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Interesting observation on reel sales

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  • Blasphemy ?

  • bulldog1935
    bulldog1935

    Fished nothing but Lew's since 1984, when Daiwa wouldn't support parts on my 7-y-o Millionaire - certainly didn't have a kind word for Daiwa for those three decades.  Speed Spool was a para

  • I’ve used all 3 brands, and Lews can stand toe to toe with Shimano and Daiwa every day of the week. I’ve never been anything but satisfied with my Lews reels. May not be as flashy but function and pri

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  • Super User
12 hours ago, newapti5 said:

Diawa -> Diawia -> Diana.  Come on, it's a bit out of control, whether you like them or not.  It's Daiwa, 大和,the alternative name for Japan, like Columbia to US.

iphone spell check got me early in the morning

On 4/10/2023 at 6:29 AM, Catt said:

 

Blasphemy ?

 I agree. Doyo, who makes Lews reels, is a step above Shimano.

19 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Feel the same way about Diawia 

I actually thought this was being pronounced "diarrhea," ? 

  • Super User
1 hour ago, ska4fun said:

 I agree. Doyo, who makes Lews reels, is a step above Shimano.

Does either company (Doyo or Lews) design and build a proprietary reel ?

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16 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Does either company (Doyo or Lews) design and build a proprietary reel

Doyo is a large South Korean builder/brand with agreements not to sell to the North American Market. They build reels for Lew's, ABU, and few Daiwas for our market, and also under different brand names in other markets. Many KDM models built by Doyo are simply rebranded/nameplated for Lew's and ABU. There are differences between the two, greater at higher price points, and many are not minor either.

4 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Doyo is a large South Korean builder/brand with agreements not to sell to the North American Market. They build reels for Lew's, ABU, and few Daiwas for our market, and also under different brand names in other markets. Many KDM models built by Doyo are simply rebranded/nameplated for Lew's and ABU. There are differences between the two, greater at higher price points, and many are not minor either.

Saw one of those YT channels had a Doyo Liger 30 which is identical to Lews skipping reel 

  • Super User
1 minute ago, GReb said:

Saw one of those YT channels had a Doyo Liger 30 which is identical to Lews skipping reel 

Correct. You get the warranty and service from Lew's, which has been generally excellent, and a recognizable nameplate palatable for our market.

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Does either company (Doyo or Lews) design and build a proprietary reel ?

Doyo does.  They then let others put their name on the outside.  Its their gig.

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5 hours ago, Tatulatard said:

Doyo does.  They then let others put their name on the outside.  Its their gig.

Yep. I have enjoyed my BB1 Pro. It took a beating last year with no issues.

 

With that said I am still trying to decide how to finish my next order. ? 

 

Reels.thumb.png.ee18f6bf1eaa345f1fb97ef3c4a6c9be.png

 

Don't get too ruffled. It's just for fun and I really couldn't resist. 

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6 hours ago, GReb said:

Saw one of those YT channels had a Doyo Liger 30 which is identical to Lews skipping reel 

Napoleon Dynamite Liger GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

I have three lews, a shimano, and two daiwas. The thing that made me buy lews in the first place was the drag rating, consistently 20# versus 10-12# on most comparable shimano or daiwas. This isn't that important for bass, but I do occasionally target longnose gar, buffalo, and catfish that get much larger than most bass and the heavier drag does matter in those conditions.  From what I can tell there is very little consistency even within the same models of reels, but Daiwas are the only ones I've consistently had to return for issues I couldn't fix (bearing screech on both an SV and an Elite). The Lew's get dry bearings kinda fast, you can tell because you start having to really work to reach the same cast distances - using a better oil seems to have more or less fixed this. The shimano...it just works. But it's also my most expensive reel (curado dc). I use a Tatula CT probably more than anything, but a lews tournament pro or XP is probably a close second.

10 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Doyo is a large South Korean builder/brand with agreements not to sell to the North American Market. They build reels for Lew's, ABU, and few Daiwas for our market, and also under different brand names in other markets. Many KDM models built by Doyo are simply rebranded/nameplated for Lew's and ABU. There are differences between the two, greater at higher price points, and many are not minor either.

Are the BPS carbon light 2.0 rebadged Lew reels ? 

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15 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

Are the BPS carbon light 2.0 rebadged Lew reels ?

I'm not sure if that particular reel is a one for one clone of a current Lew's model. Otherwise, BPS reels are also Doyo builds for the most part, and while similar, don't *seem* to overlap precisely to anything currently offered from Lew's higher price-point metal framed models, and that would make sense. I'm not sure where the super cheap BPS reels come from. Whether or not Lew's acts as a broker here for BPS, who knows? But I imagine BPS has the pull to deal directly with Doyo for their own exclusive builds. No BPS reel I'm aware of has Lew's ACB braking AFAIK, or a P2 pinion setup yet, but they do offer MSB, and Magtrax types which exist in some current or recent Lew's and ABU reels. Nothing offered by Lew's at the price point has the full metal frame and sideplates build of the JM Platinum Signature, so there's at least an effort to differentiate between lines.

