Problem with TTC Recharge MKII

[wildweasel]

Hi,
I need some advice from you guys about this..

About a month ago I ordered the Recharge Mark II from Texas Tool Crafters, only with the stock S30V blade instead of the S35vn.

What I got today has a few problems:
1. TTC's S35vn instead of Leatherman's S30V (Some people may consider this an upgrade, but it has a really strong detent - it is impossible to open it with one hand, which is a big problem for me.)
2. On the awl's side, there's a play with all 3 tools (There's a video at the bottom of this post)
3. The pliers sometimes get stuck in the awl's side, not really sure why (I added a video of this problem too)
4. A tiny bit of play with the saw (not really as important as the previous two)



The problem is, it took more than a month to get here, so shipping it for repair would take at least two months until I get it back, not mentioning the problem I'm gonna have with custom charges.

What can I do with a multi-tool that is not what I ordered, and has some major problems that I can't possibly fix myself? I have no idea what to do

Tools play:


Stuck pliers:

[SteveC]

Welcome to the forum ww 

That is disappointing quality control on their part. You could get T10 security bits and tighten the loose tools yourself, as far as the stuck pliers I'm not sure but maybe they will break in with use. I don't know about the blade except maybe loosening it would help.

A $300 dollar tool should be flawless. I would e-mail them and see what they have to say. Maybe link this thread to them as well.

[Mr Biriyani]

When the plier get stuck by the smaller tools used to happen to me with my wave and some times to a charge. My conclusion was that I forgot to close the smaller tools completely all the way to the bottom if ever so little. My guess is that as the small tools are so loose the plier have good chance to get stuck.

[wildweasel]

Thanks, I'll email them about this, although I'm pretty sure they'll tell me to ship the tool for repair, which is a really big problem for me, like I mentioned earlier.

I already tried to tighten the screws, but the results were the same. Maybe the problem is a missing spacer.

I also tried to use WD40 on the blade and the pliers, but it didn't help.

I don't think the loose tools are the reason that the pliers get stuck, I made sure they are completely closed and tried closing and opening the leatherman carefully, but without any change. Maybe the modified plier head doesn't fit perfectly? I don't know

[pitbullz4me]

I'm really glad I read this as I was seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. For $300 the quality control process should be flawless.

One thing I've learned about the Leathermans with the serviceable security torx fastners is that a little turn either way can make it way too tight or loose. It's kinda a trial and error type thing. Another thing is, and this takes 3 hands, is have your blade centered when you make adjustments if not it will be too close to the inner or outer liner wall. Once you find the sweet spot and have the tools centered lock it down with the loctite they use at the factory.

I just purchased a new Surge and the main blade was way too tight and the serrated blade needed centering. Took me about a hour to tune it the way it should've left the factory. Several of the newer Leathermans I've seen needed adjustment to make them perfect. Adjusting these can be a huge headache and I just feel you shouldn't have to tune up a new tool.


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[Obi1shinobee]

Welcome to the forum ww 

That is disappointing quality control on their part. You could get T10 security bits and tighten the loose tools yourself, as far as the stuck pliers I'm not sure but maybe they will break in with use. I don't know about the blade except maybe loosening it would help.

A $300 dollar tool should be flawless. I would e-mail them and see what they have to say. Maybe link this thread to them as well.

$300 ?? Order BLAVE IN EBAY MUCH MUCH BETTER 

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[Aloha]

Welcome and sorry you are having issue with the tool. 

I suggest letting TTC know about this issue and see what they want to do first.  If they want you to ship back see if they'll cover expected shipping both ways?

You can also make the needed adjustments yourself.  PITA since you paid for this custom tool and it should not be needing any adjustments. 

I say you scored on the S35V blade but I really don't know if its all that "better" than S30V.

At the very least they could expedite you the tools needed to make the adjustments.   

[wildweasel]

I'm really glad I read this as I was seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. For $300 the quality control process should be flawless.

One thing I've learned about the Leathermans with the serviceable security torx fastners is that a little turn either way can make it way too tight or loose. It's kinda a trial and error type thing. Another thing is, and this takes 3 hands, is have your blade centered when you make adjustments if not it will be too close to the inner or outer liner wall. Once you find the sweet spot and have the tools centered lock it down with the loctite they use at the factory.

I just purchased a new Surge and the main blade was way too tight and the serrated blade needed centering. Took me about a hour to tune it the way it should've left the factory. Several of the newer Leathermans I've seen needed adjustment to make them perfect. Adjusting these can be a huge headache and I just feel you shouldn't have to tune up a new tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I tried to adjust the tension of the torx but It appears that there's a small gap as if a spacer is missing, but even if I could solve this problem, I would still have the problem with the pliers. I feel really frustrated with this tool after paying so much and waiting for so long.

