Shimano vs. Lew's Reels

[WRB]

Who owns Lews today? I believe it’s still a holding company without any input into design or manufacturing. I know who owns Shimano and Daiwa, both maintain parts and service departments. 

Tom

[QED]

13 minutes ago, WRB said:

Who owns Lews today? I believe it’s still a holding company without any input into design or manufacturing. I know who owns Shimano and Daiwa, both maintain parts and service departments. 

Tom

Looks like Rather Outdoors LLC.  They also own Strike King. https://fishingtackleretailer.com/around-the-industry-in-8-paragraphs

 

[HaydenS]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Couple of things to think about here:

 

I've come across many reviews at TW that go something like this: First time out the rod tip broke  6" from the top on a 2lb bass and I didn't even boat flip it. I'll NEVER purchase any product from Brand X again.

 

Perhaps, in some cases, this could be a valid response to a problem, but in most cases not really. No brand, regardless of price point, is immune from issues, especially with reels.

 

Lew's doesn't employ a monolithic brake system throughout the line. They build 4 types, AFAIK. Perhaps your friend's older Speed Spool had an issue with an older and un-oiled DOYO/ABU/LEW's Infini friction brake or neglected bearings that colored your perception, but the ACB Quiet Cast is extra quiet. The first generation Shimano SVS with the red blocks screamed unless they were oiled constantly, but they solved that with the redesigned white blocks. If someone was to dismiss Shimano based upon the early red block mess they'd never get to try out the far better MGL models. My Quantum Tour S3 is quiet and all around fantastic, but poor @QUAKEnSHAKE has had issues with his examples. I have six other Quantums that're are quiet on the cast., and are otherwise rock solid performers. My Curado K was a lemon, but I bought 7 more Shimanos after that purchase.

 

It's well known that Shimano has had many issues with aluminum micro module gears going buzzy, and pinion bearing problems that make it feel like the gears are bad. Some high end Daiwas have a clicking issue that's driving several guys on another forum nuts. Daiwa Lexas had a notorious sticking thumb bar problem. @freelancer27 is having issues with brand new Conquests, as are guys elsewhere. A certain percentage of Daiwa Tatulas go geary feeling quickly, like my Tat SV, but both of my Fuegos are fine. My newer Lew's reels with the P2 pinion upgrade have stayed smooth with plenty of abuse. Older one's without it, not so much. But my brother's Super Duty 300 without the P2 pinion is smooth as glass after chucking a Bucca 4X4 since he got it, and that bait is high resistance from the second you start cranking it.

 

It's fine that you've found happiness and have a preference. However, it's silly to assume that a company's line is junk just  because you had a negative encounter.

 

Had I listened to what some people said and taken that approach I wouldn't have bought up a pile of reels from multiple brands. Besides my Curado K issue and 2 Pflueger Supreme XTs BCs that went geary quickly, I've had no problems with over 50 current production reels spread out over 5 manufacturers, including 13. Also, I happen to have 10 Omen Black 2s that haven't been broken on a hookset, lost a guide or a guide ring, had a reel seat or handle loosen, nothing. I'm just a ham-n-egger, and preferred the feel of the Omens over my Avids, so regardless of the brand-hate I took a chance. I'm happy with them and I'm glad I didn't listen to the noise.

 

Like @QUAKEnSHAKE ,we all should feel free to report our negative experiences with products, but to dismiss or condemn any one brand henceforth without a lot of evidence confuses the facts.

 

 

I'm not assuming they’re all junk, some Lew’s reels look pretty good.  I just like my shimano stuff.   Of course, some reels are lemons. 

[PressuredFishing]

3 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I doubt that Malaysian, Chinese, and Thailand factories are fully staffed with Japanese elves

Fair enough, which reel models diawa makes are not made in their factories anymore, just curious? I agree there are not Japanese people assembling the reels, but I would think  shimano may train their employees better than doyo, and have more advanced technology to assembling their reels which lowers defect rate.

1 hour ago, HaydenS said:

I'm not assuming they’re all junk, some Lew’s reels look pretty good.  I just like my shimano stuff.   Of course, some reels are lemons. 

The lews stuff is really good, I like alot of their reels, they are in the same field as abu garcia if you have owned one of them, I just feel better about buying a Shimano or diawa because they may train their factory workers better than doyo/banax and their reel manufacturing technology may be newer and create tighter tolerances.

