Hey, everyone!
Why care? These are two reels priced within $10-20 depending on vendor, and serve as highly popular reels for both companies.
I purchased each of these reels over a year and a half ago in left-hand retrieve models with the Daiwa having a 7.3:1 gear ratio and the Lew's having a 7.5:1 gear ratio. The Daiwa, according to Daiwa, weighed 7.2 oz, while the Lew's, according to Lew's, weighed 6.9 oz. The Daiwa claims 120 yards of 14 lb test, and the Lew's claimed 120 yards of 12 lb test. The Daiwa cost me $129.99 (on sale - regularly $149.99) and the Lew's, $159.99.
I fished both reels for largemouth bass, catfish, pike, and Pacific salmon (chum, sockeye, silver, and pinks). I used them with various rods from my Tatula Elite Rob Howell 7'4" MH/R rod, to my 7'1" MH/F Basspro Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Rod. I used them with various lines from Power Pro Plus braid to Seaguar Invisx fluorocarbon. I used them with heavy and light lures from weightless plastics to super heavy oz + texas rigs and heavy whopper ploppers.
Casting: In my experience, I found the Daiwa to be the better caster, overall. The Lew's was easier to dial in when changing baits, but when the Daiwa was correctly setup, the Daiwa would cast baits accurately and over great distance. One of the things I did not like about the Daiwa though, was that the magforce dial could easily be clicked out of the setting, necessitating me to check the dial's position every time I used it. Between the two reels, the feeling of the lighter Lew's in my hand was preferred, but I preferred the thumb button on the Daiwa to the one on the Lew's. It was a weird sensation to describe, but I felt like casting with the Daiwa was quieter than the Lew's and also smoother. If I was going to pick up a reel and just start casting long casts and planned on changing baits often, the Lew's would be my choice, but if I was primarily casting one lure for most of the day with a setup, the Daiwa would be my choice.
Reeling: I prefer a buttery smooth reel and found the Daiwa to be the smoothness I seek. The Lew's wasn't gritty, but there was more resistance in each crank with the Lew's than what I felt in the Daiwa. I have had another Daiwa, and found it to feel the same. I have not had another Lew's, but have handled other MP's in stores and found it to be consistent with the feel of those. When it came to fighting fish, I didn't find a difference in inches per turn relevant between the two reels to tell a difference. However, under load, the Lew's was easier to reel, especially when fighting the hard-pulling sockeyes I caught in swift water; I'm guessing the higher drag of the Lew's made that possible. If I was going after bass in light cover, I doubt I could tell a difference between the two reels, but when using them on stronger and bigger fish, the Lew's won out over the Daiwa with the higher drag and larger handle (95 vs 90 mm).
Features: The speed keeper on the Lew's has to be one of the most clever features in a reel that I've seen! I used it for everything and found the versatility of having that on a reel meant I could keep my soft plastic on the hook no matter the keeper on the rod, which made me dedicate the Lew's as a Texas-rig reel. If you've looked at these reels, you likely know about the magforce-z braking on the Daiwa and the multiple braking system on the Lew's. I had no preference on these systems, but I will say that changing baits throughout the day seemed like less to change on the Lew's than I had to do on the Daiwa, so take that for what that's worth.
Comfort: I have some issues with my right wrist and forearm, I've been told are tendonitis, and even with a brace, both reels were comfortable to fish with for an entire day. I will say though, I felt less fatigue with the Daiwa, even though it weighs more. For my hands (I usually wear a size L glove), I found the Daiwa's larger size easier to hold onto since I wasn't having to clinch my hand as small while holding the reel and reeling in a lure or fighting a fish. I found myself gravitating towards the Daiwa when my hand/wrist would hurt, and fishing longer because of it. The compactness of the Lew's was nice to see, but the Daiwa just felt better to me.
Looks: Both reels look great, in my opinion. I have the Daiwa on my Tatula Elite rod for chatterbaits and the Lew's on my BP Platinum Signature rod for Texas-rigged soft plastics and find the colors look awesome together. Yes, I care about it. lol Both reels have been accidentally dropped, rode in john boats with other things bouncing up against them, been shipped in a rod tube on airlines, been carried in cars, been carried in backpacks, and they've both held up extremely well with barely any blemishes, looking near new. Impressed with both!
Durability: Both reels have been banged up, submerged in freshwater, submerged in Alaska streams, pulled fish out of lily pads, pulled fish out of thick grass, been fished hard, and have remained as smooth and quiet as the day I purchased them. I've been very impressed with them - especially how well they handled the load of those salmon the last 2 summers in Alaska.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation: I love both of these reels, and am glad I purchased both of them. Also, I feel each reel has its own purpose. The Daiwa is a reel I plan on keeping on my dedicated chatterbait rod because once set, it's my favorite caster. The Lew's is my go-to Texas-rig reel, and I love using the speed keeper! Even though I like the reeling and power of the Lew's better, if I had to pick another reel to buy, I'd go with the Daiwa for a couple reasons: 1) All-day comfort on the largemouth around me here in the Southeast, and 2) I'd dedicate the Daiwa to a specific setup. Now, if I were to be in the market for a do-it-all reel, changed baits often, and might not have the wrist and forearm problems I do, I'd pick the Lew's. For $10 difference between these reels, you can't go wrong with either! I highly recommend each of them.
Thanks for reading my comparison! If there's anything I forgot to mention, just ask!
