I have owned this DL30 for several months, but hadn't really had the chance to try it out. Well today we are going to do some pretty extensive testing of this tool and compare it to the Leatherman Surge.
Been using the DL30 pretty hard for 6 mon as a daily carry. I have been very impressed with the quality that you get with a 37.00 dollar tool. I am surprised at how well the blade steel has held up and retained it's edge. Sharpens up easily and last a long time. Like I said I'm a hard user! I use it at work and on the farm many times a day and it has not let me down yet.
This is the best, most detailed, honest review and comparison of the DL30 with the Surge on RU-vid. I'm glad you're back to making such high quality videos. Other creators who machine-produce their reviews should learn from you.
You can put a 6mm by 1mm disk magnet in the bottom of the dl30s bit driver to make it magnetic while still being able to use the double sided ball detent bits
The Leatherman Surge only comes with sheath and Saw/File holder right? I don't think it comes with the Leatherman Bits either. About the cutters..the reason there are new cutters: They changed the molds for the Leatherman Wave Plus..it no longer fits the old cutters well. So when they changed it, the cutters needed an update...silly I know.
For those wondering about a god pocket clip option that isn’t adhesive based. The Donk - Titanium pocket clip for the leatherman wingman and sidekick fits very nicely onto the DL30. It’s not perfect but it’s the best option I’ve seen, and has served me very well for over a month now.
The next tool im gonna get is a victorinox. In the past, when i have used cheap multitools, have been aggravating and throwing the tool away. When i use something quality, i feel satisfied and glad i spent the extra money. I just won't buy any more leathermans until they step up their quality control, or i catch it on clearance.
good your back I've missed you so bad and two videos in a day twice as nice and knots video with your girls was great we all need a break but you've got a budget multi tools everywhere so you only have about 1 million videos to get done I'll enjoy all of them gald your back
90% as good, quarter of the price and not limited (by default) to the crappiest most expensive bits in existence. Not even a contest if you ask me. Works perfectly fine for all day to day tasks. Fixed a door mechanism, maintain the string trimmer, pull on suff, cut some wire, pry open parts, does it all, no problem. And when you need something really heavy duty, you go and get the right tool for the job.
The flat bits are inferior in their function and they are definitely more expensive, but the point is that the take up much less space and weigh less. If you’re already using a multitool then you should be familiar with that trade off. I keep a leatherman in my motorbike and you bet I have the bit extender and a set of full sized bits, but I would never carry that on my person. But a small sleeve that can hold twenty bits that will get me out of a bind, that makes sense for a lot of people. But you are right, the daicamping d30 looks like a great tool and an unbeatable value. I was considering it until I found this second hand surge at a great price
@@lachlanlander6002 I'd say I was even generous (to LM) with just the 90%, but whatever floats your boat. I don't have a Surge, but compared to the ones I have (Kick, Rebar, Wave, Wingman), the newer, well made Chinese tools are just as good for a fraction of the price. And the DL30 will do everything the Surge does, as demonstrated in the video. It's a usable piece of stamped metal, so I don't get emotionally attached to it or to a brand, I mostly look for what performs comparably at a better price. On the other hand the LM Kick is still my favorite lightweight multitool, such fine and precise pliers. My best purchase of the LM bunch. I do love quality tools and price is not always the first consideration. For example there is nothing the Chinese (or others) make much cheaper to come close to a Knipex plier or a Wiha bit/screwdriver set. Leatherman does not belong in such a class to justify the price, compared to what is now available on the market. Maybe they did earlier, but now not even close.
Very through comparison. Thanks. I think because the thumb slot on the DL-30 is wider, that would make that spot on the blade weaker than the Surge. My DL-30 plier tip is perfectly aligned. I like the Surge bit holder better because I can still use all the 1/4" bits by using the bit adapter and because the holder is thinner they can put the can opener on that same side, which allows the tools on the other side to be beefier. But because the DL-30 is so cheap, you could always buy 2 so you have replacement parts if anything breaks. I think the DL-30's main tools open a little smoother do to the extra washers they used.
Do you happen to have a Skeletool RX? Leatherman designs those with very deep serrations & they still don't "skip" across rope like that Dia DL30. They mention on the (Canadian) website specifically that they sharpen those serrations twice as deep as their typical serrated blades to make it more effective for these types of cuts in rope, seat belt, etc. I don't think the slightly deeper serrations on the DL30 are a problem, it's likely just dull as hell. Otherwise it wouldn't skip like that, it should be easily cutting through rope like the Surge here or the Skeletool RX regardless of its deep serrations.
