Workpro's possible surge competitor comparison

[gerleatherberman]

OK. I don't usually do a lot of off brands, but this one was $32 on Amazon. The Workpro 16in1 Heavy Duty MT. The only tool I own as big as it is was the LM Surge.
I feel it is worth a try if you are at risk of getting a MT lost or stolen. Better $30-$40 than $99-$119.
The case is fair, but the case clips on with a plastic hook like the nylon SOG cases.
All of it's tools open from the outside and lock securely with a unique lock on the back side of each handle. Takes a minute to get used to, but is quite secure and intuitive.
The size is a bit larger than the LM Surge. It is 13.8oz, while the Surge is 12.3oz. The handles are machined and have a nice modern industrial look.
It is a Chinese made tool, but a hefty and respectfully made MT. I can't actually say anything negative about initial quality. The tools are ground and nicely formed. All bits look sharp and have decent reach.
So, without writing a book here, I will post pics of it next to other well known tools for comparison, with the LM Surge being the equal in size and weight.
It won't replace a Surge, but it is a good option when theft and loss is more common.

[gerleatherberman]

A few more comp pics.

[ReamerPunch]

That's on my "to get" list. Saw it when Wealljuggleknives posted a vid about it.
Thanks for the comparison pics. 

[AimlessWanderer]

That looks like a decent tool 

[gerleatherberman]

It is worth it for sure!

[Zephon]

I wanted to gush over it then I started to ask myself...."does it have scissors?"

[Syncop8r]

Modability? 

[gerleatherberman]

No scissors, but I think it is geared for a construction, industrial or automotive job maybe. I have scissors on my EDC SAK, so it's not a deal breaker. But, if the MT is your sole tool, then i can understand needing scissors!

[gerleatherberman]

Modability? 

If you have the skills and time, then yes. All screw construction.

[Syncop8r]

Modability? 

If you have the skills and time, then yes. All screw construction.

I wonder if the pivots and notches are close to LM's or any other manufacturers...

[gerleatherberman]

Modability? 

If you have the skills and time, then yes. All screw construction.

I wonder if the pivots and notches are close to LM's or any other manufacturers...

I will pull a blade out this weekend take the calipers to it. The locking method uses a back tang notch, like LM and SOG. But, we'll see if the numbers add up. If it is close, then only slight grinding and possible drill could do the trick. Lets hope they are close. This tool would be a coolmod platform if they are close.

[Syncop8r]

 

[ReamerPunch]

Maybe it'll have scissors after all. 

[theonew]

13.8 ounces 
That's twice the weight of my Crunch
Now I want one just to see what a 13.8 ounce multitool feels like in hand.

[Don Pablo]

Now look what you've done by starting this thread.

Show content

13.8 ounces 
That's twice the weight of my Crunch
Now I want one just to see what a 13.8 ounce multitool feels like in hand.

 

[gerleatherberman]

Yeah, but instead of a club, you could use a 13.8oz MT.

[gerleatherberman]

And even though I'd pick a Surge between the two, the workpro feels powerful in hand!

[gerleatherberman]

13.8 ounces 
That's twice the weight of my Crunch
Now I want one just to see what a 13.8 ounce multitool feels like in hand.

It is a beast for sure!

[Syncop8r]

How do the plier ergonomics compare to the Surge?

[gerleatherberman]

How do the plier ergonomics compare to the Surge?

Pretty good, but would be finger shape and hand size dependant. They are comfortable, because of the extra steel inside of each frame side. The edges are not very noticable.
However, with that said, the Surge wins on ergonomics for plier usage and the Work pro edges out on closed tool usage. Only because the workpro has the outside tools recessed instead of sticking out like the Surge.

[Syncop8r]

The reason I ask is because the Surge handles are in a V shape which makes my hand slip towards the jaws, whereas the Workpro handles look to be shaped more like a Swisstool which would help stop this.

[gerleatherberman]

Alright. Finally got home and took the caliper to the surge and workpro.
The results show that the workpro is actually going to be worse for you with the grip slip.
The measurements are as follows:

Surge-
1.4" when fully closed at the top of the handles.
2.44" when fully closed at the bottom of the handles.

WorkPro-
1.35" when fully closed at the top of the handles.
2.51" when fully closed at the bottom of the handles.

I used an ink pen at the tips of the pliers to show the difference of geometry.

Surge-
1.47" at the top of the handles when ink pen is within jaw tips.
3.1" at the base of the handles when ink pen is within jaw tips.

WorkPro-
1.5" at the top of the handles when ink pem is within jaw tips.
3.28" at the base of the handles when ink pen is within jaw tops.

I hope this helps with you decision!

Pics of each with calipers:

[theonew]

13.8 ounces 
That's twice the weight of my Crunch
Now I want one just to see what a 13.8 ounce multitool feels like in hand.

It is a beast for sure!

