Shimano vs. Lew's Reels

[Cody28]

I have been a fan of Lew's since I began taking bass fishing seriously. It was the Lew's Tournament Pro LFS that blew my mind at the time and made me dive nose first into more Lew's reels. I quickly built an arsenal made up of about 8 St. Croix rods paired with Lew's reels. Now that I'm way down the Lew's rabbit hole I'm hesitant to switch over to Shimano because I do like them, but its hard not to buy into all of the internet hype built around the brand being so amazing. I hear about the longevity of Shimano reels (Not sure if this is valid for budget models) and how Lew's is just made in the same generic factory as most general brands. It makes me wonder if I should gradually switch over to Shimano or is it all hype? I have tried an SLX and it seemed super bulky to me compared to my Lew's stuff. I'm not buying super high end reels (usually ~200 and below) and most Shimano reels in this range seem bulky. Are there smaller frames that I just don't know of? Is it worth making the switch? Is Shimano really that much better than everyone else like some people make you believe? What are your thoughts? 

 

Side Note: This all sparked while looking into buying a Lew's Pro SP and seeing all the Shimano fans posting on reel threads. That being said if you recommend the Shimano reels are there any specific for skipping that you like? Ive been looking at the MGL spools for this. 

[Phil77]

I used nothing but Shimano for almost twenty years, cant say one bad thing about them except I'm not a fan of the SVS brake system. I still love all my Shimano's but the Lews work just as well and palm better for me. If you don't want to buy one of their high end models try the Curado MGL. You cant go wrong with either company, If Shimano brings back the old VBS system or had a true external adjusting centrifugal brake system like the Lews ACB I would  be  using their reels only. The Aldebaran, and Metainium can flip/pitch/skip very well but they are expensive compared to the SP.

I would get a custom lite for your flip/pitch/skipping needs. 

[jdr99a]

Under $200 for a small Shimano - look at the slx mgl 70. Fantastic reels for $150. I’ve got a bunch of lews and Shimanos with a smattering of daiwa in my arsenal and the slx mgls feel as good as any of them in hand. 

[Cody28]

19 minutes ago, jdr99a said:

Under $200 for a small Shimano - look at the slx mgl 70. Fantastic reels for $150. I’ve got a bunch of lews and Shimanos with a smattering of daiwa in my arsenal and the slx mgls feel as good as any of them in hand. 

That is one I have been looking at, but I believe it is the same frame as the 150 just smaller spool size within. Unless Im missing something it looks like you really can't get a true compact Shimano without spending a lot over 200. The Curado MGL 70 I hear has an actual smaller frame, but thats about all I know about it since its not in stock near me. 

[Phil77]

The SLX MGL is still a chunky reel, the Curado 200k has an excellent profile and palms very well for me. Look on Asian portal on ebay, they have great prices on JDM Shimano's. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Stick with the Lews. Sounds like you have very tiny hands.

[QED]

4 hours ago, Phil77 said:

[stuff deleted]

I would get a custom lite for your flip/pitch/skipping needs. 

I second this recommendation.  The Lew's Custom Lite can usually be found at a discount so it would only be a little over your $200 target.  It is built in their super low profile (SLP) form-factor (which is very compact) and is very light.  I have a bunch of high end Shimano and Daiwa casting reels and while brilliant (in the UK English sense), they suffer from the law of diminishing marginal returns.

[Cody28]

56 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Stick with the Lews. Sounds like you have very tiny hands.

Quite the opposite. The St. Croix Victory line has too skinny of a handle/reel seat. Any "full bodied" baitcaster leaves a wide gap between the reel's side and the seat which is uncomfortable. Hard to explain without seeing it. I wish I didn't like the victory rods so much so this wouldn't be an issue. On my other rods I don't mind bigger reels, but I like to be able to switch them around. 

[Hammer 4]

Use to be a huge shimano fan 10 years ago when they were made in Japan. When I got back into fishing, I decided to look at other makes of reels. Bought a Diawa Fuego spinning reel. Was pretty happy with it, so I bought 5 Diawa baitcasters. During that time I did buy a Shimano Citica for a great price. Would I buy more Shimano reels, most likely not.

I would just say if you like the Lew's reels, and they have a model you like, but it. In your price range there are some really good reels to be had.

