Any reason not to buy a Leatherman Charge XTi

s. serafin said:
My only complaint is I wish they would remove one of the knives and make it so you have to removeable bit holders for the saw and file. The jewelers screwdriver I find handy for the towel bars with the tiny little screws on the bottom to remove it.
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You mean there should be two blade exchangers on the Surge? Not a bad idea.

My dream is for all the makers to come up with a single platform for blade exchanger. Then we could swap out blades from one manufacturer and put them in another plier tool. They just have to make it really tough. My experience with the surge was that the t-shank blade exchanger becvame a bit loose when i used a thin metal hacksaw. Too much pressure bent the hacksaw and "widened" (a bit) the blade exchanger, which I had to tighten back with my wave. It wasn't widened "too much", but just enought that the blade exchanger would slip when i unfold the knife/saw using the nail nick on the file/saw.
 
s. serafin said:
The Vic is a pretty tool but in my opinion the least useable of the bunch. Doesnt have true needlenose pliers.
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Sooo......How often, and for what, do you NEED a true needlenose pliers, where the victorinox will not work.

I'm not trying to bee a smart ass or anything, but be honest now ;)
 
znapschatz said:
So, if it had a bit driver, small eyeglass screwdriver, two-handed opening, maybe a swap-out tool, and prone to rust, you would buy one? Not my preference, but to each his own. :D
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That is not what I said at all.
 
Hawkings said:
Sooo......How often, and for what, do you NEED a true needlenose pliers, where the victorinox will not work.

I'm not trying to bee a smart ass or anything, but be honest now ;)
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True needlenose are handy for me when im working on 12 gauge all the way down to 18 gauge. You take the tip of the needlenose and bend the wire so you can wrap it around a screw for tightening. Also handy to pull out wire terminals on compressors, capacitors, contactors, etc, etc. Jammed disposals I use the needlenose to pullout broken glass when you dont want to put your hand down in there. And of course that last screw you need put back on something and it falls in some difficult area you cant reach with your hands. I also magnetized the tip which his handy to help retrieve lost items. Also have pulled out a few tub drains with the needlenose. And im sure theres other applications where I use the needlenose and will remember when im back at work Monday.
 
s. serafin said:
I also magnetized the tip which his handy to help retrieve lost items.
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Can you tell us how you magnetized your needlenose tip? Is the magnetization permanent? Might be interested in doing this...
 
v8_andrew_m said:
Can you tell us how you magnetized your needlenose tip? Is the magnetization permanent? Might be interested in doing this...
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Its pretty easy just go to Sears or Home Depot and ask for a tool magnetizer that looks like the one in the picture.

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Take the grooved ends and cover the part of the tool you want magnetized and just stroke up and down for a good 30 seconds.

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And as you can see its pretty strong. I dont know if its permanent but it lasted a year on my others. And even if you have to do it every 6 months it only takes 30 seconds.

One more thing make sure you do it with the needle nose together. If you do it seperate it doesnt work for some reason.

Hope this helps. If you do it let us know how it went.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated. Pretty close to opting for the Charge (in spite of the rust issue, which the only thing holding me back). Gona read up a bit more and then decide.

Think if I do buy a Charge, I'll buy the existing model, rather than wait and get the new one with the CPM S30V steel blade and hiked pricetag.
 
s. serafin said:
True needlenose are handy for me when im working on 12 gauge all the way down to 18 gauge. You take the tip of the needlenose and bend the wire so you can wrap it around a screw for tightening. Also handy to pull out wire terminals on compressors, capacitors, contactors, etc, etc. Jammed disposals I use the needlenose to pullout broken glass when you dont want to put your hand down in there. And of course that last screw you need put back on something and it falls in some difficult area you cant reach with your hands. I also magnetized the tip which his handy to help retrieve lost items. Also have pulled out a few tub drains with the needlenose. And im sure theres other applications where I use the needlenose and will remember when im back at work Monday.
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And how many of those could not be done by the Victorinox semi needlenose pliers ?
 
Hawkings said:
And how many of those could not be done by the Victorinox semi needlenose pliers ?
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Okay here are some pics as a example why needlenose are important. (At least for me that is.) Sorry for the bad pics but I think its good enough to see what im talking about.


First pic of the Surge grabing 24 volt wire. With those needlenose it would be very easy to grab the end of the wire and twist it into a loop so it fits behind the screw.
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The Vic just doesnt fit in there right to grab the wire. That little bit of extra medal makes all the difference.
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On this picture theres really no room to grab the terminal without bending the right red terminal. Then bending the left one to the right so it fits in there to pull off the terminal. Yes it can be done but its a little extra work I dont want to have to worry about.
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The Surge grab it and pull it out in one second. No messing around with the terminals.
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For me that little bit of extra metal is a must have.
 
s. serafin said:
Okay here are some pics as a example why needlenose are important. (At least for me that is.) Sorry for the bad pics but I think its good enough to see what im talking about.