  The Crunch looks like a skinny little dwarf next to that thing

[Syncop8r]

OK, so it's wider. I thought the slightly bent shape might make them easier to grasp though.
Thanks for taking the time.

[gerleatherberman]

OK, so it's wider. I thought the slightly bent shape might make them easier to grasp though.
Thanks for taking the time.

You're most welcomed.
They do have a slight curve, but I can't say it would help. They're very smooth handles, even smoother than the surge's. So, a little hand sweat would make them harder to use on anything bigger than a 3/8" bolt head. In fact, I still find many many MTs suffer from hand slippage on 3/8" plus bolts and nuts. The SwissTool has such a small large plier section, it causes the polished handles to act as train tracks with a one way ticket to plier head city.
One of these days we'll find an MT without this problem that isn't  an LM Crunch or Schrade USA tough tool that has the slip joint pliers (rare and expensive when you can find one).
Theonew has one of the tools that does not suffer this problem.
It's all part of the MT compromise though I think. A lot of partly functional tools in a small package vs. a lot of fully functional tools in a big tool bag or toolbox.

[Don Pablo]

OK, so it's wider. I thought the slightly bent shape might make them easier to grasp though.
Thanks for taking the time.

You're most welcomed.
They do have a slight curve, but I can't say it would help. They're very smooth handles, even smoother than the surge's. So, a little hand sweat would make them harder to use on anything bigger than a 3/8" bolt head. In fact, I still find many many MTs suffer from hand slippage on 3/8" plus bolts and nuts. The SwissTool has such a small large plier section, it causes the polished handles to act as train tracks with a one way ticket to plier head city.
One of these days we'll find an MT without this problem that isn't  an LM Crunch or Schrade USA tough tool that has the slip joint pliers (rare and expensive when you can find one).
Theonew has one of the tools that does not suffer this problem.
It's all part of the MT compromise though I think. A lot of partly functional tools in a small package vs. a lot of fully functional tools in a big tool bag or toolbox.

I don't know, maybe the slippiness have be used to your advantage, to prevent breaking the tool on a too large nut/bolt, or stripping said nut/bolt?
1cm(3/8) seems pretty large to me already.

[gerleatherberman]

OK, so it's wider. I thought the slightly bent shape might make them easier to grasp though.
Thanks for taking the time.

You're most welcomed.
They do have a slight curve, but I can't say it would help. They're very smooth handles, even smoother than the surge's. So, a little hand sweat would make them harder to use on anything bigger than a 3/8" bolt head. In fact, I still find many many MTs suffer from hand slippage on 3/8" plus bolts and nuts. The SwissTool has such a small large plier section, it causes the polished handles to act as train tracks with a one way ticket to plier head city.
One of these days we'll find an MT without this problem that isn't  an LM Crunch or Schrade USA tough tool that has the slip joint pliers (rare and expensive when you can find one).
Theonew has one of the tools that does not suffer this problem.
It's all part of the MT compromise though I think. A lot of partly functional tools in a small package vs. a lot of fully functional tools in a big tool bag or toolbox.

I don't know, maybe the slippiness have be used to your advantage, to prevent breaking the tool on a too large nut/bolt, or stripping said nut/bolt?
1cm(3/8) seems pretty large to me already.

Excellent point on the breakage issue.
But, these MT companies show ads of guys using tools on 1/2 and 5/8 nuts and bolts all the time. So, I would like to know I could if I needed to. I have used an MT on a 11/16" bolt before, but needed to use two hands, but it worked. I don't recommend that kind of abuse to an MT unless it was an emergency. My situation was and thank goodness the tool didn't fail.

[mikekoz]

    I got one of these several weeks back. I also thought of the Surge when I first saw it. As far as no name brand multitools go, this is the best made one I have purchased. It has an American made feel to it, and it is the heaviest multi I own! All tools lock, open smoothly and easily, and as a bonus, bit adapters I have for other multitools fit on the phillips driver. It is not as good as a Surge, but cost less than half the price. Its only weakness is the blades. They are not super sharp out of the box, and they are not of the same quality as big name tools. I have been able to sharpen them, and they are sharp enough for me, but a more experienced person could probably do a better job!

[ba-ta]

It seems like a decent tool, kind of like a supersize wave.  Any indication of how the blade holds up?  Pity it's not on Amazon.ca though. 

[gerleatherberman]

It is the highest quality "off-brand" I have ever seen. Beats the Ganzo tool by a good bit.

Mike, thanks for the blade sharpening mentioning. The straight blade definitely needed some sharpening, but was pretty easy to do. A little touch up with porcelain rods could help the serrated a lot too.

Ba-ta, it has a dissimilar tool set to both the wave and surge, but it is in the Surge class of heavy duty tools. Mike has mentioned the blades/sharpening out of box and the steel is probably heat treated 440 stainless from what I can tell. A good steel for a budget tool.