Broke my awl on the surge sended it in got it back much better then new, knifes sharpend, tool perfectly cleaned I wish some other companies had the same quality of repair.
I just received back from warranty two gen2 Surges and had a great experience. 1: black oxide surge went in for a broken awl, bent main knife and rattling lock, same as yours. Came back quickly with new knife, new awl, and new handle (to fix rattle). 2: stainless Surge sent in for rattling handle lock, came back with new handle. In both cases I had removed my bits and file when I sent them in and they came back to me with new bits/file installed, which was very nice, and not necessary. Both are in top shape now and back in use.
Great video as always! I have to agree with Albertus-Leatherman stores in South Africa are fantastic. I've never had an issue with their service, and they even followed up with a call to ensure everything was perfect!
My Gerber's have a "LIFETIME" warranty and this company backed the warranty when I served in the U.S. Navy, replacing the sheepsfoot(serrated) blade for free and sent me another sheath to carry the MP 600 Multi tool....and shipped my tool back to aircraft carrier (CV-63) U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in 2001.
Yes Ben, I can only speak well of Leatherman South Africa, stay in Cape Town and their shop is close by so you can drive their walk in and if the technician are not that busy, they sort your tool out while you wait, great service.
So I'm over in South Africa and I had to send my Sidekick in as I snapped the saw blade while cutting a branch. The local agent here in SA offers top notch service, I didn't receive the same tool back but I got another sidekick that was like brand new. With all the other brands out there I will still spend my money on Leatherman as their guarantee is worth every cent
The only time i used the warranty was for my late dads supertool, it was very loose/floppy. They didnt tighten the screws because there where scratches from previous atemts from my father. This took a month, had to fix it myself then. My old wave that i bought used was very well made compared to the newer models i bought after that, the 2h new wave was a complete mess with sharp edges everywhere, tolerances all over the place and the surge took over a month til i could use it properly, the pliers where very stiff. At the same time i had several victorinox in service for dull scissors, bent blades etc and one was a old german army knife that had a ruined blade, they just sent me a new one and fixed my over 40 years old champion, damn i could send them my soldier from 1939 and i bet they could fix that (it has a chip broken of the screwdriver). They even changed the serrated blade of my black swisstool to scissors ( at that time there was no regular black swisstool with scissors made,only that with one handed blade, so quite unique) and send me spare free stuff on the side like screws for the clip, new toothpick and stuff for all the knives, even changed the battery on my cybertool light.
i have utilizing a leatherman wave+ since 2022 and i only broke the micro driver doing something it wasn't meant for but i did not seek out the warranty. Other than that it has been holding up very nicely with decent/mild use. the infamous wave+ pinch has gotten me about three times and that is pretty rough when it happens but i think third time was a charm and i am able to mitigate it's occurrence through experience. good to hear from you again Ben!!!
I just go eBay and people take tools apart and piece them out so I just replace whatever part broke or put my own tool set in them. I carry a ST300m so it has the pry bar and bit driver as well as I added a super tool saw and scissors from a wave. I have a spare ST300 I keep for parts also. I tried leathermans warranty once, signals lock failed and they replaced it with a wingman so I was pretty upset but they eventually took back the wingman and gave me another signal
I've done the same for my Surge. Bought a new bit holder, wrecked the spring in it (totally my own fault) and ever so slightly bent the small flat head (I abused it) so I bought one of those also, although I haven't put it in yet as the original is still working fine. Didn't want to send the whole tool off to be fixed. I realize it's probably more costly this way but I don't mind.
Had a surge fixed about 2 years ago. I had a snapped liner lock on the Tshank tool. They fixed it no questions asked. Took about a month I believe total between shipping it to them to getting the tool shipped back. I was pleased with the service.
Hello, Ben! Good video! Nice to have you back! There has been a concern with the cutters not cutting in the hardwire position...sometimes they break, or the tool binds up really tight & it has to be sent to L to be fixed &/or adjusted...the original cutters apparently did not have this problem, & folks now have to "eye-ball" the item to be cut so as to not go all the way to the end of the cutters to avoid jamming the tool...the cutters have a big gap at the end, where you can see daylight...this did not happen with the original cutters...folks have been looking elsewhere to get similar cutters like L originally supplied with their tools...what do you think? What can be done?