[Koz]

I've been a Lew's baitcaster fan for years starting with an American Hero (my first baitcaster), a Mach II SLP, and the new KVD rod and reel. They've all been great, as has the customer service I have had from Lew's.

 

But this year I bought a Shimano Curado 200K and I love it. I don't think I'll go back to Lew's. My next purchase will either be a Shimano DLC or another 200k in a different gear ratio. I still like my Lew's reels, but I like the Shimano a lot more.

[islandbass]

On 12/5/2021 at 4:29 PM, Cody28 said:

I have been a fan of Lew's since I began taking bass fishing seriously. It was the Lew's Tournament Pro LFS that blew my mind at the time and made me dive nose first into more Lew's reels. I quickly built an arsenal made up of about 8 St. Croix rods paired with Lew's reels. Now that I'm way down the Lew's rabbit hole I'm hesitant to switch over to Shimano because I do like them, but its hard not to buy into all of the internet hype built around the brand being so amazing. I hear about the longevity of Shimano reels (Not sure if this is valid for budget models) and how Lew's is just made in the same generic factory as most general brands. It makes me wonder if I should gradually switch over to Shimano or is it all hype? I have tried an SLX and it seemed super bulky to me compared to my Lew's stuff. I'm not buying super high end reels (usually ~200 and below) and most Shimano reels in this range seem bulky. Are there smaller frames that I just don't know of? Is it worth making the switch? Is Shimano really that much better than everyone else like some people make you believe? What are your thoughts? 

 

Side Note: This all sparked while looking into buying a Lew's Pro SP and seeing all the Shimano fans posting on reel threads. That being said if you recommend the Shimano reels are there any specific for skipping that you like? Ive been looking at the MGL spools for this. 

It doesn’t have to exclusively company A or B.  I love a use Shimano, BUT and this is a big BUT — I am a not mindless, one only brand person. So my question to you is why do you have to or are even considering a “switch”? 
 

Buy what you want to use and it need not be exclusive to any particular company. Kind of silly if you ask me, but you aren’t, lol. 
 

Here is one example. I love Shimano mountain bike components (shifters primarily) to the point I don’t even consider anything and I hate grip shift type shifters. 
 

However, I cannot stand and do not like Shimano’s road bike shifters. No way. Never. And for that reason, I will never give Shimano my money for them. I’ll use down tube friction shifters before that.

 

Oh yeah. Some people love Daiwa reels but hate their T-wing reels.  
 

Keep using your lews reels and if you buy a Shimano reel, that’s good on you. Expand the arsenal and make companies earn your loyalty, but don’t be blindly loyal. 
 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by islandbass
Grammar

[Catt]

I fell in love with both back when they were together but when Shimano left Lew's I followed. 

 

I stayed with Shimano until 2-3 years ago what physical ailment set in forcing me to smaller lighter reels. Shimano has this idea that everyone wants a "200" size reel or bigger. Yes I understand one can find smaller Shimanos but I ain't gonna hunt em down.

 

I own the following Lew's reels

 

Speed Spool LFS 2 ea

Tournament MB LFS

Tournament MP LFS

Team Lite Speed Spool 

 

The LFS are amazing entry level reels, mine are rode hard with zero issues.

 

The MB & MP are solid work horses 

 

At 5.6 oz the Team Lite it the perfect flipping, pitching, skipping, & cast reel.

[newapti5]

First of all, I don't have brand loyalty. I like well-made reels, no matter where it's made.  But I do believe in general, Shimano (and Daiwa) has an edge over Lew's, because it has better build quality and tolerance, better design and material inside, and most importantly, better innovation. After you open enough reels, you will see the differences. For example, Shimano and Daiwa have had dual bearing supported pinion gear for decades, while Lew's has just implemented their P2 supported pinion, and it's a bushing and a bearing. Dual bearing supported pinion gear is a crucial feature for baitcaster reels, but it is not some fancy technology. Even some $20 Chinese brand reel does it. But to do it right, it requires higher manufacturing tolerance and quality. IMO that's why Lew's and other known brands didn't do it until now.

 

Shimano and Daiwa are large companies that have their own factories. That's a huge deal from business viewpoint. No matter located domestically or oversea, these factories could control manufacturing quality much better. Lew's has to ask OEM factories to make reels for them. Doyo's quality is good, but IMO not as good and stable as Shimano's. 

