I've been using that reel for just over a year now. I don't know if I got a really good one and you got a not so good one. I paid $125 Canadian dollars. I even own a Lews Tournement Pro and a Daiwa Tatula Ct Type R. My Mach Crush outcasts all of em. Like I said, maybe I got a really good one. Both Lews are on Copolymer line and the Daiwa on braid. Still my favorite reel.
Max casting distance is 90% brake setting... And all reels will cast within 5- 10% of one another in terms of max distance. (with a few outliers) I wouldn't let that be the only criteria to judge a reel... This reel casts fine... But it's no where near as solid as an slx, fuego, tatula, etc.. That's not an opinion or a good vs defective reel... It's just not. It's an overpriced plastic reel with an attention grabbing paint job and grips... A 70$ piscifun is equal or better in almost all regards (and I despise those chinesium ccp amazon brands)
If you watch those silly biased casting tests by the guy who insults his viewers more than he answers questions... Look at the brake settings he chooses to use... The expert grass caster never goes down below 7 on the dial when doing casting comparisons.... I set the dial at 7 when casting into the wind.... Other wise it's a major penalty to distance...
@@TackleAdvisors haha..no I don't watch that grass caster nor those sponsered biased youtubers. If I buy something and it sucks, I will say it and why...same goes if I like something I use. Companies might not like that but if I own it, I could say what I want cuz it's mine.
Crush was my first combo purchase. It's decent, reliable, and a good starter kit. I've upgraded to Custom Pro, Pro TI and Hypermag, and would put the Hypermag up against any reel under $450.
I think the Mag brake adjustment direction is the opposite of what may first be thought... Got a feeling turning the magnetic brake adjustment that way was actually turning it off...
I'm not a Lew's guy, but it seems this guy decides before the review if he likes a reel or not. I don't think he ever gave this reel a fair shot. I'm a Daiwa fan with baitcasters but I got a chance to try this exact reel and it was great.
FaucetteFarmsFishing Do you maintain your reels? ive had my curado ks that i fish in the salt that are still smooth and all my other reels are as well. I only had the slx for about a year before i sold it but i doubt it would get rough because they used more bushings than bearings making them less prone to failure
@@happybeing777 had my slx xt for well over a year and its heavily used. Still smooth as silk. The faucettefarmsfishing guy clearly either never owned one or has know idea how to maintain a reel. There is a reason everyone raves over shimano and the slx line is no different.
I’ve had a couple Lews for about 4-5 years now. So even though I’ve heard the horror stories like everyone else, I can’t really hate mine. I’ve pulled in plenty of northern pike with them, and they still run smooth. After picking up some better rods and reels, I’ll probably never buy another lews combo 😂 Rods generally break easy, reels are over priced for what they are.
When it comes down to it, whatever you like using is going to be best for you. If you like lews great and if you like Shimano, abu Garcia, 13 fishing whatever. Whatever your able to afford will work.
I got one for $95. It's ok, but for that price, give or take $20, I much prefer my casitas, slx, slx xt, and Fuego ct. Forgot to mention my piscifun phantom has been a pleasant surprise! People should also remember used reels from Japan. You can get great reels for under $150, and Japanese take great care of their reels. Metanium xt, metanium mg7, scorpion 1000xt, scorpion 1500xt, aldebaran mg7 can all be found if you shop wisely. For Lew's, I have a Pro Ti ... awesome! Bb1 ...casting machine! Bb1 pro...I feel the regular bb1 is a better caster. Tournament pro...ok Team Lew's lite...a little finicky and boring color scheme. Thank you for the great reviews!!!
I have the mach 2, mach crush, and mach pro. It's 2021 if your not realizing yet Lew's is hitting on selling combos. Buy just the reel you'll only end up salty while freshwater fishing. They're actually really good mid range reels. You could always go primitive with a stick and twine.
I do think Lew's are a bit overpriced. Having said that, i have a Team Lew's Lite and i absolutely love that reel. I also have plenty of Daiwas and Shimanos too and love them as well.
I’ve been fishing the silver and red lews reel in salt and fresh pretty much just tossing it around like a truck reel and it’s held up I have the bb1 gen 1 I think and I beat the heck out of it it’s been a jig reel but I have been very hard cranking with it and golly it won’t break some times has small issues but works very good and cast very far but not perfect
I got to watch the rest of your video but everybody loves this company and haven't heard anybody complain even new baitcast users I use mine with the brake on eight or nine and still can cast the country mile
For the price it’s not a bad combo! Now the Lews pro ti ..... that’s where it’s at ! Have two and they perform amazing ! Easily has for $250 price range if you look around enough
I like smaller rod guides but I think there is a fine line between small and micro guides. Especially me switching from using just fluorocarbon to backing my reel with mono, filling the reel with braid and using a FC leader. Small is great, but micro just seem cheap. Most all of lews feel chinsy as hell
Dude the slx DC is one of the sweetest reels out.. I m stretching my legs out on the water now fishing the curado DC and bantam mgl.. I like the slx DC better than the curado..tip for the slx. Thumb bar is a tad high compared to some others make sure before you fish it at the 1 setting you are able to feather the spool.. The 4 setting is one of the the most beginner friendly brakes on the market.. I fish mine at 2 all day and go down to 1 when side arming jigs around cover.. I have a slx vs tatula 100 comparison vid coming soon
If you can get your hands on a Lew's custom lite SLP, I'm really liking it way more than any other lews I've ever handled. I have it on a 3.5 oz rod so the combo totals out right below 9 oz. I could use this combo 12 hours a day 7 days a week no sweat.