[freelancer27]

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Couple of things to think about here:

 

I've come across many reviews at TW that go something like this: First time out the rod tip broke  6" from the top on a 2lb bass and I didn't even boat flip it. I'll NEVER purchase any product from Brand X again.

 

Perhaps, in some cases, this could be a valid response to a problem, but in most cases not really. No brand, regardless of price point, is immune from issues, especially with reels.

 

Lew's doesn't employ a monolithic brake system throughout the line. They build 4 types, AFAIK. Perhaps your friend's older Speed Spool had an issue with an older and un-oiled DOYO/ABU/LEW's Infini friction brake or neglected bearings that colored your perception, but the ACB Quiet Cast is extra quiet. The first generation Shimano SVS with the red blocks screamed unless they were oiled constantly, but they solved that with the redesigned white blocks. If someone was to dismiss Shimano based upon the early red block mess they'd never get to try out the far better MGL models. My Quantum Tour S3 is quiet and all around fantastic, but poor @QUAKEnSHAKE has had issues with his examples. I have six other Quantums that're are quiet on the cast., and are otherwise rock solid performers. My Curado K was a lemon, but I bought 7 more Shimanos after that purchase.

 

It's well known that Shimano has had many issues with aluminum micro module gears going buzzy, and pinion bearing problems that make it feel like the gears are bad. Some high end Daiwas have a clicking issue that's driving several guys on another forum nuts. Daiwa Lexas had a notorious sticking thumb bar problem. @freelancer27 is having issues with brand new Conquests, as are guys elsewhere. A certain percentage of Daiwa Tatulas go geary feeling quickly, like my Tat SV, but both of my Fuegos are fine. My newer Lew's reels with the P2 pinion upgrade have stayed smooth with plenty of abuse. Older one's without it, not so much. But my brother's Super Duty 300 without the P2 pinion is smooth as glass after chucking a Bucca 4X4 since he got it, and that bait is high resistance from the second you start cranking it.

 

It's fine that you've found happiness and have a preference. However, it's silly to assume that a company's line is junk just  because you had a negative encounter.

 

Had I listened to what some people said and taken that approach I wouldn't have bought up a pile of reels from multiple brands. Besides my Curado K issue and 2 Pflueger Supreme XTs BCs that went geary quickly, I've had no problems with over 50 current production reels spread out over 5 manufacturers, including 13. Also, I happen to have 10 Omen Black 2s that haven't been broken on a hookset, lost a guide or a guide ring, had a reel seat or handle loosen, nothing. I'm just a ham-n-egger, and preferred the feel of the Omens over my Avids, so regardless of the brand-hate I took a chance. I'm happy with them and I'm glad I didn't listen to the noise.

 

Like @QUAKEnSHAKE ,we all should feel free to report our negative experiences with products, but to dismiss or condemn any one brand henceforth without a lot of evidence confuses the facts.

 

 

My issue with my high end Shimanos is indeed a bit annoying. But I want to wait on the result of ReelEX (a reel service company here in California) before I pass my final verdict. 

All of the Shimanos that I sent in were bought from Japan and at times these reels come to the US a bit dry. So it could have been simply me not taking them apart right away and applying oil and grease where needed.

For context:
I have started my 'fishing career' with Lews and my first 'high end' baitcaster was a Lew's Custom Pro SLP Casting Reel. Great reel at the time, when the high end Daiwas and Shimanos were wayyy out of my price range.

Well over the years, with a couple of promotions and increased income, the higher end gear of Shimano and Daiwa came within reach. 

What can I say: after I tried the first Daiwa Steez SV TW and my first 2016 Antares DC, I never looked back. Lews makes some fair products (and I think they get a lot of people, since they represent this "American Made" label), but in my opinion they dont get close to the two Japanese brands. 

2 years ago I found a Team Lew's HyperMag Speed Spool SLP for a really heavily discounted price (I think it was like 160USD shipped) and I thought, lets give nostalgia a go and see what Lew's top product is all about.      Well.... I sold the reel after 1 week. Only thing that it had going for it was the weight, but that was it.

I am honestly happy if somebody can find a 150USD reel and feel that this checks of all their needs. I wish I was cool with cheaper gear. But I tasted the forbidden fruit and while I can financial afford it, I will keep buying the best. And right now that is Daiwa and Shimano.

 

[WRB]

Dan Isaac owner of ReelEx is excellent and keeps extended parts inventory for Shimano reels. Good reason to stay with Shimano.

