Lew's Tournament Pro, Inside Out!

[Capt.Bob]

I have had 5 months to use the Lew's reels now. I have serviced reels for customers and other charter services for the last 30 years. So since I have jumped ship, and away from the Posse ( low profile reels in bass size only) and took up with "Lew's and the hole in the wall gang" I was asked by one of our members to expose the inside story on the Lew's reels, since I have experience with others and had the TP down to the frame in search of inexpensive way's to improve it, (and out of curiosity mainly).

First thing I saw when I removed the gear cover was a lot of plastic, much as I have when dealing with newer and newer brands of other top manufacturers new offerings, so as reels have improved and gotten better, so has the use of plastic. I think the first time I did this with a quality reel it was a Calcutta CT250, I had serviced Ambassadors and Penn's for years, which used stamped metal linkages and works with hardly any plastic other than level wind gears and a couple small bushings, I was astounded by this huge plastic bridge in front of me as I pulled the drive gear cover off and thought I had thrown my money at a reel that would never be around as long as my beloved noisy rough and rugged 5500's. Well if you have ever had any experience with any Calcutta, you know how wrong I was.

So before I start I would like to say, as quality manufacturers, such as Lew's Shimano, Abu, Diawa, etc, have gone to these parts, we have seen lighter smoother faster and better longer lasting reels from all. Yes there are those no name, metal alloy gears "known as pot metal", and boo koo bearing "cheep no spec non stainless steel", with lightweight aluminum spool's "unbalanced and smaller than the hole they fit in, " along with lots of heavy grease to make them smooth, from no name Companies that don't last, or work. This is always going to happen when Those jump min to make a quick buck and scam everyone. I assure you the top companies don't and know they can't afford to try those tactics and Lew's as with the others, you don't have to worry about that. I am stating that now to assure all that, Plastic is widely used more and more by all manufacturers in there new top of the line reels. I'll start with a picture of the clutch plate and the workings of the Lew's TP.

As you see, there is plenty of plastic, but I believe from all my inspection and experience with other reels, this design is solid, they have put the plastic in strategic places that reduce weight enhances smoothness, but doesn't compromise durability or strength.

These reels cast with the best but as with all reels come with heavier lube than necessary to assure those who don't perform regular maintenance on their reels, smooth operation at the cost of better performance for a couple seasons of abuse. For those of us that do keep our equipment up to date with maintenance you will be astounded at the difference if you take time to degrease the bearings, and use a quality lightweight bearing oil. These reels are amazing, smooth quiet, and light, with plenty of POWER TO SPARE! If you are going to tackle this yourself, you must consider the climate and elements you will be using it in when considering the proper grease and oil's to use, there is no perfect lube for all conditions.

In this picture above you can see, they didn't cut corners on sub standard quality drag materials, they use the same washers I get from Smooth drag when I upgrade drags for my customers "Carbontex". The one thing I did notice was locked down or on the upper end, the drag did leave a little to be desired, and on start up was a little jerky,I didn't notice this down at lighter poundage, so what I did was grease the drag with a high quality drag grease, just as I do on all my drags, and it did help it. It came dry from Lew's, I don't know if this was so it would meet it's rated Max poundage, but will assure you if you take the initiative to grease it with proper lubricants, it will make you shake your head as I did, and ask yourself, HOW DO THEY DO IT?? These reels perform as well as reels from top manufacturers charging twice as much (Street Price). So although it is good from the factory, it is definitely much better when greased, maybe one corner I have noticed that they may use to keep cost down. There was one thing I didn't like, and that was the washer under the drive gear is not Carbontex, it is a blue synthetic material, that may be used to keep from running a wet drag, and make start up better on the higher drag settings. I have found on every reel I have ever run across, a wet drag with good drag grease will be smoother than any drag run dry! Anyway it got the grease treatment also and as I said it is great, and leaves nothing to be desired as it will satisfy me and other extremist's, but I will get with Dawn at Smooth drag and see if she can furnish me with a disc of the proper dimensions to replace it, I would like to know, difference no difference, better worse??? I have always said a drag can be no better than it's weakest washer! we'll see.

