SF-18 CHARLIE - The Engineer 2.0

I received it two weeks ago and I can already feel the difference with my back and hips. At 50 and in the electrical trade for 25yrs I need any advantage I can get to keep going! The only negative would be the sizing chart, I fall in the standard chart but have the vest and belt maxed out. Wearing a sweatshirt is tight. I also wish the top three pockets were deeper. But overall 5stars

Quality of the Vest: 4.9 Stars
Pre-Sales Support: 5 Stars
Post-Sales Support: 1 Star

I ordered the SF-18 Charlie - The Engineer 2.0. My requirements were a vest with integrated tool belt. If it was configurable, that was a bonus. My requirements limited the buying options, and the SF-18 kept coming up in my searches. Price was my initial concern. I'm going to give a 5 Star rating but there is room for improvement.

Pro's
- This is a well-built system. I've used it a few times already and its comfortable. The stitching is strong and well done. The belt is adequately supported be the vest. It doesn't sag or hang down when the pouches are loaded with tools or screws/nails. I prefer having straps that attach the belt to the vest over the use of clips because the straps allow for moving the belt pouches around to where they are comfortable or more accessible.
- I got the Big Man version because I'm 6'1" and 275lbs. It's very easy to adjust it to fit your waist and chest sizes whether you like a tight or loose fit. I prefer it snug and as I said it's very comfortable to wear and work with.
- Presales support was awesome. I had questions about the available accessories. I initially wrote them an email but they gave me their direct number which I called a couple times. They picked up (no navigating a phone tree) and were very helpful. Ultimately talking to them made me feel more comfortable about paying the high price.
- The vest's pouches can be removed and moved around except for single pouches that are closest to the side adjustment straps on both sides. These are sewn onto the vest.

Con's
- The cost. I think the cost was high BUT after not being able to find a similar cheaper vest that met my requirements, I eventually bought this one.
- I wish the vest came with a version that had no pouches, attachments or accessories. One that we could buy only what we needed. Which brings me to the limited number of accessories available through Spec Ops. There are only a few optional items you can buy. The pouches that come on the vest are more of a limitation/hinderance in my opinion and aren't useful to a construction worker or hobbyist. So every pouch that you can take off the vest are now stuffed in a drawer never to be used. (wasted money and space)
- This is advertised as MOLLE gear. They mention MOLLE in their description and it's displayed in their graphics. What I received had almost no MOLLE system incorporated with it except a very small section on the part of the vest that goes over the shoulders. Everywhere there was supposed to be MOLLE as depicted in the website pictures was replaced with Velcro. I am a retired USAF Cop and I'm familiar with MOLLE gear. So knowing what accessories were and weren't available through the Spec Ops, I bought MOLLE gear through other companies that was to arrive when the vest was to arrive. It was a big disappointment when I realized there was no MOLLE system on the majority of the vest. I wasted time and money buying MOLLE accessories that could not be used. There was supposed to be MOLLE on the back, but these were also replaced by Velco.
- Post Sales support was non-existent. I wrote the company to mention the MOLLE issue and suggested they remove mention of MOLLE on their website and from the pictures because the product doesn't have MOLLE on most of it. Again, the majority of the vest is Velcro. Which I am actually ok with. There are plenty of accessories you can get that are Velcro based and there is even a Velcro to MOLLE item that you can address the issue with. In my email I was polite and tried to be helpful. I sent that email about 3-4 weeks ago and never heard back.
- The quality/craftsmanship of the vest is good. My only concern is the zipper. It's plastic. For the price, I would have liked to see a metal zipper. I'm hoping the zipper doesn't fail over time. I think this is the weak spot on an otherwise solid vest.

In conclusion: I am very satisfied with my vest. It meets every one of my requirements and I'm sure it will last for years. The issues I had with the Velcro vs MOLLE systems could have been avoided BUT after I purchased the correct accessories, I couldn't be happier. I would recommend this product for any professional carpenter, construction worker or serious hobbyist that needs something supportive and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The picture is my final configuration. I took off all the original pouches except the one with the flag patch on it. (I store my watch in this pouch sometimes) I added a pouch big enough to hold my iPhone Pro Max while it's in a wallet case (the pouch under the flag pouch). And added two very strong magnets that hold impact driver bits. Underneath the two round magnets, you can see the Velcro that is used to attach the pouches. On this day, I was going to be working on top of a metal roof so I had some knee pads on.

I love them. I just wish there was a way to customize and change locations of a couple things.

Best and most comfortable tool bags ever bought

Love it! Period, it's saving my back and hips.