Marine electrician by trade , I have carried a Leatherman tool for 20 years , carried the Wave for years but I kept breaking them. I have carried the Surge for three years now and use it at least 15-20 times a day , cutting , filing, prying,driving fasteners, I often use the blades to scrape battery terminals and cut or ream fiberglass. Mine came black in color and almost all the black has worn off. This tool is a beast . I have said to many a man , " if you work with a Leatherman on your hip for two weeks , you will never want to work without one ".
@@idontno0 "I" have never heard of that profession. Did you think they let untrained shade tree riggers install 12v,24v,36v and 120v 50amp, 240v 100amp power distribution systems in yachts costing 1/2 million dollars and up ?
The Surge is hands down the best multi tool out there. Especially with the ratchet adapter. I’ve tried the Swiss x , all of Gerber and SOG. I use my Surge multiple times everyday and it never fails. Gerber and SOG told always break on me. The Swiss x is the 2nd best out there. IMO
This is the best of the best for tradesmen/women.......built to take very heavy use.The interchangeble blade system is one of the best features ever to have been put on a multi tool,the fact that you have access to an almost unlimited number of blades is a winner.Its not only available blades either......get access to a dremel with its mini cutting and grinding stones and you can make almost any tool you like out of old worn out jigsaw blades.Currently i have made a couple of chisel blades and a thin cutting blade......i'm going to make hook type blades,a full set of different sized chisels,punch type blades with sewing holes and some more specialst cutting blades.This tool is really only limited by its owners ingenuity so it can even become the ultimate survival companion too........you could even create a spear type blade to catch fish with the aid of a straight tree branch.......unlimited opportunities.
I bought a scalpel set and cut one of the handles down to fit the t-shank adapter, carry that with a handful of blades for very fine work. I love how much you can do with this thing. Looking to replace the main blade with a better steel, probably S35VN, depends on what will fit.
I use the black oxide surge. Highly recommend the Surge! It's heavy to carry but more than well worth it considering the usefulness. SPEND THE MONEY FOR IT! You will not regret it!
I've been a fan of Leatherman products for a very long time now. My personal favorites include the Wave, the Charge Plus TTi, and the one that I've been carrying in a Deadskin leather sheath for many-many......many years now (the Surge). Just a bit less than a week ago, there was a wonderful four wheeler (the term that some of we truck drivers call regular vehicles on the road) flashing me that something went wrong with my trailer. When I eventually found a place to pull over on the side of the Interstate, I saw that something had caused a part of the side skirt to dislodge from most of the trailer. It was being held on by a very-very thick (very thick) slab of rubber, but the rest of the slab of side skirt was acting like a frisbee under the trailer, and partially out from under the trailer. I tried to (not get hit by the cars on the very crowded interstate), and dislodge the large piece of side skirt, but to no avail, and then it occurred to me that I have this wonderful tool on my side that could be of assistance. I then got my Surge out and used the serrated edge knife of my Surge and cut through the very-very thick rubber (almost like butter), and was able to (with some difficulty) put the large three foot section of the side skirt into my tractor until I was able to get to a rest area where I then disposed of it in a dumpster. This was a very long story, but a simple example of the usefulness of this very necessary (in my opinion) tool. For years, several times a week, this multi-tool has proven itself to be an invaluable asset to me in my daily duties as a long-haul truck driver. Between this Leatherman Surge, and my flashlight, I don't know which of these tools I use more pretty much daily. I'm greatful to have useful tools in my work, they make life so much more.......functional. EDC, it's a real thing in life, so as the old saying goes, "buy once, and cry once" there is no replacement for quality. When you need the specific tool, you really do NOT want or need the tool to fail. I'm not a spokesman for any company, but I really do appreciate quality because I know that it really does make a difference. So, in my opinion, I think that it definitely behooves one to maybe sacrifice a bit more money (if you are able) and purchase something that is made a bit better, than something that is maybe cheaper, but will possibly malfunction (just break down) when you really need it, and this applies to anything that one carries....I'm just saying. Viva la well made tools. 🤗
Love my surge.... Even went got a little Boujee and ordered the leather sheath. Works great. If the Wave is a 20oz framing hammer the surge is a 4lb sledgehammer. Versatile and extremely capable. The surge, a good light, and a good wallet and you'll be all set
Hands down THE best multitool, stock item for all my Tradesman. The perfect size to be used DAILY, only negative would be the flat head adapters all others are well thought out and practical for any trade or handyman. Just Buy one.