Not all lews stuff is bad. A bit overpriced in spots? Sure. But the TP1 / TP1 black Line is solid. I don’t regret my lews purchases whatsoever. I’ll put my custom blacks up against my tatula/Powells or my shimano / dobyns, any day of the week. I cut my teeth on lews combos, so, they will always have a place on my rod rack.
Thank you again from saving me money. Never owned or used any Lew products. Definitely won’t know. I will definitely order my dark matter surf Rod from J&H on your link when I’m ready to order one. Thanks again for a great video. I need to check out your Patreon page one of these days.
@@ryan14r95 bad review? He opened the reel open and it is what it is. A Shimano SLX DC is a higher quality reel in the same price point. I own Lews and it doesn't hurt my feelings to see what components their using in their products 🤷🏽♂️
I got this one and your right it isn’t the greatest but it works. I got the pro black to and I have no complaints with it. Never tangles and It cast far. I also have the crush spinning combo and have no complaint on that either. Just this bait caster here is being a pain in the ass. I’m working on it as I write this message lol
My mom got a chance to work for lews as their cfo and when they interviewed her, she told them i loved fishing and they wanted my opinion. I told them lews wasnt worth the hype and any of my shimanos or daiwas could out run them, they didnt like my opinion lol
I don't use their rods until recently I've went to Bass pro shop and they started stocking this company and they make really nice rods but you have to buy them separate no combo get like a 7 ft whatever you would like and I don't know about these combo reels but the speed spoil from $100 and every other real they sell up to $300 are all amazing
What connecting knot do you use? I ask because I would think the knot would get hung up in the microguides when you cast. Thank you. For your honest reviews.
Usually a combo setup is garbage I haven't found a good one yet but Lews a great brand try their $99 black speed spoil it blows away every three $400 and in between 100 to that price away
You mention several reels to compare to the Lew's reel. Which of those you have reviewed would be the best for the money? Diawa, Shimano, or Piscifun? I am looking to add to my arsenal of baitcasters. Thank you for what you do for the equipment we use.
I must be lucky. I have multiple lews combos (Mach II ,baitcaster and spinning and three custom black combos, 2 spinning and one baitcaster.) and all have been great. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
Just Picked up a Kast King Speed demon Pro combo haven't had a chance to fish it yet but man super light under 11oz total, Hate to Hear your thoughts. So Saving up again, I guess I should of just went for the Scorpion ;o( Thanks for the review
My first baitcaster combo was Lews Custom black, one step above in price from the Crush at about $270 for the combo. Since then I’ve gotten a Shimano Scorpion DC, Curado DC, Bantam MGL and Diawa Tatula type R and Tatula SV TW. Aside from being one of the lighter, smaller and cooler looking feature packed reels I own, the Lews underperforms compared to all those other reels in almost every category that actually matters. This reel is feature packed with 10 BB, clicky drag, a clicky tension knob which actually has setting markers on it and an integrated hook holder fold out. It has both magnetic and Centrifugal breaks and comfy grips. With all that said, I can’t ever cast this reel as far as even $100 Daiwa reels I use and have backlashes 1 out of every 4,5 casts. Initially I attributed these shortcomings to me being new to baitcasters but a year after fishing my entire lineup I can safely say that aside from looking good on paper and in person, the Lews reel sucks compared to all my other reels.
Seeing as how all those other reels, just by themselves, are about 2-4 times the price of this COMBO.... I would hope they outperform this setup! Is there any COMBO that is in the same neighborhood ($160ish) that is better than this?
Great review...I felt like these are over priced... HOWEVER WOULD LOVE TO SEE A REVIEW ON A LEWS HYPER MAG AND A KISTLER ROD OF YOUR CHOICE.....I really like mine so far.
I think you'd be better off with one of the slx variants xt or dc.. Compact and sturdy... External brake adjustment... The DC is one of my favorites... Another better reel would be the Tatula 100. Pair it with essentially any 100ish $ rod and you'll enjoy that setup far more than this
This combo started my obsession with fishing. It’s a workhorse and I’ve caught many species with it. The combo did get retired for better setups, but it’s still a great loaner pole. And the magnet brake settings were backwards for that blowup test, but the centrifugal brakes were never impressive.
I have a couple Lews combos, but it’s hard to find the rod, and the reel for your liking. And those knobs retail for $50! I’m happy with Lew’s altogether, but prefer my Pflueger President XT’s. For $79 you can’t get a better reel.
It's coming... No x ship.. No problem.. It's one of the best reels in any price range.. Compact capable strong and simple... Surprisingly refined considering its so ho hum in the bells and whistles category.. I like mine better than the curado and met DC.
@@TackleAdvisors Cool. I have a USDM Met DC HG, I recently replaced the aluminum drive gear with the Curado K drive gear and drag stack as well replaced the handle and knobs with the Curado K handle and knobs. I have fairly large hands and is comfortable. I'm looking for a 6.x:1 ratio DC reel, but not eager to drop $400+ on a JDM Met DC. Thanks again.
Personally I have good experience with Lews and their customer service is better than most other brands it seems. But I agree, at the price point this reel is at, there are better options for sure
I’d probably shoot for a Shimano slx dc or see if you can get a Daiwa Tatula on sale. That would leave you 50$ or less on a rod, I’d probably get a Berkeley lighting rod for that price. They are decent. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to spend a little more but if you wanna really stick to the budget that’s what I would get.
The slx std is OK the xt and DC are excellent. I really like the the DC. One of my favorite reels right now. Pair it with about any stick outside a ugly stick and you'll be in great shape
I believe a OEM company called Doyo, based in Korea, manufacturers lews and Abu. If the lews has a sticker saying made in Korea - it’s a revo. Same linear mag brakes, same main and pinion gears, sane drag stack. There are exceptions but on the middle range of reels ya can swop parts and make a Lewsa Garcia. 🤣
So at this price range the SHIMANO SLX DC would be better money spent. I'm looking and there are 6 models 150, 150 HG, 150 XG, 151, 151 HG, 151 XG. Is there a preference or whats the difference on the models? Thank you for all the awesome content. Thumbs Up and Shared.
