I'm looking at these two reels and I'm wondering if anybody who has these particular reels would care to chime in? I would be getting a left-hand version of whichever reel.
I haven't been super impresses with my LFS
Speed spool. It's been hard for me to adjust to different lure weights on the fly, particularly lighter stuff. Other than that its sturdy, lightweight, and palms comfortably.
Well, I am a beginner to bait cast reels so whichever of these two reels (which is what's available to me at this point in time) is more user friendly is what I'm looking for.
Is there any quality difference?
I have both + Daiwa Lexa's (same frame as the Exceler). I like the Exceler (and Lexa) better, I don't hate the Lews, but I don't think it's for me, and will replace it with another Daiwa soon. One of the things I like better about the Exceler is they are a little "fuller" in my hand , while still being light, and comfortable to me. The Lews gear box sits really low on the rod, much like the latest generation Abu Revo's, and both (Lews LFS SS, and Gen 3 Revos) are a little "funny" feeling in my hands. I also HATE the knobs on the Lews handle, and Lews mag. brake is inferior to Daiwa's. The Daiwa's have more power. I can deep crank very easy with the 6.3 Exceler, the Lews feels labored with anything the size of a 5xd or bigger.
I doubt I'll be doing much deep cranking, I mostly pond/lake fish and right now my favorite pond is at about 30 feet deep in it's deepest part. Now that may change down the road and I may go to deeper lakes and ponds. Above all I want the reel i get to be user friendly for a beginner and be good quality. Both of these reels cost the same money so I was just trying to get a sense of their pros/cons compared to each other.
The Exceler Exe would be a good choice and it's like $75 online. The Lews speed spool that was before all the Lfs models isn't bad either.
i was checking out reviews for both reels on TW , Lew's LFS = very good -Daiwa excelor = not so good ....
On 9/15/2015 at 1:01 AM, pgersumky said:i was checking out reviews for both reels on TW , Lew's LFS = very good -Daiwa excelor = not so good ....
The problem with tw reviews is there way too many fanboys that comment, messes up the whole review process, expand your review websites and you'll see
i would take a 10 bearing reel like the Lew's reel any day over a 6 bearing reel . i also know that Lew's customer service is great , that being said , the choice for me is obvious , Lew's ....
by the way , the MCS braking system on the Lew's is fantastic , i have a Tournament MG with that same braking set-up and it's Very good ..
On 9/15/2015 at 2:34 AM, tomustang said:The problem with tw reviews is there way too many fanboys that comment, messes up the whole review process, expand your review websites and you'll see
check out Tackle Tours review of the Excelor .
On 9/15/2015 at 3:36 AM, pgersumky said:check out Tackle Tours review of the Excelor .
The gave it a 7.24. Pretty decent marks for a reel that can be purchased for under $80. I serviced one for a local at the beginning of the season that was about a year and a half old. It's still nice and smooth. I owned 2 of them at one point and they had zero issues. Either company makes fine reels. Just find the one that offers more of what you like.
i feel with the better bearings and more of them in the right places , better braking system, and removable knobs , the Lew's is a lot better buy ..
On 9/15/2015 at 4:25 AM, pgersumky said:i feel with the better bearings and more of them in the right places , better braking system, and removable knobs , the Lew's is a lot better buy ..
Better bearings... Chances are they're purchased in mass quantities from one of a few companies overseas. Possibly the same one. So saying they're better is an assumption. Doubtful one's better than the other truthfully. The Exceler has riveted knobs on the handle. Downside is ease of cleaning. That's where your extra bearings are too. A lot of high dollar Daiwa reels only have 1 bearing in each knob. It's an easy way to make someone think they're getting more by tossing in 20 cents worth of bearings. Better braking... Daiwa is known for its magforce braking system.
Either reel will serve its purpose and neither is light years ahead of the other.
The Excellent has only 1 corrosion resistant bearing compared to 9 on the Lew's & I'd take any bearing over a plastic bushing any day , just my opinion .
Okay, these both seem like really good quality reels...soo, which one is better suited for a beginner to bait casting?
On 9/15/2015 at 8:42 AM, Brett said:Okay, these both seem like really good quality reels...soo, which one is better suited for a beginner to bait casting?
the Lew's MCS brake system is really good , don't know about the excelor but the Lews is pretty failsafe if you keep the dial on the brakes on 5 or above then after you get used to it dial it down . if you ever used an Abu Garcia Revo like the sx , you will love the braking set-up on the Lews , way easier ....
Either one is fine. Choose the one that offers features that you like. There's no wrong answer. Personally if the size of the Tatula doesn't bother you I'd buy it over them both. It's a much better built reel verse the Exe or Lews. You can get it under $100 from the two popular auction sites. It has Daiwas magforce Z mag braking system. Which is probably hands down the best mag braking system available today. It's also easy to upgrade if down the road you desire to do so. You can add 4 more bearings to it. You can get a different spool for it. They offer tons of different handles and knobs for it. Even anodized dress up parts if that interests you.