Tom

[evo2s197]

Absolutely nothing wrong with Lews reels they get the job done but to think they are in the same class as Daiwa and Shimano especially in the upper echelon models there is no comparison, it comes down to what you prefer some people are more picky and some aren't.

 

I have a buddy that has a old Quantum accurist from the early 2000's he swears it's the best reel ever and better than anything I have, yet the drag is shot, it constantly grinds, brakes sometimes works, and when he's with me on my boat he's constantly fiddling with it instead of fishing, but to him it's awesome and I can't convince him otherwise.

 

Open up a Lews vs a Daiwa or Shimano, and you'll see the difference.

 

 

 

[suzuki2903]

There’s a lot of biased opinions on here in general I’ve noticed and Lews being a big target.   If you don’t have daiwa, shimano, dobyns, etc etc it’s junk blah blah blah . Lews has way better warranty then shimano or diawa! And products for all skill levels and price ranges ! Some good and some bad. But there sure is alot of their reels being used by known name people …..  I’ll admit I started with them and moved up to three pro ti reels now and they are flawless and can be had very reasonable as well if you look around !! But at the same time I love my new shimano metanium mgl reels and have three of them as well but they cost more so I expect a bit better quality as well from them.  Overal use what you like and can afford and not get hung up on brands.

[Phil77]

34 minutes ago, freelancer27 said:

My issue with my high end Shimanos is indeed a bit annoying. But I want to wait on the result of ReelEX (a reel service company here in California) before I pass my final verdict. 

All of the Shimanos that I sent in were bought from Japan and at times these reels come to the US a bit dry. So it could have been simply me not taking them apart right away and applying oil and grease where needed.

For context:
I have started my 'fishing career' with Lews and my first 'high end' baitcaster was a Lew's Custom Pro SLP Casting Reel. Great reel at the time, when the high end Daiwas and Shimanos were wayyy out of my price range.

Well over the years, with a couple of promotions and increased income, the higher end gear of Shimano and Daiwa came within reach. 

What can I say: after I tried the first Daiwa Steez SV TW and my first 2016 Antares DC, I never looked back. Lews makes some fair products (and I think they get a lot of people, since they represent this "American Made" label), but in my opinion they dont get close to the two Japanese brands. 

2 years ago I found a Team Lew's HyperMag Speed Spool SLP for a really heavily discounted price (I think it was like 160USD shipped) and I thought, lets give nostalgia a go and see what Lew's top product is all about.      Well.... I sold the reel after 1 week. Only thing that it had going for it was the weight, but that was it.

I am honestly happy if somebody can find a 150USD reel and feel that this checks of all their needs. I wish I was cool with cheaper gear. But I tasted the forbidden fruit and while I can financial afford it, I will keep buying the best. And right now that is Daiwa and Shimano.

 

I like you can afford to fish the top of the line reels if I choose, I have over the last twenty years. I simply prefer Lew's nowadays and that could all change at the drop of a hat, still love my Shimano's but the Lews are more comfortable to fish all day for me. For context I've had two Steez's that both had the infamous click/tick and dry bearings out of the box, took down completely and still couldn't find the issue so sold them and wont ever buy another Daiwa. Never had an issue with Shimano in almost twenty years, would still use them exclusively if they didn't abandon VBS. I have had a couple of issues with my Lews reels, one was my fault but they sent me the parts for free including spare spools so that made me choose them for now. To each their own and get out and fish.

[Catt]

I started tournament fishing with this combo anything above that I'm good.

 

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

Fair enough, which reel models diawa makes are not made in their factories anymore,

CA80 CC80, CR80 baitcasters

3 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

I just feel better about buying a Shimano or diawa because they may train their factory workers better than doyo/banax and their reel manufacturing technology may be newer and create tighter tolerances.

I get what you're saying. You've gotta go with your gut, but I've heard this sentiment expressed by others over time, and honestly some of it sounds/sounded like speculation and/or extrapolation to me. That's not to say that people don't have real experiences and valid preferences, but often those are expressed with the type of hyperbole that seems unrooted from reality, in my experience.