Thanks Troy! The models ending in 1 are lefties.. And the - hg xg are gear ratios which determines the torque and speed. Lower gear means more torque and fewer inches retrieved per handle turn.. Fast reels are good for pitching flipping and frogging where you can reel up fast and re cast. Covering more water in less time and effort. I'm old school and find it tough to adjust to high speed reels. I find that unless I focus on slowing my natural retrieve motion ingrained over 35 years.. I move baits too fast... Low gear ratios are good for spinnerbaits and crank baits
And address the is the slx DC money better spent... It's one of the the best reels at any price point.. Compact and capable. Refined and solid. One of my favorites in any price range
I’d love to know too. My Tatula Sv 2020 is coming in the mail tomorrow. If it’s better than the old models it should be the best reel at the 200$ mark.
Great video, and channel. I'd always wondered about some of the Lews stuff given their following. Now that I see the internals of that reel I can see that it's virtually identical to my Abu Revo SX. Not a favorite of mine either.
I even had a lews tournament pro that I thought was not that nice for costing $200. It wanted to backlash a lot more compared to my curado k that cost less
I can clean my wenn grips with Windex it works for golf guys it just hav oils on in the Winn grips. The stickie will come back to the grips and not mess nothing up us Windex light on a rage like new.
I got the Mach Crush combo on sale for $100 No way I would pay full price for this combo. I like my aluminum Lew’s (LFS, Tournament MB, Pro TI) way better. I have 30lb braid on it and it has become my dedicated Whopper Plopper combo. Casts great but noisy. I am a fan of the Winn Grip knobs. So much so I got the knobs for my LFS and Tournament MB
If you're looking for something more new friendly go by a Abu Garcia Black Max setup and you need to learn what everything does on the real every one of my reels have to be adjusted certainly with each lure and each rod I put them on they have to be corrected accordingly and I never use braid on mylews
The fishing "specialist" at my local sporting goods store is REALLY pushing this reel... I played around with it in the store and it really didn't feel good. I could see this as a $30 or $40 reel, but definitely not what they're asking...
Honestly fishing department workers h kk can be hit or miss. I work at Cabela’s and most of our guys recommend mainly Daiwa or Shimano, but a couple of guys are really loyal to lews. Best advice is listen to how they talk about the reel. If they only talk about how smooth it is, they’re probably bullshitting. If they discuss the features and what makes the reel’s engineering unique, they probably know what they’re talking about
I love my laser pro slp it's a great reel , that said I got it for $60 bucks and I think it was like $160 retail and for that it isnt worth it. They're good reels just not for the price they ask
I bought this combo a few weeks ago, Love the rod but the reel is pretty crap. I hate the grips and i hate how much the reel flexes under the slightest amount of stress. It also looks and feels pretty low quality. Ended up keeping the rod and selling the reel on ebay.
You should try the lews tournament pro. Its much better all around the the curodo. It smoother and cast way further and handles light weight better. The one thing i give the curodo is tolerance. Its a lot tighter. It also hax a great handle.
Take the control nupout that reel is very good have that combo for 5 years no problems have the Mach 2 for 5 years and the mach 1 for 5 years there very good if you not like lews is ok love abbue garcia revo sx my opinion is the best abue garcia
I love lews but you have to remember a huge portion of their line is geared towards budget anglers. That being said Lews entire Mach line is marketed to high school and college anglers who dont have a ton of money. Lews actually gives all mach series equipment to high school fishing teams for free. Lews high end products are an awesome value IMO, a lot of their high end stuff has features found only in more expensive products from other companies. The pro TI rod is only $250 and is comparable to rods that are $400. Im not sure why this reel you have is priced that way when you can get a BB1 or a tournament MB for the same money...
Well put. I was aware of their presence in the schools. This setup I thought was a 100$ split... Was shocked it was a 160$ retail reel. For the 200$ retail you can do better.. It's not bad.. But the price tag puts it down on the value list
@@TackleAdvisors Well if you ever have issues with it I can vouch for lews top notch customer service, Ive had them send me free gears for a reel that wasnt even under warranty, I sent in a broken reel for one of their free cleanings and it came back fixed. All of their high end gear has a lifetime warranty including rods. I love my shimanos also but Im not ever expecting that kind of customer service from them.
@@TackleAdvisors I as you know do use some of their stuff, and will say they will fix whatever however lol. I had the tip top on this rod groove using mono, and they freaking sent a whole new rod from it.
Have you even used a high end rod to compare a pro ti rod to man. That’s a bold thing to say and no way it can compete with a expride or poison Adrena, or a Megan’s rod that is.
My yak is the moped of kayaks... I only use it due to the fact it fits in the back of my car and deploys in seconds... I'd be embarrassed if caught on film outside of first person perspective lol
@@TackleAdvisors no judgment here. I used to drive a scion tc with a small dinky kayak shoved into my car from back to the windshield. But I got plenty of places we can fish on foot and we don't need to film. I don't always film my trips or I don't release em all. Offer is available whenever ur ready.
