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Best Leatherman-Style Multitool?
An anonymous reader asks: "I'm in the market for a Leatherman style multitool, but some new players have come to the table in the past few years, and I've heard a couple of anecdotes that Leatherman might have been eclipsed. So, I'm asking Slashdot for lots of anecdotes; what are your experiences with your multitool? What's the best one you've seen or used? Have you ever broken one? Do the tools wiggle around after a lot of use? Those are some general questions, but there are two specific ones. First, does the knife blade lock? The quickest way to hurt fingers is using a folding knife when a fixed blade is the right tool, but you can't carry a fixed blade knife into many places. The second question is, how long is the main knife blade? You can't carry a folding knife with tool long of a blade, either (unfortunately). Thanks for any and all help!"
I have the leatherman Pulse. It comes with a locking mechanism that holds a fully extended tool in place. I have had it for a year so far and the tools aren't loose.
I'm a happy pessimist. I expect and prepare for the worst, when it doesn't happen I am pleasantly surprised.
Yes---they're very durable. I have a multi-plier that I got secondhand. Pretty easy to use, nice little belt-loop carrying case, does a zillion things, and the metal hasn't worn down at all.
--TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
Both the Leatherman Squirt and Juice are great. I would suggest testing the phillips driver on any multitool first as some are different. The Squirt has a flat phillips that actually works, a little strange but it does work. I also keep a Gerber multitool in the back pack. The Gerber is nice and locks closed or open. I don't care for the size but the pliers are a little better because you can spread apart things that the leatherman can't. Overall I would say that with the low prices on most multitools it is worth while to have multiple of them, one in the truck, one in the apparment, etc....
The GPL, for those that truely understand.
The Best version and about half the price is the Victorinox Cybertool 41
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/3653/
Plus it take full size Hex/Torx heads... And good and solidly mad with lifetime warranty.
Or if you want one to beat a users head-in for disturbing your /. reading, try the Victorinox Swiss Champ XLT
http://www.swissknifeshop.co.uk/swisschampxlt.htmI had a Leatherman for several years and somehow lost it. Shortly afterwards I was in a situation where I needed a multitool *now* and the only one I could find on short notice was a Gerber. I like the Gerber better, mainly because the blades are on the inside of the fold, and that makes the grip more comfortable. The saw blade is nothing more than a standard jigsaw blade, thus you can change it out with any jigsaw blade from any hardware store for any purpose you need it for. The knife blade is a nice combination of smooth and serrated for fine cutting or box ripping, and it has all the quality of Gerber's famous line of knives.
I work as a professional theatre technician. My multi-tool is my life, literally, and it gets used and abused on a daily basis.
I've had a Leatherman Wave since they first came out (I was told by the guy at the store that I was the first person to buy one) and have NEVER had a problem with it. It's not super-heavy-duty. You can't use the knife-blade as a chisel. You can't exert > 40 or 50 lbs of torque pressure on the tool. Having said that, if you need a specialized tool, then you need a specialized tool. Don't try and do it with a multi-tool.
The wave get's my vote, hands down.
I was looking at leatherman-type tools last year and came to the conclusion that the SOG PowerLock (S60) is the one to get. Its not quite as ergonomic as the new Leatherman Waves but its insanely tough. All the tools lock and the main pliars have a nifty gear reduction on them that makes hanging onto things much easier. Mine cost about $60 and hasn't left my belt since.
Make sure you know the knife laws for your locality. You might not think of a Leatherman as a weapon, but the local police may disagree--especially around schools and colleges. Here are some useful links:w s.html
http://www.thehighroad.org/library/blades/knifela
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm
California-specific laws:
http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html
Always keep in mind that info on the Internet may be wrong or out of date, so take with appropriate seasonings.
Eric
The Leatherman Wave tool is very nice. Specs from the Leatherman web site0 4)/default.asp
b oy_s.htm
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/wave-(20
Length: 4 in. / 10 cm closed -- 6.3 in / 16 cm open
Weight: 8.5 ounces / 264 grams
Materials: 100% stainless steel (Optimum grade hardness for each tool/blade)
There are two blades, one serrated and one plain. The blade length isn't described, so I measured my Wave. The length of each blade is approximately 3 inches. The sharpened portion of both blades is 2.5 inches.
I've had mine for a while, so far it had been a wonderful tool. Each tool/blade locks open, making it fairly safe to use. My Wave tool rides in the knife pocket of my Maxpedition Versipack
http://www.maxpedition.com/product/product_vp_fat
This sig kills fascists.
The Gerber came with a nifty screwdriver bit collection, has a nifty one-handed opening action for the pliers, but the steel sucks: It's soft and rusts badly. I consider it an "urban survival tool", because it's good for typical city situations.
The Leatherman is much better steel, is a bit more awkward, but you're less likely to pinch your skin when the pliers slip. This is your rural puppy. Water won't bother it so much.
The Toolzall is designed for electrical work. Damn, but it's nice. Excellent steel, all the blades lock, superb wirestrippers, rock solid. It's all I carry for electrical work.
Then there's knives with USB drives in them and computer case drivers, and so on, but I've never tried them. Really, you just have to figure out what you're after and look for that. Just pay attention to the steel: good steel doesn't bend like plastic.
