This is going to be a two-part story (wasn't intended that way), and with today's rain, have time to write the first part.
Made the switch to 20-lb braid on my Lew's Super Duty, and happy with the result for 1/4+-oz lures on my MM rod.
Have my Lew's Inshore in ML 1/8-oz niche, but wasn't at all happy with my braid result - the reel laid the braid slightly skewed to one side. Probably going to rescue that braid for another spool and switch the Inshore back to 12-lb fluoro - it was ready for line, the old fluoro was there since I bought the reel.
Here's the rod application, my 13Fishing Omen Green ML, really a jewel, freakishly light-in-hand, moderate Toray graphite.
Found an ebay vendor with discounted price on Lew's new shallow-spool SP - the reel is gorgeous, barely 6 oz with wear-treated alloy drive gears, and the slickest Lew's i've ever fondled.
Noteworthy, the weight is within 10 grams of high-dollar BFS reels from the big 3.
The only thing I don't like is the 8.3 gearing, which I improved for my fishing with a longer-pitch handle. (Avail titanium knob spindles further lightens from the already light stock handle).
My parts order from Japan Tackle (3-day DHL) included two sets of Hedgehog Kattobi BFS spool bearings for Lew's, which are half-price right now; the Avail handle, Avail knobs, and Avail handle nut keeper (already had the Avail knob caps, titanium handle nut, and plenty of 3x7 mm bearings).
The Air BFS bearings are freakishly light - micro stainless bearings kept in sized barstock housings.
Hedgehog says they're 50% lighter than stock bearings, but they're much lighter than that...
Hedgehog also shows these bearings are optimized for 1/8 oz.
The narrow and shallow spool is by far the lightest-weight Lew's has ever offered.
No significant effort to replace the palm-cap bearing.
I also learned the P2 pinion gear is held in alignment by the wind-side bearing, and that bearing can't be replaced without opening the gears - too much work for a new reel.
But this mass is not involved in the spool during casting (look at the spindle gap in the 3rd thumbnail below), and this winding-load-point is where you want a full-size bearing.
I did notice even the single bearing swap made a difference.
The stock spool would spin for 7 seconds, and just replacing one bearing with the Air BFS, the spool free-spin increased to 12 seconds.
But the 5x11-mm spool bearing, behind the pin...
A normal pin tool can't get to that pin, it's so small and close to the recessed bearing and spool rim, and the 32-mm spool diameter won't shoulder the normal pin tool.
Hedgehog states their pin tool won't work on Daiwa Air spools, and I'm guessing this design matches that.
After digging on youtubes, found Plat video on using the Daiwa SLP Works pin tool - the tool design has a really slick removable anvil that will reach just about anywhere.
So I went to Hedgehog to order the Daiwa tool (just shipped Fed-Ex last night).
I also saw the Lew's SP spool anodize is orange rather than gold, so also ordered the Avail nut retainer and knob caps in orange anodize. But this will get the reel finished out the way I want, and will post final results next time.
I mentioned on another thread, braid's tough to get in the US right now. Japan is doing better. My first Japan Tackle order also included my braid, YGK X-braid Upgrade. The line changes color every 10 m, and marked every meter. It's also freakishly thin even with a thick coating. The 22-lb test is PE (Gou number) 1, 0.17 mm (0.007") diameter.
The shallow spool capacity should accept the full 200 m, and still be a low-mass, low-inertia BFS spool.