Lews makes some of the best casting reels on the market. But don't buy the mach or crush. There not worth what you're paying. They kind of hype them up for middle school kids. But Don't let that fool you. My favorite baitcaster is the tournament pro for all around fishing. It is way smoother and cast way further than a curodo and handles the light stuff better. It has better breaks and daily in easy. The curodo has better tolerance and ofcorse that amazing handle Shimano uses. But don't sleep on lews. There a bass fishing brand. Other than the mach and crush there upper end stuff is 2nd to none up to $300 reel. The mach and crush is basically a lfs with a few tweaks
I couldn't get on the Lew's hype train. The good stuff is real pricey and the fancy colored combos have too many mixed reviews. They should be about half of their in-store prices. I ended up shopping around for a good while to choose my combos. I put together a combo of kastking resolute 7'6 MH rod, kastking blackhawk II, 7'3 MH, and a couple Abu Garcia Revo X inshore reels. It is really nice compared to my cheaper stuff, but I do alright using a cheapo pfleuger monarch next to them as well. I can tell the more expensive combos are definitely nicer and more capable, but they all catch fish. I also really like the cadence BC-5 casting rods for sturdy, cheaper rods and the old Ambassadeur 5500-c3's for heavier stuff like cat fishing rigs or popping corks with heavy jigs. But the revo x inshore reels cast like a dream. The more I dial them in, the less trouble I have with them. They handle fairly light lures as long as you don't fight the wind too much and they can tighten up and handle heavy rigs and big fish with no problem, too. Plus the drag is really smooth. It isn't space age tech, but it feels like real, quality stuff when I use it and I'm glad I bought it. I'd love to see you put one through its paces. At $130, they're in that perfect range between bargain gear and high end stuff, but the quality to price ratio is nice on this one.
Those handle grips are junk after sometime, they will get dirty and you can’t clean them. Had the same type of soft grip for my golf clubs and they were junk and peeling off after awhile. Great video though!
Never owned anything Lew's but I've heard mixed opinions. I doubt I will anytime soon after your thorough review. Good video always feel like I learned a thing or 2. Whether I remember it is another question. That was a sweet pike, curious do you stick your hand in mouth to retrieve lure? Tight lines
I’ve never had an issue with mine to be honest! I love it so far
What do you mean "WHY is it so popular?" Clearly it's the bright colors.
160 dollar reel? i think ill stick with shamano and daiwa for that price.
Thank you !! you just helped me not wast some money on something I had my doubts about but everyone was talking them up
I've been using that reel for just over a year now. I don't know if I got a really good one and you got a not so good one. I paid $125 Canadian dollars. I even own a Lews Tournement Pro and a Daiwa Tatula Ct Type R. My Mach Crush outcasts all of em. Like I said, maybe I got a really good one. Both Lews are on Copolymer line and the Daiwa on braid. Still my favorite reel.
Max casting distance is 90% brake setting... And all reels will cast within 5- 10% of one another in terms of max distance. (with a few outliers) I wouldn't let that be the only criteria to judge a reel... This reel casts fine... But it's no where near as solid as an slx, fuego, tatula, etc.. That's not an opinion or a good vs defective reel... It's just not. It's an overpriced plastic reel with an attention grabbing paint job and grips... A 70$ piscifun is equal or better in almost all regards (and I despise those chinesium ccp amazon brands)
If you watch those silly biased casting tests by the guy who insults his viewers more than he answers questions... Look at the brake settings he chooses to use... The expert grass caster never goes down below 7 on the dial when doing casting comparisons.... I set the dial at 7 when casting into the wind.... Other wise it's a major penalty to distance...
@@TackleAdvisors haha..no I don't watch that grass caster nor those sponsered biased youtubers. If I buy something and it sucks, I will say it and why...same goes if I like something I use. Companies might not like that but if I own it, I could say what I want cuz it's mine.
$160 graphite reel, I'm sticking with my Tatula.
This reel is pretty much like a Lubina sold here in Brazil, most likely, they both come from the Korean reel manufacturer Doyo
It is quite suprising that you dont have a video about basic reel maintanace - how to disassembly, where to use grease, where oil etc.
Crush was my first combo purchase. It's decent, reliable, and a good starter kit. I've upgraded to Custom Pro, Pro TI and Hypermag, and would put the Hypermag up against any reel under $450.
Dang I just ordered one of these. Now I'm thinking of sending it back.
Its a great reel... Don't. Lots of people have different opinions but I really like the reel/rod.
I think he thinks it’s bad because he’s comparing to other expensive rods, it’s still very good
I think the Mag brake adjustment direction is the opposite of what may first be thought... Got a feeling turning the magnetic brake adjustment that way was actually turning it off...
Boat Beard it was on the lowest magnet setting lol
Not too smart aye
I'm not a Lew's guy, but it seems this guy decides before the review if he likes a reel or not. I don't think he ever gave this reel a fair shot. I'm a Daiwa fan with baitcasters but I got a chance to try this exact reel and it was great.
You should try the slx xt next it’s an amazing reel for the money
Tbh it kinda sucks not smooth at all
FaucetteFarmsFishing not smooth? feels about the same as my curado k's and close enough to my bantam mgls
Zay The Banana sorry it feels smooth for the first year and then it starts to feel like a black max maybe not even a year
FaucetteFarmsFishing Do you maintain your reels? ive had my curado ks that i fish in the salt that are still smooth and all my other reels are as well. I only had the slx for about a year before i sold it but i doubt it would get rough because they used more bushings than bearings making them less prone to failure
@@happybeing777 had my slx xt for well over a year and its heavily used. Still smooth as silk. The faucettefarmsfishing guy clearly either never owned one or has know idea how to maintain a reel. There is a reason everyone raves over shimano and the slx line is no different.
Outstanding video brother! I learn a ton every time you drop a video on freshwater reels. Thanks man.
I own Lews Super Duty 300 and I love it, but not a fan of other lews reels. I like them because it’s made in Korea.
It's so obvious that lews reel was flexing like hell. That slx speaks volumes.