On 9/15/2015 at 9:02 AM, pgersumky said:the Lew's MCS brake system is really good , don't know about the excelor but the Lews is pretty failsafe if you keep the dial on the brakes on 5 or above then after you get used to it dial it down . if you ever used an Abu Garcia Revo like the sx , you will love the braking set-up on the Lews , way easier ....
As you can tell he's a fanboy. No offense meant. Just calling it as I see it. I'm a Shimano fanboy myself. Between those two I'd go with the daiwa(more metal,better braking system)& daiwa has been around forever. If I were picking any reel i'd spend $117 on a new citica I.
The thing is I'm most likely getting the reel at American Legacy Fishing as they have a reel trade-in program and are offering me a good price for an Abu Garcia Promax RH reel I have. I don't want to have to add in a bunch of money on top of the reel trade-in and these two specific reels are the best they have in LH under $100.00.
Both work great,just get whichever one looks better to you.
On 9/15/2015 at 11:54 AM, bass raider said:As you can tell he's a fanboy. No offense meant. Just calling it as I see it. I'm a Shimano fanboy myself. Between those two I'd go with the daiwa(more metal,better braking system)& daiwa has been around forever. If I were picking any reel i'd spend $117 on a new citica I
call it whatever you want but the truth is , that excelor is just a cheap copy of the lexa , with plastic bushings instead of bearings & riveted knobs !! if those were two different shimanos which would you pick ? almost like choosing between a curado and a caius ....
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I know I probably shouldn't do this and add another reel to the mix but what are your views on the Quantum Accurist as compared to these other two reels?
why don'y you look into buying a nicer reel but a used one ? i'm sure you can find one probably in the flea market section .
The sticking point is I have to sell the reel i currently have first. That's why I like the idea of this American Legacy fishing trade-in program...that and they have some pretty good prices on a lot of these reels.
Plus I'm just a beginner so I'm not sure i need a reel with all the bells and whistles...maybe it will overwhelm me...lol. I want a solid (not cheap) reel that is easy to learn on and will last me at least a couple of years.
get that Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool for $129 !!!!!
They actually have the Lew's BB1 for $129 as well.
I forgot to mention that this place gives you a $25 gift certificate that can be used on anything over $100 just for signing up for their email newsletter. That being said, I really don't want to spend more than $50 plus my reel trade-in, just don't have the extra cabbage lying around right now with my son's birthday and Holiday's fast approaching.
On 9/17/2015 at 3:26 AM, Brett said:Plus I'm just a beginner so I'm not sure i need a reel with all the bells and whistles...maybe it will overwhelm me...lol. I want a solid (not cheap) reel that is easy to learn on and will last me at least a couple of years.
There's really no bells and whistles to a casting reel. They all have a drag star,spool tension knob, and brakes. Either mag,centrifugal, or both. A nicer reel is going to be easier to learn on. The tournament pro is a great reel if you can swing it.
Okay, I have also found a Daiwa Tatula 100HSL for $99...should this be in play too? Of course to get this reel I would definitely have to sell my current reel outright and get top dollar for it as AFL doesn't have this on sale . I do like the Lew's Tournement Pro and BB1 too...ahhh, decisions, decisions...would be much easier if I just had an extra $100 in cash lying around...lol.
On 9/17/2015 at 7:20 PM, Brett said:Okay, I have also found a Daiwa Tatula 100HSL for $99...should this be in play too? Of course to get this reel I would definitely have to sell my current reel outright and get top dollar for it as AFL doesn't have this on sale . I do like the Lew's Tournement Pro and BB1 too...ahhh, decisions, decisions...would be much easier if I just had an extra $100 in cash lying around...lol.
so you don't short change yourself and regret buying a better reel , i would just wait and save up a little more and get the reel you want as it is an investment . that Tournament Pro is a killer deal !!!
That's the thing, don't really know what I want. I've just gotten back into fishing a couple of years ago and really have no brand loyalties. I may have just sold my Abu reel so that would give me a little more freedom as far as which place i buy a reel from but unfortunately it doesn't make the additional $50 I would need magically appear...lol. I could get that Lew's Tournament Pro for $105 (It's on sale for $129 and than I have that $25 gift certifcate), assuming I could eventually save up the additional $50 to bring up to the $100 range between the Tournament Pro and that Tatula 100HSL which would be the better reel to start with?
On 9/18/2015 at 1:50 AM, Brett said:That's the thing, don't really know what I want. I've just gotten back into fishing a couple of years ago and really have no brand loyalties. I may have just sold my Abu reel so that would give me a little more freedom as far as which place i buy a reel from but unfortunately it doesn't make the additional $50 I would need magically appear...lol. I could get that Lew's Tournament Pro for $105 (It's on sale for $129 and than I have that $25 gift certifcate), assuming I could eventually save up the additional $50 to bring up to the $100 range between the Tournament Pro and that Tatula 100HSL which would be the better reel to start with?
i think you would be happy with either , both are good reels