Reel Review: Lews Speed Spool LFS – 5 Year Ownership Review
Considering a Lews Speed Spool LFS for your next bait casting reel? Or maybe you already have a Lews Speed Spool LFS and want to know how well it will stand the rest of time and abuse of use? Scroll down for more information in that case…
The Lews Speed Spool LFS is, and always has been the gold standard for the $99 budget reel, and for good reason! This modestly priced reel sports features and build quality comparable with other reels double its price.
The Lews Speed Spool features a new frame design to fit your hand with ease, which I have to say is certainty noticeable. I’ve spent entire days with this reel in my hand for 8 hours or more and it just becomes an extension of my hand after a while. High-strength solid brass Speed Gears and a P2 Super Pinion gear make for smoother operation and extend gear life which means the Speed Spool LFS just received a heavy-duty upgrade at the same great price. Here is a quick rundown of the features, from Lews:
- One-piece aluminum frame with easily removable graphite palming sideplate
- Drilled, machined and anodized aluminum 34mm spool. SS1SA features high capacity dimpled spool
- High strength solid brass Speed Gears™, cut on precision Hamai CNC machines
- P2 Super Pinion™ bearing supported pinion gear provides precise alignment and solid stability, resulting in a smoother operation and extended gear life
- Premium 10-bearing system with stainless steel double shielded bearings and Zero Reverse® one-way clutch
- Externally adjustable Magnetic Control System (MCS)
- Anodized aluminum spool tension adjustment knob
- Durable Rulon drag system, provides up to 15lbs. of drag power
- Bowed 95mm aluminum cranking handle with Lew’s® custom
- SoftTouch contoured paddle handle knobs
- New oversized bowed audible click drag star
- Zirconia line guide
- External lube port
I’ve fished this reel for going on 5 years now, and let me tell you, I have not been kind to it. This reel has always sat on my “do-it-all” medium action rod and has been chucked in the bed of my truck, kicked around on the deck of my boat, dropped to the bottom of the lake and abused by many first-timer friends learning to use a Baitcaster. Being such an affordable reel, I just never really thought to take care of it as well as my other more expensive reels, but this little Lews just don’t give a damn.
5 years on and everything still functions as well as the day I bought it. The aluminum body has some deck rash and cosmetic scratches, but nothing is broken – Not even the plastic bits! The drag is smooth and consistent, and it rarely birds nests. Being my “do it all reel”, it often finds itself in situations where it should be, like winching out hogs from thick heavy vegetation and while its “only rated” for 15lb of drag, I’ve certainly pulled up larger and heavier snags than that from the depths. Even after what I can only imagine would be hundreds of thousands of casts, it’s still smooth and quiet with no pay or noise coming from any of the bearings.
Now I don’t want to get you too gassed up on this reel, obviously there are differences between it and let’s say a Shimano Anteras, or a Diawa Steez – but for the money, I don’t think it can be beat, and when it comes down to it, I don’t think I’ve ever lost a fish because my reel was $99 instead of $699.
If you think I’ve convinced you to add a Lews Speed Spool to your arsenal, I’d really appreciate if you use the link below. I do receive a small kickback, but that is what keeps this blog going!
Thanks for stopping by, we’ll see you out there 😉
