Leatherman Surge vs Victorinox Swisstool X - is bigger better?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- This is the battle of the two biggest multitools from the two biggest brands. The Leatherman Surge and the Victorinox Swisstool X. These are the most capable multitools you can buy. Victorinox and Leatherman are the market leaders but which is best? and is bigger better?
My name is Jonathan, I have a passion for all things 'gadget, travel and EDC' which has filled both my personal and work life for many years. This includes sourcing, reviewing and product development and the creation of two UK national retail chains. Find out more here: • About Jon Gadget - Who...
This channel is here to help you find great travel and carry gear on the back of solid and detailed reviews along with years of experience. I also hope to give you ideas and inspiration when it comes to everyday carry gear, travel gear and gadgets, which make life a little bit easier and perhaps more fun.
I welcome any feedback on my videos or the channel in general. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
🐦 You can find me on twitter at:
/ jongadget
Amazon Links:
(these are affiliate links for more information see below)
Leatherman Surge geni.us/AbHzLj
Victorinox Swisstool X geni.us/cx6D
Leatherman Ratchet Driver geni.us/pGhR
Contents of this video to help you navigate:
00:00 - Intro
00:39 - A Brief History
04:46 - First Impressions
10:12 - Size and Weight
11:39 - Cases Compared
12:50 - Pricing and warranty
13:48 - Tool Overview
15:45 - Tools Compared
29:50 - My Winner
Product Sourcing:
When it comes to sourcing a product for review, I will usually either purchase an item personally or reach out to a supplier requesting a sample for review. Most suppliers, after seeing the channel, are supportive if they are confident in their product, appreciating the value of greater exposure.
I am sometimes asked to review a product by a supplier which I will only agree to if the product fits the channel and I believe will be of interest to you, my audience. Also the product needs to be worthy of a review. It is not in my interest to review inferior or poor quality products and therefore as you might expect many requests are politely declined.
Any sponsored videos (paid for reviews) are clearly stated as such so there can be no misunderstanding. Even with sponsored reviews I will only agree to a sponsorship on products and services which I believe will be of genuine interest to viewers.
I will always make reference in the video to products which have been provided for review by a supplier and I always make it clear to the supplier that they cannot influence or be involved in the review in any way if they choose to supply a product.
Sometimes a supplier will provide a link to the product or the supplier which I am happy to include in the description. Sometimes I will be provided with an affiliate link so I can earn a commission on sales and this helps to support channel costs but never at the expense of an honest review.
If a product I have reviewed is available from Amazon I will often include an Amazon link in the description. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Thank you for supporting the channel so I can continue to provide you with regular reviews, thoughts and ideas and (hopefully) inspiration! Please consider subscribing to keep up to date with new video releases. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
When I started my career in wildlife television, I knew that a multi tool was a must so I picked up the original wave before starting my first job in Kenya as a camera assistant. Upon seeing me use it for the first time my boss lambasted me for buying a leatherman. He would always quip that he had a drawer full of rusty leathermans at home and since getting himself a swisstool he has never looked back. At the time I thought he was exaggerating. I liked the wave - it was small, the blade sharp, and it was a better price and weight when compared to the swiss tool and I couldn't imagine how the wave would rust being made of stainless steel. Further, and rather incorrectly, I associated victorinox with swiss army knives that I had as a kid. Fun to have, but rarely of any real use as a child.
Fast forward to a shoot in on a desert island off of Belize - sand, salt water, humid tropical conditions and my wave rusted in the first hours of the first day and seized up all together by day two. When I got home I purchased a swiss tool for myself and immediately felt the difference in quality. I put my wave in a bath of lubricating oil for a week and that floated most of the rust off. The wave was a good secondary option, to my swiss tool, for a while. A decade on and my swiss tool is as good as new and has never needed maintenance or a drop of oil while my wave sits forgotten at the bottom of a tool bag. The flat head screw driver has snapped off long ago and the rust has crept back around the joints. Sure, some smart ass is going to chime in and say I should look after my wave better and oil it, but it doesn't really stand up the swiss tool which has suffered so much more abuse and has never needed anything at all.
The swiss tool is a far superior tool for my line of work. All the tools are accessible with the pliers stowed, the quality of the tools and metal feel 100% better than the leatherman did, and each tool comes out on its own without the others following it. Finally, there was always something just so awkward about using the the can opener on the wave as a bottle opener/cap lifter as well. I didn't like the way it would pierce the cap sometimes and lift it awkwardly. The process with the swiss tool is much more straight forward and satisfying. After all, surely the most important job of a pocket tool is to open a beer at the end of long hard days work in the sunshine?
Something you missed is that the Surge's file has a diamond coated side and since it is removable, you can actually use it to sharpen your knife blade on your multitool.
very good point
I use it to sharpen my other knives
I carry a carbide teeth metal saw, a drywall saw, a wood saw and the metal/diamond file. not to mention a selection of bits and an extension for the bit. to me there is no comparison. I have used the Leatherman warranty on a first generation 'Wave' that chipped a screwdriver while in use. the knife was returned with their thanks for purchasing it with a new screwdriver blade installed. I am now a loyal and highly satisfied leatherman user.
