. I don't really know for sure but the BB-1's are my go to reels. I also have the Revo Winches and Premiums. They are good reels.
I just purchased two of the smaller Diawa Tatula reels from APT. I love them. Casts a mile with few backaches.
Almost like throwing a spinning reel. We'll see how they hold up. So far, I still go to the BB-1's for most of my fishing.

When Shimano started outsourcing to Malaysia quality went south.

Honestly you can't really go wrong with either. You get what you pay for either way. I have several of the Shimano 200DHSV's that IMO are the best reels ever made. The last 2 years I've really got into the Lews family of reels. I would say their best reel is the LFS series reels followed closely by the Super Duty reels. I have 6-7 Lews reels that are always ready to go. For the money, Lews can't really be beat. As some have said, Shimano is really a staple.

One major note. Lews reels are lighter in weight and smaller in frame than most of the shimano reels (not including the 100 series). I've actually switched my flipping sticks to lews reels just to save on wrist fatigue. I also have a Super Duty on my frog rod.

You honestly can't go wrong with either brand. It's all about feel and preference. If it doesn't feel good to you, you wont be confident with it. Confidence is everything when on the water.

I said Philippines, but it was malaysia.

I have always been a revo man myself, but I recently bought my first Lews and I must say I am extremely impressed. Will definitely add them to my Abu's arsenal. As far as shimano, I do not know much about them, but I have friends who swear by them.

I have pretty much nothing but Curados and for the money I love them. I was interested in looking at the Lews reels. Fished with the speed spool with a guide and did not like them at all. Rough and seemed to grind a little. Not a fan of them. I have a couple of older Bantums that have been redone and they are super smooth. Love them.

Lews all the way!!!!

How do the Lew's LFS series hold up to the deep cranking crankbaits? If they won't, which model does a man need to fish them a lot?

I used to be a Shimano guy but have switched exclusively to Lews. I'll be the first to admit that I use the heck out of my stuff and I never perform maintenance on my reels. I just throw em in the shed when they wear out and go by another. I have several Shimanos out of commission in my old reel bucket but for some strange reason no Lews. They just keep on ticking.

Lew's should be an easy move for the ABU guys, as they're built by the same Korean manufacturer. Same manufacturer that builds reels for dozens of other labels. Not slamming Lew's product, just spreading a bit of light on their origin. I have a Revo premier and it's been a fine reel, so I see no reason to think Lew's should not be the same. That being said, I have 15 or so Shimano reels dating back to the Chronarch A series and these have been absolutely bulletproof. I also own a dozen or more of the original Lew's BB-1 N,NG,NGH reels, some over 30 years old and they will still give anything on the market a run for their money. The reason for this is when you open one up it's all metal, brass gears, machined aluminum, etc. The reel market has expanded beyong belief in the past few years due to Korean and Chinese manufacturers jumping into the market. I have fished with some 10 bearing Chinese reels, that can be had for less than 20 bucks on ebay and found them to be silky smooth and would cast as well or better than some of my $300 reels. Question is, will they still do that in 5 years? I think not, but could be wrong.This is indeed a very interesting time in tackle manufacturing. I always recommend Shimano products to folks that ask because they are a known quantity and have a long history of reliability and innovation. Lew's, etc not so much. Time will tell that story though. Just an observation from someone that's been doing this for 50+ years. Take it for what it costs you.

I would have to say Lews simply because I have a couple good buds of mine who use them and I have thrown them a few times and they are amazing! They say any reel they get from them is great! On the other hand, All I use myself is Shimano. I can personally say out of the 5 I have gotten from them I have never been disappointed! Both companies are great quality, and for the most part great products for the money!

I would think the BB1 Pro would do the job.

I just sent four Lews in for new paws . They all went out within two weeks of eachother, the reels are 3 years old . I have some shimano that are 15 years plus and never had a problem . I love my Lews but they lack durability

You want to sell me any of those "shed" reels??

3 years old and never been serviced? Thats why you pawls went out. IF you would look and see how much lake gunk and crud these reels can have built up in the worm gears you would know why they failed. But I can attest to the older Shimano's being mostly workhorse bullet proof reels you are right on that. But most of your newer reels no matter the brand need to be serviced at least once a year to stay in tip top shape. As with cars and most other things the saying "they just don't build them like they used too" rings very true.

This is coming from a guy that services and repairs MANY makes and brands of reels. So just my .02

bust my bubble, I'm a shimano guy who thought Lew's was made in America. bummer!

I have had trouble with the little plastic caps on the brake pins falling out on Curado's so I've been thinking about trying a Lew's to see it they have something better.