[SteveC]

I'm really glad I read this as I was seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. For $300 the quality control process should be flawless.

One thing I've learned about the Leathermans with the serviceable security torx fastners is that a little turn either way can make it way too tight or loose. It's kinda a trial and error type thing. Another thing is, and this takes 3 hands, is have your blade centered when you make adjustments if not it will be too close to the inner or outer liner wall. Once you find the sweet spot and have the tools centered lock it down with the loctite they use at the factory.

I just purchased a new Surge and the main blade was way too tight and the serrated blade needed centering. Took me about a hour to tune it the way it should've left the factory. Several of the newer Leathermans I've seen needed adjustment to make them perfect. Adjusting these can be a huge headache and I just feel you shouldn't have to tune up a new tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I tried to adjust the tension of the torx but It appears that there's a small gap as if a spacer is missing, but even if I could solve this problem, I would still have the problem with the pliers. I feel really frustrated with this tool after paying so much and waiting for so long.

I think that you will probably never be happy with it. It really should be flawless for that kind of money. I think you should let TTC make this right for you or send it back for a refund. It sucks having to wait but is better than compromising on a flawed tool .

[Aloha]

My pliers catch from time to time on my ST300.  I have had similar catching on one Wave.  I don't know why yours is behaving that way but mine was due to a similar reason as posted above. 

Contact TTC before you before you become much more frustrated.  I know sending it in and waiting would be a huge bummer but see what they advise. 

[wildweasel]

Welcome and sorry you are having issue with the tool. 

I suggest letting TTC know about this issue and see what they want to do first.  If they want you to ship back see if they'll cover expected shipping both ways?

You can also make the needed adjustments yourself.  PITA since you paid for this custom tool and it should not be needing any adjustments. 

I say you scored on the S35V blade but I really don't know if its all that "better" than S30V.

At the very least they could expedite you the tools needed to make the adjustments.

I already have the torx bit, maybe if the problem is really a missing spacer I could fix this myself, but the other problems will remain, and I have no idea how to fix the problem with the pliers.
I will contact TTC and see what they want to do, but I was really trying to avoid shipping it because it would take over two months until I get it back (and I might also run into trouble with customs)

[captain spaulding]

The pliers sticking is somewhat common with the Wave/Charge line sadly enough. There is a little tab sticking up on the inside of the handle to help prevent the pliers from going low enough to slip in between the tools and sticking. The very first thing you need to look for is to make sure the little tab has not broken off as this would immediately cause that problem. If the tab is in tact then I would assume it has something to do with the tools being to loose and letting the pliers spread and wedge in between the tools when closing.

I would ask TTC for a replacement sent on their dime as they sent you a defective product. That's not your fault and you should not have to pay for a replacement.

Sadly I have heard a few bad things about TTC over the last year or so. Like everyone else mentioned for the price they demand the tool should be perfect. If its not that is unacceptable and they should take care of it in my opinion.

[captain spaulding]

When you tightened the handle screws did you use two Torx on both sides as if you used one it would just spin and not tighten anything.

[wildweasel]

The pliers sticking is somewhat common with the Wave/Charge line sadly enough. There is a little tab sticking up on the inside of the handle to help prevent the pliers from going low enough to slip in between the tools and sticking. The very first thing you need to look for is to make sure the little tab has not broken off as this would immediately cause that problem. If the tab is in tact then I would assume it has something to do with the tools being to loose and letting the pliers spread and wedge in between the tools when closing.

I would ask TTC for a replacement sent on their dime as they sent you a defective product. That's not your fault and you should not have to pay for a replacement.

Sadly I have heard a few bad things about TTC over the last year or so. Like everyone else mentioned for the price they demand the tool should be perfect. If its not that is unacceptable and they should take care of it in my opinion.

I made sure the tab is intact, maybe it gets stuck because the tools are loose, but I don't think that this is the case. I also made sure I tightened the screws, they didn't spin.
I'll contact TTC in about an hour, I'll ask for their advice

[captain spaulding]

The pliers sticking is somewhat common with the Wave/Charge line sadly enough. There is a little tab sticking up on the inside of the handle to help prevent the pliers from going low enough to slip in between the tools and sticking. The very first thing you need to look for is to make sure the little tab has not broken off as this would immediately cause that problem. If the tab is in tact then I would assume it has something to do with the tools being to loose and letting the pliers spread and wedge in between the tools when closing.