It was very obvious..strange as usually plastic reels don't flex that much
I ended up getting the shimano SLX 151 and dobyn’s colt series rod for 140 and am happy with it. Might check out the slx dc now.
I just bought my son the exact same combo. For the money, its hard to beat the quality you have in that combo.
You got to pay for the color and the Winn grips, that's why it cost 75 buck more than what it's worth. Lmao
Always a huge fan and believer in your channel.
Thanks!!! Appreciate it!!
Tackle Advisors can i use it for inshore fishing
I’ve had a couple Lews for about 4-5 years now. So even though I’ve heard the horror stories like everyone else, I can’t really hate mine. I’ve pulled in plenty of northern pike with them, and they still run smooth. After picking up some better rods and reels, I’ll probably never buy another lews combo 😂 Rods generally break easy, reels are over priced for what they are.
When it comes down to it, whatever you like using is going to be best for you. If you like lews great and if you like Shimano, abu Garcia, 13 fishing whatever. Whatever your able to afford will work.
Until it breaks
Very true.. But dollars to donuts there are better values at certain price points...
@@TackleAdvisors plueger is my favorite brand
I wish you did more videos like this where you are out fishing for half the video 🙂. You are very enjoyable to listen to.
Glad you enjoy that, but I'm old school and can't film at too many places.... Giving up locals in nj is a quick way to get no trespassing signs posted
I got one for $95. It's ok, but for that price, give or take $20, I much prefer my casitas, slx, slx xt, and Fuego ct. Forgot to mention my piscifun phantom has been a pleasant surprise! People should also remember used reels from Japan. You can get great reels for under $150, and Japanese take great care of their reels. Metanium xt, metanium mg7, scorpion 1000xt, scorpion 1500xt, aldebaran mg7 can all be found if you shop wisely.
For Lew's, I have a Pro Ti ... awesome!
Bb1 ...casting machine!
Bb1 pro...I feel the regular bb1 is a better caster.
Tournament pro...ok
Team Lew's lite...a little finicky and boring color scheme.
Thank you for the great reviews!!!
I have the mach 2, mach crush, and mach pro. It's 2021 if your not realizing yet Lew's is hitting on selling combos. Buy just the reel you'll only end up salty while freshwater fishing. They're actually really good mid range reels. You could always go primitive with a stick and twine.
I do think Lew's are a bit overpriced. Having said that, i have a Team Lew's Lite and i absolutely love that reel. I also have plenty of Daiwas and Shimanos too and love them as well.
I’ve been fishing the silver and red lews reel in salt and fresh pretty much just tossing it around like a truck reel and it’s held up I have the bb1 gen 1 I think and I beat the heck out of it it’s been a jig reel but I have been very hard cranking with it and golly it won’t break some times has small issues but works very good and cast very far but not perfect
Honestly i could never jump on the hype train with lews either. Im gonna stick to daiwa/shimano for the price
yup.
Lew's stuff always seems crappier than the Chinesium e-commerce brands like Kastking and definitely worst than Piscifun.
@@tannerfrancisco8759 Yeah I bought my dad a lews at his request and it feels very flimsy and the drag is loose. Grips are nice but thats about it..
My diawa tatula is the best reel I've ever bought. Spool it up and go fishing.
@@tannerfrancisco8759 you cannot be serious. And they are made in korea not china.
I got to watch the rest of your video but everybody loves this company and haven't heard anybody complain even new baitcast users I use mine with the brake on eight or nine and still can cast the country mile
For the price it’s not a bad combo! Now the Lews pro ti ..... that’s where it’s at ! Have two and they perform amazing ! Easily has for $250 price range if you look around enough
I like smaller rod guides but I think there is a fine line between small and micro guides. Especially me switching from using just fluorocarbon to backing my reel with mono, filling the reel with braid and using a FC leader. Small is great, but micro just seem cheap. Most all of lews feel chinsy as hell
Great video, fun to watch! I learn something every time I watch. Great catch and release on those fish.
I paid $95 (just the reel) for mine. It's a great reel with no problems on Big Bass, Pike and even Musky's.
I’ll stick to my SLX DC and EDGE ROD. I got my SLX dc for 180 but had a gift card of $25. Then went to Garry Loomis and bought a sick ass Rod!
How’s the dc? Just got it in and picking up a rod tomorrow. Wondering if you have some pointers for a new DC owner lmao
Dude the slx DC is one of the sweetest reels out.. I m stretching my legs out on the water now fishing the curado DC and bantam mgl.. I like the slx DC better than the curado..tip for the slx. Thumb bar is a tad high compared to some others make sure before you fish it at the 1 setting you are able to feather the spool.. The 4 setting is one of the the most beginner friendly brakes on the market.. I fish mine at 2 all day and go down to 1 when side arming jigs around cover.. I have a slx vs tatula 100 comparison vid coming soon
The slx DC will be discontinued by the time you get the rod. Lololol
If you can get your hands on a Lew's custom lite SLP, I'm really liking it way more than any other lews I've ever handled. I have it on a 3.5 oz rod so the combo totals out right below 9 oz. I could use this combo 12 hours a day 7 days a week no sweat.
Not all lews stuff is bad. A bit overpriced in spots? Sure. But the TP1 / TP1 black Line is solid. I don’t regret my lews purchases whatsoever. I’ll put my custom blacks up against my tatula/Powells or my shimano / dobyns, any day of the week. I cut my teeth on lews combos, so, they will always have a place on my rod rack.
Thank you again from saving me money. Never owned or used any Lew products. Definitely won’t know. I will definitely order my dark matter surf Rod from J&H on your link when I’m ready to order one. Thanks again for a great video. I need to check out your Patreon page one of these days.