Lew's is simply a trademark. Some person or group bought the name a few years back and contracted and asian manufacturer to build a reel to their specifications and badge it as Lew's. You or I could start our own reel company with a minimal investment. The tooling is already there, the prices from the orient are dirt cheap. Just spec a reel as to number of bearings and where you want them, pick a color and logo and there ya go. I realize I'm over simplifying it but that's pretty muc all there is to it. The trick is in marketing. Using the Lew's name lends legitimacy as does Pflueger, Browning and several others on the market today. Take a look at Lew's, Revo, Browning,several BPS and Cabelas and Gander mountain reels. See the similarities? The Lew's trademark has changed hands several times since leaving the family of Lew Childre. Browning,Zebco and possibly others have owned and tried to revive the name. It seems the current trademark owners have managed to accomplish what the others could not. I wish them luck.

Has anyone ever heard a loud whine on your shimano reels? I have 4 fairly new curado and just the other day out of no where 2 of them began to make a high pitched whine while casting or pitching.

As for the lews, I see the bb1 mentioned a lot. Are they more of an all around go to reel for cranking and/or pitching? Anyone try any of the new speed spools? I'm interested because they are very light weight.

If it's the same noise I'm thinking of, just add 2 drops of oil to the reel. One on the brake pad and, if I remember correctly, inside the brake pad I believe there's a bearing or something. Another drop there and good as new. Inside the box the curados come with oil to do this and instructions as to where to oil it.

Jason, the original Bb1 was the first reel on the market to emphasize palming ability, with a flat left side plate, it was also the 1st reel to utilize the low profile concept. Lew Childre was a true innovator. As far as your Shimano's whine, it sounds like the spool bearings need a drop of oil. I service all my reels several times per year. Complete tear down, flush bearings etc. That's one of the reasons I get 20+ years out of them. I only replace reels when they get too far out of date and the newer reels have significant advantages. I know I've held on to the old "greenie" Curados way past their use by date but I just can't wear the damn things out.

I have owned many different reels. Quantums, lews, abus, even a wright and McGill, and I have to say I keep coming back to shimano. They hold up better than anything else, they're incredibly easy to maintain, and they're just plain simple. No crazy features that break every 5 minutes. I currently have 3 curado Is, two citica Ds and a casitas and theyre all fantastic. Won't buy another brand again.

No Nathan , never been serviced just like my Shimano reels. That was the point . Like I said, I love my Lews but they don't hold up as well.

Thank you for the info. I am planning to go and test out a few lews reels this weekend, the bb1 will be one of them. As for the whine on my Curados I will oil them tonight and see if that fixes it. I doubt it is anything major as they are fairly new and the other 2 are not doing that. So a little oil will most likely do the trick.

My curados used to whine from time to time, just take a qtip and some reel magic to the break pads and races and a drop on the bearings and its good to go.

Shimano always make the whining sound specially the old cu200 I did have a e7 do it also and for the reel experts it was the metal pegs on the cast control that the little plastic pieces go on. I have had to buy 3 cu200 spools and one for the e7. I will only buy Abu Garcia products.

Lew's good to very good, Shimano very good to great. I would be happy with either.

13 fishing all the way.

I totally agree, Lews reels are great reels until that super packed in factory grease is gone, once that happens I notice quick wear and tear on my Lews reels until it is blown out or the reel get's progressively more loose until it wobbles like an 80's jalopy flying down the highway at 90mph.. the most common problem I've consistently seen that the pinion gears and the anti-reverse bearings fail.. I've worn out 4 Lews reels in the last few years ranging from a Speed Spool to a BB1. (yes I properly maintain my reels, they just are worked very hard and often)

Shimano on the other hand isn't as smooth out of the box because it isn't super packed with grease, but that smoothness never changes throughout the life of the reel (unlike any other reel I've used so far), which for me is "forever" because I've yet to blow one out. IMO the Shimano reels are better engineered and they have higher quality materials and stricter manufacturing standards. this makes for a better reel in my book.

Once I send to pasture the rest of my non-Shimano reels I will definitely be a Shimano for life fishermen.

The X-Ship technology is the best advancement in reel technology in many years, I highly suggest you consider a Shimano reel that contains the X-Ship pinion gearing, you won't be disappointed!

Tight Lines

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Simply oil the bearings with the oil provided in the box. A drop or two is all you need on each and you'll be good to go. This happened to me in the first month I bought the new courado's, I service my reels every month or two so after servicing the bearings after the first month of use the noise stopped. Hope this helps!

my point is you can't expect any reel (even Shimano's and Im guessing you have been pretty lucky to have no issues with no servicing) to last very long when you don't take care of it. Do you also never service the vehicle you drive or the boat you fish out of? Just curious. And like I said I agree with you on the older shimano's being bulletproof. But try not servicing any reel made here in the last 3 or so years and see what happens...

Shimano!! ALL day for me.... lews are definitely good reels tho...

