LM Surge or Swiss Tool X?

A guy I work with has a swisstool. I held it and gave it a once over and I cannot see what all the hype is about. I feel like leatherman gets alot of attention and I can't help but wonder if its because it was the first. I used to like Gerber, but then their quality seemed to go down hill, too many different models and configurationsto keep up with. Very gimmicky if you ask me. I have to say that my vote goes to SOG. Not exactly the lightest tool on the market, but in my opinion light weight is not a desirable trait in my field. I don't think any maker can beat SOG's compound leverage. I agree that there knife blade leaves something to be desired but that is a trade off I am willing to accept. Everybody has there favorite multi and these are just my reasons for choosing mine.
 
dunc5 said:
Some of us find ourselves in an enviroment which makes maintenace impossible until we get back , and when working in salt water this rust can appear in a couple of hours .
Welcom to the forums btw
Dunc
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I live in Florida and thats a pretty humid state. And I work with plumbing and irragation no rust problems with my Surge??????? I keep hearing about all of these rust issues. But I dont see pictures of proof from anyone?? Except for one pic done by some guy who did a review who doesnt come here. But I admit at the end of everyday coming home I clean my multi tool. Just like any tool you should take care of it to keep it performing for you correctly.
 
s. serafin said:
I live in Florida and thats a pretty humid state. And I work with plumbing and irragation no rust problems with my Surge??????? I keep hearing about all of these rust issues. But I dont see pictures of proof from anyone?? Except for one pic done by some guy who did a review who doesnt come here. But I admit at the end of everyday coming home I clean my multi tool. Just like any tool you should take care of it to keep it performing for you correctly.
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Here is one of two reviews on backpacker.org that posted photos of rust on a Charge:

www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Knives/Multi-tools/Leatherman Charge Ti/Cora Shea/Long Term Report/

Maybe the Charge has special problems with rust, but I have never experienced the slightest on my Leathermen Super Tool, ST 200, or Micra, all owned up to ten years, nor Juice CS4 and Squirt S4, more recently acquired. I am careful about maintaining them and also live in the mid-west, humid mostly in the summer, but the reviewer also claims she took care of her Charge and it rusted anyway.

The contradictory experiences expressed on these forums are puzzling.:confused:
 
I just received my SwissTool X today, after playing with it for a little while. I have to said the workmanship & quality on the SwissTool are much better than my LM Wave. The only things that I do not like on the SwissTool are the bright stainless finish & the drop point knife I much prefer the Wave clip point & satin finish.
 
The only things that I do not like on the SwissTool are the bright stainless finish & the drop point knife
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I have a rolls and I much prefer the vinyl seats on my 83 toyota.
 
Iron man said:
According to this article, it looks like the Surge is the heaviest multi tool made:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,134.0.html
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I picked up a Surge on Ebay recently (wasn't really looking for one, but lowballed the bid and won it). The think is big. Really big. Almost comically big. Even sight unseen, I'd recommend the Victorinox - and I'm a Leatherman fan. I'm 5-10, 220lbs. and have normal sized hands, but this Surge is still just too damn big for me to even consider carrying. YMMV.
 
colubrid said:
I have a rolls and I much prefer the vinyl seats on my 83 toyota.
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:-) But at the same time, I don't really agree. True, the Swisstool seems to have a higher degree of fit and finish, but Leatherman is good. Mine have held up for many years and have always been up to the job. In fact, the only time I found any functional deficiency in either, it was with the Swisstool.

Recently I started using a Swisstool, which I like very much, but on two occasions within a week, I needed pliers jaws that opened wider. One of those times I had a Leatherman ST 200 also at hand, and it worked perfectly (I wouldn't fault the Swisstool on this account. Both of these incidents were unusual and may never happen again, and the Swisstool has unique capabilities that may well come in handy).