Dean Mark Polendey lews is really good. Don’t go off this guys bad reveiw
@@ryan14r95 bad review? He opened the reel open and it is what it is. A Shimano SLX DC is a higher quality reel in the same price point. I own Lews and it doesn't hurt my feelings to see what components their using in their products 🤷🏽♂️
I got this one and your right it isn’t the greatest but it works. I got the pro black to and I have no complaints with it. Never tangles and It cast far. I also have the crush spinning combo and have no complaint on that either. Just this bait caster here is being a pain in the ass. I’m working on it as I write this message lol
My mom got a chance to work for lews as their cfo and when they interviewed her, she told them i loved fishing and they wanted my opinion. I told them lews wasnt worth the hype and any of my shimanos or daiwas could out run them, they didnt like my opinion lol
Pflueger
An American nope they do interviews on zoom these days and i happened to be home at the time
Did your mom get the job after you gave your opinion?
@@jimvalim1567 she was just imterviewing at a bunch of different outdoor/lifestyle places. She did not take that job no
I don't use their rods until recently I've went to Bass pro shop and they started stocking this company and they make really nice rods but you have to buy them separate no combo get like a 7 ft whatever you would like and I don't know about these combo reels but the speed spoil from $100 and every other real they sell up to $300 are all amazing
What connecting knot do you use? I ask because I would think the knot would get hung up in the microguides when you cast. Thank you. For your honest reviews.
Alberto knot... Depending on leader and braid it goes through micros smoothly
@@TackleAdvisors Sweet Thanks. I am going to use the Alberto knot next time I tie on a leader.
Usually a combo setup is garbage I haven't found a good one yet but Lews a great brand try their $99 black speed spoil it blows away every three $400 and in between 100 to that price away
Nice Fish!
I just got The Quantum Smoke PT S3. 8.3:1 gear ratio. So far so good. The Lew's reels seem overpriced and under refined for what they are.
You mention several reels to compare to the Lew's reel. Which of those you have reviewed would be the best for the money? Diawa, Shimano, or Piscifun? I am looking to add to my arsenal of baitcasters. Thank you for what you do for the equipment we use.
I must be lucky. I have multiple lews combos (Mach II ,baitcaster and spinning and three custom black combos, 2 spinning and one baitcaster.) and all have been great. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
People like to justify there own purchases, the reels are probably fine, but better value options are readily available
Slapturkey for sure
Just Picked up a Kast King Speed demon Pro combo haven't had a chance to fish it yet but man super light under 11oz total, Hate to Hear your thoughts. So Saving up again, I guess I should of just went for the Scorpion ;o( Thanks for the review
Ihave the same combo for 5 years and not have any problems wuith the reel is cast long way and the combo is good cranking baits jerck baits
My first baitcaster combo was Lews Custom black, one step above in price from the Crush at about $270 for the combo. Since then I’ve gotten a Shimano Scorpion DC, Curado DC, Bantam MGL and Diawa Tatula type R and Tatula SV TW. Aside from being one of the lighter, smaller and cooler looking feature packed reels I own, the Lews underperforms compared to all those other reels in almost every category that actually matters. This reel is feature packed with 10 BB, clicky drag, a clicky tension knob which actually has setting markers on it and an integrated hook holder fold out. It has both magnetic and Centrifugal breaks and comfy grips. With all that said, I can’t ever cast this reel as far as even $100 Daiwa reels I use and have backlashes 1 out of every 4,5 casts. Initially I attributed these shortcomings to me being new to baitcasters but a year after fishing my entire lineup I can safely say that aside from looking good on paper and in person, the Lews reel sucks compared to all my other reels.
Seeing as how all those other reels, just by themselves, are about 2-4 times the price of this COMBO.... I would hope they outperform this setup! Is there any COMBO that is in the same neighborhood ($160ish) that is better than this?
IT's ARNG ... Some nice looking fish you caught that day.. Thanks, good to see you fishing.
Literally everything in the same price range is better IMO
Hey friend, I really like the baits you were using. Got any links where I could purchase those. I would really appreciate it 🙏
Great review...I felt like these are over priced... HOWEVER WOULD LOVE TO SEE A REVIEW ON A LEWS HYPER MAG AND A KISTLER ROD OF YOUR CHOICE.....I really like mine so far.
I was wondering if I should get this combo I want a nice baitcaster I got rid of my black max combo and the fluger combo
I think you'd be better off with one of the slx variants xt or dc.. Compact and sturdy... External brake adjustment... The DC is one of my favorites... Another better reel would be the Tatula 100. Pair it with essentially any 100ish $ rod and you'll enjoy that setup far more than this
This combo started my obsession with fishing. It’s a workhorse and I’ve caught many species with it. The combo did get retired for better setups, but it’s still a great loaner pole. And the magnet brake settings were backwards for that blowup test, but the centrifugal brakes were never impressive.
I have a couple Lews combos, but it’s hard to find the rod, and the reel for your liking. And those knobs retail for $50! I’m happy with Lew’s altogether, but prefer my Pflueger President XT’s. For $79 you can’t get a better reel.
Not foe nothing but - I bought the lews crush combo for 160 - the SLX DC alone costs more than that?? Is that really fair comparison?
Can i send you the lews tournament pro to review?
Did you do a full review of the SLX DC? Is not having X-Ship an issue?
Thanks
It's coming... No x ship.. No problem.. It's one of the best reels in any price range.. Compact capable strong and simple... Surprisingly refined considering its so ho hum in the bells and whistles category.. I like mine better than the curado and met DC.
@@TackleAdvisors Cool. I have a USDM Met DC HG, I recently replaced the aluminum drive gear with the Curado K drive gear and drag stack as well replaced the handle and knobs with the Curado K handle and knobs. I have fairly large hands and is comfortable. I'm looking for a 6.x:1 ratio DC reel, but not eager to drop $400+ on a JDM Met DC. Thanks again.