I'm not good at giving reviews, I hope this answers some questions, i do have two others, and have not really touched them yet as far as tuning, a Tournament and a top of their line last year Team. I will say the Tournament pro is my favorite, but only because I mainly fish light with finesse rigs and seldom over 1/4 ounce with this reel, on a Croix LTB68MXF at 11.0 oz. total, is my favorite outfit, this rig is sick!. I have not touched the other two, same lube they left the factory with, and the team get's most of the use, so far I think every time I take it out it get's smoother??? Maybe I am just getting used to them. but I will say after fishing Calcuttas and Curados for years, I haven't looked back and am happy with myy choice, it was an upgrade. The team I paid $179.00 for and the Tournament Pro $148.00, the Tournament $108.00, I will say for the price of the Tournament, no real within $50.00 is any better, the Tournament Pro and Team, that only differ in side covers material as the Team is aluminum and weights .4 oz more, I really am convinced you have to spend twice that to find a better reel, and if it cost TWICE as much, it better be BETTER! Try the Lew's and tell me, is it!

I want to add, that after the service and proper lubes used on the Tournament Pro I have turned all centrifugal brakes off and and only run about a 3 setting on the mag, if I have a 5 to 10 mph headwind, I can crank up to 8 or so on the magnetic and still throw 1/4 as well as my Stradics, I run this thing totally free now with confidence. Their great outa the box, but unbelievable with a proper service. I don't know if I gain anything with Boca's and a super tune, it would have to be marginal and not sure if it we be worth the money spent for the small benefit one would see?

[Goose52]

Yup - many on the board have given the Lew's reels good reviews. The lockwork looks familiar...

[The Rooster]

Great information! Gotta say though, the inner workings of that reel are identical right down to the last part to my old BPS Extremes. Only difference is the carbon drag washers. Mine are teflon. Dawn told me they don't offer washers to replace them with. If you find them to fit your reel, I'd sure like to know about it. I'm also sure that the Lews might have some better parts like the gears maybe?? BPS reels are sometimes rougher than I'd like in that area.

[MT2]

I dont have any of the Lew's you mentioned. However recently I picked up 2 speed spools SS1HS models. My review is simple, a 3rd one is on its way. Id like to get myself a few higher line models, such as the Tournament Pro. However, for what Im preparing for and my current budget the Speed Spools will more than get the job done. Im full on board in my dedication and support to this company as long as no hanging curve balls are thrown at us. I have to ask though, anyone use their rods?

[roadwarrior]

Well now...Great review!

:respect-040:

[rubba bubba]

the inner workings of that reel are identical right down to the last part to my old BPS Extremes. Only difference is the carbon drag washers. Mine are teflon. Dawn told me they don't offer washers to replace them with. If you find them to fit your reel, I'd sure like to know about it.

You can measure the size of the Extremes washers and contact Smooth Drag for what they have in that size. They will solve your problem.

[J Francho]

Nice job. Looks familiar....

[Scorpio]

I also have used the Tournament Pro hard for over a year now. It is every bit the reel as a Revo Premier. I compare it to the Premier because that reel seems to be a gold standard for the money these days. I fish both side by side and the TP performs identically (casting distance, smoothness, no backlashes, etc). Costs less too.

[rubba bubba]

Deleted due to cornea failure.

[shootermcbob]

Great, great review Bob. Thanks for taking the time

[Capt.Bob]

As much as I like the Pro Q, what makes the Premier the Premier is the 6.7 oz weight, which the Pro Q can't touch. It's more apt to say the Pro Q is like the S/SX/STX.

Not sure where this is coming from but the Premier is maybe as good as the pro Qualifier, but it has a way's to go to catch up to the Lew's Tournament Pro!! which does weigh 6.7 oz. and has much better fit and internals than the pro qualifier. The PQ is a decent reel but I can tell you the Lew's is one of those reels that seem to need some use and time to break in, and as good as it is out of the box, it gets smoother and better with use! I have never found that to be a trait of the Pro Qualifier, lots of reels share the same frame, Shimano, Diawa etc, but there is a big difference in what they install inside them as far as the quality of the parts, and the tolerances. There is a big difference between the PQ and the TP!