I have a super tool I bought with a mini mag light . It says 0198 inside, so it's out of guarantee. I have broken the medium size screwdriver, but would never send it back as its used too much. It's the same for my British army clasp knife. It's been retired ( sort of). When my supertool is done it to will be retired and I'll buy another. I recently bought a victorinox huntsman, which I think is great, but it hasn't been abused as much as the leatherman or my clasp knife. That was made in 1952.
I have a bunch of leathermans but in the last 3 years I have gotten a Rebar and a ST300 the other day. I was hesitant to get a ST300 bc I've heard of their qc drop but mine has been great. I mean I always find minute details that don't hinder functionality at all just aesthetics. Now I just struggle on what I should daily carry Surge or ST300...
@@captainscarlet6758 I mean I have an affinity towards the classic design of the ST300. I like having the all in one package without extra bits extra files etc. Although, I do carry a micra in my pocket for scissors. I find it easier using a smaller designated tool for scissors especially for finer cutting tasks. Its also easier handing my micra off to someone who needs scissors rather than a bulky multitool and having them fish for scissors. That being said the Surge is a great tool with it's own advantages but I find it a lot heavier with the added bit kit extension and file on the belt. Also, I always have a main blade on me too so the lack of one hand operation isn't an issue with the ST300. Ymmv
Think I’ve used warranty 3 times, all for broken knife tips. No issues. Nothing crazy to speak of QC wise other than the new replaceable cutter design. Their insider program pissed me off though. After buying the Arc, new ones for “emergency” tools in 2 vehicles, and my brother in-law a custom wave+ for Christmas to get to the highest tier… the special gift for the highest tier was a made overseas coffee cup that I had to spend a minimum of $50 on an order for. And it took like $500 to get to the highest tier. Sold all my Leatherman’s and put together a nice mini tool kit for my daily back pack, (knipex cobra xs, wiha go box, etc…) and only carry a Spyderco on person now. Checking out a Keybar with a flat head and Philips head for some bare minimum essentials while also cleaning up my keys.
I bought a Surge last month and out of the box one of the washers that goes on the outside of the can opener and bit exchanger was free floating in there. it just popped out the first time I opened the can opener. I did not end up sending it in for warranty. I was able to find two security torques of the appropriate size and was able to fix it myself. but it seemed like a major Miss in quality control.
This should be a fantastic test, thank you for your knowledge, wisdom and ability to take one for the team, ie. the rest of us who learn from your experiences 👏🇨🇦. P.S. I tried to sign up for the leatherman 40 year warranty registration and couldn’t find it anywhere on the Canadian version of the website.
I have the same problem with my surge. The part that locks the can opener and bit drive makes that horrible sound and also found many issues. I ordered mine from amazon and requested a replacement but the replacement had the same issues. It looks like you ordered your from amazon as well. I think manufacturers use amazon to sell their defective products and Leatherman is not the exemption.
You could well be right! I bought my Surge about a year ago from a shop here in Australia because they had a good deal on. It's been perfect in every way! Not one thing could I find wrong with it still to this day! Maybe Amazon/eBay sell seconds? 🤷♂️
that might be one reason why the CQ might be lacking in the new Leatherman MT. If you think of all the people doing just that is telling. Yes I am sure I would have bought a new one.
Leatherman replaced my two discontinued Super Tool 200s that had loose locks with brand new Super Tool 300s. They replaced the broken pliers on my Charge, just the pliers. I have not had to send anything else in and none of my Wave+ have had issues. My latest purchase was a Surge then a Rebar which is like a Super Tool 200 re-issued and lighter than the 300. I'd never buy a clone.
