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Yeh...agree w/you man. So much design in the knife.. but no design thoughts in the sheath. That sucks. Will wait and see what aftermarket kydex shops can do for us.

How many oz does it weight ?

Have you looked at the Adira from their Water Series?

Pretty petty on how to use a pliers. I don't seem to have a problem with the arc.

Leave it to Benchmade. Send it back. You shouldn’t have to rig it.

It is not made to carry.

Was all set to get M12 tools, but started finding enough reddit posts and TH-camrs saying the M12 grip is too fat, unergonomic, and uncomfortable. That made me decide I have to make a trip to HD and check it out for myself. Unfortunately, really hard to judge as they have painful security clamps and chains around them. From what I could tell, the M18 line, Dewalt, and Makita, are definitely more comfortable as I could feel the bulge of the handle press against the pinky side of the palm. How long do you use the tools before you really start to feel the lack of ergonomics? You kept them though, the weight savings outweighs the comfort? I just don't know how much I should care about comfort if I just use them for weekend projects.

Great points.

Thanks very much for this review. It caused me today to compare both the M12 Fuel (Gen 3) combo kit and the M18 Compact Brushless (model 3692-22CT) kit before deciding on one. Prior to seeing your review, I was leaning toward the M12 Fuel. But upon trying both, I came to the same conclusion you did on the ergonomics, and have just decided to keep the M18 Compact and return the M12 Fuel. The Compact simply felt better in the hand, with a more relaxed grip and more control. It's not just the lack of support above the grip that you point out, but also the thicker grip on the M12 - and I have large hands. The Compact tools are slightly heavier on the scale, but in the hand they almost feel lighter because the ergonomics are just better. And both the drill and impact driver are shorter and narrower on the Compact, so there's no real size advantage for the M12. And the M18 is more powerful. I also checked the variable speed triggers - important for woodworkers - and they have comparable levels of control. I'll miss the triple LED on the M12 Fuel impact driver, but otherwise I just liked the M18 Compact more.

Very thoughtful discussion. Would be interesting to hear your current views on those ergonomics, a year or so later now.

I can't help but feel like this wouldn't work for me for a devoted dive knife. I'd want a blunt tip, a dual-sided blade (one fully serrated one plain), and a tank tapper. This as none of that, and it appears not to come with straps. As a knife for any other water use, sure.

Even I could tell that the sheath wasn’t going to work from the photos they released. I can’t believe no one at Benchmade caught these issues before it was released to the public.

I still use the original H2O. It's done many hundreds of rescues! I'm really hoping the new version with magnacut will fit the bill as well

dude, use two hands - issue solved

Agree it is far from best option. It is a temporary way to get it on a TekLok. Yeah miss the H2O Sheath and that metal clip worked great with 4way mounts on PDF vest, belts, and molle

Thanks for sharing this with us. I want to get one but I was dubious about the sheath. Lately Benchmade has been falling down big time on factory sheaths. I just about always buy a Armatus Carry sheath for any Benchmade fixed blade, if one is available. If Armatus has a sheath I may buy the Undercurrent knife…

I bought my Surge used at a flee market for $20.00. Thus Surge just kicked Arc's A$$.

Also prybar and scissors are waaaaaaay wayyy more convenient to use on Surge, not to mention t shank where i put longer teeth saw for cutting wood, but yes they are different tools in the end

THe TekLok mount is temporary I plan on permmantly mounting this knife to my PFD vest on left shoulder so for that the holes and slots work perfectly

I put it on a TekLok using one of slots and first hole under slot used TekLot mounting hardware and rubber washers that comes with them to create correct spacing. I have three screw into TekLok

Lol thanks for the video. I dont know why i couldnt figure out how to get to the refill. I think i was trying to unscrew the wrong section. Very stupid problem to have but you saved the day 😅

My new drill does this. Might be normal but can’t find a definitive answer

I just started using the M12 generation 3 drill driver. I use my middle to finger to pull the trigger and index finger to guide or steer the tool. Milwaukee may have intended middle finger trigger pull like the installation driver. I an aircraft mechanic and the majority of drill applications are for removing and installing fasteners using the clutch.

i can appreciate a good conversation on ergonomics well done

Bosch 12v impact and drill are really comfortable to hold and very compact and a 3 ah battery lasts a couple of days.