[rubba bubba]

Not sure where this is coming from but the Premier is maybe as good as the pro Qualifier, but it has a way's to go to catch up to the Lew's Tournament Pro!! which does weigh 6.7 oz. and has much better fit and internals than the pro qualifier. The PQ is a decent reel but I can tell you the Lew's is one of those reels that seem to need some use and time to break in, and as good as it is out of the box, it gets smoother and better with use! I have never found that to be a trait of the Pro Qualifier, lots of reels share the same frame, Shimano, Diawa etc, but there is a big difference in what they install inside them as far as the quality of the parts, and the tolerances. There is a big difference between the PQ and the TP!

Hmmm, not sure what my eyes were doing to me but I could have sworn Scorpio was referencing the Pro Q in his post and not the Lews. My mistake. I was scratching my head when I thought he was saying the Pro Q was every bit as good as the Premier. Ignore my prior post while I schedule a trip to the eye doctor..

[Capt.Bob]

Understand! As the years mount up, I found the eyes are just the beginning!!

[Shoalamfishin]

I want to add, that after the service and proper lubes used on the Tournament Pro I have turned all centrifugal brakes off and and only run about a 3 setting on the mag, if I have a 5 to 10 mph headwind, I can crank up to 8 or so on the magnetic and still throw 1/4 as well as my Stradics, I run this thing totally free now with confidence. Their great outa the box, but unbelievable with a proper service.

Excellent review!!! I have a Tournament Pro along with a standard Speed Spool alongside a Laser MG I just got for my other half. I have heard discussions on and read about upgrading reels with bearings, washers, etc. I have not learned much about upgrading Lews reels. This may seem novel or ignorant but how much of a  improvement do you feel the tune up/upgrade you did actually made in the performance of the reel?  I know that as above you give testimony that the upgrade make a significant improvement; I am just up in the air, weighing the cost as to whether it is worth it. I am seeking to upgrade my reels (starting with the Tournament Pro) at some point; I just don't know exactly how to go about upgrading a reel "of this caliber". I have considered using a high performance lube like Xtreme reel plus for my bearings. In short I would greatly appreciate some tips or pointers in this regard.

 

I'm not new to breaking down reels and cleaning them, but I am a little intimidated at the aspect of breaking down a Tournament Pro.

Many thanks

[flippin and pitchin]

Great job Bob. That took some time and effort for sure.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The Carbon drags that come in stock reels are really good, however I still often upgrade them with Carbontex from Smoooth Drag as if you look closely the weave is different and I do see some improvement.

[ColdSVT]

 I have to ask though, anyone use their rods?

 

I have a Laser SL Crankbait (micro guide) 7'0 M rod. I really like it. I got rid a St Croix Mojo crankbait for the lews. so far it performs great and it lighter and better balanced that the Mojo was

[PABASS]

I want to try one of these but the Spinning reel the Lews Speed Spin was such a horrible reel and really threw me off from Lews, why would they sell such and awesome baitcaster and such a lousy Spinnging reel, I shake my head.. 

 

What would you say compares to a Calcutta 251, because I LOVE THAT REEL, although I am looking at the low profile reels..

[Capt.Bob]

I want to try one of these but the Spinning reel the Lews Speed Spin was such a horrible reel and really threw me off from Lews, why would they sell such and awesome baitcaster and such a lousy Spinnging reel, I shake my head.. 

 

What would you say compares to a Calcutta 251, because I LOVE THAT REEL, although I am looking at the low profile reels..

I just sold a Calcutta 200GTB and replaced it for cranking with the 6.4:1 BB1. The BB1 cast better, and is smoother than the 200, and it has twice the stopping power. I was so happy I bought the Super Duty, after 2 outings for Pike with it running bigger cranks and double 9 spinner baits, I sold one of my Calcutta 400B's. If the Super Duty had a bait clicker, the other Calcutta 400B would be gone. I won't say the Super Duty is as durable and will last as long as the 400, but time will tell. One thing I liked is the Super Duty was smaller, lighter, cast better, has a better drag, and is smoother reeling!  I sold all my Low Profile shimanos after using the first Lew's, the Tournament with dual braking, a $105.00 reel that I think was better than the Shimano's I had.