Duh. Everyone knows that.
99% of the users,will destroy the edge bevels of the knife and the "diamond" file itself,trying to put an edge. Also,who uses that file to sharpen?Its just an hypothetical use in case of emergency.But in that emergency 99% of the people,will just lose their time.
I don't own either multi-tool being reviewed here, but I feel as though the precision of Victorinox puts them in a league of their own. It isn't as though the precision comes at the expense of durability, even if we describe Leatherman tools as a "tank," Victorinox takes a beating, and still remains a precision tool. I, as is the case with a lot of people, I understand, use a Leatherman Skeletool, (RX, in my case) as an EDC companion piece to my tiny keychain Victorinox MiniChamp. I find the MC does most of the things I need it to do, from opening packages, working with (albeit small) screws, personal care, and more. The Skeletool provides the pliers, a bigger blade, (if needed) and a couple of extra driver bits. I bought the added kits but haven't been in any rush to find a way to add it as EDC. What always makes me chuckle when I use it, is how roughly made it is. I have a $30 Victorinox Rambler that I basically keep with me instead of the MiniChamp when I'm around my house (the MC stays with my house/car keys, etc.) The Rambler opens and closes with a degree of precision the $90 Leatherman can't even approach. A $60 difference, and a multi tool some would expect to be little more than a novelty has been made with far more quality than it's much bigger companion. Of course, they are both used for different things, etc, but I also have larger Victorinox Knives, the S557 (Wenger Hybrid) and the Handyman. Both are superior to the Leatherman as well, so it isn't just that the smaller Vics are smoother operating because of their size. For the purposes of the Swisstool vs Surge, I also would have liked to see the similar add-ons from Victorinox. Seems to me the ratchet/bits are pretty much on a par with the similar additions from Leatherman. Fun and useful video in any case, and as always helpful in making future purchases, (or not, as the case may be!)
The Victorinox also has precision screwdrivers as an add on accessory that has four extra bits two Torx, Phillips and two standard for the corkscrew tool.
The can opener of the Leatherman doubles as a bottle opener. Doesn't work quite as nicely as the Victorinox one, but it definitely works for opening a beer.
I like a combination tool too 👍
On the warranty, I'm a Brit living in Turkey. My Leatherman broke, I contacted them and they told me to send it to an affiliated company within Turkey. It cost me about £1.50 postage, they replaced the broken part and sent it back. I was so glad to not have to send it to the US, I was extremely impressed that they use local affiliates unlike a company like Benchmade, who have great warranty, but it has to go back to the original factory and you have to cover that postage.
great feedback - thank you 👍
What u doing in turkey pal
@@endofdayzfitnessu.k2126 I manage a community centre for poor folks and migrants.
@@tidge879 wow respect mate is there any voluntary opportunities to help I’d
Love to get involved
By far the best comparison I’ve found online, and it clarified pretty much every doubt I had, thanks!
Jon consistently does a great job. Comparing and contrasting the tools, making sure that he pays attention to the small details and fairly evaluates them without bias. I've watched a number of his videos and he consistently does a great job. Thanks jon and keep up the great work!
The Swiss Tools now have pocket clips and one hand opening primary blades. Having a separate screwdriver set in the Swiss Tool X plus Ratchet helps when you have to hold on to a slippery nut with the pliers while one turns the screw which has that nut with the screw driver; I have shown this in a video on my channel, called 'A quiet sample demonstration....'. Also, Leatherman is prone to rusting even when not used and kept in environments that don't have that much moisture.
Also those Surge scissors are a problem, I wouldn't call it a draw.
Also for wire strippers-those two types of wire strippers on the Victorinox is a feature that does help with different types of wires as I discovered when working with ethernet cables! That's an extra point for it.
The Victorinox has holes for a lanyard as well!
The ability to open up your tool to service it at home is a real benefit that the Surge has, and the longer plier head can be counted as an advantage too.
Another advantage that the Surge has is that its wire cutter needs much lesser effort with very hard wire. The Victorinox will also do it, bit with much more effort.
But, overall, I feel like I have greater capability with the Swiss Tool, whether carried in a complete kit with an after-market dual-sided 6mm bit set, or on its own, or even with the standard 6mm Victorinox bit kit. The Leatherman bit kit is really not very good for hard driving, and some of its bits are the same bit on both sides.
You always make it easier for me to decide which one to get, Jon. Thank you.
Thanks a lot for the detailed review. Really appreciate it. Keep up the good work👍🏻
Well done again Jon, I did'nt realize I spent 30mins watching your comparison. Thanks for another great video.
