I just ordered up a Lamson Litespeed in an 8/9 weight sight unseen.

Anyone have experience with the Litespeed series?

Thoughts (good, bad, and other) welcome.

Coley,
Lots of Litespeed fans out there. Wish I could be one of them, but I'm not.
I have a 1.5 and a 2.0 that I find myself using them less and less. Both are likely to be sold sometime soon.

The best thing in my opinion about them is the drag.

The thing I like the least about them is how thin and ported they are. I've bent the spools on both of mine. One on a streamside fall and the other that fell over in my garage while in a padded reel on rod case.
I've abused some other reels pretty well with falls over the years and none have been damaged as easily as the Litespeeds.
The tiny reel handles are a negative to me as well, especially on the 1.5.

Interesting. Thanks for the response. Sounds like a bit of a bummer for sure. Perhaps they should have named the material "not so hard alox!"

fragile things don't tend to stay in my posession for too long.

Coley,
I have the original version, not the 'hard alox" models. That may explain what I've experienced.

the small ones are fragile, the larger sizes are a little better. If you got it for your spey/swtich... probably would have gone with something a little heavier to help balance it out better cause they are WAY light.
That all said I have a #2. Kick ass little reel for seasruns in the sound. Love the low up keep on them. like brian said, the drags are the biggest selling point for these reels.