 

I have used my buddies core and own the Tournament Pro, and think the Tournament Pro is as good as the Core for throwing light rigs such as weightless plastics. I also own the Team, and Team Gold, I after 2 years of switching to Lew's think you would have to spend two to three as much money to get anything close to the performance of any other low profile reel, Period.

 

There spinning reels are a different story! I personally have only ever seen one reel better than the FJ Stradics, and it will cost 5 times as much with very little gain in performance!

 

As far as the same parts on the Qualifier, no they are not ALL the same parts as the BPS reel, quality of the parts and tolerances of the reel  are better on the Lew's reel, like the Tournament and others most parts are interchangeable, that doesn't make them the same. That is like calling the Citica the same as the Curado!! 

[aavery2]

 

As far as the same parts on the Qualifier, no they are not ALL the same parts as the BPS reel, quality of the parts and tolerances of the reel  are better on the Lew's reel.

 

 

I have heard you repeat this phrase several times, but I have not heard you provide any examples of what it is your speaking of.  Can you give some specific examples of what it your talking about, or is this just your opinion?

[Capt.Bob]

I am talking about how close to the stated tolerances Lew's demands on this frame that so many use. The other thing is the alloys for various parts, brass is not just brass, same as stainless steel, plastic, or nylon, delron, whatever, then there is quality control, and how close these specifications and tolerances are kept. One example I gave way back when I bought a set of Boca's  and tried to improve the Lew's. This was from an earlier post on that experiment.

 

" I will also say I bought a set of Boca orange seals, put them in the Tournament Pro. That same evening I put the factory bearings back in and put the Orange Seals in my 200GTB Calcutta, where I could see a better advantage. If they helped the Lew's over the stock bearings it was very negligible and wasn't worth the $49.00 bucks for the 3 of them." There was a big difference in the Calcutta. This same test was done in the Curado as well with it also benefiting greatly. 

 

Bearings in the Tournament Pro from the factory were noticeably better than what Shimano uses, and I have fished with Pro Qualifiers and TP's and can assure you their is a difference. Just because abec 5's are used in most reels don't make them good bearings. I buy abec 5 from one supplier and upgrade reels that are as good as abec 7 from all but the best suppliers. They are the same tolerances but better materials are used to build them.

 

There are more than these two companies using the frames of these reels and each one is made to the BUYERS REQUIREMENTS. Many thing determine what it cost these buyer's (Lew's BPS, Abu, etc etc) to have these reels made for them. It depends on how good of bearings they want, what quality of brass, how hard or soft is the nylon, is it the best or worst Nylon, is it self lubricating or not, what quality springs do they want to pay for, on and on, but most will interchange. plus how many, the more they buy the cheaper they are, the cheaper they are and the higher the standards and tolerances that can be specified without the cost going up. I am no Purchasing agent, but I do service these reels and can tell you there is a difference. I don't get hole gauges and calipers out, or check center lines and square, but they do. I would say you get what pay for,,,,except for the fact that over 2 years now those that have switched seem to think like me, and that is with Lew's you are getting far more for the same dollar you get from other brands of reels!!  I know the bearings are better quality, what else, I haven't seen a need for further test, I continue to be amazed at all 6 models of the Lew's reels I own and service over the competition. These companies even control with manufacturer what type and how much lube they want with their reels. This is all confidential from every buyer this supplier is selling to, and they don't give out detailed specs.

[aavery2]

I am talking about how close to the stated tolerances Lew's demands on this frame that so many use. The other thing is the alloys for various parts, brass is not just brass, same as stainless steel, plastic, or nylon, delron, whatever, then there is quality control, and how close these specifications and tolerances are kept. One example I gave way back when I bought a set of Boca's  and tried to improve the Lew's. This was from an earlier post on that experiment.

 

" I will also say I bought a set of Boca orange seals, put them in the Tournament Pro. That same evening I put the factory bearings back in and put the Orange Seals in my 200GTB Calcutta, where I could see a better advantage. If they helped the Lew's over the stock bearings it was very negligible and wasn't worth the $49.00 bucks for the 3 of them." There was a big difference in the Calcutta. This same test was done in the Curado as well with it also benefiting greatly. 