First pic of the Surge grabing 24 volt wire. With those needlenose it would be very easy to grab the end of the wire and twist it into a loop so it fits behind the screw.
30.jpg
\


The Vic just doesnt fit in there right to grab the wire. That little bit of extra medal makes all the difference.
31.jpg



On this picture theres really no room to grab the terminal without bending the right red terminal. Then bending the left one to the right so it fits in there to pull off the terminal. Yes it can be done but its a little extra work I dont want to have to worry about.
32.jpg



The Surge grab it and pull it out in one second. No messing around with the terminals.
33.jpg



For me that little bit of extra metal is a must have.
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Your point is made well and clear:eek: :thumbup:
 
Thousands of reasons I can give to you,

Simply don't buy it, go for the Swisstool, Spirit or the classic one.:thumbup:
 
Can't believe there are so many Charge Haterz !!

I've carried my Chrge Ti since the day they were released and it has never let me down !!

No Rust, No Breakages, No Problems what so ever !!

Just buy one will ya !! Can be had for less that $80 bucks from WalMart and even less from Ebay !! Go for it !!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...ct_id=3544395&sourceid=0100000030660805102498

The only thing that would stop me wearing a Charge Ti on my belt everyday ...... is the new Charge TTi that I plan on getting ASAP !!
 
Theee Vic Sprit can be had for $49. and it has the same tools as the Wave/Charge. Save money and get better quality tool.
 
i really like my charge xti.

it is lightweight enough to be unobtrusive when carried. the 154cm blade is much more durable than most multi-tool blade and i find the gut hook very useful in cutting open bales of hay etc. i also like that they can be easily opened one handed with gloves on (and without opening the tool)

i seldom use the pliers except as wire cutters. the bit drivers are ok...but i find the screwdrives of all multi-tools to be clumsy compared to a good screwdriver. i use them only when one of my kleins is not nearby
 
11 months with Charge Ti - still in love. I use it every day at work and home but not so often outdoor. I doubt if it is perfect tool for really dirty work like wood chopping and cleaning fish, but for everyday repairing in car/home/etc is really good. As every multitool it is compromise and will not replace real tools, but it's small enough to keep it always with you.

Pros (not all but important for me over other m-tools and pocket knifes):
- Very strong and durable but still portable
- One hand blade opening - excellent!
- Precise needlenose plier
- Echangeable bits - all thorx and philips in pocket.
- Quick release lanyard ring - keep it on leash or let it free in second.
 
Well I did it. Bought myself a XTi. Not a fan of scissors on multitools and as I doubt I'll use the pouch much, the extra bit changer is pretty useful.

First impressions are good. The Charge looks good, and is satisfying to hold. This, I guess is true of most.

My initial thoughts:

Positives:

Nice one-handed action: I wasn't sure why everyone was raving about this, but now I have the thing I can see why this is a great feature.

Nice positive locking action: Locks feel firm.

Out of the box sharpness. Those blades are sharp!

Construction quality: The tool and even the case both look very well made. Time will tell, I'm sure, but first thoughts are "This will last".

Negatives:

Opening the blades I feel like I could cut my thumb: Because you push on the actual blade (and not, for example a bezel mounted on the blade) your thumb can run along the blade as it opens. I'm sure I'll get used to the action and learn not to do this, but I think there is room to fit small bezels to avoid the problem

Serrated blade/cutting hook combo looks thin: Where part of the serrated blade has been "cut" out to make room for the cutting hook on the reverse, the metal is pretty thin. While I'm sure this won't be an issue, this looks like a possible point of weakness to me.


So there you go. Initial reaction is very positive. I can't wait to use it.

I'm going to be looking out for rust (like those detractors have warned me), and hopefully I will be able to post a short 6-month review when the time comes.

Thanks for all your helpful comments. I really did weigh them all up, but I have to say, I was pretty set on a Leatherman from the get-go!
 
I have my Charge TI for a couple of days and so far I really like it. I am going to Colorado tomarrow and plan to do some fishing, hiking and maybe go camping a couple of days. I will let you guys know how the Charge holds up. As far as the rust problem I have heard that with routine maintenance the rust is not really an issue. We'll see.
 
Well I took my Charge TI fishing several times I used the needlenose pliers a lot pulling hooks out of the mouths of fish. So the pliers got bloody, wet, and slimey. I washed them with water and dried it then sprayed it with a little WD-40 and there is no rust.
 
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