Nice to have you back Ben sir 👍 For us folks outside the States I don't even know if I could sent a tool in for warranty , which makes buying a tool a bit of a gamble . Any reason why you stopped carrying the modified one ? And last : thoughts on the last mind blowing incredible innovation with the Obsidian 😅 ?
great to see your back with a video. i was curious if you was gonna make one about the new Arc? A change of color isn't something to write home about or nowadays i reckon the saying is nothing to make a video about.
i have a Gerber 400 now 26 years hard use on my farm you name it the 400 has done it. had to send it in for broken plier, and bought a surge for backup and just something new. hated it, nothing on the tool is smooth after one week of work it got play on the handles, very disappointing. after that week got my old 400 back, and they even replaced the knife, was kind of a pin instead of a knife after a lot of sharpening. all cost free and that at 26 years, it has a forever warranty. and the Leatherman, sold it. just my experience, some say you need to work it in, NO not for that price.... the 400 cost a fraction of any Leatherman, and i bought a Gerber 600 going to try that one out. we will see
you should get the B/Bury 31-1,it is THE actual best budget multitool , many youtubers such as maxlvledc and hvac budget recommand it,it is a better version of the Daicamping with harder materials and a 4 year warranty for around 35/45$ even I have one and am not disapointed at all,best part is that it used a 1/4 driver making save money ifyou loose some bits ;) frame : 3cr13 tools : 5cr15 blade : 7cr17 Pliers : YG10 Tungsten it comes with 8 double sided bits, 2 woodsaw blades(+ the double sided diamond files that comes IN it) and an other set of YG10 wire cutter all of that in an easy-in easy-out pouch
I have never used leatherman warranty. But it seems they are just being slapped together now with loose or overtightend joints. Bent tools, plier slop, huge dings, or nics. With what there charging they need to come perfect.
I've snapped off the large flat screwdriver, broke the tip of the small flat screwdriver, broke the arm of the scissors, bent the serrated blade at its hinge, and hideously dulled both blades on my Surge. Guess I'll have to mail it in one of these days!
I had to send my Surge in for repair when the Large Screwdriver broke. The strange thing about the large screwdriver breaking is that it was the first time I ever used it and it took very little effort to snap it off. The metal was very, very brittle... I'm not sure if it was a bad batch or what. They took care of the repair but I had also sent it in with a Squirt that needed repairs as well... My mistake was I didn't make it clear that there were two items in the package and they somehow lost the Squirt... Not the end of the world.. Customer service was very professional and took care of everything. I'm still concerned about how brittle the screwdriver material was.... I haven't even bothered testing the replacement to see if it's any stronger, mostly because I don't want to break it again. Anyone else have an issue with unusually brittle tools on their Leathermans?
very noticeable drop in quality recently. Knife grinds very uneven, tools that are all but impossible to open with bare hands. All fixable issues but none of these were issues with the older models Ive found.
Jesus Christ bro...so let me get this straight...first time you broke the pliers on your surge by your own fault" i shouldnt have done that" and they fixed it for you and now you dropped it from 3 meters and a half and expect this one to be fixed as well...even tho its your fault...and expect them to fix it for you...this is mind blowing....and people wonder why companies modify warranties....well its for this reason...people abuse them.
Leatherman replaced my two discontinued Super Tool 200s that had loose locks with brand new Super Tool 300s. They replaced the broken pliers on my Charge, just the pliers. I have not had to send anything else in and none of my Wave+ have had issues. My latest purchase was a Surge then a Rebar which is like a Super Tool 200 re-issued and lighter than the 300. I'd never buy a clone.
Broke my awl on the surge sended it in got it back much better then new, knifes sharpend, tool perfectly cleaned I wish some other companies had the same quality of repair.
Victorinox does.
Welcome back! We never left you. There are a ton of new clones to check out ❤
I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate that, thank you.
@@txtoolcrib best multitool channel hands down
I just received back from warranty two gen2 Surges and had a great experience. 1: black oxide surge went in for a broken awl, bent main knife and rattling lock, same as yours. Came back quickly with new knife, new awl, and new handle (to fix rattle). 2: stainless Surge sent in for rattling handle lock, came back with new handle. In both cases I had removed my bits and file when I sent them in and they came back to me with new bits/file installed, which was very nice, and not necessary.
Both are in top shape now and back in use.
Great video as always! I have to agree with Albertus-Leatherman stores in South Africa are fantastic. I've never had an issue with their service, and they even followed up with a call to ensure everything was perfect!
My Gerber's have a "LIFETIME" warranty and this company backed the warranty when I served in the U.S. Navy, replacing the sheepsfoot(serrated) blade for free and sent me another sheath to carry the MP 600 Multi tool....and shipped my tool back to aircraft carrier (CV-63) U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in 2001.
