XM-18 3.5 vs ZT0562CF

Nfd538

Nfd538

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Just a little review of these two great knives.
ZT, XM18
Handle: CF/TI, G10/TI
The G10 on the XM is great and the blue is cool but I like CF so the ZT wins.

Ergos: both fit the hand well but the XM's jimping gives it the win.

Hardware: I have the blue ano on the ZT which gives a great look but no matter the XM's is made better and gets the win.

Clip: TI, TI
Both clips are great and strong but I like deep carry and it doesn't get deeper then the ZT. 0562 wins.

Pivot: KVT, Teflon washers
The XM is really smooth but the ball bearings on the ZT are smoother and take the win.

Steel: M390, S35VN
Both great steels but M390 takes this one. And the slicer grind is awesome. ZT wins.

Studs
Blade stops:
The ZT's are blade stops only while the XM's are functional thumb studs. XM for the win.

Weight: both are mid 5oz but with CF scale the ZT is lighter and gets the win.

Construction:
The XM feels very well made and solid, win.

Price:
Even with the blue ano hardware the ZT cost less and that's a win.

Value:
Both are awesome but for the materials the ZT has and the price that's an easy win.

Winner:
The XM is great but the blade and price on the ZT is what wins for me. I'm just glad to have both of them.




 
Nice review! I have both also, except my ZT is the G10/Elmax version. Just for fun, I'll give my views:

Handle Scale: I like grippier knives, so the XM wins for me. The ZT is a little slick.

Ergos: The XM's ergos seem better in hand. I do like the slimness of the ZT however. Tie

Jimping: XM no question

Hardware: XM by a mile, in fact this is one of the biggest differences between the knives imo.

Pivot: I'm torn. Bearing pivots are fun to mess with just sitting around flipping the knives. If I were in a harsh environment, I would go for the teflon. I don't trust that the bearing system wouldn't have mud/sand/gunk issues in in the field. I'm sure someone has done tests blah, blah, blah; I just trust the teflon more. I think a washer type pivot will have greater longevity over the years too (I'm talking a long time). Both are good. Tie.

Opening action: The zt flips a little better, but cannot be used with thumbstuds, and I actually use the studs quite a bit. XM wins.

Lockup: XM is carbidized ti. ZT is steel insert. Both lock up about the same depth. Tie

Steel: XM is S35VN, ZT is Elmax/M390. I'm not at all a steel snob, but lots of folks are, so I'll give the edge to the ZT.

Blade geometry: While the ZT has thinner stock and I'm sure slices better (haven't tested them side by side); the XM is meant to be thicker and beefier by design. I personally like the XM's shape and thickness. The choil/no choil is a wash for me, as I change my mind about this often. XM wins (for me).

Weight: XM 5.60, ZT 5.65. A tie.

Clip: I went over to deep carry land for a while, but lately I've been digging non deep carry knives more. Tie (though I almost gave it to the XM because of the ZT's craptastic black coating that wears off)

Construction: XM for sure. The XM feels like a real knife. The ZT feels like a factory pumped out knife. Some will disagree. I will say that even handing both to friends, they can immediately tell that the XM is the more expensive knife. It's mostly in the details.

Price/Value: See this is where some artistic value, funds availability, resale value, materials used, and more, come into play. If you just want a tool and don't care for the artistic emotion that's attached to most higher end knives, the ZT wins. If you love knives, the artistry involved, the culture, the resale value; the XM wins. This is a tough one to judge because so much goes into it. I personally would rather have 1 XM over 3 ZT's, but different strokes...

Overall: For me, the XM wins, and goes in my pocket much more often.

This was fun!
 
I agree with this review. I had both at one point and while the XM is truly a magnificent production knife..... you can't deny that for the price the ZT is the winner. CF, 204p, thinner profile, stainless insert, deep carry clip(all upgrades over the XM).

I hope we continue to see variations of the 056x series.... a wharnie would be nice :)
 
  • Ergos of the handle and jimping to XM-18.
  • Usable thumb stud to XM-18.
  • Detent strength and flipper action to 0562CF.
  • Flipper tab to 0562CF.
  • CF scale to XM-18.
  • Lock bar insert to 0562CF.
  • Tip up or down clip to XM-18.
  • Value to 0562CF (with CF scale on XM-18 you're comparing $240 vs. $525)


Zero Tolerance 0562CF in M390 & CF scale with new gen Hinderer XM-18 in 20CV & textured CF scale.

10d96cc4-acfd-4f0b-bff7-52ad855047d2_zpsxmfqragn.jpg

606cd9ae-86ec-4a3e-899a-4d45f3afd4da_zpsr4lmagdy.jpg
 
Last edited:
Scamero, defenately see your points. I guess it's price and at least on my model ZT (CF M390) that gives it the slight edge.
With that said I have the XM18 on me now lol.
 
This
Really like mine in 204p

Popsickle said:
I agree with this review. I had both at one point and while the XM is truly a magnificent production knife..... you can't deny that for the price the ZT is the winner. CF, 204p, thinner profile, stainless insert, deep carry clip(all upgrades over the XM).

I hope we continue to see variations of the 056x series.... a wharnie would be nice :)
Click to expand...
 
Nfd538 said:
It sure looks it. Where did you get it? I'm a fan of CF but I'm digging the blue scale on mine.
Click to expand...

GP Knives. $100 for the CF is not bad since the G-10 goes for $65. Hinderer doesn't make that many of the CF or TI scales.
 
I like both, (a lot) but I like the way the 18 opens better, Because it flips as well as the ZT, you can flick it open, thumb-studs and pinch blade it. I only carry the 18, the ZT is still brand new. Probably won't ever use it. But I have played with it enough to know I prefer the Hinderer's choices to deploy.

dnga3a.jpg
 
I had both but sold the ZT a while ago. A great value but it's not up to the quaiity of the XM 18 knife.
 
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