 

Bearings in the Tournament Pro from the factory were noticeably better than what Shimano uses, and I have fished with Pro Qualifiers and TP's and can assure you their is a difference. Just because abec 5's are used in most reels don't make them good bearings. I buy abec 5 from one supplier and upgrade reels that are as good as abec 7 from all but the best suppliers. They are the same tolerances but better materials are used to build them.

 

There are more than these to using the frames of these reels and each one is made to the BUYERS REQUIREMENTS. Many thing determine what it cost these buyer's (Lew's BPS, Abu, etc etc) to have these reels made for them. It depends on how good of bearings they want, what quality of brass, how hard or soft is the nylon, is it the best or worst Nylon, is it self lubricating or not, what quality springs do they want to pay for, on and on, but most will interchange. plus how many, the more they buy the cheaper thay are, the cheaper thay are the higher the standards and tolerances can be specified without the cost going up. I am no Purchasing agent, but I do service these reels and can tell you there is a difference. I don't get hole gauges and calipers out, or check center lines and square, but they do. I would say you get what pay for,,,,but for over 2 years now those that have switched seem to think like me, and that is with Lew's you are getting far more for the same dollar you get with other makes of reels!!  I know the bearings are better quality, what else, I haven't seen a need for further test, I continue to be amazed at all 6 models of the Lews reels I own and service over the competition. These companies even control with manufacturer what type and how much lube they want with their reels. This is all confidential from every buyer this supplier is selling to, and they don't give out detailed specs.

I hear what your saying, and please don't take this the wrong way but it is all just opinion.  Provide some hard data that shows Lews demands tighter tolerances on their reels than ABU or BPS and you have fact, otherwise it is just your informed opinion.   I purchased 5 of the Lews Tournament Pro when they were first released, and I felt the same as many, great reel, cast well, smooth on the retrieve all the things you hear often about these reels.  After a little over a year of fishing on them and they were rough, lost casting distance, and 2 of them had mechanical failures that I had to contact Lews about.   I replaced all of them with Gen 2 Revo Premiers and have never looked back.    I truly believe that the Lews Tournament Pro is about the equivalent of a BPS Carbonlite (Gold)  good reels for the money but not special.     Bottom line is that we all have our opinions about what reels are good or great, but we have to be careful about what we state as fact.

[Capt.Bob]

I hear what your saying, and please don't take this the wrong way but it is all just opinion.     I purchased 5 of the Lews Tournament Pro when they were first released, and I felt the same as many, great reel, cast well, smooth on the retrieve all the things you hear often about these reels.  After a little over a year of fishing on them and they were rough, lost casting distance, and 2 of them had mechanical failures that I had to contact Lews about.   I replaced all of them with Gen 2 Revo Premiers and have never looked back.    I truly believe that the Lews Tournament Pro is about the equivalent of a BPS Carbonlite (Gold)  good reels for the money but not special.     Bottom line is that we all have our opinions about what reels are good or great, but we have to be careful about what we state as fact.

My opinions are based on information I get 12 months a year dealing directly with these companies and there service tech's, rep's, and Supervisors, and over 20 years repairing fishing reels, ten of them selling them, as I still deal with the public servicing reels form most major companies that sell reels, working on most of them from day to day.

 

Wow, I don't know what I am doing rite but have to say after a year and a half of pretty abusive use I have found my TP is better, I serviced it once a year ago when I finished my parts swapping and bearing test's, its my throw around reel, usually in the back of the truck in the cap with a rod sleeve on it and a neoprene reel cover, but that's what I use when I pond and lake shore fishing, or if I decide to stop by a river or stream and check things out from the bank or wading, rain, heat, cold, you name it, some places I am not sure I am even supposed to be fishing????? dragging it thru fields and woods and the likes to get to some of these waters, it is my kinda test reel since I got it. But I really think it's smoother and maybe cast's a little better than the day I bought it. Maybe I'm just more use to it and it's more natural to me???

 

Sorry about your TP's but will keep that in mind as you are the first I have heard wearing these reels out, and 5 in less than two years,,,,,,with two of them broke??? I would question how you use and treat your reels and the quality of service they receive. If you would have posted your problems I could have referred you to Rick who I can assure you would have taken care of the problem and almost guarantee, on that reel no older than it was, at no charge, with some comps for the trouble, judging from past experiences that involved user errors!!! From everyone I know using that reel it has been trouble free, there are a few who are new to baitcasting that have some shortcomings want to believe it's the reel and not them. Please,, more information telling us your problems in detail with these 5 reels would be appreciated by all I am sure!! But I think I see now why you would have doubt's!!  Hope you have better luck with your Revo's!!