Thanks for all the inspiration, means a lot to me. Keep up the wonderful job my friend. 👌🔥
Wow, thank you Jon you do give a very comprehensive overview of the products with some complimentary views as to their differences in fuctionality! You obviously put a lot of thought into the details! I do own the Surge which is an amazing tool, but I do find it very heavy for an EDC carrying tool! So I also own a Wave (which I prefer for EDC) and also own a Crunch, which again has a totally different funcionality in my view! My prefered EDC Leatherman is the Juice XE6 which is very light and versatile! Thanks for the excellent review!
Thanks for the shot at the end comparing the size of Wave / Spirit with these larger tools as well!
As usual well researched, so informative and with just the right dose of the tools evolutionary history background and not to mention the practical side of the tool use review. Keep up the excellent reviews John. Thanks.
Thank you 🙏
Absolutely excellent video John, thanks for your hard work and professionalism
The best comparison of Multitools I've ever seen ! Great job !
I bought many leatherman models the last 2 years ,carried them at work on a rotation and put them to the test. I should start by saying that im a sak user for 30+ years.
What I’ve noticed is that leatherman even though he has a variety of options , lacks on quality inspection and detail execution. If i buy 100 swisstools they would all function the same,but in leathermans case I would have 99 different operating flaws and one that works ok. (Exaggeration to make my point)
What you’ve said on tools layout and deployment is also pin point. Victorinox is like ocd stacked with each tool having its own spring and leatherman on the other end with its tools opening and closing according to its star sign.
I chose Victorinox for all the above but mostly because i see a multitool as a “first aid” on a task ,not a solution.if i have 50 screws to screw i would use an impact power tool at work not a multitool. I’m using mt for small tasks just to avoid carrying a toolbox. So a stand alone multitool is far more suitable for me. If i need to carry extras i could go with a toolbox with dedicated tools.
Love your background!
Great points. I too find the leatherman an overkill because if you really need to carry so many tools as spares, you probably need them as a professional, and for that nothing can beat a dedicated specialized tool box. Whereas with victorinox it just feels like an elegant precision tool which can help in a pinch; however does not try to overdo it. And it just oozes that quality which i have yet to find in any other similar tools.
No matter how much I try to enjoy using the Leatherman Wave multitools, as soon as I do the same job with a Victorinox, I realize how perfect a tool it is. As my colleague (a professional soldier) would say: "Leatherman is for a esthetics and looking, while Victorinox is when you stop looking and start working." Germans have a big problem with knife laws, and that's why they are not allowed to make Multitools that open and lock with one hand. However, in recent years, there have been such models ("MX"), intended for foreign markets.
I also have both the original Swiss tool and surge... You were spot on, in your assessments.... One point, in regards to the surge, the file is removable allowing you to maintain the tool.
You have some of the best comparison reviews on TH-cam.
This was so detailed. thank you!
I enjoyed this review, and it was helpful as I look for a new multitool.
An apples to apples comparison that would be fun to see is the Leatherman Free P4 vs the Victorinox Swisstool X. Both have all the tools available on the outside. Thanks.
Returning to your review for a second time as you do a really good job of comparing these, thanks :D
Thanks Romac glad it was useful
outstanding review! thank you for providing the details for each!
You’re very welcome
An excellent review, the best I've seen on YT. I will add that putting a 20 or 25mm "key ring" on the lanyard ring serves nicely to accommodate a "blood type tag" that I use to quickly/easily remove the tool from its sheath or a pocket. The key ring provides a larger degree of freedom of movement between the tool and the whatever you wish to use to attach to your tool for safekeeping while working at heights or over water or just to simply get a grip on your tool. Again, much thanks for your excellent review!
I like the sliding buttons that unlock blades on the Victorinox. It's a recent patent, first introduced on the Victorinox Swisstool Spirit.
Absolutely first class review. The best on YT my friend.
Really kind, thank you
Awesome and very informative review Sir! Well done!
The Surge in my option is workshop quality. I have six alternative Bosch Jig Saw blades (T Fit) that can easily be exchanged for the default file and wood saw, these can live in the back section where the file or wood blade resides in the nylon holder. The Bosch fitting is a slightly wobbly fit but I have made a shim to compensate for this. The Mag Lite Solitare plus fits snuggly in one of the loops at the side of the nylon case. I use this little Mag Light as a quick inspection light. In a nutshell the Surge is workshop quality heavy arsed tool that can get you out of shit street. I work on film set and I also do fine art Installations where your kit is all over the place. Blessings from a Brit in Berlin. ❤️
Just found this channel….this guy does great reviews! New subscriber!!!
🙏
Another great review sir.
Thank you.
In your finger example, I would never grab the bolt (I don't want to say "grab the nut") in that configuration, but would turn the tool 90 degrees so it looked like the hands of a clock. But your explanation of the pivot change is the first one in a decade that has made any sense.
I agree you would only do it that way if there was no other option - which makes it even more crazy it was changed for this reason!
