Lendrum Love: Lendrum DT Original Review

Purchased from: Susan’s Fiber Shop, WI

About: (Complete Package) Ratios: 6:1, 8:1, 10:1; 5:1, 7:1, 9:1 (plying head); 12:1, 15:1, 17:1 (fast flyer)

Extras: Quill head: (6:1, 25:1, 37:1), Very Fast Flyer Head w/ bobbin: (26:1, 30:1, 36:1, 44:1)

Price: $790.00 (Complete Package price);  $630.00 alone

What can I say: I love my Lendrum!

As someone who was more into traditional- looking wheels, the Lendrum DT was a hard sale for me. However, after spinning for a while, I came to a point at which bang for buck, practicality, and portability became more important than aesthetics.

Lendrums are sturdy wheels made of hard maple. While not the prettiest wheel on the block, it is made with efficiency and purpose in mind. It is, if you will, the “people’s wheel.” It will get you anywhere you need to go- and further.

The Lendrum company is really a small company run by Gord Lendrum. I have heard that Mr. Lendrum has actually spoken directly with customers and is always ready to help should help be needed. Lendrums are not mass- produced and, at times, customers are wait- listed when mass orders are made.

The complete package costs around $790.00 and enables a spinner to spin anything from lace- weight to chunky/ art yarns. It includes sliding hook flyers (which I love) and easy to assemble and change flyers and heads. Should one need more speed, an additional head w/ flyer and bobbin is available that enables a ratio of 44:1. A quill head is also available for additional purchase.

Additional bobbins and accessories are modestly priced- which is another advantage to purchasing a Lendrum.

Lendrums are also very portable; weighing only 14 pounds and folding to a nearly flat position, transport is not only possible- but also easy. Also, being that Lendrums are made of hard (Canadian) maple, they can take a reasonable amount of abuse. Not that I would advise abusing any wheel.

Lendrum Originals lean so that the spinner can look at the how the bobbin is filling while spinning. I am too short to take advantage of this feature but others find it useful. I don’t mind the lean, honestly. I don’t even notice it until someone else mentions it.

The Lendrum is very easy to treadle and is very responsive to stops, starts, speed, etc. It is a wheel that truly becomes an extension of the spinner using it- which makes for a relaxing spin. Spinning on a Lendrum is kind of like spending time with someone who knows you so well that he/ she can anticipate your thoughts before you say anything.

The Complete Package is truly a “more bang for your buck” kind of purchase. There really isn’t anything you can’t spin if you go that route.

The plying head/ flyer is amazing in that it comes with a huge orifice and bobbin. Honestly, I have not yet been able to fill a plying bobbin! Furthermore, I have spun (plied) thick/ thin, coils, supercoils and a wrapped single and nothing has refused to go through the orifice or the sliding hooks on the flyer. I am considering incorporating felt shapes as well as kitsch- type objects in my next ball of yarn and I am confident that anything I wish to use will not be an issue.

The only complaint I have is that using the plying head can be difficult. It is a bit hard to treadle and it is difficult to treadle slow while keeping the wheel moving. After using the normal head/ flyer, using the plying head feels extremely difficult. However, I did get used to it and, eventually, forgot that what I was doing was difficult.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Lendum wheels.