I also carry a Leatherman surge And I am a little biased when it comes to that but I can see how people would like the standard quarter Inch bit But just to put it out there I also carry a Wiha set With my bit extension But I also have integrated a small nut driver set In my kit Comes in handy
I have been waiting for this and the Nextool Flex reviews. I have the Bibury Surge clone after I lost my surge. It's the same as the Dai. Got it for £25. Bought two, one for work and one for the car. I did a mod like yours, Chisel/wire cutter/stripper. Then modded the bottle opener wire stripper. Got me out of a few scrapes already. Knife is easy to sharpen, the Surge feels better in the hand. Might 3d print scales to fill in the gaps on the handle sides. Great and fair review.
How are those modifications working out for you? I think that I am going to do a different one and add that cable cutter at the base of the serrated blade on the next version. I feel like I will have enough usable blade to accomplish the cutting tasks that I will run up against while giving me the ability to use that cable stripper on an outbound tool.
@@txtoolcrib I actually used the large light prybar/driver in the Bibury, to make it so I didn't have much to do, it is great for cutting into and stripping large wire. Trying to now grind the edge like the one on victorinox where the corner is sharper to use as box/package opener. Seeing your mod was awesome, also need to work out how to improve the wire stripper on the can opener to get that V shape. The Surge is better Quality, but the price difference was the deciding factor for me.
I didn't knew that there was M390 replacement blades available ! As a knifemaker I was thinking about making a new blade for my Surge made of N690Co, I really can't stand the 420HC...
@@thomasg5601 lets hope its genuine M390 steel Ive mentioned it several times on youtube, but seems like RU-vid deleted my comments for having the link shown
Thx so much for this very comprehensive comparison. I had been waiting for you to do one. I have a Surge and had been looking very closely at the clone, which I think I will get. The price is just too good, and I appreciate the 1/4 bit driver. When I get it I will remove the spring retention and epoxy a small magnet in there to use with my Wiha double bits. Those bits are the tits 😂😐, but Wiha is a pain. They make a total of 19 standard (non security) double ended bits, but they don’t sell them individually and don’t sell a complete set, so if you want all of them you have to buy 39 bits and you wind up with duplicates and triplicates. You can get 18 of 19 with two of the sets, but will have to do without the t6-t7. Sry slightly off topic rant but it drives me crazy. Anyway, thanks again for the vid. I think I will get the Bibury, as it sounds more American lol.
Blade steel on dl30 is 7cr17 so I think it’s better than 420hc on Leatherman. Will be interesting to see its long term use video. In Europe surge is about 180 eur vs 40 eur for dl30. And QC when compared to blade grind is better
In Poland, the Leatherman Surge costs (in conversion) $189, and the DL30 costs only $30 (from the Aliexpress warehouse in Poland, free delivery). That is, for the price of the Leatherman, you can buy yourself six DL30s!
Yes, they have warehouses here - in Poland, Czechia, Spain, France, but it is rare that exactly what you are looking for is in stock in your country. Vat is always added. Simply put, there is a good deal on DL30 right now.
Huh I've never moved that inner tension bar first on the surge t-shank adapter, I just push the nub and the entire thing over at once.
День назад
I'm confused, at the bottom of my pliers cutters is this notch and you can strip wires with it. I'm so used to it from my PST, that i file the notch in the mutitools pliers cutters that don't have it. XD
Leatherman bits aren't even proprietary anymore. nextool makes them now for about half the cost of what leatherman charges for them. Leatherman bits aren't worth the $ since they are heat treated way to soft for bits
I have those nextool bits, just as bad, maybe even worse than the leathermans, as they fall/pull out all the time compared to the leatherman bits, they also wear out as quickly as well, both suck
@pmn6404 they might be, but it's a lot cheaper to get new bits from nextool than it is leatherman. That's why I prefer having the 1/4 bit driver on the dl30( get a 6mm/1mm disk magnet and the retention problem is solved). 1/4 bits from wiha, wera and Klein are way better than the marshmallow leatherman/nextool bits
@billybunter3753 That's a poor excuse. It's purely a cash grab for leatherman cause those bits cost hardly anything to make all leatherman cares about is $. That's been proven by their horrible qc lately and frankly leathermans are $20-30 overpriced for what materials they use
I get the huge price difference matters. But there wouldn’t be a DL30 if there wasn’t a Surge. We should consider more than price when we buy things. I’d rather save a little, and buy from a company that has employed people here for decades and has possibly made more inventions and innovations in edc tools than any other company, maybe besides Victorinox… that should mean something. 25 year warranty should mean something too. It’s too bad people would rather buy what’s cheapest and throw it in the trash when it breaks 😔
I am a buyer of both the Surge and its Chinese copy, and I consider myself honest: it is most definitely not junk. Did you even watch the video? Granted, the Surge feels and performs better. But honest buyers will tell you that the Chinese copies come very close. You could be charged double what they charge now and it would still only have happy customers. Outstanding value and perfect as a glovebox multitool. For something you carry on your person all day, every day, ... nah, not refined enough IMHO. However, I see no reason to question the quality/ longevity of the tool (at this stage). Can you back your claim that they are junk?