Awesome content Jon. I'd been thinking of picking up a Swiss tool X. Amazing detail and history of the two 👍
Thanks Mr R - very kind - keep up the good work too 👍
I’m considering buying the Swiss
I have had a Swisstool from the late 90’s and it has been abused the entire time, I don’t think I have ever oiled or cleaned it and it has yet to fail me or feel even the slightest bit rough in use. I have just bought a Surge for a change and I will see how I get on but I am glad I have my old tool to fall back on.
So far, I've got a Surge for my DIY projects, Spirit because it is such a beautiful and lightweight multitool and the very capable for its size Compact! Great minds think alike, Jon :-) Looking forward to your next videos, keep them coming please.
Great feedback thank you 🙏 perfect choices.
Spirit X is the best of them all by far!
Excellent comparison. Your rationale is very well thought out . I have both as well but have the Surge in all of my external bags such as first responder, get home bag and EDC work bag.
thank you 🙏
Superb, brilliant video. Thank you very much!
I love your set for filming! Its a very pretty background with brilliant accent lighting!
Thank you 😊
I’m sure I’ll get hate for this but this is my take. I’ve done all the big names - Leatherman, Gerber, Victorinox. I’m now using a Roxon S801s : £43.99 ($53.25) Amazon ! It is the absolute best multitool I’ve ever had. Superbly made, oozes quality & the biggest (I mean HUGE) pair of scissors ✂️ I’ve ever seen on a multitool ! 🇬🇧
Great video very informative. If I know about the Surge when I was baying my Wave I wouldn't have done as many trip to the tool box.
very details, thanks Jon
Victorinox is one brand I would buy from without even needing to see reviews on the particular product, because I know that they deliver outstanding quality every time.
Very true 👍
I’ve used products from both manufacturers and I prefer the Leatherman for tougher jobs. I agree the scissors on the LM can be less useful for delicate use but they’re much tougher. The only thing I dislike about the Surge is the awkward can opener, it is slower to use and leaves a much more jagged edge than the Victorinox and in my opinion is the tools weakest function. Fortunately I rarely need to use it to open cans and use it almost exclusively for opening boxes (I’ve sharpened the beak) and it works perfectly and never cuts too deep.
One handed deployment and closing of the knives is very useful and having tactile ridges on the serrated blades spine means I never open the wrong one. I also like that I can open the pliers one handed with a flick of the wrist.
Great feedback people will appreciate 🙏
Victorinox are notorious for using pot metal, well both of them do (they are using ribbon stamping machines for cheapness, and the low grade steels stamp out better with lower die wear), but Leatherman has started offering some decent steel for the knife blade.
I've had my surge for daily use in a machine shop since 2012 and it has yet to fail. You forgot to mention on the leatherman, if you choose to carry the file it can be removed and used to sharpen it's own blades using the diamond coated file. Great review!
Thanks for the feedback 👍 great point re sharpening
Did you ever manage to sharpen any blade with that tiny file? All people support the product they bought to death,In reality though,Swiss Tools are far better in terms of quality,longevity,versatility and reliability. Of course I own mts from both brands,since the 80's. Leathermans qualitu,whuch eas never higher,has gone downhill and goes lower and lower each year,when Victorinox is always Great in quality and perfectly functional out of the box. I got 2 broken Lbrokenmans and all my models that didnt break in 2 have damaged springs and bent tools,while all my Swisstools,are literally as good as new,with the same,if not more amount of use and abuse...
@@greekveteran2715 once while camping. It obviously won't be your best edge but in a pinch it can get you by. I have many Victorinox knives and I love them. My biggest complaint with the Victorinox knives/tools is their blade steel is very soft and is just some form of high carbon stainless. Leatherman has caught on to the enthusiast blade market and is offering some pretty nice blade steels now.
@@phillipbanes5484 While I broke already a Leatherman when I used the Plier function, I still failed to break my Victorinox in 10+ years of use. It's though like Gerber; guys who prefer Gerber will always state that Gerber is better/equally good.
Yet the Swisstool X is in reality just more versatile. Sure, in quality both are "kinda the same"; yet I'd argue that Victorinox simple has tighter/stricter quality controll on its production. So while you can get a "bad Leatherman" - you wont get a "bad Victorinox".
@@cgprecision Which cost extra though, and those guys mostly use their Knives for batoning or cutting paper.
Be honest, the normal "soft" (or rather softer but whatever) steel on Pocketsknives/Multitools has a reason; they don't break easily and are easily resharpen e.g. if you're "in the field". Sure, some "Supersteels" are pretty nice. Yet you don't tell me now that you go on a hunting trip without your skinner knive(s) which you then also would use to repair some cables in your Truck, cutting open an apple or simple making a Stick pointy for Marshmellows.
And show me how you use most basic / available stuff outdoor or on the side of the road, to reshapren anything above D2. It has a reason why people still use 440C or even steels like the one in a Victorinox blade. You can easily resharpen it - Hell, you get it razor sharp again with a leather stripe.