+1

I've used Abu, Lews, and Shimano and all I own now are Shimano. Even the cheaper ones like the Citica are pretty good for the $. Curado and Chronarch are fantastic.

Every single Shimano reel is made in a Shimano factory. It is not outsourcing.

What T54 said. Not all Shimanos are made in Malaysia either. Above a certain level they're still made in Japan. Aldebaran, Metanium, and all the other high end products are still produced in Japan. I know when they first started Malaysian production, everything from Chronarch up was Japan built. Daiwa does the same thing. Steez and some others are built in Japan while the lower end models come from a Daiwa facility elsewhere.

I have put a little oil on the bearings of the shiamnos I have and plan on testing them tomorrow.

I have narrowed it down to the 2 Lews below, any advice on either? Also, what is your typical, or an average, gear ratio that is best all around? (6 something or 7 something)

Lew's BB1 Pro Speed Spool Low-Profile Baitcast Reel

Lew's Tournament Pro G Speed Spool Low-Profile Baitcast Reel

What are you going to do with them? For general use, 5.5-6 is my preference. For cranking, swimbaits, etc, something like 5:1 would make more sense. For fast-moving stuff, or things like jigs where you don't want to waste time reeling slowly pulling it up from the bottom, a 7:1 can be nice.

That being said, a 6:1 can be used for most anything.

I prefer the pre G model Curado baitcasters it just that simple.

I agree. I have some old greenies I bought mid 90's and still going strong. I have switched to using them for stripers and sandies now because compared to my new reels they are like holding a tank. I have a g6 curado that just wasn't any good. Have not bought a Shimano since. Reports say that they are building a quality product again though.

I went over the weekend and tested some Lew's out. I have landed on getting the new BB1 Pro. Lightweight, smooth, powerful, great reel.

I need some help/advice though. I am ordering 4 reels this morning, but not sure what to order. I am fishing as a co right now before switching over to the boater side so I try and keep what I bring on a boat limited. I figure if I have a crank bait/rattletrap/moving bait on a rod, then a jig/soft plastic, maybe a Carolina rig, and then another rod for whatever, such as swim bait, top water this time of year, another texas rig rod if one has a jig, etc. I am ok.

So knowing that, would the following be a good idea? If not, please let me know your thoughts from experience and knowledge.

1 - 5.1:1

2 - 6.4:1

1 - 7.1:1

Or

2 - 6.4:1

2 - 7.1:1

Or hell

4 - 6.4:1

I have Lews, Daiwa, and Shimano reels. I have some in each brand that I really like and had some in each brand that I did not like, it depends on the model. I think the E series Shimano made were the best so far. I have some of the I series and like the shape but Im not all that impressed with them as much as the E series. The B series were bullet proof, just a little bulky in shape.

Daiwa, I love the Steez and the Sol but did not like the Tatula, it was just a little too wide in shape for me.

Lews, I love the Super Dutys, BB1 and BB1 Pro, but not so much the Tournament Pro.

Jason,If you aren't planning on deep cranking I would go with two 6-1 and two 7-1 or one 6-1 and three 7-1.

Thanks for the reply. That is a good point because honestly to this point I have only had to deep crank just once, the majority of the time I am fishing other techniques.

Thanks!

I agree. You can always turn the handle slower if the situation requires it. That lower-ratio reel could be spending a lot of time in the box fishing behind the typically fast-moving pros.

For anyone experiencing casting noise in Shimanos with SVS Infinity braking, the solution is very simple. Open up the side plate and you will see a brass colored ring. Wipe it off and then apply a layer of oil on the ring. A drop of oil on each of the plastic brake weights is good also, but not necessary. It's quick and simple. This applies to Curado 200I series, 13 Metanium and Chronarch CI4+. The new SVS Infinity that was released in Casitas and Curado 70 requires much less frequent lubrication. With the old style, I find myself having to lube about once a month. With the new style, I haven't had to do it on my Casitas, which is 6 months old.

DOYO (Korean OEM manufacturer) developed their own version SVS Infinity last year and is using it in the new higher end Lew's. They recommend the same type of lubrication.

When I was learning bass fishing as a boy, in the 1970's, My dad was very a dedicated fisherman. He fished in 1 or 2 local bass clubs around Houston. He kept up with the best equipment he could. My first modern baitcaster was a Lews, Speedspool. I still have it and it's still smooth. Over the years Lews went out of production and Diawa and Shimano were taking off. Shimano ruled dominantly for 20 years or more after that. All I cared about was Shimano all through those years. My dad passed away and I received his Shimanos. He died the year the new Lews hit the market. He always used to tell me" If Lews would start making the Speed Spools and the Speed Stick (rod) again, he would buy em in a heartbeat. I now have 4 and he was right. They are as good as they ever were. Shimanos' upper end is hard to beat, but Lews' upper end is just as good. I'm just a Lews fan from childhood I guess.