 

Personally I was driven to see for myself, so I bought up a bunch of Banax and Doyo builds at the right prices and have pretty much abused them all. I won't suggest that any of them feel like a Met B, but at the same time they're not defective in any way, are reasonably tight to quite tight, and none have gear meshing issues or sticking thumb bars with the exception of the Pfluger Supreme XTs. On top of that many are very good to excellent casters with clever, user friendly braking schemes. My Quantum Tour S3 has been great since day one. The Icon PTs seem to be bulletproof. The Vapor PT with its 10 gram spool can cast just about anything within reason, and is eerily smooth even though it has an aluminum main gear. It's no surprise as the crankshaft is double bearing supported as is the pinion on all Quantums starting at the 100$ Accurist. All of this from Banax which is considered to be second rate to Doyo. The 2020 Lew's Tournament Pro LFS is about as versatile of a caster at the price point out there and beyond due to the excellent braking system and very free 10-ish gram spool.

 

Sorry for anyone that may have gotten a dud from any brand, but I haven't yet with my off brand purchases. I don't find myself suffering at all with these reels, nor do I spend time comparing them to anything else other than to point out that the actual differences in real time fishing performance are marginal compared to what's considered to be better, and I have some "good stuff" too. I can live with a few nits if the actual casting performance, braking, and drag is on par.

 

I'll keep buying Shimanos and Daiwas because I can, but I won't discount any brand's models unless I've fished with several of them and have standing to broadcast an opinion. Otherwise I'd simply be extrapolating, speculating, and just blowing smoke.

 

 

 

 

[Bird]

Had a major boating accident " minor injuries " and lost all my high end Shimano reels, this was 15 years ago.

 

Replaced all reels with various manufacturers from Abu Garcia, Lews, Diawa, Kastking, Pflueger and Shimano. All reels were/are in equivalent price range and the differences were negligible.

 

Perhaps I'm not as detailed as others but there's simply not a significant difference in the equal price point range. 

If I were forced by gunpoint to be sensitive to detail then I'd likely grab Shimano once again followed by Abu Garcia but wouldn't skirm with the other offerings. Imo

[cheezyridr]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

I started tournament fishing with this combo anything above that I'm good.

 

 

people can say what they want, but i liked the 5' pistol grip and garcia 5000 combo.  it served me well for at least 15 years. no one makes the 5'  pistol grip rod anymore, or i'd still use one for certain things. 

[Cody28]

5 hours ago, freelancer27 said:

My issue with my high end Shimanos is indeed a bit annoying. But I want to wait on the result of ReelEX (a reel service company here in California) before I pass my final verdict. 

All of the Shimanos that I sent in were bought from Japan and at times these reels come to the US a bit dry. So it could have been simply me not taking them apart right away and applying oil and grease where needed.

For context:
I have started my 'fishing career' with Lews and my first 'high end' baitcaster was a Lew's Custom Pro SLP Casting Reel. Great reel at the time, when the high end Daiwas and Shimanos were wayyy out of my price range.

Well over the years, with a couple of promotions and increased income, the higher end gear of Shimano and Daiwa came within reach. 

What can I say: after I tried the first Daiwa Steez SV TW and my first 2016 Antares DC, I never looked back. Lews makes some fair products (and I think they get a lot of people, since they represent this "American Made" label), but in my opinion they dont get close to the two Japanese brands. 

2 years ago I found a Team Lew's HyperMag Speed Spool SLP for a really heavily discounted price (I think it was like 160USD shipped) and I thought, lets give nostalgia a go and see what Lew's top product is all about.      Well.... I sold the reel after 1 week. Only thing that it had going for it was the weight, but that was it.

I am honestly happy if somebody can find a 150USD reel and feel that this checks of all their needs. I wish I was cool with cheaper gear. But I tasted the forbidden fruit and while I can financial afford it, I will keep buying the best. And right now that is Daiwa and Shimano.

 

Just curious which brand you prefer out of the two? Also if I were to eventually taste the forbidden fruit are their any your recommend? Any mid priced ones you like? 

4 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

Absolutely nothing wrong with Lews reels they get the job done but to think they are in the same class as Daiwa and Shimano especially in the upper echelon models there is no comparison, it comes down to what you prefer some people are more picky and some aren't.

 

I have a buddy that has a old Quantum accurist from the early 2000's he swears it's the best reel ever and better than anything I have, yet the drag is shot, it constantly grinds, brakes sometimes works, and when he's with me on my boat he's constantly fiddling with it instead of fishing, but to him it's awesome and I can't convince him otherwise.

 

Open up a Lews vs a Daiwa or Shimano, and you'll see the difference.