Do that with D2 or Steels which are even tougher to sharpen. ^^"
I'm quite a big Victorinox SAK fan, but I went with the Leatherman Surge for this go around of multi-tool selection. I figured I should have at least one to give them a fair chance. It doesn't replace my SAKs for me, but complements them, and adds a little bit of redundancy for security, confidence, and peace of mind. Cheers.
Hi Jon, great vid, very detailed.
Been a owner of a Surge for a couple of months now, this is my set up.
I put the Surge wide end first into the case this enables the ratchet driver to sit inside the case. Then I have the Wiha double ended bits as seen on TX Tool Club, in a 12 bit holder which sits in the front sleeve, plus 1 bit in the ratchet itself. In the back sleeve I put 2 Lennox saw blades 1 metal, 1 wood they are slightly longer which is a benefit but they still fit and put the file into the tool. I have a 8 cm set of titanium twizzers which fits down next to the ratchet .That leaves the 2 side sleeves free, at the moment I have a Knipex 100 Cobra in 1 side and in the other a Knipex 125 ratchet pliers. I have on order a Fenix EO2R Torch, which I am going to make a small additional elasticated sleeve for, which is going to allow the torch to sit across the top inside on the pouch flap, once I find someone to sew it on for me. Then I think I'm about done.😁🏴
Wow Dereck sounds like the perfect setup! Thanks so much for sharing here 🙏
Sounds like an awesome setup. I love my surge as well, and I’m a big fan of the Leatherman nylon sheath. Possibilities are endless.
Great review Jon. I have both and use the Surge more simply because it is chunky and I don't worry about applying too much force and the fact with the bit kit and rachet you have a pretty compact tool box.
A very nice review!! I first had a Leatherman Wingman that I liked, but due to strengthend weapon laws here in Germany it was not allowed to carry a multitool in public, where its blade could be opened one handed... therefor I got the Victorinox Swisstool X where I have to use both hands to open the blade... so that often stated PRO of one handed blade opening was a CON for me 🙂
Very good comparing video’s between the swisstool X - the Surge and the spirt X - Charge +
You convinced me to buy a Victorinox Swisstool X to replace my Victorinox Outrider. I just bought 1 for €89,99 during the Black Friday weekend @ my local hardwarestore. It will be part of my tool kit in my car together with my Leatherman Crunch.
That's great to hear - I'm sure you wil be impressed with the quality and capability - hang on to that Crunch 👍
Love them both, but the victorinox is lighter and still saves me 2 or 3 walks back to the work truck. The Surge is heavier duty but at that point I just use the actual full size dedicated tool instead ..
Great video!!
Funnily enough, the pliers on the Swisstool seem to be more robust than the Leatherman - very few people have managed to break a Swisstool. The replaceable bit cutters on the Leatherman work well, but they are also less robust than the ones inbuilt on the Swisstool - and the customer is reponsible for replacing them. Also, rivets done well can actually be advantageous over screws coming loose in the field if the rivets ever get lose, you can easily tap them shut - I've done that on other knives repatedly), and the steel Victorinox uses is more rust proof than Leatherman's 420HC. I should also mention you can get the Swisstool with a clip and/or one-handed opening blade now. I bought the Surge once, but ended up sending it back because I wasn't happy with it. just too much bulk and sharp edges when using the outer tools. I now have a Spirit and a Free P4. The P4 has caused me a lot of work and additional costs, while the Spirit is completely maintenance-free. So for me, I would say Victorinox is the overall winner here, last but not least since in Europe they are significantly less expensive than Leathermans.
Hello, Jonathan - excellent video, great discussion of all the pros & cons of each...I agree with the "X" plier head being a little plain...I would have liked that Victorinox had stamped its shield and cross logo on the plier head like the "98" model...it looks really nifty...as you know, Victorinox has a bigger sheath to store the extra tools you mentioned if you want that option...I see you have the newer Leatherman sheath with the extra inner pocket...a possible alternative to your Leatherman setup might be as follows : inner back pocket, bit kit, inner front pocket, the sleeve(that comes with the tool), holding the file and 2 Bosch metal saws( since the wood saw is in the tool), and the bit extender/ratchet and a small flashlight in the 2 outer pockets...Good job!
Thanks for the great feedback Edgar - much appreciated 👍
It’s a little puzzling that Vx removed their signature needle-eye from the awl on STX while they are hiring the same scissors from SAK and LM has adopted the needle eye on their awl on Rebar and Surge.
The STX awl looks much nicer but the functionality reduced to that on LM PST.
@@mingshey it makes a much better 'drill' though!
@@JonGadget You are most welcome!
I like to be able to access the small Surge tools while wearing gloves (or if you have short/brittle/taped nails). I think this is a real live feature and not a lack of precision. But the design of the one handed small tools from the Free P4 seems to combine the best of both worlds (never had one in my hands).
I like the beefy blade, but a thin blade also has advantages for certain jobs.
The optional clip for the Surge would have bin better on the other side, as the current position is where the metric ruler begins. I would have liked, if both rulers where visible on the outside. And if the little screwdriver had a ruler as well, it would have been great for measuring depth.
