Shimano vs. Lews

[BradGuenette]

I was a huge Lew's fan the past couple of years till last season when I started blowing them up, a Tournament & Tournament Pro have both hit the dust. My Shimanos still work like the day i bought them

[lape0019]

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

I know mine was still as smooth as the day I bought it when sold but I barely used it. In the end, the braking system was just too finicky for me. It casted great though!

[BradGuenette]

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

I know mine was still as smooth as the day I bought it when sold but I barely used it. In the end, the braking system was just too finicky for me. It casted great though!

Not exactly sure, haven't opened them up to see what the problem is,Lew's wanted me to cover shipping to the states and then back again to Canada, I just ended up replacing them with Curados.

[RJ]

Not exactly sure, haven't opened them up to see what the problem is,Lew's wanted me to cover shipping to the states and then back again to Canada, I just ended up replacing them with Curados.

RJ

[TheMaverick]

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

I know mine was still as smooth as the day I bought it when sold but I barely used it. In the end, the braking system was just too finicky for me. It casted great though!

Not exactly sure, haven't opened them up to see what the problem is,Lew's wanted me to cover shipping to the states and then back again to Canada, I just ended up replacing them with Curados.

So how would you know your Shimano reels won't be having the same issues if you haven't even opened the Lew's, or was it because you wanted to change to Shimano reels

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

Duralumin is composed of 90% aluminum.
Aluminum is very hard and lightweight, probably why it is still used in higher end models.

Tolerances need to be very tight in order for the aluminum to feel as smooth as brass, which is heavier, corrosion resistant and as durable as aluminum.

The tighter tolerances are usually found in higher priced reels, and probably as to why more “affordable” reels, whom lack tolerances, don’t feel as smooth after extensive use.

If you don’t maintain/open up your reels (which is very easy to do) you’re better off with brass gears as they require less lubrification/maintenance.

Aluminum gears should hold up just fine in freshwater, considering you do maintenance at least once during the season, they should be as durable as brass.

[BradGuenette]

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

I know mine was still as smooth as the day I bought it when sold but I barely used it. In the end, the braking system was just too finicky for me. It casted great though!

Not exactly sure, haven't opened them up to see what the problem is,Lew's wanted me to cover shipping to the states and then back again to Canada, I just ended up replacing them with Curados.

So how would you know your Shimano reels won't be having the same issues if you haven't even opened the Lew's, or was it because you wanted to change to Shimano reels

Was it the duralumin gears that we're giving you trouble Brad?

Duralumin is composed of 90% aluminum.
Aluminum is very hard and lightweight, probably why it is still used in higher end models.

Tolerances need to be very tight in order for the aluminum to feel as smooth as brass, which is heavier, corrosion resistant and as durable as aluminum.

The tighter tolerances are usually found in higher priced reels, and probably as to why more “affordable” reels, whom lack tolerances, don’t feel as smooth after extensive use.

If you don’t maintain/open up your reels (which is very easy to do) you’re better off with brass gears as they require less lubrification/maintenance.

Aluminum gears should hold up just fine in freshwater, considering you do maintenance at least once during the season, they should be as durable as brass.

My reels get cleaned and oiled annually, the difference I have found with Shimano is they don't go crunch after a few seasons, my 50MG still works like new

The lews have fancy clicking knobs, carbon fiber handles and are light as a feather but for me they just didn't stand the test of time.

Chevy now knows the crunch of a Lew's blowing up, when burning a spinnerbait back to the boat and a big bronzeback stops it dead in its tracks

[lape0019]

Mav,

I had duralumin gears in my Patriarch XT and had no issues with them whatsoever. I was just wondering.

While aluminum gears are somewhat strong, they do tend to fail way more often than brass. I've read plenty of posts from people who do cleanings and upgrades to be confident in what I am writing. Head to BBC and look up Reelex's posts. He is a certified Shimano cleaner/warranty repair shop and his biggest gripe always seems to be with aluminum gears (in Shimano's. Core 100mg/50mg. 100mg7 had brass for a reason)

Justin, I know this is a little off topic, but is something that should be considering. Lew's uses Duralumin gears on most of their higher end reels (again, I still don't know which speed spool you are looking at) while the Curado I has brass.

You are looking for a high gear ratio for frogs so the reel will be a workhorse. While working the frog, it won't be under any load, but when you are reeling in the fish with 20lbs of weed, there will be a lot of pressure on the gearset. If it were me, I would be going with brass gears for longevity. I actually use a Shimano Curado 200E7 for frogging. It is four years old and still works great.

If you do decide to go the Lew's route, the Super Duty has brass gears. There may be others as a new line has come out and I honestly don't know much about them.

[TheMaverick]

Sorry Justin....damn tacklehoes!

Some reels have a 40mm diameter main gear, some are thicker then others, even the cut out in which the teeth interwind makes a difference.

P.S. The Steez has aluminum gears.

[cndbasshunter]

Sorry Justin....damn tacklehoes!

Some reels have a 40mm diameter main gear, some are thicker then others, even the cut out in which the teeth interwind makes a difference.

P.S. The Steez has aluminum gears.

most..my Steez EX 7.1:1 is stock brass gears

i put brass gears in all my daiwa reels..tdz\is63\steez...

[TheMaverick]

Sorry Justin....damn tacklehoes!

Some reels have a 40mm diameter main gear, some are thicker then others, even the cut out in which the teeth interwind makes a difference.