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

I'm not sure if that particular reel is a one for one clone of a current Lew's model. Otherwise, BPS reels are also Doyo builds for the most part, and while similar, don't *seem* to overlap precisely to anything currently offered from Lew's higher price-point metal framed models, and that would make sense. I'm not sure where the super cheap BPS reels come from. Whether or not Lew's acts as a broker here for BPS, who knows? But I imagine BPS has the pull to deal directly with Doyo for their own exclusive builds. No BPS reel I'm aware of has Lew's ACB braking AFAIK, or a P2 pinion setup yet, but they do offer MSB, and Magtrax types which exist in some current or recent Lew's and ABU reels. Nothing offered by Lew's at the price point has the full metal frame and sideplates build of the JM Platinum Signature, so there's at least an effort to differentiate between lines.

I know internally the carbon light is identical to the other doyo reels that I have.  Couple extra metal bits and I think a bearing on the worm gear and I also think full carbon washers  No supported pinion.  It has been a good reel though.

 

amazing the shimano slx and quantum accurist ( with flipping switch) can give a supported pinion for $25 less.  I guess the trade off though was not full carbon washers 

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I have two Lew's reels. One LFS casting reel, and one G Spin spinning reel. This will be season three for the LFS, and season two for the G spin. Both have worked perfectly, with no problems. I think these are good reels for the cost.

12 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

Are the BPS carbon light 2.0 rebadged Lew reels ? 

When I worked for BPS, all of the BPS branded reels from the Bionic series up came off the same Doyo line as Lew's and some other other brands. Actually were delivered to the store in Doyo boxes. I don't remember who made the cheaper reels.

 

From what I've been told by friends still with BPS, the only exception are the Johnny Morris Signature and Platinum spinning reels which are made by Diawa. 

My only experience with Lew’s was a first gen Laser. It started giving me trouble pretty quick. I know it’s a sample size of one but it turned me off on them. It’s likely unfounded with their newer stuff, but I just stick to Daiwa and Shimano anymore. 

  • Super User
18 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

amazing the shimano slx and quantum accurist ( with flipping switch) can give a supported pinion for $25 less.

Before Lew's put the P2 pinion setup in the LFS, Quantum was the only reel at the price point with a pinion extending into a bearing in the handle-sideplate. Tatulas below the 300 don't, and neither does the SLX. The short shoulder found on its pinion doesn't allow for that function.

 

Tatulas and the SLX both have a single frame mounted pinion bearing, but that feature is no better at supporting the pinion on that particular side during cranking than a spool mounted bearing like most pre and non P2 Lew's reels do. Both the Tatulas and the SLX have the pinion lightly riding the spool shaft during the cast and rely on the shaft as a support mechanism for the opposite end of the pinion during cranking. There's enough clearance between the outside diameter of the Quantum's spool shaft and the inside diameter its pinion that it meets Quantum's claim of "Zero Friction" pinion. Lew's is doing the same thing with the P2 reels.

  • Super User

These days I fish with Daiwa or Shimano.  I've owned two Lew's reels over the years and returned them both because of defects.

  • Super User
On 4/11/2023 at 11:33 AM, J Francho said:

iphone spell check got me early in the morning

 

Mine was the fingers were faster than the brain!

  • Super User

I must have some kind of amazing luck because I enjoy my reels from all these companies.

 

I feel like all of them make incredibly competitive products that will help anglers boat the fish they're after and most of the things we like or dislike is just personal preference.

 

I will say, at 83.50$ per reel, my Daiwa Fuego 8 speed reels are hard to beat for me.  They need a little love out of the box, but I do that with any reel I buy anyway and these feel super nice for the money to me.

 

Lew's and Shimano and Abu make great reels also.  I think that for most businesses, it's difficult to be competitive and scale your production without manufacturing overseas.  Research and coming up with the design is more what the companies do these days.  They have to sell reels and I think they know they'd sell a ton less if they had them made domestically and charged what that would need to cost.

  • Super User
13 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Research and coming up with the design

I'd be surprised that any of the rebranded Doyo/Banax/other had any design input other than specifying a bearing grade or main gear material.  Maybe knob design, since those are somewhat unique.  

  • Author
25 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I must have some kind of amazing luck because I enjoy my reels from all these companies.

 

I feel like all of them make incredibly competitive products that will help anglers boat the fish they're after and most of the things we like or dislike is just personal preference.

 

I will say, at 83.50$ per reel, my Daiwa Fuego 8 speed reels are hard to beat for me.  They need a little love out of the box, but I do that with any reel I buy anyway and these feel super nice for the money to me.

 

Lew's and Shimano and Abu make great reels also.  I think that for most businesses, it's difficult to be competitive and scale your production without manufacturing overseas.  Research and coming up with the design is more what the companies do these days.  They have to sell reels and I think they know they'd sell a ton less if they had them made domestically and charged what that would need to cost.

 

Ardent reels used to be made in US, before they moved the production oversea. Also, a bunch of fly reels brands are still made in US. I think.

 

But again, I feel like the correlation between reel quality and manufacturing location is getting weaker and weaker. Daiwa owns factories in different countries, and asks Doyo to make some reels for them. Doyo also has many factories and partners in other countries besides Korea, and they help Doyo make reels as well.  Besides, all the parts insides are from all over the world. It's getting really hard to associate reel quality with locations anymore. 

  • Super User
9 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I'd be surprised that any of the rebranded Doyo/Banax/other had any design input other than specifying a bearing grade or main gear material.  Maybe knob design, since those are somewhat unique.  

 

Well that's fair.  I guess most tire companies just make tires.  Hard to re invent the wheel sadly.

 

So maybe, companies are just trying to sell products at prices people will pay?

 

That seems like a reasonable assessment.

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