 

Innovation is another thing. Nowadays, Shimano and Daiwa are the two brands that can truly develop new technologies and lead the trend. Take a closer look at Lew's braking system, you will see that it's an imitation of Shimano's SVS brakes. Also, DC reels, TWS, MGL and SV, Micromodule Gears... whether you like these or not, only Shimano and Daiwa can keep pushing out new techs like that. Lew's reels do have the line indicator and build-in hook keeper, but IMO these are only marginal innovations. 

 

All that being said, all brands have hits and misses. For ~$100, I would not buy any SLX variant reels, yet the new LFS reels and Tournament MP reels are quite good for that price point.  But going with higher price tag, I find that what Lew's can offer is getting fewer, except maybe smaller frame and lighter weight. Performance wise, a Pro Ti reel and a Tournament Pro are about the same IMO. On Shimano side, when the price going higher,  you can get DC reels, better MGL spools, silent tune, top notch bearings, tighter tolerance...

 

All the talks so far, we only cover the baitcasters.  On spinning reel and saltwater reel market, it's a no brainer which brand wins. Those are the fields that really put a trial on reels' build quality.

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

11 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Stick with the Lews. Sounds like you have very tiny hands.

Tiny hand guy here. Sounds like I’m staying away from shimano. 
 

Comfort of reels is a big factor for me. For some reason a tatula 100 I own is far less comfortable than a REVO winch. Doesn’t really make sense to me but the winch is very ergonomic.

[new2BC4bass]

19 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Tiny hand guy here. Sounds like I’m staying away from shimano. 
 

Comfort of reels is a big factor for me. For some reason a tatula 100 I own is far less comfortable than a REVO winch. Doesn’t really make sense to me but the winch is very ergonomic.

The rod's reel seat can also make a difference.  Which is why some guys switch reels around until they find a rod/reel combo that feels just right to them.  Luckily I'm usually not too conscious of such things.  I doubt the OG Concept A is any more compact than many other reels.  The first rod I put it on was an RX7 Rainshadow.  The combo felt amazing to me.  Normally I never notice such things.  I have large hands, but not excessively so like a friend of mine (that has meat hooks ).

[CountryboyinDC]

I just like the way Lews feel better than Shimano or Daiwa.  I agree with @Catt about the good Lews reels - Tournament MB and MP are favorites, although the BB1 is good if you need a really slow reel.  I did like a Curado 70 enough to buy 2, but the regular Curado 200k just wasn't my thing, and the Chronarch MGL I have was a pretty big disappointment for what it cost.  Maybe it's the smaller size issue, but I don't think so.  For example, I don't find the Daiwa Tatula SVs to be as comfortable as the Lews reels, and they're about the same size.  

[Catt]

18 minutes ago, CountryboyinDC said:

I just like the way Lews feel better than Shimano or Daiwa. 

 

Y'all know I fish a lot of bottom contact presentations. Ergonomics between the reel & reel seat is just as important to me as the rod itself. 

 

I went from Calcuttas to low profile, quite a change!

[GReb]

I never could dial in the dual brake system on the MB. 

[Functional]

I use size medium gloves and pending the glove type might even be on the smaller end of medium.

 

The Lews LFS fits my hand like a glove but the MB and KVD reels leave a bit to be desired in brake tuning and light baits (anything 3/8oz up is great). That said I still love the reel for anything bigger than a 5/16oz jig.

 

I recently bought a Shimano SLX MGL70 and while it might be a bit bigger its very comfortable and I quickly bought a second. The brakes tune in better for my style and for a test I've thrown 1/10oz ned rig with TRD without issue.

 

The Diawa Fuego CT is bigger in my hand to both of them and is not all that comfortable to completely palm and get a finger under the line like the LFS and MGL70. Stock spool will throw similar weights as the LFS but the brake system works much better in my opinion.

 

Abu Garcia Revo Rocket is very low profile and more oblong than the LFS and is not comfortable to palm.

 

I've had both the MGL70 and LFS reels on my St Croix victory and both feel very comfortable. If you want to try Shimano and think your glove size is in my neighborhood I think youll enjoy it.