I don’t leave the house without my surge. I keep it in a Maxpedition M1 waist pack, along with my bit kits, bit extension and other odds and ends. This tool is great. Best multitool I’ve ever used
as far as i'm concerned a flagship product at that price, that used to be 85$ shouldn't have any wobble, QA issue, broken pliers and lifetime guarantee at a minimum, it should be made in USA and not mexico and it shoulnd't have tools that make no sense in it's arsenal, (talking about other leatherman models). Now, they make'em deliberately bad or sub par (p4) so that they can come out years after and improve (arc). That is their whole spiel. Otherwise they don't believe in keeping a tool the same for 30 years and perfecting it to completeness. cause the customer might get "bored". That is the only thing LM has over victor, the cool factor, but in build quality, tool design, use, hardiness and all the points tha should really matter when a life depends on it the Swiss is unmatched and galaxies above the LM.
It’s got my vote I’ve beaten it to hell and back and only thing wrong is the finish near the plier head “ I have the the dark colored one” is starting to go
Hasn't happen to me just yet on this one...it has some generous radius on the inner edge, but then again my hand did get pinched when using the rebar a couple of times, hurts like a mf.,and perhaps that's why I'm a bit more carefull when closing any Leatherman :)).
Hello guys please can someone help me ..... just bought a new surge but when it's fully closed the handles do not line up exactly... is this OK 👍🏻 and normal please guys ? ? ?
Hello. You certainly cannot have all the dimensions on a finished product on nominal value. There are gaps and misalignments which might occur from faulty dimension stackups made by the Leatherman design office, which can be avoided by a thorough quality control(more $$). The misalignment of the handle is not that much of a big deal, I have previously seen people complain about it, the pliers do function when deployed. If I were you I'd just return it and order another one or send it in through Leatherman warranty(seeing those handless in that state after paying good $$ would annoy me).
HELLO my friend your right it cost me £130 totally unacceptable... my Brother got a cheap Chinese freebee multi tool on his fishing magazine... totally 100% even handles no rattle... leatherman absolutely terrible bad QA control... sent tool back... getting my money back... Will not be buying leatherman again !
Great tool but I personally prefer the Victorinox Swisstool X as my go to heavy duty multi tool primarily because it is more compact and easier to carry and the sheath is low profile and about the size of a Snickers Bar. Multi tools are only any good if you have them on you when you need them. If you need to keep them in your tool box, they have failed. My opinion is the Surge is too much. The STX keeps its heavy build and toughness without losing its easy carry.. My subjective opinion and I'm sure others will be different
How comfortable is it to grip when in pliers mode? I have one, and the other day I needed a pair of pliers, and it was handy, so I used it... Right up until it started to dig into my fingers and palm. Gripping it tightly is awful.
Yeah as Joe Second mentioned it has rounded off edges, I've literally squeezed mine as hard as I can and there was no issues at all.. absolute beast of a multitool and I use mine as my edc....
I have the wave bought it 4 years ago and absolutely love it but after constantly using it, the scissors are getting dull, screwdriver bit keeps falling out and the plyers get stuck while unfolding it. Time for an upgrade.
I've been rocking the sidekick since 2017 but I just lost it 🤷🏼♂️💢 I'm about to get the wingman now, but I wish the pliers where spring loaded & I'd like to change the scissors for a saw blade
Work gave me a super tool 300, I left it in the box and bought myself a surge , way better for my job with all the accessories I bought for it, wish it had a glasses screw driver as well so I wouldn't have to carry the Extra one with me, I bought the bit kit with the screw driver but there is no way to use it that I can see. The ratchet is great though
Most aftermarket blades that are available online are usually made for the wave/charge series I've found which are unfortunately not interchangeable with the surge. But yeah...you could find someone that'll craft one for you out of some premium steel. Who knows....maybe LTM will wise up in time and release a supercharged version of this.#fingerscrossed
It honestly doesn’t feel as heavy as my nearly 15 year old Leatherman Core. Which is basically the super tool. I literally just compared them in hand today and it felt a good bit lighter to me for some reason. But that is just me. I’d rather sacrifice weight for a better tool anyways. I have large pockets and it’s the only knife/tool I carry
Great hands on review of the Leatherman Surge! Thanks for posting. I got two of these last Fall; one all Stainless, the other the Black Oxide and Stainless combo. Each has been outstanding and works really well with the Bit Kit, Bit Extender and new Ratchet Driver! The Black Oxide did require quite a bit of residual oxide cleanup when brand new, but once that was complete, it has been great. BTW, what is the rugged looking watch you are wearing in the video?
I suspect the reason the engineers at Leatherman selected the smaller flat head was so that the new owner of this fantastic tool didn't necessarily have to purchase the bit accessory in order to get started really utilizing the base model. The eyeglass bit (while excellent) really wouldn't be the best option to inlude on the base version - best to select the one that would likely be the most beneficial to the poor slob who can't figure out where he left his stupid bit kit!?
Do the tools come with a locking mechanism for all the tools? Secondly, I have the wave, but have had the pliers replaced, scissors replaced, but for the life me I cannot get a sharp edge using an Arkansas whetstone.
Yeah the outer accesible tools have liner locks and the inside tools have the backlock similar to what you'd find on a wave. As far as sharpening goes whetstones can be abit tricky...I'd recommend using a marker on the edge of the blade so that you know for sure you're hitting the right angle and also maintain the angle as you go along the stone. If you want to have an easier time putting an edge on your tools you'll find alot of guided sharpening systems such as the worksharp precision adjust or the lansky stone system(they're in the 50$ ballpark). I hope that helps, I know a dull edge is a pain and 420HC doesn't necessarily have the best edge retention out there :)
Thanks for review. I have truly enjoyed mine last several years. In the market again, I today had my in leather holster....I knew the holster had some wear...but unknowingly the whole can came off and lost...punch in the gut...not a budget friendly tool to lose. Going with different holster next time.
Go on Etsy and spend the money on a custom leather holster. If you don't carry the bit kits and extender get a horizontal carry sheath. I have 2 custom sheaths. One is vertical with the full kit that I carry at work, my other is horizontal and carries just the Surge, I carry it when off the clock. Well worth the investment.
Lol......the gen 2 is far better,the plier head is far sturdier and the t shank hit holder has been vastly improved.......you dont buy a tool like this to fix spectacles. You can also make a micro screwdriver from an old hss jigsaw blade if you need one,you just need access to a mini cutting/grinding tool such as a dremel.
I have a couple of leathermans, being a fitter and turner my wave (as much as I love it) just wasn’t cutting the mustard so I spent abit extra and went the surge. I now will not settle for anything less or lighter. It’s a beast!
Not many notice, but there's also an integrated lanyard loop near the tip of the saw/file. It's important for working high off the ground, or over water, etc., where you don't want to risk dropping it. I'm not sure the intended means to extend it, but I just use the back end of the detached file or saw to push it out.
I also take mine out by using the file. My lanyard loop's abit hard to pull out, really tight fit...I might loosen the screw and see if that fixes it..I kind of had to fight it when recording and skipped it altogether in the end. But yeah...a lanyard's really handy for rapidly deploying the pliars, pulling it out of your pocket or for securing it onto your wrist when working on sth..
I use Skeletool everyday. Have Gerber Suspension and am trying it out. Heavier but more tools... we'll see. Surge is very interesting! Would get chrome as black is not good for me in the woods.
Huh...300 grams is enough to make your back Hurt... I would not even notice 300g...I carry about 700-800g of stuff with me everyday (Multitool, card wallet, Flashlight, Lighter, a stack of Keys and my phone)
Continue to research what might be the proper one for you. Try watching the Nutnfancy videos to help with comparisons. I have never used the lifetime warranty but I hear it’s legit. I have the Surge and the Rebar as well as the Micra. And I have gifted the Juices to my my wife and kids but you can’t get those anymore. I found the Rebar to work really well for me as an edc tool and the Surge (which I love) to be just a little to big and heavy but I keep it in a bag.
If you are new to multitool, spend the money and get a Wave+. Don’t waste your time on anything less. Warranty is 25 years and all newer models are date stamped inside the handles. I’ve used that warranty on two different Micras… no problem.
I liked the video but this tool is cappy steel quality. I owned one and i moved to SwissTool. Screwdrivers on Surged chipped very fast, under no abuse. Serrated blade dull after i cut 1 (one) medium plastic ziptie. Oh, the scissors... after some usage but only on soft materials could not cut anything.
The surge is a great multitool, best of leatherman, however the swisstool x is even better. Much better build quality, fit and finish. Weighs less and is slimmer. All tools outside vs 4 onehanded. Cant go wrong with both.
I started with Victorinox from Boy Scouts and loved them even more after MacGyver! I have multiple Swiss Army knives and love them. I have a Swisstool and a Surge. The Swisstool is a beautifully crafted product, but the only thing it does better IMHO is feel better when using the pliers. If you just like having a plier based multi tool and don't "need" it for heavy use I agree. But the Surge blows the Swisstool out the water on everything else but fit and finish and the fact that you can use normal bits from any manufacturerer with it. Leatherman has flat bits. For about a year I kept the Surge on one hip and the SwissChamp on the other. Unless I needed tweezers, toothpick, or magnifying glass I was reaching for my Surge. I finally switched the SwissChamp out for a buck 110 and put a Minichamp on my keyring. When I go camping or hunting I still add the SwissChamp and trade my Buck 110 for a buck 119. I know, I have a disease 🤣🤣🤣