Yes Ben, I can only speak well of Leatherman South Africa, stay in Cape Town and their shop is close by so you can drive their walk in and if the technician are not that busy, they sort your tool out while you wait, great service.
Good to have you back making video's Ive had a few leatherman surges now and I've noticed the tip of the serrated blade hits the frame
Glad to see you back. I’ve had some good luck with Leatherman’s warranty, can’t complain. Thanks for the video.
So I'm over in South Africa and I had to send my Sidekick in as I snapped the saw blade while cutting a branch. The local agent here in SA offers top notch service, I didn't receive the same tool back but I got another sidekick that was like brand new. With all the other brands out there I will still spend my money on Leatherman as their guarantee is worth every cent
The only time i used the warranty was for my late dads supertool, it was very loose/floppy. They didnt tighten the screws because there where scratches from previous atemts from my father. This took a month, had to fix it myself then. My old wave that i bought used was very well made compared to the newer models i bought after that, the 2h new wave was a complete mess with sharp edges everywhere, tolerances all over the place and the surge took over a month til i could use it properly, the pliers where very stiff.
At the same time i had several victorinox in service for dull scissors, bent blades etc and one was a old german army knife that had a ruined blade, they just sent me a new one and fixed my over 40 years old champion, damn i could send them my soldier from 1939 and i bet they could fix that (it has a chip broken of the screwdriver). They even changed the serrated blade of my black swisstool to scissors ( at that time there was no regular black swisstool with scissors made,only that with one handed blade, so quite unique) and send me spare free stuff on the side like screws for the clip, new toothpick and stuff for all the knives, even changed the battery on my cybertool light.
i have utilizing a leatherman wave+ since 2022 and i only broke the micro driver doing something it wasn't meant for but i did not seek out the warranty. Other than that it has been holding up very nicely with decent/mild use. the infamous wave+ pinch has gotten me about three times and that is pretty rough when it happens but i think third time was a charm and i am able to mitigate it's occurrence through experience. good to hear from you again Ben!!!
I just go eBay and people take tools apart and piece them out so I just replace whatever part broke or put my own tool set in them. I carry a ST300m so it has the pry bar and bit driver as well as I added a super tool saw and scissors from a wave. I have a spare ST300 I keep for parts also. I tried leathermans warranty once, signals lock failed and they replaced it with a wingman so I was pretty upset but they eventually took back the wingman and gave me another signal
I've done the same for my Surge. Bought a new bit holder, wrecked the spring in it (totally my own fault) and ever so slightly bent the small flat head (I abused it) so I bought one of those also, although I haven't put it in yet as the original is still working fine. Didn't want to send the whole tool off to be fixed. I realize it's probably more costly this way but I don't mind.
Had a surge fixed about 2 years ago. I had a snapped liner lock on the Tshank tool. They fixed it no questions asked. Took about a month I believe total between shipping it to them to getting the tool shipped back. I was pleased with the service.
Hello, Ben! Good video! Nice to have you back! There has been a concern with the cutters not cutting in the hardwire position...sometimes they break, or the tool binds up really tight & it has to be sent to L to be fixed &/or adjusted...the original cutters apparently did not have this problem, & folks now have to "eye-ball" the item to be cut so as to not go all the way to the end of the cutters to avoid jamming the tool...the cutters have a big gap at the end, where you can see daylight...this did not happen with the original cutters...folks have been looking elsewhere to get similar cutters like L originally supplied with their tools...what do you think? What can be done?
I have a super tool I bought with a mini mag light . It says 0198 inside, so it's out of guarantee. I have broken the medium size screwdriver, but would never send it back as its used too much. It's the same for my British army clasp knife. It's been retired ( sort of). When my supertool is done it to will be retired and I'll buy another. I recently bought a victorinox huntsman, which I think is great, but it hasn't been abused as much as the leatherman or my clasp knife. That was made in 1952.
I have a bunch of leathermans but in the last 3 years I have gotten a Rebar and a ST300 the other day. I was hesitant to get a ST300 bc I've heard of their qc drop but mine has been great. I mean I always find minute details that don't hinder functionality at all just aesthetics. Now I just struggle on what I should daily carry Surge or ST300...
I was thinking about getting a surge so would be interested in finding out of it works as well as the super tool. Had mine for donkeys years.