The bottle opener is ok, but not suited for some bottle shapes. The one on the Victorinox seems a little better. But I really like the the idea of the hammer/pry/bottle opener on the Gerber Armbar. This would be a nice addition for the Surge. Usable from the outside, small, quick and functional (i guess, as i never had this in my hands, since Gerber always fails in executing their otherwise great ideas). I really miss some sort of light duty hammer on most multitools.
This is a very good review, Jon. Thank you! I do like the capability of the Surge, but I am a bit concerned about rust. Maybe I can be me more confident Swisstool will not rust with time? The quality and more compact design are also very nice. I think I’ll choose Swisstool. Congratulations on your content. I’m a new subscriber!
If you spend a lot of time in salt air, get the Vic. But don't forget, the LM comes apart for thorough cleaning/servicing, where the Vic. doesn't.
Very late I know! but thanks for the sub!
Very well made comparison; personally, I think one won't go wrong with any of them
I have both and I love the superb precision of the victorinox but still choose the surge for its beast capability, does everything I need it to do. I feel limited with the victorinox. Kind of like apple vs pc, mercedes s500 vs dodge demon 😈 😆 🤣 . I agree with you boss. Very informative and classy.
I'm glad I watched this video a second time. I think the precision of the victorinox is something that matters to me more now after fiddling with leatherman. If I'm using a tool more often, those implements need to come out and go back in a lot easier. Having an original leatherman, a supertool and a couple other leatherman clones, the implements not behaving well is quite an annoyance and one that can't really be fully overcome. Not only that but it compounds the more dirty and disused the leathermans get, such as with the ingress of dust things like that.
This is a tough one because if I JUST used the pliers all the time, the replaceable cutters and the stronger plier head is super nice. If I AM using the pliers a lot, I think the Leatherman Free p4 may be a better choice. You get the replaceable cutters on the P4 and full one-hand opening of the pliers (like a butterfly knife).
good feedback - thanks for sharing
great review, thank you.
i gave away Swisstool with ratchet to my brother and moved again to a new Silver&Black Surge. Just because almost all multitools come with a bad woodfile, little distance between teeth. its ok for dry wood but on soft and wet wood is a nightmare. On Surge i bought a longer and bigger teeth Bosch woodfile to get the job done (cuting some rose branches from time to time).
Thanks for the great feedback 👍
For me the vic is the refined velvet nuke. Tough superlative engineering.. smooth.. its in the details with Vicky.
Closer comparison would be the big box Ozark multi selling for about 40.00 vs Leather M.
The spirit scissors are imo the worst scissors Vic has ever made. The swisstool have superior scissors. I'm very happy they never changed it. Also, I'm surprised at your issues with the surge, I cut through paracord Cleanly nearly ever time, but the vic has much better Percision. Can the reamer comparison be a draw when one (the surge) also has the sewing awl?
I might have got a poor Surge but is is a new one! As for the reamer, the Vic is a better shape when using it as a 'drill' which is my main use case ie. pilot hole - that balances for me with sewing eye on Surge. Everyone has their own preferences though of course.
Jon, you can buy speciality tools for your multi tools from Maxlvledc,. Checkout his channel.
@@veritas.ve.42 thanks for that, I am already a fan, we know each other through YT - a very knowledgeable guy 👍
@@JonGadget actually...now that you mention it..I had a similar issue with the new surge as well..the cutting edges were not bent in properly...maybe that's why.
@@maxlvledc I do think their quality has suffered over recent times.
Thanks for this fair comparison. As they are both big quality multitools; I like leathermans surge exchangeables: 1. bit set, 2. T-shank adapter file or jigsaw blades, 3. plier hard-wire cutter blades.
I found cheap big multitool with standard bit set, which I prefer over manufactorer sized bit set inside my bag pack in an old smal mobil phone pouch with a standard mini bit set screwdriver (4mm). To not miss sissors I carry a normal (9mm) sized cheap swiss army knife in my pocket.
Leatherman quality is junk level. Victorinox on the other hand,is highest quality you can get.All my Leathermpersare brolen pieces of junk compared to my Spirit X,which still looks and works as good as new. Sorry but thats my long term personal experience.
A fantastic side by side review of both to tanks i think the smaller size juice models from leaterman are fantastic little poickit tools I've noted that they don't make them anymore why they stopd making them is beyond me thanks for sharing this fantastic review with us Jonathan
Thanks for the kind feedback William 👍
I much prefer the look of the leatherman ,but victorinox is so well made it’s hard to go else where. In the end I’d take either 👍🏻😊 The saw on the leatherman is great when it gets blunt, just get a new one , same with the pliers.lovely informative video, really enjoyable 👍🏻😊
The traditional scissors on the Victorinox have always had a flaw with the spring that, although replaceable, regularly slips out of alignment when cutting, and breaks over time.
I like the mechanism and finish of the small tools of VX, but prefer LM for the functionality of the tools themselves.
Great review! I have a Gerber but I want a Victorinox multitool.