Personally I have good experience with Lews and their customer service is better than most other brands it seems. But I agree, at the price point this reel is at, there are better options for sure
Good review. You single handedly "crushed" this combo! 💪
... get out 🤣
What would you recommend iam not a newbie but not a professional angler by no means good baitcasting combo for around 150$
I’d probably shoot for a Shimano slx dc or see if you can get a Daiwa Tatula on sale. That would leave you 50$ or less on a rod, I’d probably get a Berkeley lighting rod for that price. They are decent. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to spend a little more but if you wanna really stick to the budget that’s what I would get.
Nice pike bud. That Lews gear doesn't look great. Thanks for your honest reviews 👍 great channel
Do you think this combo is better then the shimano slx reel and rod what do you recommend I get?
The slx std is OK the xt and DC are excellent. I really like the the DC. One of my favorite reels right now. Pair it with about any stick outside a ugly stick and you'll be in great shape
Ihave mach crush grew combo have the mach 2 and the mach1 love the lewes products
That backlash had me losing it 😂
@Tackle Advisors can you tell me how much of the braid and leader you spooled, respectively. On this setup, please?
Can't tell you yardage but it's power pro superslick v2 30lb...leader is 20lb p line halo. Usually short in this pike'ie impoundment
I believe a OEM company called Doyo, based in Korea, manufacturers lews and Abu. If the lews has a sticker saying made in Korea - it’s a revo. Same linear mag brakes, same main and pinion gears, sane drag stack. There are exceptions but on the middle range of reels ya can swop parts and make a Lewsa Garcia. 🤣
So at this price range the SHIMANO SLX DC
would be better money spent. I'm looking and there are 6 models 150, 150 HG, 150 XG, 151, 151 HG, 151 XG. Is there a preference or whats the difference on the models? Thank you for all the awesome content. Thumbs Up and Shared.
Thanks Troy! The models ending in 1 are lefties.. And the - hg xg are gear ratios which determines the torque and speed. Lower gear means more torque and fewer inches retrieved per handle turn.. Fast reels are good for pitching flipping and frogging where you can reel up fast and re cast. Covering more water in less time and effort. I'm old school and find it tough to adjust to high speed reels. I find that unless I focus on slowing my natural retrieve motion ingrained over 35 years.. I move baits too fast... Low gear ratios are good for spinnerbaits and crank baits
And address the is the slx DC money better spent... It's one of the the best reels at any price point.. Compact and capable. Refined and solid. One of my favorites in any price range
How is the new tatula sv tw, compare to slx dc and curado k.
I owned old one, its a great reel.i like the break system
I’d love to know too. My Tatula Sv 2020 is coming in the mail tomorrow. If it’s better than the old models it should be the best reel at the 200$ mark.
Great video, and channel. I'd always wondered about some of the Lews stuff given their following. Now that I see the internals of that reel I can see that it's virtually identical to my Abu Revo SX. Not a favorite of mine either.
I even had a lews tournament pro that I thought was not that nice for costing $200. It wanted to backlash a lot more compared to my curado k that cost less
This is absolutely the wrong set up to review to experience LEW'S I stay away from the mach and crush. Try a lews tournament pro on a tp1 black rod
Do you have one
Plated 24k gold(rear spinner)?
Dou you think 99 dolar real does brake system im8 rod microgard my personal opinion the best
Hit or miss had a few lews combos and I own the new slp Mach green one can throw light lures for crap but 3/8 an up it’s ok.
I can clean my wenn grips with Windex it works for golf guys it just hav oils on in the Winn grips. The stickie will come back to the grips and not mess nothing up us Windex light on a rage like new.
I got the Mach Crush combo on sale for $100 No way I would pay full price for this combo. I like my aluminum Lew’s (LFS, Tournament MB, Pro TI) way better. I have 30lb braid on it and it has become my dedicated Whopper Plopper combo. Casts great but noisy. I am a fan of the Winn Grip knobs. So much so I got the knobs for my LFS and Tournament MB
If you're looking for something more new friendly go by a Abu Garcia Black Max setup and you need to learn what everything does on the real every one of my reels have to be adjusted certainly with each lure and each rod I put them on they have to be corrected accordingly and I never use braid on mylews
Got an SLX XT for $110 shipped, loving it so far! Glad I didn’t get Lew’s
LOL score one for the good guy :)
I would like to see a review on Daiwa costal, I like to see how it stacks against Shimano tranx
Tranx is better bud
I’m a shishamo man myself.
Mmmm all those HANDLE BEARINGS YEEEAAAAAHHHHHH
OPERATOR SPECTRE , 😉👍🏻😆
The fishing "specialist" at my local sporting goods store is REALLY pushing this reel... I played around with it in the store and it really didn't feel good. I could see this as a $30 or $40 reel, but definitely not what they're asking...
Honestly fishing department workers h kk can be hit or miss. I work at Cabela’s and most of our guys recommend mainly Daiwa or Shimano, but a couple of guys are really loyal to lews. Best advice is listen to how they talk about the reel. If they only talk about how smooth it is, they’re probably bullshitting. If they discuss the features and what makes the reel’s engineering unique, they probably know what they’re talking about
btw lol the iner breaking system need to be clicked you didnt engaged the break buddy LOL
Get what you can afford and go fishing. The fish doesn’t no the difference. Have fun guys. Great review.
So does the fish YES the difference??
Ived used that reel and it dont cast that far and those handle knobs are very annoying
You can guy different knobs , i actually like the knobs myself, but to each their own !
