Lead VS Tungsten？Who is better?
There is a heated debate in the fishing world when it comes to fishing weights. Should you be using lead or tungsten weights? While each has their own pros and cons, tungsten continues to take over the fishing industry by storm. So why is this? Besides being much better for the environment than lead products, tungsten has many performance advantages as well. Let’s take a closer look at exactly why tungsten fishing weights are much better than your traditional lead weights!
Size and Density
There is a famous saying that goes “bigger is not always better”. This is especially true when speaking about fishing equipment, including fishing weights. Here is where tungsten has its first major advantage in performance. Tungsten has a much denser weight than lead which means you can have more weight in a smaller package. Taking a look at size comparisons, you can see two weights of the same exact size (one of lead and the other tungsten) will actually be very different in actual weight.
So why are the densities so different between these two materials? It all comes down to how the atoms form into solids. A piece of tungsten is heavier than a piece of lead of the same size because you can fit many more tungsten atoms into the same space and volume. Tungsten atoms are more capable than lead atoms of being pushed closer to each other, resulting in a heavier density.
Both of these metals will form orderly patterns when formed into solids, and the more closely the atoms are packed, the higher the density of the metal. With this in mind, tungsten comes out to be 1.7 times denser than lead and around 2.5 times denser than steel. The density of lead is 0.410 lb/in3, which means a cube of lead one inch on all sides weighs 0.41 pounds. Tungsten has a density of 0.70 lbs/in3. So to put it simply, a small cube of tungsten one inch on all sides would weigh 0.70 lbs, or 1.74 times more than the same sized cube of lead.
More Density Means Better Sensitivity
Because of its greater density, tungsten also has the distinct advantage of being much more sensitive over different types of cover and bottoms. What does a higher sensitivity mean for an angler? This will allow you to feel out the bottom structure, and figure out if you are fishing over things like gravel, rocks, or sand. Tungsten can allow you to tell the difference between them all. This also holds true for other types of cover and structure as well. You can feel the difference in softness between things like rock and wood too.
Tungsten has a much higher sensitivity because of how much more dense it is than lead. For serious fishermen, this greater sensitivity can mean better and more consistent fishing. But this is not the only advantage that tungsten can bring. It’s smaller size also leads to a lot more benefits as well!
Fall Rates and Performance
So does tungsten give your better overall performance than lead when in the water? Let’s take a look at the fall rate for example. Take a single ½ oz tungsten weight and a ½ lead weight for comparison. Which one would you guess would fall faster if they are the exact same weight? Most would say that they would fall at the same rate because of the same weight, while others may guess that the lead weight would fall slower since it is bigger and has more surface area to create drag and slow it down.
If you guessed the second option, then you would be right! Even with the same weight, the bulkier size and inconsistencies in the metal create more surface area and drag when falling through the water. Even with a head start, a lead weight that weighs the same as tungsten weight will still drop much slower to the bottom of the water.
Another aspect to lead weights that does not get mentioned enough is the terrible quality control. Simply take a look at the openings of a lead bullet weight and compare it to those of a tungsten bullet weight. You will see jagged edges and sharp corners. This will wear out your line much faster than that of a tungsten weight, which has clean and consistent edges. These imperfections will also work to slow down lead weights, and cause them to be much more unreliable in their performance. Imagine a boat with a random rudder on the side, and how hard it would be to keep it on a consistent path!
The overall quality of tungsten far outshines that of lead, and will in turn lead to much more consistent performance and results while in the water. Sleek and smooth, you will constantly get faster and straighter drops every time that you throw a tungsten weight into the water.
Final Thoughts
While there will always be a debate amongst anglers on which material, lead or tungsten, that they prefer, there is no debating the fact that tungsten simply outperforms lead in almost every aspect. Looking at the numbers and data, it is easy to see why more and more anglers are turning to this amazing material to use as a fishing weight, and why it continues to take the fishing world by storm!
Nako Tungsten Weights
As a new brand, Nako insists on the lead-free concept and promotes tungsten weights in fishing. To eliminate lead tackles and cut down the price of tungsten, Nako holds his manufactory near the tungsten mine in China that releases a lot of costs.
Nako Tungsten Weights Products: