The Super Tool 300...or why I kicked my Surge to the curb

Steely_Gunz

Steely_Gunz

Got the Khukuri fevah
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I have had a love/hate relationship with the Leatherman Surge for years now. My wife bought me one as a wedding gift back in '05. I actually had it in my jacket pocket when I said "I do". In theory, it should be the perfect multitool for me.

  • It's big and tough. I prefer my tools either to be massive or minimalist. Middle of the road tools have their place but not for my day to day.
  • It has a high doohickey level of function. The combination of a diverse tool set along with a plethora of bits makes it one of the most versatile heavy duty tools out there.
  • It has external blades. Everyone knows that while having external blades usually isn't a deal breaker, it sure makes carrying a multitool more of a one-n-done tool without feeling the need to carry a pocket knife with you as well.


Sounds pretty much perfect, right? Well it is...sorta. Now, the last thing I want to do is compare a Leatherman tool to communism, but the Surge is, well, like communism. It looks good on paper until you figure out it is a series of escalating compromises:
  • Because of the bit drivers, the jaws jam (I've had two Surges and a New Wave...all did this) when you try to close the handles in a non-meticulous fashion. Avoidable but annoying.
  • The removable saw and file are nice except that their attachment is pretty flimsy. It's a nice option but not a very heavy duty one, and I actually use my multitool quite hard at work pretty much every day.
  • The removable bit driver (specifically the stupid spring that retains the bit) irks me to no end. I have sent back TWO Surges because the spring has popped out of the housing allowing the bits to fall free. LM won't send me just that part so it has had to go back each time it breaks.


Actually, it was that failure that prompted me to look harder at the ST300. Watching the stainless retention spring SPRONG out into the grassy oblivion of my front yard as I put together a playhouse for my daughter was the last straw. My wife, daughter, and I were heading out for a little camping trip in the coming days, and I was too pissed at my Surge's lack of bit retention to give it the nod as my go-to tool. I ended up digging out my old ST200 to ride in my vest pouch, and it was GREAT.

I had forgotten what it was like to carry a tough "old school" tool. No bits, no parts, no pieces. Sure I had to open it up to use it, but it was tough and reliable. It cut, it sawed, it picked up the lid of my fire-hot dutch oven so that I didn't burn my little piggies. There wasn't a basic job that I felt I lacked a tool to solve. It was refreshing.

That said, it's in pretty rough shape. I bought it to replace the Wave I lost back in 2002. A few bits have bent as my brother over torqued a series of screws a few years ago, the lock is dated, and honestly I need the most miniscule of excuses to purchase a new multi-tool:D I purchased a ST300 from Amazon and I'm pretty pleased with it:)

You guys are multitool guys, so I won't go through the boring marketing stuff you already know about the tool:
  • Gone are the rocker locks from the old tool. Instead you get the newer tongue spring tension lock. It's pretty basic and locks the tools up soundly. They have a bit of wiggle, but they are steady and won't be closing on your fingers by accident.
  • The ST300 "clumps with purpose". That is to say that spacers have been added so that "blades" raise up individually when you tug at them, and "bits" come up in a series of 3. It makes selecting tools pretty easy and fast. The knife blades also have a divot in the tang that makes selecting the blade positive and also gives it a bit of a 1/4 stop before it closes. Not a bad thing for safety.
  • All of the flat drivers seem to have a hollow grind to them. They should be very serviceable. The philips driver looks pretty much the same as what you find on the fuse/blast/core. Plenty long for a tool that size.
    • This particular model came in an attractive gift tin with a "premium" sheath which is a pretty well constructed ballistic nylon set up with a much more decorative and quiet leather flap with a snap compared to regular nylon sheathes with their Velcro SKKKIRRRRK. I might make a custom leather slip-in belt sheath, but this one is nice enough I might wait until it wears out before I do. It's actually the nicest sheath I have seen from LM since their really groovy supple brown leather one that came with the Wave once upon a time.
  • And of course, the 154 cutters are replaceable. That wasn't a huge selling point for me, but i guess it's nice to know I don't have to baby the jaws in fear of nicking the blades and wedging them shut. I guess they won't work loose, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.


Now, this is in no way a replacement for the Surge. Obviously, the big feature missing is the external blades. The biggest draw back is that the ST300 is NOT a fast tool. It's not designed to be, and that is ultimately up to the user to decide if that's a deal breaker. Also, while it's a very stout tool, you can tell that more bits and pieces of polished steel in the Surge. The ST300 is very old school in its rolled and stamped construction. You can also tell the level of polish on this tool is far below the more premium tools like the Surge, Skeletool CX, and MUT. It has a lot more of a mat finish to the steel compared to the both the more premium models and the older tools.

None of these things make it a bad tool or detract from the function. I just like to point out that the ST300 is very much about form following function and you will see a bit of a lack of spit and polish comparing it to a tool that sells for 20-50 dollars more.

In short, I'm pleased:) The ST300 seems to be a more or less updated version of the ST200 I have loved for years. I have never been that jazzed about the zytel liners in the Core, so I steered clear of it. I guess others have as well since it's been retired:p The ST300 offers me all the rough and tumble features I need at the cost of some blade convenience and a bit of "I have a tool for that!" mentality that the Surge brings to the table.

I'm looking forward to putting it through the paces and seeing how it stacks up. I really wish LM would make a ST with one external knife blade. I'd even buy it if it were just a serrated edge or a >>shudder<< COMBO edge;)
 
Great review!
Ive been curious as to what LM brings to the table these days because ive stuck with the same ol' basic LM tool from long ago.
I had a nice Vic Spirit X but the X-female took it.
 
Very well done review.

I had a Surge, and traded it for another knife last year. As much as I liked the bit holders, replaceable saw blades, files, etc., the idea of small parts flying away at the worst time was not appealing.

I got a SuperTool 300 in a trade a few months ago, and it's slowly grown on me. I finally "bonded" with it this last weekend, doing a service day with our Scout troop. It handled everything we needed to do, and was able to do a few things I'd have never done with a Surge, due to the fine finish that Leatherman puts on the Surge.

However, I'm not too happy with the sheath. It works, and it's a much better option than some others I've seen, but I'd rather have a full leather sheath. Just my opinion. Sooner or later that nylon's gonna die. Get it wet often enough, leave it in direct sunlight long enough, and it'll start breaking down.

~Chris

ps - you DID play in that playhouse with your little munchkin, didn't you? :) :p
 
In re the review: what he said. After a brief honeymoon with the Surge, I reluctantly came to the same conclusions, plus a few extras downs.

This tool has more sharp edges than any I have yet experienced with other Leathermen. Despite their virtues, which have kept my loyalty to the brand, LT products are not noted for being overly hand friendly, as are Victorinox, for example. Still, the Surge is especially "edgy." Although work gloves were a big help, I had to dehorn the thing with sandpaper to make it tolerable for sustained use bare-handed.

Then there was the matter of the owies that resulted from squeezing the pliers with a high grip when it slips off the work and the resulting blood blisters. It's the same thing that happens to unwary Wave/Charge users and for the same reason. The spines of the two blades form a pinch point when in pliers mode. After a few such experiences with my Charge, I learned to be careful using it, but it still happens once in a while (even now I have a rapidly disappearing souvenir on my palm from an incident two days ago). This doesn't (or shouldn't) happen with enclosed implement multi-tools.

Like the OP, I switched to an ST 300, which required no learning curve since it was basically an improved version of one of my all time favorites, the original ST. May we all live happily ever after :D .
 
orca8589 said:
ps - you DID play in that playhouse with your little munchkin, didn't you? :) :p
Click to expand...

Well, I can sorta wedge myself in there:D I'm not a very big guy at 5'10 175#, but it's one of those plastic Little Tike "cottages". Generally speaking, my daughter makes me sit outside of it, pretends to put sun screen on my face, hands me a cup and tells me "Drink your milk"...Mommy must be a tyrant when I'm at work:D

To add insult to the Surge's injury, I used my Wingman to finish the job it couldn't handle;)



powernoodle said:
I appreciate your opinions on this things. I always like to hear what people think when they use these MTs like God intended.



Like what?
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I actually work in the swimming pool industry. That means I run across various pumps, motors, cleaners, and specialized parts with no specialized tools to fix them. Lots of bolts, wires, jumpers, and parts that need crimped, cut, squeezed, or MacGyvered. A good MT is actually about all I need to fix most issues that come through the doors short of a socket set for really tight bolts.
Here's an example of what I used my Surge for just a week or so back: I had a broken robotic automatic pool cleaner dropped in my lap. It's older than dirt but the folks don't want to replace it with a new unit...of course:rolleyes: I had to use the wire cutters to remove the old cord as the connection ends are hidden and barbed (ie they only want you installing a new cord since you have to cut the old one off). The remaining tail of cord was held in by a keeper using two philips screws, so that had to come off. The wire was connected to the motor module by a series of tiny push-on connectors, so the needle nose was called in.
Installing a new cord was tricky as the thickness of the newer cords are way fatter compared to the ancient one. I had to use my saw to wallow out the keeper so that it would fit correctly. The hole in the motor where it attached was narrower in diameter as well, so I used my knife blade to carve the plastic housing out a bit in order to fit it through the opening. The needle nose pliers helped again with the connections.

Finally, the philips driver put the 12 screws back into place to seal the cleaner up.


I have to admit, my favorite part of my job is having to improvise repairs. A handy MT really helps me be able to think outside of the box. Short of a hammer and ratchet, pretty much everything I need to do can be handled by a nice well built MT:thumbup:
 
When the Surge came out I got one along with the Core, ended up carrying the Core because I liked it better, I broke the Core in Afghanistan because of a stupid act on my part and bought a ST300 when that model came out, I like the ST300 by far better than the Surge. My wife has that Surge around somewhere and I told her to sell it but she wants to keep it in a tool bag or something, bottom line it never gets used. Another point the ST300 has over the Surge is price, ST300 is alot cheaper.
 
znapschatz said:
This tool has more sharp edges than any I have yet experienced with other Leathermen. Despite their virtues, which have kept my loyalty to the brand, LT products are not noted for being overly hand friendly, as are Victorinox, for example. Still, the Surge is especially "edgy." Although work gloves were a big help, I had to dehorn the thing with sandpaper to make it tolerable for sustained use bare-handed.
Click to expand...

Another major reason why I stopped using my Surge. The ST300 is positively comfortable compared to the Surge.

~Chris
 
I've become a big fan of the Super Tool 300. I wanted something a bit beefier than my Swisstool Spirit (not that there's anything wrong with it) and I was really attracted to the replaceable cutters, since I keep damaging the cutters on my tools.

It fit its intended role perfectly, I keep it in my backpack so weight isn't an issue, and I don't care that the knife blades aren't one hand opening or S30V since I very rarely use them (I always carry a couple of good knives). I added a Victorinox ratchet with some extra bits to the ST's sheath, scissors are the only thing it's missing but it's no big deal since I usually carry a SAK with scissors anyway (or a Leatherman Style CS).
 
I've had an ST300 for quite some time and I love it. Just like a very loyal friend who will always forgive you treating him like shit. Whenever I'm worried about my shiny Swisstool getting scratched, the ST300 is the way to go.
 
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