Yea I know you can change the knobs it's just the casting distance
I love my laser pro slp it's a great reel , that said I got it for $60 bucks and I think it was like $160 retail and for that it isnt worth it. They're good reels just not for the price they ask
I bought this combo a few weeks ago, Love the rod but the reel is pretty crap. I hate the grips and i hate how much the reel flexes under the slightest amount of stress. It also looks and feels pretty low quality. Ended up keeping the rod and selling the reel on ebay.
I love mine, not as great as any of my shimanos, but it’s still a great reel IMO.
You should try the lews tournament pro. Its much better all around the the curodo. It smoother and cast way further and handles light weight better. The one thing i give the curodo is tolerance. Its a lot tighter. It also hax a great handle.
It’s not a great reel it’s just a reel that can get the job done
Easy on the hook fella..
Would love to see Super Duty 300 and GX3 reviews 😊
Take the control nupout that reel is very good have that combo for 5 years no problems have the Mach 2 for 5 years and the mach 1 for 5 years there very good if you not like lews is ok love abbue garcia revo sx my opinion is the best abue garcia
The Levante needs its review already!
It's discontinued... They had a slightly higher than their standard of breakages. All new levante coming soon
@@TackleAdvisors Wait wait wait, there's a 3rd version of the Levante incoming? The 2nd just came out not too long ago.
@@TackleAdvisors can you tell me how much of the braid and leader you spooled, respectively. On this setup, please? Thank you
I love lews but you have to remember a huge portion of their line is geared towards budget anglers. That being said Lews entire Mach line is marketed to high school and college anglers who dont have a ton of money. Lews actually gives all mach series equipment to high school fishing teams for free. Lews high end products are an awesome value IMO, a lot of their high end stuff has features found only in more expensive products from other companies. The pro TI rod is only $250 and is comparable to rods that are $400. Im not sure why this reel you have is priced that way when you can get a BB1 or a tournament MB for the same money...
Well put. I was aware of their presence in the schools. This setup I thought was a 100$ split... Was shocked it was a 160$ retail reel. For the 200$ retail you can do better.. It's not bad.. But the price tag puts it down on the value list
@@TackleAdvisors Well if you ever have issues with it I can vouch for lews top notch customer service, Ive had them send me free gears for a reel that wasnt even under warranty, I sent in a broken reel for one of their free cleanings and it came back fixed. All of their high end gear has a lifetime warranty including rods. I love my shimanos also but Im not ever expecting that kind of customer service from them.
@@TackleAdvisors I as you know do use some of their stuff, and will say they will fix whatever however lol. I had the tip top on this rod groove using mono, and they freaking sent a whole new rod from it.
Have you even used a high end rod to compare a pro ti rod to man. That’s a bold thing to say and no way it can compete with a expride or poison Adrena, or a Megan’s rod that is.
@@grandfishing590 of course I have. Why would I say that if I havent?
hey wanna bring your kayak down for some snakehead fishing sometimes?
My yak is the moped of kayaks... I only use it due to the fact it fits in the back of my car and deploys in seconds... I'd be embarrassed if caught on film outside of first person perspective lol
@@TackleAdvisors no judgment here. I used to drive a scion tc with a small dinky kayak shoved into my car from back to the windshield. But I got plenty of places we can fish on foot and we don't need to film. I don't always film my trips or I don't release em all. Offer is available whenever ur ready.
Lews makes some of the best casting reels on the market. But don't buy the mach or crush. There not worth what you're paying. They kind of hype them up for middle school kids. But Don't let that fool you. My favorite baitcaster is the tournament pro for all around fishing. It is way smoother and cast way further than a curodo and handles the light stuff better. It has better breaks and daily in easy. The curodo has better tolerance and ofcorse that amazing handle Shimano uses. But don't sleep on lews. There a bass fishing brand. Other than the mach and crush there upper end stuff is 2nd to none up to $300 reel. The mach and crush is basically a lfs with a few tweaks
I couldn't get on the Lew's hype train. The good stuff is real pricey and the fancy colored combos have too many mixed reviews. They should be about half of their in-store prices. I ended up shopping around for a good while to choose my combos.
I put together a combo of kastking resolute 7'6 MH rod, kastking blackhawk II, 7'3 MH, and a couple Abu Garcia Revo X inshore reels. It is really nice compared to my cheaper stuff, but I do alright using a cheapo pfleuger monarch next to them as well. I can tell the more expensive combos are definitely nicer and more capable, but they all catch fish. I also really like the cadence BC-5 casting rods for sturdy, cheaper rods and the old Ambassadeur 5500-c3's for heavier stuff like cat fishing rigs or popping corks with heavy jigs.
But the revo x inshore reels cast like a dream. The more I dial them in, the less trouble I have with them. They handle fairly light lures as long as you don't fight the wind too much and they can tighten up and handle heavy rigs and big fish with no problem, too. Plus the drag is really smooth. It isn't space age tech, but it feels like real, quality stuff when I use it and I'm glad I bought it. I'd love to see you put one through its paces. At $130, they're in that perfect range between bargain gear and high end stuff, but the quality to price ratio is nice on this one.
Those handle grips are junk after sometime, they will get dirty and you can’t clean them. Had the same type of soft grip for my golf clubs and they were junk and peeling off after awhile. Great video though!
ANDREW was it the wraps?
U should do a sixgill wraith ?
OEM garbage
I had a typhoon and it was the worst reel I ever owned
Never owned anything Lew's but I've heard mixed opinions. I doubt I will anytime soon after your thorough review. Good video always feel like I learned a thing or 2. Whether I remember it is another question. That was a sweet pike, curious do you stick your hand in mouth to retrieve lure? Tight lines
I love Lews! That reel is garbage tho I hate mine