 

 

 

I totally understand that you get what you pay for. Im more curious about reels at equal price points. Would you still say theres an obvious difference if reels are at comparable prices? 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, cheezyridr said:

but i liked the 5' pistol grip and garcia 5000 combo.

 

Can't tell from the picture but that's not a pistol grip.

 

Reading through these posts I realized some y'all never started at the bottom. My reel before the Abu as a Penn 109M, try burning a spinnerbait with that puppy.

 

It's all personal preference 

 

Daiwa makes some fantastic reels, I absolutely hate em because of the way they feel in my hands. 

 

Probably one of Shimano's best reels where their early Curados, hated them to for same reason. Try really hard to like Ole Red, finally give it away.

 

 

 

 

[freelancer27]

33 minutes ago, Cody28 said:

Just curious which brand you prefer out of the two? Also if I were to eventually taste the forbidden fruit are their any your recommend? Any mid priced ones you like? 

I totally understand that you get what you pay for. Im more curious about reels at equal price points. Would you still say theres an obvious difference if reels are at comparable prices? 

This is obviously a bit tricky. 

 

But if I was in the position where both Daiwa and Shimano would come to me and offer exclusive sponsorship, i would take Daiwa. 

 

Generally speaking:

Anything above a Zillion is just a dream to fish. Super smooth out the box and they stay smooth. I also love how easy and fast one can adjust the breaks of a Daiwa. A shimano takes considerably more time to fine tune. At the same time, the ease of of operating the Daiwa breaking system comes with a slight loss in casting distance. Here the Shimanos performa tiny bit better. I prefer ease of use.

 

I have a Steez cT, Steez A, Steez SV Tw, alphas CT SV, 2x Daiwa Coastal tws and 4x 2019 Morethan,. They are still like the day i got them (i usually service my reels myself). Also one of my absolute favorite reels of all times is the Daiwa Coastal TW 200. Absolute workhorse reel that I use for my saltwater inshore applications. This reel casts amazing, is smooth and has super corrosion protection and can be found for 150usd shipped. 

 

I also love that one has the flexibility to switch spools between reels. So my Steez A with the original spool is a great powerfishing reel, but with a SV spool it becomes a finesse and skipping monster. 

 

No other reel manufacturer can provide you that flexibility. 

 

Where I think Shimano has a bit better offering is when it comes to round reels. I just love the craftsmanship of a Conquest. I just feel that this is a reel that I can hopefully pass on to my grandchild one day. My DC reels (2018 Antares DC MD and 2021 Antares DC) are more gimmicks to be honest. A DC unit is not better than a trained and experienced thumb. Its more of a show off and convenience reel, but not really needed. 

 

I would suggest to get a Daiwa Coastal TW of ebay and if you like what you see, but want to improve on reel weight, ergonomics and the ability to switch spools you can go to a 2021 Zillion or the Steez A (which can be had for 350usd shipped from the jdm sites) or any other Steez, etc. 

 

 

Enjoy the journey!

 

 

 

 

[evo2s197]

6 hours ago, Cody28 said:

I totally understand that you get what you pay for. Im more curious about reels at equal price points. Would you still say theres an obvious difference if reels are at comparable prices?

Yes, between the top offerings of Daiwa and Shimano vs Lews there still is a difference, I have a couple high end Lews reels Team Lew's Pro Ti's and like I said they get the job done when I use them but there is a stark contrast between them and my Daiwa and Shimano reels overall.

 

The Biggest piece of junk models were the BB1 Pros I had a couple years ago, Bass Pro had them on clearance and I bought I believe 6 of them, 4 out of 6 had various issues, I returned them and picked up 4 of the then new Tatula SV TW and all of them were trouble free, both reels were similarly priced.

 

But that's my personal experience. 

[bulldog1935]

These threads always devolve to pontificating brand loyalty. 

 

You can buy two of Lew's top-line bait reels for one of Shimano or Daiwa's top line. 

They have their patents they've banked on for a decade, and that's what separates Shimano and Daiwa (Shimano would give anything to have Daiwa's brake patent, and Daiwa plays catch-up with Shimano on gears). 

When you get to the low-end Shimano and Daiwa spinning reels, it's wiser to spend your money elsewhere. 

 

In baitcasters, I'm still most impressed by ZPI's bench-raced Abu, which competes with Lew's top-dollar reel. 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

If I've learned anything from this thread and experiencing the feel of several reels, it's that where possible, I would like to hold the rod and reel in my hand before purchasing. I like iRods though and no choice but to order those.

