Anybody got the new Leatherman Surge ??

No but I got my XTi in last night and it is awesome. Sorry I just had to tell somebody :) I would be interested to see what people think about the surge.
 
Love some of the new ideas the Surge has .....

1) Added Crimper and Stranded Wire Cutter on underside of Pliers head
2) Bigger, better Scissors on the outside of tool
3) Added an Awl :D
4) Removable Diamond File (for sharpening main blade in the field :))

BUT I don't like .....

1) Having to choose either File blade or Wood Saw blade ..... I want both attached permenantly !!
2) They took off the Metal saw from the File blade !!
3) They STILL kept in that silly tiny screwdriver blade !!
4) They didn't put a Cutting Hook on the Serrated blade (like Charge XTi)

Would have liked to have seen .....

1) They STILL haven't put a thumbstud on the main blades :(
2) Spring Loaded Pliers (like Gerber)
3) Replaceable Wire Cutters (like Gerber)
4) Adjustable Screws to change tension in tools (like Gerber!)

Anyhow, hopefully they will put some of the improved features into the next version of the Charge :D
 
I'm gonna write a more detailed review, but here are some pics to hold ya over...

Size Comparison:
IMG_4241.jpg

(Left to right:Charge Ti, SuperTool 200, Surge, Wave 2004, original Wave)

IMG_4242.jpg

(Left to right:Charge Ti, SuperTool 200, Surge, Wave 2004, original Wave)

IMG_4246.jpg

(Left to right:Charge Ti, SuperTool 200, Surge, Wave 2004, original Wave)

IMG_4245.jpg

(Left to right:eek:riginal Wave, Wave 2004, Surge, SuperTool 200, Charge Ti)

IMG_4247.jpg

(Left to right:SuperTool 200, Surge, Wave 2004, original Wave)

Comparison of the knife blades:
IMG_4249.jpg

(Top to bottom: SuperTool 200, Surge, Wave 2004, original Wave)

Comparison of lock releases:
IMG_4252.jpg

(Left to right: Wave 2004, Surge)

(Continued next post)
 
Hi Griffin,

Great photos - thanks for posting these. I look forward to your review (and my Surge getting here).

Joe
 
For you Guys that already have the Surge! Have you went to Home Depot or some other Hardware store and found other blades you can put in the Surge! I understand that the T-shank Exchange a blade on the surge can take other Blades. When I get one I plan on finding some Metal cutting blades for it.
 
RickJ said:
Have you went to Home Depot or some other Hardware store and found other blades you can put in the Surge! I understand that the T-shank Exchange a blade on the surge can take other Blades. When I get one I plan on finding some Metal cutting blades for it.
Click to expand...
I hope to get to Home Despot today, and if I do, I plan to check out the blade selection. Starting with a good hacksaw for metal.

FYI, the Surge came with a small vinyl sleeve, roughly the size of the closed Surge, with two pockets for extra blades. One slot holds the file (half diamond, half double-cut, and yes, a hacksaw on one edge), leaving one slot for a third-party blade. I suppose you could double them up, if you stretched out the sleeve a little.

The saw and file blades that come with the Surge both have notches at the end to ease opening. Third-party blade will not, but you can use the notch at the bas of the holder to pull it out.
 
shootist16 said:
How is the sheath?
Click to expand...
I got mine with the "leather" sheath option (I'm not a fan of they nylon ones with velcro, hate that ripping sound). It's built very similarly to the Charge and Wave 2004 sheaths, with the elastic pockets on either side, and a pocket in the back for a bit holder and/or t-shank blade holder. Just realized, mine didn't come with any extra bits or holder, like my Charge did; no matter, I bought the extra bit set anyhow.

The Surge sheath is cut a bit roomier; I can actually fit my bit holder, blade sleeve, AND my Latshaw PocketWrench II in the rea pocket, along with my Peak Matterhorn 3 LED light in one side pocket and a Mini Sharpie in the other.

One last detail: the top flap, and the bottom of the sheath, are scallopped a bit to allow easier access to one of the side pockets. I keep my Peak in that one, and it's a lot easier to get it out than from my Charge sheath.
 
Hey Gryffin, I vote this the best post since the Multi-tool forum started :thumbup: Your pics are better than porn :cool: Looking forward to your review :) Thanks for a great post!
 
I would like to see some pics of all the Blades open! Like the sarrated knife blade.
 
Picked up a Surge yesterday. The only dissappointment was the nylon sheath.
There was no pouch on the inside to carry the plastic sleeve that holds the extra file/saw blades or a bit assortment. I had planned to use the bit holder and bits from my Charge with the Surge but have no place to carry the bit holder and saw/file holder.
The clamshell packageing hid the poorly designed sheath. Oh well. Now the the box with all my extra sheaths and pouches and gadget carriers to find something to use.
The tool itself is very nice. Like a larger Wave with better scissors and a few additional features I have been looking for to use at work.
 
You can go to Leathermans site and buy the Bit Kit for the Surge that comes with a Sheath to hold all the bits!
 
Would be very interested to know how useful the little saw really is. Does the holder clamp down on the blade securely enough to allow you to actually cut something sturdy? How about one of you proud owners run down to the hardware store and pick up a hack saw blade and sacrifice a pipe or section of angle iron?

I'm a little disappointed that they retained the proprietary flat screwdriver bits, but I rarely if ever use bits with a multi-tool.

To their credit, the saw appears to use readily available Bosch T-shank jig saw blades, and NOT some new-fangled overpriced proprietary Leatherman Shank blades.
 
RandyO said:
Would be very interested to know how useful the little saw really is. Does the holder clamp down on the blade securely enough to allow you to actually cut something sturdy?
Click to expand...
The mounting is very sturdy. The saw is shorter than the non-removable saws on the Charge or Wave, though.

RandyO said:
I'm a little disappointed that they retained the proprietary flat screwdriver bits, but I rarely if ever use bits with a multi-tool.
Click to expand...
Actually, I use mine fairly often, mostly the hex and torx bits, and I'll sometimes pull out the bigger phillips bit to get a better fit in larger screws. I wish they weren't proprietary, but the add-on set covers everythinng I need a screwdriver for, other than perhaps the smaller torx sizes.

RandyO said:
To their credit, the saw appears to use readily available Bosch T-shank jig saw blades, and NOT some new-fangled overpriced proprietary Leatherman Shank blades.
Click to expand...
Yep, it's a standard shank. However, if you want to be able to stow the blade in the handle, it has to be shorter than 3-1/2" long; most blades I've seen are 4", with a few 3" ones available. Of course, you could fit a longer blade, and just remove it before stowing the tool.
 
Couldn't resist. Ordered one online today.
Being a pro-active individual, I scooted over to the local OSH and picked up a nice Bosch 10 blade set. This looks like the perfect set for a Surge, as there are two each of 5 different blades, and 3 of these blades are only 3" in length. Of course, after purchasing, I discovered that Amazon.com also has this set for around $7 cheaper than OSH. :mad:

Bosch T5002
 
Other than its bulk, the Surge seems pretty close to my idea of the multi tool Holy grail. I'd like to replace my worn out original Wave and find a substitute for my Swisstool Spirit (a good tool, but after time, I just hate the knife blade).

What's the best Surge price on the internet lately? I'd like to handle one before I buy, but I'll take a chance for a lower price.
 
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