Help me choose a Lews baitcaster

[Kevfish]

Narrowed down my choice to a Lews bb1 or a Mach crush. Which would be better?

[Born 2 fish]

2 minutes ago, Kevfish said:

Narrowed down my choice to a Lews bb1 or a Mach crush. Which would be better?

I love my bb1s regular and pros you can get one off eBay for $113 or a bb1 pro for $130

my buddy just got one of each.

[Kevfish]

Also looking at the tournament mb as a possible choice...what are the differences between them

[Log Catcher]

The Tournament MB is discontinued. They the Tournament MP as a replacement. The Tournament MB has magnetic brakes and four centrifugal brake pins. The BB1 has six centrifugal brake pins and no magnetic brakes. The MB, MP, BB1 all have aluminum frames. The Mach 1has a graphite frame. The MP also has the dual braking system.

[jbsoonerfan]

Some of them have a 6 pin 27 position braking system.

[Cityangler7]

4 hours ago, Kevfish said:

Also looking at the tournament mb as a possible choice...what are the differences between them

I have a few tournament MBs and absolutely love them , since they are discontinued you may be able to get them for discount ,if you can find them.

[FishinBuck07]

The MB's are great, I have four of them.  The MP's are better to me though I also have three of those!  Can't go wrong with either one in my mind!  But as others have said may have a problem finding the MB anymore!

[FishTank]

I had the Mach Crush and returned it to Dicks.  I didn't even fish more than one day.  It checked all the boxes when it came to bad things I dislike about reels.  I do however have the cheaper Carbon Fire and for what it is, it's not bad.  No complaints so far.  It does what I ask of it but it doesn't cast far, the brakes are hit and miss, and it's not too smooth under load but these things are minor when you compare it to the price I paid.  

 

In the price range you are looking at though the Shimano SLX is best choice I have seen so far but I have worked on a buddy's BB1 Pro and it too is a nice reel. 

[plawren53202]

Just went through the process of buying a Lew's reel...I really really wanted to pick the Mach Crush.  Just looks so darn cool, and I love those big Winn grips on other reels.

 

Ended up going with the Tournament MP, and I couldn't be happier.  I really like having the aluminum frame versus the graphite of the Crush.  The brake system is soooo tunable with both internal centrifugal brakes and the magnetic brakes.  The thing casts a country mile, first lure I threw on it was a weightless fluke and I couldn't believe how far I was bombing it.  And although the grips aren't Winn grips, the textured rubber grips on the MP are really sticky and a huge step up from my last reel.  

 

For me, the one thing that switched me over to the MP was the aluminum frame, but along the way I found out I'm huge fan of the dual brake system.  And, if you look around, you can find the MP for $119 a couple of places.

[PhishLI]

If you're set on either one or the other I'd go with the BB1. I have 2 Pflueger Supreme XTs that are made in the same plant as the Lew's and share the simple and identical 6 pin centrifugal brake, metal frame, and price point. Both are quite similar. It's a trouble free caster with 2 pins on and adjustments to the spool tension when necessary. It's also a really good long caster. One of my favorites to fish with and if I were forced to choose between it and some other's I have I'd choose it. Not as smooth on the retrieve, but better to me nonetheless. That said, you should probably consider some of the newer Lew's with the P2 pinion, like the MP. There're are plenty of good and even great reels without a dual supported pinion, but there's no good reason, besides finding something else at a stupid low price, not to buy one with that if it's available. The MSB braking system on the MB worked well. The MP is it's replacement with a P2 pinion. It's worth a look. If you reel righty the Custom Black is on sale at Sportsmen's Outfitters for 119$.

[Beeno]

Go with the lews bb1 pro speed spool. 

[CountryboyinDC]

OP, what are you planning to do with the reel?  Fish deep diving crankbaits, topwater plugs and buzzbaits, pitch jigs and Texas rigs to heavy cover, etc.?  Do you have a reel you like now?

[dodgeguy]

16 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

Just went through the process of buying a Lew's reel...I really really wanted to pick the Mach Crush.  Just looks so darn cool, and I love those big Winn grips on other reels.

 

Ended up going with the Tournament MP, and I couldn't be happier.  I really like having the aluminum frame versus the graphite of the Crush.  The brake system is soooo tunable with both internal centrifugal brakes and the magnetic brakes.  The thing casts a country mile, first lure I threw on it was a weightless fluke and I couldn't believe how far I was bombing it.  And although the grips aren't Winn grips, the textured rubber grips on the MP are really sticky and a huge step up from my last reel.  

 

For me, the one thing that switched me over to the MP was the aluminum frame, but along the way I found out I'm huge fan of the dual brake system.  And, if you look around, you can find the MP for $119 a couple of places.

Good move. Graphite / composite frames suck.

[NYWayfarer]

21 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

The metal one with the superior braking system.the BB1 or the other Lews reels listed above.

 

Lew's has a habit of selling plastic reels with linear mag brakes for way too much targeted at a younger audience that is low in information.  I get it, it is the cheapest type of low pro baitcast reel you can have made and charging aluminum frame, centrifugal or dual brake money for one means you have a much higher profit margin but it rubs me the wrong way.  

 

 

I agree to go with the BB1 over the Crush and I have the Crush.

 

The Crush is graphite. It has the oversized Winn grip knobs that are $16 each. That adds $32 to that reel for the knobs alone. Crush has dual brakes not linear mag brakes. 20lbs drag and clickable cast control knob. You can get it for $119 on EBay. I got my Mach Crush combo on Black Friday for $100 which to me was a price that can’t be beat. It is not a bad reel at all. I would never pay $160 for it though. 

 

To the OP, If you like the Mach Crush, Mach 2 or Mach Smash my advice would be to get any Lew’s reel that has an aluminum frame and customize it. My Tournament MB sports the regular sized black Winn grip knobs I bought from Tackle Warehouse. My Lew’s LFS sports the combat grips also purchased from Tackle Warehouse. You can put Winn grip knobs on a BB1 and it will be a better deal than the Crush.

[jbrew73]

I would only buy aluminum frame Lew’s reels.  

[dodgeguy]

to the op i would get the bb1 pro unless you want the 5 to 1 gears. has a more user friendly braking system.

[Ogandrews]

Only lews reel I own is a tournament pro, awesome reel. Very comparable to a curado k, not quite as smooth but it’s a solid reel that casts a mile. This is coming from a die hard Shimano fan, I would have no real issue if I had to replace all my curados with tournament pros.

 

 

 

[Kevfish]

Thanks guys...after reading all the above I'm giving up on the crush....its going to be the tournament mp, or bb1....thanks for all the input

[NYWayfarer]

12 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

That's a marketing trick.  It's made from plastic resin with small amounts of graphite powder mixed in to give the structure more rigidity.  It's graphite reinforced plastic.  So plastic.  Or as all manufactures and brands like to market:

 

New and improved reel with a graphite reinforced plastic frame!!

 

Thanks for the info. Plastic or not, it is a good reel, just not $160 good.
 

Hell I wish this reel was around when I was a low information young angler instead of now when I am a low information old angler ?

[tander]

Go with the BB1, they are just about bullet proof. I have 7 of them, never a problem.