[dodgeguy]

14 hours ago, QED said:

I second this recommendation.  The Lew's Custom Lite can usually be found at a discount so it would only be a little over your $200 target.  It is built in their super low profile (SLP) form-factor (which is very compact) and is very light.  I have a bunch of high end Shimano and Daiwa casting reels and while brilliant (in the UK English sense), they suffer from the law of diminishing marginal returns.

I agree 100 percent. 

[Phil77]

4 hours ago, newapti5 said:

Take a closer look at Lew's braking system, you will see that it's an imitation of Shimano's SVS brakes.

How? You don't have to make any internal adjustments with the ACB it's all done with the external dial.

[Cody28]

11 hours ago, islandbass said:

It doesn’t have to exclusively company A or B.  I love a use Shimano, BUT and this is a big BUT — I am not mindless, one only brand person. So my question to you is why do you have to or are even considering a “switch”? 
 

But what you want to use and it need not be exclusive to any particular company. Kind of silly if you ask me, but you aren’t, lol. 
 

Here is one example. I love Shimano mountain bike components (shifters primarily) to the point I don’t even consider anything and I hate grip shift type shifters. 
 

However, I cannot stand and do not like Shimano’s road bike shifters. No way. Never. And for that reason, I will never give Shimano my money for them. I’ll use down tube friction shifters before I that.

 

Oh yeah. Some people love Daiwa reels but hate their T-wing reels.  
 

Keep using your lews reels and if you buy a Shimano reel, that’s good on you. Expand the arsenal and make companies earn your loyalty, but don’t be blindly loyal. 
 

 

That’s more so what I mean. I am looking at buying another Reel and not sure if I wanna stick with Lew’s or try a Shimano. I’m not gonna scrap or sell my current reels. I am self admittedly an odd ball about that sort of stuff and like to keep the feel of my gear somewhat consistent. 

[newapti5]

3 hours ago, Phil77 said:

How? You don't have to make any internal adjustments with the ACB it's all done with the external dial.

 

SVS brakes have external dial as well as internal adjustment.  I interpret Lew's ACB system as "you CAN'T make any internal adjustments with the ACB" because all the brake shoes are loose/turned on, unlike SVS brakes that you can choose how many brake shoes to be on.  The third generation Abu's Revo Premier has a similar design, they call it IVCB-4. All the brake shoes are loose and can't be locked. But on the fourth generation, Abu changed it to IVCB-6L. The letter "L" at the end probably stands for "locked," as now all the brake shoes can be locked or unlocked as you wish, just like SVS brakes. 

 

But that is not the reason I think ACB is an imitation of the SVS.  The key is how the brake shoes are designed and operate under centrifugal force. IMO, compared to SVS, ACB just uses smaller brakes shoes, and move the brake pad ring from the center to the outer ring.   To be fair, it works pretty well as I really enjoy the new Tournament Pro, but I don't think it's very much an original idea. 

[PhishLI]

8 hours ago, newapti5 said:

But that is not the reason I think ACB is an imitation of the SVS.  The key is how the brake shoes are designed and operate under centrifugal force.

A flying arm, or in Lew's case a disc, may be similar in basic principle, but that's where it ends. It's a different design that behaves differently in use. Braking near the spool's axis (SVS) should and does act differently than the ACB's thrust plate friction system. Personally I don't find them to behave similarly at all in use, and once Shimano retires the tedious SVS Infinity brake I hope they'll employ something as clever and user friendly as ACB. SVS may be an original idea, but big whoop if it's a PIA to fish with, and it is, IMO.

[Shimano_1]

This thread just shows how differently people view things. I fished lews for years and then tried the slx line of reels and have switched most of mine over. I feel like the slx is smaller and palms better than any lews I've used. The tournament pro lfs is a fine reel. I personally think the newer lews just feel cheap compared to the 1st generation tournament pros. The curado is a little bigger to palm than some may like but they're bullet proof. They all make nice reels. If you're satisfied with your lews, fish em. If you're not try a Shimano.  I believe overall they're a little better made, a little more durable, and a little more consistent across the board. If I had 8 lews and liked them I'd leave it alone.  It's a dark hole to go down when you start swapping out numerous reels. Good news is if your lews are in good shape you can sell em for pretty decent money.  Good luck and do whatever makes "you" happy not what any of us say is right or better!