@@captainscarlet6758 I mean I have an affinity towards the classic design of the ST300. I like having the all in one package without extra bits extra files etc. Although, I do carry a micra in my pocket for scissors. I find it easier using a smaller designated tool for scissors especially for finer cutting tasks. Its also easier handing my micra off to someone who needs scissors rather than a bulky multitool and having them fish for scissors. That being said the Surge is a great tool with it's own advantages but I find it a lot heavier with the added bit kit extension and file on the belt. Also, I always have a main blade on me too so the lack of one hand operation isn't an issue with the ST300. Ymmv
Also when I say I got the ST300 the other day I've actually had it for a month or so. Its been solid for me
@@TangoGulf they really are super tools. 😂
I have a Surge and love it! Also been eyeing off the Super Tool. Can't have too many toys! 😂
Think I’ve used warranty 3 times, all for broken knife tips. No issues. Nothing crazy to speak of QC wise other than the new replaceable cutter design. Their insider program pissed me off though. After buying the Arc, new ones for “emergency” tools in 2 vehicles, and my brother in-law a custom wave+ for Christmas to get to the highest tier… the special gift for the highest tier was a made overseas coffee cup that I had to spend a minimum of $50 on an order for. And it took like $500 to get to the highest tier. Sold all my Leatherman’s and put together a nice mini tool kit for my daily back pack, (knipex cobra xs, wiha go box, etc…) and only carry a Spyderco on person now. Checking out a Keybar with a flat head and Philips head for some bare minimum essentials while also cleaning up my keys.
The vibration generated during the drop can do absolutely very strange things.
I bought a Surge last month and out of the box one of the washers that goes on the outside of the can opener and bit exchanger was free floating in there. it just popped out the first time I opened the can opener. I did not end up sending it in for warranty. I was able to find two security torques of the appropriate size and was able to fix it myself. but it seemed like a major Miss in quality control.
Noticed my 2nd gen scissors is all bent out of shape, never happened with my original Surge under the same workload.
This should be a fantastic test, thank you for your knowledge, wisdom and ability to take one for the team, ie. the rest of us who learn from your experiences 👏🇨🇦. P.S. I tried to sign up for the leatherman 40 year warranty registration and couldn’t find it anywhere on the Canadian version of the website.
The insider program is only in the U.S.
I have the same problem with my surge. The part that locks the can opener and bit drive makes that horrible sound and also found many issues. I ordered mine from amazon and requested a replacement but the replacement had the same issues. It looks like you ordered your from amazon as well. I think manufacturers use amazon to sell their defective products and Leatherman is not the exemption.
You could well be right! I bought my Surge about a year ago from a shop here in Australia because they had a good deal on. It's been perfect in every way! Not one thing could I find wrong with it still to this day! Maybe Amazon/eBay sell seconds? 🤷♂️
that might be one reason why the CQ might be lacking in the new Leatherman MT. If you think of all the people doing just that is telling. Yes I am sure I would have bought a new one.
Leatherman replaced my two discontinued Super Tool 200s that had loose locks with brand new Super Tool 300s. They replaced the broken pliers on my Charge, just the pliers. I have not had to send anything else in and none of my Wave+ have had issues. My latest purchase was a Surge then a Rebar which is like a Super Tool 200 re-issued and lighter than the 300. I'd never buy a clone.
Nice to have you back Ben sir 👍
For us folks outside the States I don't even know if I could sent a tool in for warranty , which makes buying a tool a bit of a gamble .
Any reason why you stopped carrying the modified one ?
And last : thoughts on the last mind blowing incredible innovation with the Obsidian 😅 ?
I have the same quality control issue with my surge .
I have a PST II which I’ve seen it listed as debuting in 1996, but I know I’ve had it longer than that.
great to see your back with a video. i was curious if you was gonna make one about the new Arc?
A change of color isn't something to write home about
or nowadays i reckon the saying is nothing to make a video about.
Ordered it yesterday.
Pls share the links where u got the tools from.🙏🏻
i have a Gerber 400 now 26 years hard use on my farm you name it the 400 has done it.
had to send it in for broken plier, and bought a surge for backup and just something new.
hated it, nothing on the tool is smooth after one week of work it got play on the handles, very disappointing.
after that week got my old 400 back, and they even replaced the knife, was kind of a pin instead of a knife after a lot of sharpening.
all cost free and that at 26 years, it has a forever warranty. and the Leatherman, sold it.
just my experience, some say you need to work it in, NO not for that price....
the 400 cost a fraction of any Leatherman, and i bought a Gerber 600 going to try that one out. we will see
The warranty service does an amazing job still.