I would ask TTC for a replacement sent on their dime as they sent you a defective product. That's not your fault and you should not have to pay for a replacement.

Sadly I have heard a few bad things about TTC over the last year or so. Like everyone else mentioned for the price they demand the tool should be perfect. If its not that is unacceptable and they should take care of it in my opinion.

I made sure the tab is intact, maybe it gets stuck because the tools are loose, but I don't think that this is the case. I also made sure I tightened the screws, they didn't spin.
I'll contact TTC in about an hour, I'll ask for their advice

Hmm.... well it could just be one of those weird situations where the pliers and tools are just fit together in a way that it has enough room to slide in and get stuck. Hopefully TTC will be able to help you or replace it. Good luck and let us know what happens. 

[pitbullz4me]

Welcome and sorry you are having issue with the tool. 

I suggest letting TTC know about this issue and see what they want to do first.  If they want you to ship back see if they'll cover expected shipping both ways?

You can also make the needed adjustments yourself.  PITA since you paid for this custom tool and it should not be needing any adjustments. 

I say you scored on the S35V blade but I really don't know if its all that "better" than S30V.

At the very least they could expedite you the tools needed to make the adjustments.

I already have the torx bit, maybe if the problem is really a missing spacer I could fix this myself, but the other problems will remain, and I have no idea how to fix the problem with the pliers.
I will contact TTC and see what they want to do, but I was really trying to avoid shipping it because it would take over two months until I get it back (and I might also run into trouble with customs)

I have a friend that purchased a new Wave with missing washers. When closed it had a lot of side to side wobble.  It's on it's way back to Leatherman. And I know yours came from TTC

[pitbullz4me]

I couldn't watch your videos earlier, but after watching them and as others have said, send it back. I would also insist they pay shipping and customs both ways. The tool seems to have some issues that should never have been sent to a customer in that condition. They will probably make it right as I'm sure they don't want these videos on YouTube. Sorry for your problem but I'm glad I saw this. I really wanted that tool, but now I think I'll be happy with my Charge TTI


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[Obi1shinobee]

The pliers sticking is somewhat common with the Wave/Charge line sadly enough. There is a little tab sticking up on the inside of the handle to help prevent the pliers from going low enough to slip in between the tools and sticking. The very first thing you need to look for is to make sure the little tab has not broken off as this would immediately cause that problem. If the tab is in tact then I would assume it has something to do with the tools being to loose and letting the pliers spread and wedge in between the tools when closing.

I would ask TTC for a replacement sent on their dime as they sent you a defective product. That's not your fault and you should not have to pay for a replacement.

Sadly I have heard a few bad things about TTC over the last year or so. Like everyone else mentioned for the price they demand the tool should be perfect. If its not that is unacceptable and they should take care of it in my opinion.

I made sure the tab is intact, maybe it gets stuck because the tools are loose, but I don't think that this is the case. I also made sure I tightened the screws, they didn't spin.
I'll contact TTC in about an hour, I'll ask for their advice

MTO Members could hack better then that, sloppy job for $300  .. You should ask us.. 

[TxToolCrafters]

Hi Roy,

I'm very sorry to hear about the issues with the tool.  I just checked out the videos and your post. Here's some info on your issues:

1. Regarding the tension on the inner functions on the awl side:  this appears to be a tension issue that should be easily corrected by tightening the torx screw over the joint.  You should have received two torx 10 security bits with the kit for tension adjustments and installing the file.  I'd recommend starting with a quarter turn and checking the tension.

2. Regarding the plier issue:  unfortunately this is an issue with most Leatherman models.  It is possible to bind the pliers against the inner functions when closing the tool -- this is an issue that can be seen on Charge, Wave, Surge, ST300.  From your video it appears very normal.  You can fold the tool one half at a time to avoid the binding.

3. Regarding the tension on the saw:  again, this should be easily corrected with the provided torx bits.

4. Shipping:  USPS First Class International is stated at 2-4 weeks,  so it looks like it was delivered in the promised timeframe. For future reference we do offer faster shipping options.

If you would prefer to send the tool back to our shop for work we'd be glad to cover shipping both directions.  The return would be labeled as "warranty replacement" with $1 value, so you will not be responsible for further import taxes.

If there is anything else we can do to help please let us know.

-Stephen, TTC

[rdub934]

Well, there you go! Thanks for reaching out, Stephen and TTC Speaks volumes to the level of commitment you guys have to your customers and products