P.S. The Steez has aluminum gears.

most..my Steez EX 7.1:1 is stock brass gears

i put brass gears in all my daiwa reels..tdz\is63\steez...

Let me know when they come up for sale!

[OutdoorActionOntario]

To me, quality is a long-term value, and Shimano does not disappoint when it comes to making true quality reels and rods. Time and again, when I compare a Shimano reel to any other brand, the Shimano reel will come out on top due to factors like weight, quality/strength of materials, craftsmanship and reliability, and aesthetics and funcionality. Recently, I compared the Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ against every other reel in its class, and it was not even close - the Chronarch Ci4+ blows its competition out of the water. When I buy a Shimano reel, especially their high end products, I truly feel I am getting a "product for life" which I must say is a very nice feeling as a consumer.

Over time, I have found Shimano is not only the #1 reel manufacturer based on initial quality, they are also #1 when it comes to long-term use, due to the sheer amount of abuse their high-end reels can absorb (both spinning and casting), and they are also #1 still in terms of customer service, in my humble opinion.

I base this on a series of qualifications and observations, like the fact I still have my very first Shimano spinning reel from the 1990's (Shimano FX2000, if memory serves me correctly) and YES it still works, even though I never cleaned it for years after abusing it on the Kawarthas every summer in my youth, it sat in a dusty box for a long time, and was one of the cheapest reels available when I bought it as a kid with Newspaper route money. Nowadays, it is an old clunker of a reel, but I still clean it each year, and take it out at least once with light test flouro just for tossing senko's, just so I can catch a few fish on it every year, like every other summer for the last 2 decades.

Aside from the unexpected life span of my first ever Shimano reel (which was a cheapie) their higher end products simply won't/don't quit - ever. I had a Shimano Stradic Ci4+ sit in a lake for half of last summer, and upon retrieving it and opening it up and totally cleaning it, it performed as good as new, even helped me muscle a hefty 4 pound smallie my first time back on the water with it like it was nobody's business. It's my favorite reel now because it has a back-history - a story for me, and because it also represents the quality we should expect when spending hundreds of dollars on a reel. Of course, they aren't designed to sit in a turbid lake for half a summer, but the fact that this one did and still works beautifully speaks volumes to me personally about the quality of Shimano reels.

Last but not least, their customer service and reel maintenance service is designed on purpose to be as consumer friendly as possible. In addition, it is based in Ontario (Peterborough) and is extremely affordable for the maintenance aspect and mostly hassle free for defects as well as repairs due to non-manufacturer related issues.

After seeing Brad's comment about how Lew's wanted him to pay for shipping there and back, and knowing how much he did used to love Lew's, I think that speaks volumes as to the difference behind company policy on such issues and why I will continue to devote a good chuck of my personal rod and reel inventory each year to Shimano. With them, it’s tried, tested and true as far as I am concerned.

[Tha Animal]

Wow, I'll have to say that was a great read on Shimano products ^ . Makes my decision on buying a new ci4 over a few other spinning reels, not because of your history with the reel, but what you said about the company and what they provide to their customers. Thanks

[TheMaverick]

Recently, I compared the Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ against every other reel in its class, and it was not even close - the Chronarch Ci4+ blows its competition out of the water.

I'm curious as to what other reels you've compared it to...

[OutdoorActionOntario]

Recently, I compared the Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ against every other reel in its class, and it was not even close - the Chronarch Ci4+ blows its competition out of the water.

I'm curious as to what other reels you've compared it to...

Fair enough… When I said "every other reel in its class" I was basically looking across the spectrum at all baitcasting reels in the 7:1 ratio, in a price range from 200 to 350 dollars. There were some very good quality reels but at a higher price point (350-500) than I was looking to pay for what this reel will be doing for me, just to be clear. As Anglers we really have some very incredible equipment avaiable to us now, at virtually all price points.

I compared reels by having them in hand and putting them on the rod I was buying the reel for (this was a specific purchase so I was really getting into detail with what I was looking for) - I know this is no substitute for being on the water with a reel, but it was February in Canada so cut me some slack please

Some of the reels in this category include the following: Shimano Curado, Quantum Smoke and Exo, Lew's BB2 Pro Wide, Team Pro speed spools, and the Abu Garcia Revo Beast, ALT and Revo Rocket.

At decision time It came down to the Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ and the Abu Garcia Revo Rocket.

I chose the Shimano Chronarch Ci4+ for two reasons: It was lighter (weighs in at 6.5 oz. vs. 6.75 oz. for the Rocket) and it felt nicer to palm when on the rod. I really feel like I can manhandle the reel a bit better than some of the others I tried... The Revo Rocket sure is a nice reel though, and I can still see it on my rod rack in the near future... Price wise, not much difference between them and honestly, I have only heard nothing but good reviews for almost all the reels listed above, but really the Ci4+ and Rocket stood out from the bunch.

[ShawnD]

Great post OAO I just feel like you could have left the
": It was lighter (weighs in at 6.5 oz. vs. 6.75 oz. for the Rocket) " Out.. .25 of an ounce?

Every brand makes great reels, good luck with your choice Justin, go with what you can afford and have fun this season!

If I had to recommend reels it would be a Quantum MGTour < Very light, great spool and bearings Also the new Quantum SpeedFreak 8.1:1, I just bouhgt two of these reels and can't wait try them, they feel solid.
But I'm pretty much the only guy that uses Quantum around here