I have stuck to lead my who life, what makes tungsten better?

It's a denser metal and heavier. A 1/4 lead weight is about 1.5-2x the size of a 1/4 tungsten weight. It also transmits vibration better because it's more dense. So you can feel the bottom better.

Dude, tungsten is denser and heavier per unit volume.. smaller weights needed..

I use it to balance my rods too.

Also better for the environment.

More important than it being denser and smaller is that it is FAR more sensitive. You can practically map out the bottom contour of where you are fishing with a tungsten weighted texas rig and some good sensitive line. since tungsten is denser, that means it is harder and any feeling gets transferred through the weight instead of, as with a soft lead weight, the material absorbing that feeling.

 

(ok, some other poster, most likely WRB, wrote a great post about this using proper terminology that makes mine look like it was written by someone who speaks English as a 12th language)

Here is an article for you OP if you want some info on the differences.

http://www.*/-general-bass-fishing-links-275/2083-tungsten-weights-versus-lead-weights.html

In some rigs tungsten is better beacause it has higher acoustic properties ( like in the C-rig ) you can literally hear it clacking.