What kind of pouch is that?

I have this problem too, unfortunately I couldn't find a convincing reason for it

Tell me, how did you solve this problem?

Most videos show how fast and how powerful the drill is. The first video that shows the lowest speed! Thank you! I want for delicate uses, so the slow speed is important. My 20v Atomic has a minimum speed that is faster than I want. I think this'll work!

Oddly enough, the Bosch 12v drivers feel much better because the batteries face the other way.

Thanks for the video. Is the ink cartridge tip a fine or medium size? Where is the best place to buy the pens and refills? Thanks.

Interesting review

I'm fully invested into Milwaukee too and I appreciate the honest review, been thinking about getting this Dewalt DCF601as well. Great review going over all the important facts. Keep posting brother!

I have to agree I love this tool I bought the Impact 12v but I am returning it after using this because i don't need the Impact since i have the 20v one that does more

The cap to replace the cartridge is stuck in mine

I like the handle shape of the gen 3 a lot better than the gen 2. It's almost like they're smoothing out the backs to be like their pre-fuel era tools which is a little detail I can appreciate.

Eh, I would take the clicking over the previous generation any day. I have the 2504-20. About half the time I tighten it around a bit, the whole thing pops loose in the direction I'm turning. Freaks me out every time. I love Milwaukee, but that drill is easily the most hated tool I've ever owned.

There are some very talented one-handed maneuvers going on here! 🌟

Got mine today, same issue, did the same test, It was made in Mexico, what about yours?

Ok so today I noticed something with my clutch… when i was loosening the clutch it wasn’t turning loosely but clicking like a ratchet rather than just spinning open like normal.. m12 3rd gen.. any thoughts ?

Great Review. Just watched your video after purchasing the Gen 3 kit. And the 1st thing i noticed and did not appreciate was the curve in the back. The grip is not steady and i kept hitting the forward reverse switch.

use your middle finger

I've noticed the ergonomics of the gen 3 drill, I just got onto and haven't used it yet but It does feel a bit off. But I got it for $66 new on Amazon with the bare tool so I'm not complaining it's solid

Thank you so much for this very detailed analysis. I was so confused about the size and shape of the high output CP3.0 battery because I was hoping it was the exact same size as the 2.0 battery. One thing about the M18 tools, is they have the perfect small diameter, very comfortable handle design that is very comfortable; but once you install an XC or 4.0 or 5.0 or 6.0 battery into the M18 tools, they are very heavy. I think the perfect tool is the M18 tools with the 2.0 battery, it's absolutely the perfect tool weight. With the bigger batteries, it feels like it's more difficult to control tiny drill bits? I just purchased the #2732 circular saw M18 with 7 1/4" blade--they are on sale at Home Depot and come with a free CP6.0 battery. The 3.0, the 6.0, the 8.0 and the 12.0 are all a different battery chemistry and they produce higher voltage and higher amperage, they are the "High Output" batteries. They are significantly different, they aren't even in the same class, although Milwaukee hasn't made this very clear to consumers. They don't really tell consumers anything, but Milwaukee has 3 completely cells in their 3 different M18 battery lines, with the new "Forge" being a high output, and also a "Pouch Cell" technology, which is a first for Milwaukee. Torque Test Channel" on TH-cam shows an increase in measured torque that is quite dramatic when switching to one of the "High Output" batteries, and also they show the inside cells in the new M18 Forge batteries.

I got rid of my Milwaukees and went back to Makita but now I'm reversing again. I had problems with Milwaukee triggers. Now I'm having trouble with Makitas locking up on Hammer or normal positions. Maybe I should try a DeWalt again.

I just buy the combo gen 3 m12 and is a humer drill

Gen 3 m12 is not a hummer drill

Mine doesn't do that same model.

:( el mío 3404 hace lo mismo

The most important thing about the Gen 3 hammer drill is the mechanical clutch, IMO. The rest of the ergos will be accustomed to by just using it......