Without their warranty Leatherman would go out of business.
Went in salt water with my OHT and it broke all the lock mechanism I sent it back to leatherman … no questions ask … they sent me a new one 👍 🎉😎
you should get the B/Bury 31-1,it is THE actual best budget multitool , many youtubers such as maxlvledc and hvac budget recommand it,it is a better version of the Daicamping with harder materials and a 4 year warranty for around 35/45$ even I have one and am not disapointed at all,best part is that it used a 1/4 driver making save money ifyou loose some bits ;)
frame : 3cr13
tools : 5cr15
blade : 7cr17
Pliers : YG10 Tungsten
it comes with 8 double sided bits, 2 woodsaw blades(+ the double sided diamond files that comes IN it) and an other set of YG10 wire cutter all of that in an easy-in easy-out pouch
You using something is a testimony to the product
I have never used leatherman warranty. But it seems they are just being slapped together now with loose or overtightend joints. Bent tools, plier slop, huge dings, or nics. With what there charging they need to come perfect.
Is that the surge you modded? How will they handle the warranty since you modded it
I've snapped off the large flat screwdriver, broke the tip of the small flat screwdriver, broke the arm of the scissors, bent the serrated blade at its hinge, and hideously dulled both blades on my Surge. Guess I'll have to mail it in one of these days!
Hey there brother! Hope all is well
no warranty work but I feel that there quality is not as good on the newer stuff
Murphy's law for sure
I had to send my Surge in for repair when the Large Screwdriver broke.
The strange thing about the large screwdriver breaking is that it was the first time I ever used it and it took very little effort to snap it off.
The metal was very, very brittle... I'm not sure if it was a bad batch or what. They took care of the repair but I had also sent it in with a Squirt that needed repairs as well...
My mistake was I didn't make it clear that there were two items in the package and they somehow lost the Squirt...
Not the end of the world.. Customer service was very professional and took care of everything.
I'm still concerned about how brittle the screwdriver material was.... I haven't even bothered testing the replacement to see if it's any stronger, mostly because I don't want to break it again.
Anyone else have an issue with unusually brittle tools on their Leathermans?
You probably got a bad batch, the new screw driver is probably fine. They're more likely to bend before they break.
@@billybunter3753
I hope so.. I need to test it out soon.
It was so weird when it crumbled.
@@-joe-davidson Yeah I put enough force to bend the small flat head on my Surge, but it didn't break, just a slight bend.
@@-joe-davidson Mind you I was cranking on it hard, I'm still impressed with it considering it's only a multi tool as apposed to a "real" tool.
@@billybunter3753
I've bent the small one a time or two myself. That's why I was surprised by the large one snapping off with very little pressure.
I think I would have bought a new MT instead of sending it in.
very noticeable drop in quality recently. Knife grinds very uneven, tools that are all but impossible to open with bare hands. All fixable issues but none of these were issues with the older models Ive found.
Still prefer my OHT
I'm surprised that they broke, mostly because multitools are so useless that it never gets used.
The problem is with Leatherman the newer models are assembled with Chinese imported parts. The old models are USA made = better quality.
Where did you hear that?
I'm not so sure that you're correct.
@@txtoolcrib assembled in the USA but with imported parts to save costs.
Jesus Christ bro...so let me get this straight...first time you broke the pliers on your surge by your own fault" i shouldnt have done that" and they fixed it for you and now you dropped it from 3 meters and a half and expect this one to be fixed as well...even tho its your fault...and expect them to fix it for you...this is mind blowing....and people wonder why companies modify warranties....well its for this reason...people abuse them.
FIRST
Leatherman replaced my two discontinued Super Tool 200s that had loose locks with brand new Super Tool 300s. They replaced the broken pliers on my Charge, just the pliers. I have not had to send anything else in and none of my Wave+ have had issues. My latest purchase was a Surge then a Rebar which is like a Super Tool 200 re-issued and lighter than the 300. I'd never buy a clone.