Having all torx bit up to t30 , metric and allen key up to ¼ and 6mm is a huge game changer for me. My weapon of choice though is the
charge tti, a bit smaller to carry every day.
The Surges scissors are buy far the best, they are like shears. I sharpened my Surges scissors to be razor sharpe. And the pivot of the scissors taper in on each other. Excellent video.
Brilliant review from possibly the best reviewer on you tube.I'm going with the surge too.......a good big one will always beat a good small one as my Grandad used to say.
One thing about the lack of a chisel feature on the surge.......why not make a whole set of chisels out of old jigsaw blades,you could make a very comprehensive set with minimum work,a dremel with a set of grinding discs and stones would enable you to produce a great varied set of chisels.
Thanks for the kind feeback 👍
great review....i totally agree on the surge as the winner....i own the surge since 2005 and i also got the newer version...i guess the 1st version was build more better...it doesnt have the loose gaps and sensation comparing to the newer one..and i have use the 1st version daily basis and gone thru very heavy duty task at the garage or out in the jungle...ive even changed to 2nd blade now...for such a compact multitool..it did great...dismissing my other multitools such as SOG and gerber which dint even comes close to robustness and dependability.
Thank you Jonathan!
im waiting on my new Surge to show up. had the Core, and broke a bunch of stuff on it hence the purchase of the Surge. i opted for it over any other just because of all the other accessory tools i can use with it. the custodial crew at work thinks of me as having a maintenance person on their crew since im always fixing things for them and the Surge will enable me to continue doing so and possibly in more ways.
Great great review!
I'm in need of advise:
You see, I own a Swisstool X, but I'm also a nailbiter. Because of this, I find it impossible to open the tools. I have tried to stop to no avail. Because of this, I'm looking into getting a new multitool.
The surge seems attractive, but it also requires the use of fingernails. Therefore my question is: is it easier to open the surge using fingernails than it is with the Swisstool. If yes, by how much? If not, is there any other multitool (aside from the Leatherman Free series) that does not require the use of fingernails?
Thanks
I'd pick the surge for this one. It looks like it will not let me down in my projects.
I have (or rather had - I've misplaced it and I really miss it ) a Victorinox Spirit. The Victorinox looks much more civilized and less aggressive when sitting on my desk. However, Victorinox polishes their screwdriver tips, and that rounds off the edges and corners. That makes it less effective as a screwdriver than the Leatherman with its ground bits. It's also not s heavy-duty, but it never let me down. Can't live without a multitool, so I've ordered a replacement. Since the Swiss Tool is now very expensive, I've got a Leatherman Wave and bit set on order. I have a Swiss Champ knife, so I'm not leaving Victorinox.
Excellent review
I have just received my surge and it's replacing the standard wave not the + version so over the next week or so I'm sure that I'll be seeing it's value returned in all the tasks completed
A very good and objective video. But you forgot to compare the measurement function to a tape measure. Here you can see the precision of the Victoriniox. And one more thing, if you put the handle of the Vic 90 ° up, you have an almost exact angle, which is not bad either.
But I like to work with both of them ;-) Thumbs up!
Thanks Ringo, yes, I nearly forgot the rule altogether! 👍
Evening Sir. May I suggest that when pointing out individual parts on the tools, that you use some sort of pointer, chop stick, or a nice pen? This would make it clearer and stop the camera focusing on the back of you hand. Loving the in-depth reviews. And also miss the gadget shops😎
Thanks Nigel - appreciate the feedback - the Gadget Shops certainly had their day 👍
Thank you for a thoughtful analysis. I agree with most of your assessment, and i understand these are your views, however i would bring up that not all “points” are the same. A great knife and pliers in my opinion would be enough to put the surge ahead. Truthfully those are the only tools that matter. I am not saying i have not used a saw to cut pvc or the driver to adjust a rogue screw… but those are one off occasions. Not all points are the same.
Having a multi tool from both these companies my conclusion is: the Victorinox would be an heirloom piece I’d be proud to give my son. And the Leatherman is what I take into the field and use daily. Both great tools victorinox is definitely more refined but almost too pretty to use roughly. I break it out for special occasions lol
Don't let appearances fool you, the Swiss Tool X is made to be used and abused. I've beat on mine for years, and it has held up exceptionally well.
I have bothe. And . I honestly like swiss more.
Thanks for sharing! Damn, I want a Surge, now, after seeing the t blade saw mounting >_>
I prefer the surge form factor. I would however have a proper full size bit adapter and the Swiss Tools chisel/wirestripper combo tool.
I assumed you can tighten the tools if they come loose? Anyone tried that yet?
The space in the Leatherman case makes me think that you can put extra bits at the bottom, and then put your tool on top of them, thus still being able to snap flap shut due to that extra space there.
One handed opening of the blades is a big deal, and thus a deal breaker for me. I like Victorinox, and do own a RangerGrip 58, but that's because it is one hand opening. 😁 So I'd go Leatherman in your comparison. I'm from the US, so I can carry that concealed here in Virginia. Some States will differ in such laws, but I think most States here allow concealed carry of locking knives.
