Well to preface this I have used steel Dunlops, DR Lo Riders, DR Fat Beams, and DR Hi Beams and each set had similar qualities that I simply disliked.
For one, steel strings have a very unique feel to them. Unlike nickles (which I find to be smooth and slick), steels tend to have a harshness to them. It almost feels like they're cutting into my skin, and it makes slides very uncomfortable.
In addition, I've always found them to be less bright than their nickle counterpart (which seems to be a weird anomaly that only I experience). Whenever I put a fresh set of steels on a bass they already sound like they've been broken in for at least two weeks. Any sort of high end zing is long gone, and all that's left is this dark grind. That said, they seem to maintain this tone for a long time despite how often you play them. Nickles, on the other hand, seem to constantly lose their tone the more and more you play them.
Lastly, and this is a really silly reason, I just hate how they look. They always have this darkness to them that reminds me of rusty nickles. As stupid as it sounds, that bothers me a lot about them too because I want my strings looking fresh!