 

I just got lucky and struck gold with my REVO Winch paired with iRod's stone cold swim and vibrating jig rod. That combo is pure gold to me.

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

These threads always devolve to pontificating brand loyalty. 

But this one hasn't at all. Don't wish it into being so.

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

If I've learned anything from this thread and experiencing the feel of several reels

I agree, and that's what I've done by buying multiple models from multiple brands then fished them as much as possible. What I didn't buy my gear nut buddy with endless money has, and he's happy to lend them to me as long as I like. My brother's nuts too.

 

The fact that I've fished with a ton of current production reels and have formed my own opinion about them really only means something to me. My conclusions are personal and by no means add up to something universal. I don't care about rod/reel color scheme matching, only that they fit my casting style, or that I can comfortably adapt to the compromises chosen by the manufacturer in any given model. Another person's ability to adapt may be different than mine, therefore different opinions are commonplace. Even conclusions based on actual wide ranging experience aren't the end-all. It's no bigger than that, so there's never a reason for hurt feelings

 

One thing I'll be happy to dispute is this. Mix up the internals of reels between $180-$300 on a table and try to identify the quality differences by eye. This talk of tight or loose tolerances without having the machine shop drawings with dimensions and a means to measure and confirm them is just silliness and talk. Yes, you can feel tight or loose, but many of the better offerings from makers right now, not years ago, are pretty tight. Even some of the stuff at $100-$180 is tightening up.

 

 

[WRB]

Back in the 80’s when Lew Childre patent the BB1 low profile reel it was state of the art design. Lew put Shimano in the fishing reel business by licensing them to manufacture his reel. Lew passed away, the company was sold several times.

Lew’s isn’t a reel company anymore, it’s a brand. 

If the Lews reels fit your style of bass fishing it’s no different then buying Abu Garcia and many other brands made in the same factory.

You can add Smooth Drags Carbontex drag washers for a few $ and gear grease and use the reels until it falls and replace it.

Both Daiwa and Shimano have local headquarters in Locally with off the shelf parts along with good reel factory techs available. With so many reels today being made from the same  factory and sharing the same design and parts I am sure reel techs like DVT can super tune and replace some parts when needed for a few years. 

Surprised Okuma fans haven’t added their choices.

For a light weight comfortable reel Shimano SLX MGL 70 is a good Shimano choice at the price point.

Tom

[bulldog1935]

And here's Shimano's home page - you can't tell me there's a shortage of pontificating on this thread. 

 

[PhishLI]

30 minutes ago, WRB said:

Lew’s isn’t a reel company anymore,

Tom,

Doyo is their own brand and produces reels under that name in its home region. They're not sold here due to corporate agreements. They produce reels for other names including BPS, Lew's, and ABU, etc.

 

You should listen to the many posters that have said time and time again that Lew's customer service is excellent. They bend over backwards to please their customers even when items are out of warranty.

 

P.S. Both of my brother's SLXs went geary after a short time and several decent fish each. It bothers him. No X ship for the pinion on that model, so I guess he'll be purchasing new gears every year.

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

you can't tell me there's a shortage of pontificating on this thread. 

Yes, man pontificates, but this thread has remained civil. That's all I'm saying, Bruv. No reason to wish it into the shiznit show it hasn't yet become.

[WRB]

34 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Tom,

Doyo is their own brand and produces reels under that name in its home region. They're not sold here due to corporate agreements. They produce reels for other names including BPS, Lew's, and ABU, etc.

 

You should listen to the many posters that have said time and time again that Lew's customer service is excellent. They bend over backwards to please their customers even when items are out of warranty.

 

P.S. Both of my brother's SLXs went geary after a short time and several decent fish each. It bothers him. No X ship for the pinion on that model, so I guess he'll be purchasing new gears every year.

 

 

 

Yes, man pontificates, but this thread has remained civil. That's all I'm saying, Bruv. No reason to wish it into the shiznit show it hasn't yet become.

I would think the gears are OK they may need Cals or Shimano reel grease. I have used both Cals and Shimano grease over 25 years 1 time a year on all my reels, no gear noise. Never had to replace gears using gear grease.

Smooth quite gears are essential to me, gear noise would drive me over the edge and understand the concern.

Tom

PS, today I would buy a Daiwa Zillion TW SV G