[Boogey Man]

I guess I'm with Aavery2. When I first bought the TP it was unreal as far as casting and retrieving. The clicking mechanisms on the tension knob and drag broke within the first few trips. I took it apart and found broken plastic pieces in both. No biggie, I've used baitcasters before all the clickies and don't find it a necessity but still. About half way through the first season casting distance just died off. Cleaned it, relubed, flushed the bearings and all that. I'm not a pro but I service all my own reels. I have a mixture of reels and can almost always get the "back to normal" lol. Casting distance is better but still no where near where it was and casting light lures is now a no go. This year the reel is noticeably rougher on retrieve that no amount of cleaning/lubing will fix. When I first bought it I was ready to sell off all my other reels and get all TP's. I'm glad I didn't. Not saying they're not good reels. Very few reels get the good reviews that the Lew's reels get. Maybe I got a bad one. 

[Capt.Bob]

I guess I'm with Aavery2. When I first bought the TP it was unreal as far as casting and retrieving. The clicking mechanisms on the tension knob and drag broke within the first few trips. I took it apart and found broken plastic pieces in both. No biggie, I've used baitcasters before all the clickies and don't find it a necessity but still. About half way through the first season casting distance just died off. Cleaned it, relubed, flushed the bearings and all that. I'm not a pro but I service all my own reels. I have a mixture of reels and can almost always get the "back to normal" lol. Casting distance is better but still no where near where it was and casting light lures is now a no go. This year the reel is noticeably rougher on retrieve that no amount of cleaning/lubing will fix. When I first bought it I was ready to sell off all my other reels and get all TP's. I'm glad I didn't. Not saying they're not good reels. Very few reels get the good reviews that the Lew's reels get. Maybe I got a bad one. 

I have serviced two of their reels in the shop that were taken apart and damaged using the improper tools to take the pinion pin out by guy's using make shift tools to remove the center pin so they could service the bearing. By using the spool out of my Tournament I found their spools were not as  straight anymore as factory, the spool shaft was not bent enough to rub or bind, but out of balance enough at extreme rpm to hinder the cast and a a slight difference in reeling. They actually bound the spool shaft enough to warp it slightly. The other one was obvious with the outer surface, that the center of the pinion aligns on, being very scared, and actually kept the pinion from full engagement, but both caused by people who had always serviced their own reels and thought there was nothing to it, they thought they new more than us who do it every day, and that makeshift tools always work, because they did once or twice before. (Lew's center pins are much tighter to get out than most I service, and can be a pain with quality tools for this job.) This can cause damage that the eye can't see. When using the spool assembly out of my Tournament in the customers TP the problem went away, they use the same spool, same frame, same side plate with different finishes, same cast control,,,,but the internals as interchangeable as they are are different, not all parts are different, but the gear's main is and not sure about the alloy of the pinion, but some of the tolerances are also different. The TP does cast better, not a lot until you go 1/4 oz or less but that's where it shines.

 

As far as the clicking device, I have seen no problems with any I have serviced or on my own. I will say if not properly aligned when putting the cap back on it would not take a lot of pressure to break the tabs, if it isn't absolutely free turning stop or you will have problems. The other issue I could see causing these to break would be using the spool tension adjustment as past of the breaking, if you are tightening that cap down tight enough to keep the spool from free falling, you are putting to much tension on the cap can cause damage to many of the reels parts over time. All these would be considered abuse, but Lew's is very good covering them without charge in some cases. 

 

If you are not a reel service tech I would not service anything on any reel that had a warranty on it. There is never a charge for wearing out a real under warranty and they will make it as new for free!! The only way it pays to service it yourself during this time, is if you feel your at a fault for whatever is causing the problem! Even then with Lew's they have been known to fix problems customers cause themselves and not charge them,,,,,,,superb customer service, but you have to talk to them or that can't extend that service, and you will never really know how something happened!