Even though packing a Swisstool these days, I think Leatherman is always a good choice in multitools and have in no way lost any of my respect for the Leathermen which have served me so well for a decade.
 
znapschatz said:
:-) ...
Recently I started using a Swisstool, which I like very much, but on two occasions within a week, I needed pliers jaws that opened wider. ....
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I have an old Leatherman SuperTool, a SOG PoweLock S60, a Crunch, and a few others. Recently bought a Victorinox SwissTool X and carry it daily.

I read that the jaws on the newer vintage SwissTools do not open as wide as they do on earlier vintage SwissTools. See the photo and explanation in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,147.0.html

I have the older vintage SwissTool X, though I bought it new last month.
 
znapschatz said:
None of my Leathermen in ten years has ever developed a speck of rust. But I always wipe them down at day's end after use, although I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so. Also, I live in a relatively dry climate. It can get humid during the summer, but nothing like in coastal regions or parts of the deep south.
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I've been carrying a Leatherman of some sort just about every day for about 15 years: first, an original PST, later an original Wave, these days either a PST-II or Charge.

The closest I've come to rust was with the original PST, when I took it saltwater fishing, and left it in my damp pocket all day. No red rust, just some whitish oxidation that took some effort to scrub out.

My Wave has been in saltwater, too, but by then I'd learned to rinse it out with fresh water, and it never corroded a bit.

The Charge and PST-II haven't been in saltwater (yet), but have spent plenty of time soggy in the outdoors and around the yard, and likewise, no corrosion to date.

Maybe the steel in the newer models, like the Charge at BackpackGear.com, isn't as rust-resistant. But my experience is that they're pretty rustproof.
 
parnass said:
I have an old Leatherman SuperTool, a SOG PoweLock S60, a Crunch, and a few others. Recently bought a Victorinox SwissTool X and carry it daily.

I read that the jaws on the newer vintage SwissTools do not open as wide as they do on earlier vintage SwissTools. See the photo and explanation in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,147.0.html

I have the older vintage SwissTool X, though I bought it new last month.
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Thanx for the URL. Maybe I missed something :confused: , but I didn't find anything in the thread about how wide Swisstool plier jaws open. In any case, those on my recently acquired (two hardwire notches) are a good deal short of those on the Super Tool.

Victorinox makes a good product, though, well built and, for me, an ideal assortment of implements. Had Swisstool been on the market way back when, I might have chosen it over the Leatherman. However, I have been so well served by the Super Tool that had it not been for a giveaway price, I wouldn't have considered another multitool in that size.

Strange thing, though. Over years I have become so accustomed to the Leatherman that almost every time when using the Swisstool I still fumble. It has been months and I am still trying to open the handles for a blade or tool when there is no need to do that. Can't seem to break that habit.:(
 
I carried an original Supertool for almost ten years, and then my wife bought me a Surge for Christmas last year. Love at first sight! I grabbed the bit kit too, since I'm always tinkering with guns, household crap, the car, computers. You name it. It's like having a whole little toolbox on your belt. I don't notice the size either, since it shares my belt with the cell-phone. I'm actually considering what else I can add to my EDC as far as belt space goes, like maybe a glove case for surgical gloves. LOL.

Great board btw. I can't believe I've never joined before now :D.
 
Clead said:
I carried an original Supertool for almost ten years, and then my wife bought me a Surge for Christmas last year. Love at first sight! I grabbed the bit kit too, since I'm always tinkering with guns, household crap, the car, computers. You name it. It's like having a whole little toolbox on your belt. I don't notice the size either, since it shares my belt with the cell-phone. I'm actually considering what else I can add to my EDC as far as belt space goes, like maybe a glove case for surgical gloves. LOL.

Great board btw. I can't believe I've never joined before now :D.
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Although I haven't had an opportunity to handle a Surge yet, it seems that 2 ounces of additiional weight over a Core or Swisstool on a belt wouldn't matter that much. Can someone with a different viewpoint please get specific?

Welcome to the forum, Clead.
 
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