The tip of the can opener on the Victorinox is also a 2D Phillips head
i would like the Leatherman Surge, I have a Leatherman Wave + for EDC. And its very nice.
I had the earlier model SwissTool but lost it and need to replace. Having viewed a number of reviews I think I'll buy another swisstoolx (ST-X). Wanted to make a point about the case. The ST-X will fit in the same cases as the larger victornox pocket knives (the locking blade style). Also I had an old pair of military shorts, with an inside pocket for pistol magazines, so I'd not be at all surprised if the ST-X is a good fit for something like a 9mm ammo clip for a military pistol, and this probably provides more case options. Love for someone to confirm this.
Curious to see your thoughts on the leatherman free p4/p2. It has a similar locking mechanism as the victorinox and all the tools are on the outside.
Hello Jonathan and thank you for the great review! Would you mind doing a Swisstool vs Spirit comparison? I cannot decide between the two.
Good idea 👍 on the list 🙏
Great comparison! I find it interesting that these companies are still making a lot of flat head “main stay on board tools” when clearly the construction market is moving away from flatheads as a whole.
I remember thinking in 2013 when I was looking to buy my first Leatherman: "how the F do these things each have 7 flat head drivers and not a single one of them has a #2 robertson??!"
I don't know if we have construction workers in Canada old enough to remember when flatheads were a common thing!
I dream of a day the Canadian Supertool is released with a truss style Red Robbie driver, lumberjack plaid handle scales, and a spare bottle opener.. they get a lot of use up here lol.
I have a surge and love it. I've beaten the crap outta it and it doesn't quit. Yeah it's heavy way to heavy to keep in a pocket. But I use the belt sheath that came with it and I dont even notice it's there alot of times. The only thing that would make the leatherman better would be it the pliers were spring loaded to make one handed use easier. Other than that I can't live with out my leatherman I use it for everything all the time and is by far the best money I've ever spent. This thing had paid for its self over and over. Oh and the replaceable wire cutters is so useful. And the main blade on the leatherman is one of the best knives I own and I have tons of knives
Excellent comparison! 👍🏻
I own both and I agree about pretty much everything.
However I find the Swisstool to be much more practical as well as far more refined and much better built than the Surge.
The attention to detail, smoothness, comfort of use and overall precision on the Swisstool is just second to none and unsurpassed by any other multitool I've tried so far.
Absolute winner for me: the Swisstool. 🥇
Thanks for the feedback. Check out my Wave vs Spirit review to compare!
Opposite for me.
Had a swisstool, but it just wasn't diverse and robust enough to handle what I put my surge through as a Pipeline contractor.
Swisstool is much more refined, but much less usable.
I have the same issue with the scissors on my Surge. They struggle to cut paracord and even loose thread on clothing. My Gerber tool and Swiss Army Knife don't have this issue. It's a shame because they seem like a sturdy pair of scissors and they are sharp; the scissors were a selling point for me when I made my choice to buy this tool.
Another thing I noticed is that while I like the knife blade and prefer it over the Swisstool they didn't bother polishing the edge grind. It's sharp enough but Victorinox always give you a nicely polished edge. This lack of attention to detail was slightly disappointing for such an expensive tool but no biggie.
Apart from these small niggles I'm very pleased with my purchase and enjoy using the tool. I personally prefer it over the Swisstool X for it's features but they are both excellent.
Great feedback - thanks so much for sharing 🙏
An enjoyable and informative review as always. The whole setting has a comfortable living room/fireplace room to it, which I quite like.
that's good to know - thanks for the feedback - these comments really help
Good video Jon, I own a Swisstool, but not a Surge, I do have a Wave and Charge instead, and they're all great tools, but to be honest, my trusty Swisschamp has been my "go to" EDC choice for 7 years now, and for heavy duty cutting I have a Spyderco Dragonfly, but that's not often. Cheers from Minnesota!
great feedback thank you 👍
I'm curious, you said your "Swisschamp" is your go too edc. I love my "Swisschamp" and it is in my backpack that goes with me on many trips around town, but definitely on trips out of town. But, for edc I carry a pliers based multitool (a fuse or a wave). I have an older Swisstool X but It's mostly for my collection (it is gorgeous and a marvel of engineering and design).
@@stevedriscoll2539 I've found that the Swisschamp generally does everything I need it to, I have a toolbox within reach if I'm in my car or at home, so if I really need a pair of pliers I can grab ome there.
@@albundy8139 I carried my "Swisschamp" on many walks with my little buddy "Beans" (my dog and my best little friend RIP) when we were in Tucson for about a year back in 2019. I loved carrying it, and it's probably my favorite multitool period. The pliers actually were impressive. Thanks Al (said in a whiny Peg Bundy voice 🤣👌)
I think i would have to get them both.
Victorinox for its precision and the Leatherman for it's strenght.