I've carried Gerber blades almost exclusively for 5 years now. I have a Leatherman, one of the originals, and hate it. i *had* a Gerber Sport Multiplier but it has gone missing. Hopefully i will find it by summer when i need it most. I have a full size set to replace it if it doesn't turn up, but the sports are a little more compact, lighter, and just as robust. all the tools lock with the best locking method i've seen on any mutlitool yet, it holds the blade with no worries, yet can be disengaged even if you're wearing gloves (very important since i wear gloves quite a bit at work). the scissors on it are invaluable, they make quick use of zip ties, and the screwdrivers have bailed me out several times. If i don't find the sport by summer i may have to go buy another, the larger version is heavier and more gangly to me, plus it lacks the scissors. Mine got a daily bath and wipe down with lubricant and never jammed, it just became part of my morning routine when i got to the shop, but in a less dirty enviroment you could get away with oiling once a week.
no matter what you end up with, they're just like any other good tool, if you want it to last you have to take care of it. not using it for a crowbar and oiling is a good start. Get a good can of high quality lubricant, youhave to watch WD-40 because it will gum up, and some of those silicon lubricants do the same. once a week just get an old rag, take the tool outside, spray it down with the oil then wipe off excess with the rag, work each tool and the pliers a few times to work the oil in and dirt out, wipe it down again, replace in sheath.
Overall, I've discovered that I don't actually want, or need, a multitool.
I have a single knife, a Kershaw Avalanche partially serrated. Overall, I find that I simply don't want, or have a use for, all the other bits & bobs you find on a multitool.
If you want a simple knife with a little more capability, then get a balisong [aka a butterfly knife]. Learn a couple decent opening/closing moves with it, and you can then use it for all the other things you don't normally do with a simple knife. It makes a great lever [the Spyderco Spyderfly is most of 6" long, closed], clamp/gripper [by opening it, then squeezing the handles around whatever it is, with varying leverage]...
Gary (-;
Looking for a mini keyring tool that does just about everything and has locking blades. The SeberTech M4 SeberTool is great.
I own a couple of them and have had them for 3 years so far. The fit in your wallet or coin pocket. I buy one for each of my staff and have been known to give them to friends for christmas.
I buy mine at Fry's http://shop4.outpost.com/product/2522351 but you can find them elsewhere.
--- Who put this sig here? ---
...tells me if I'm in range of a wireless network, tells me if there is activity on an ethernet network, provides 1GB of storage via USB, tells me if a serial port is working, functions as a logic probe and multimeter and provides a 3V and 5V power supply (not high current, just enough to provide input to a logic gate) and fits in my pocket. If there's room it'd be nice if it were a wireless gateway and serial over bluteooth dongle. In other words, I want a Leatherman for the early part of the 21st century, not some medieval hacking and slashing tool.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
No matter what multitool you decide on, I'd reccomend also getting a Leatherman Micra tool. It's a mini-leatherman, works as a keychain. I'm the kind of person who hates having unneccesary crap in their pockets, but the Micra is useful enough that it's more than worth the 1 x 6.5 x 2 cm it takes up in my pocket. I have one of those handy keychain seperators, for times I need the micra for more than a few seconds, to get my bulk of my keys off. The lot of it collapses into a nice ball that takes up little space in my pocket, alongside my wallet. It has the majority of tools I need as a desktop maint/support guy at a library. The only time I have to go back to my desk to get my full toolkit is when I need my 8" long phillips bit to get somewhere annoying. Unlike my Swiss Army Knife (closest current model seems to be the Herc), the scizzors is still fully springy, even after sitting in my pocket for 3 years (4 now?) and getting a fair bit of use. You'd be surprised how often you need to clip a coupon out of a flier found at the grocery store, left in a cart, or need a pseudo-phillips screwdriver. I really love this lil guy.
Beyond that... I prefer a regular, original Leatherman. If I were to buy a new tool today, I may consider one of the other Leathermans, perhaps one geared toward tech stuff, be it a Leatherman or otherwise, but I'm in no need to replace this one.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
Before buying anything in this arena, you really owe it to yourself to spend some time perusing Doug Ritter's Equipped to Survive site. Honest, objective reviews of all the hardware. I'm not affiliated with him in any way.
I've carried the same Gerber (MultiPlier 600 Pro Scout Needle nose) on my belt for over 5 years now. In it's life, I've managed to snap a portion of the smallest screwdriver, and nick the wire cutter blade on the pliars to the point where it doesn't open freely. The belt case is worn, the velcro is disintegrating and the case is wearing a hole through the bottom. The inside is coming apart.
However, I still use it almost daily, and only remove it where it's not allowed (theme parks, flights, etc.).
I considered sending it in for repair, but the "warranty" stipulations require a proof of purchase, which I never had as it was a gift. I'm sure a Dremel w/ a file tip could repair the cutter to a usable state, and the small screwdriver still works okay, albeit a bit crooked and jagged.
Will it stand up to anything? No. But do they last? I'd say so.
$ man woman *
-bash:
I have to go with the classic Leatherman. I have had mine since I was 10 years old, and it still works great. Other than getting the knife blade sharpened here and there, I have not had any problems with it in 13 years, and I have put it through considerable abuse.
I understand your desire to have a locking mechanism for the blade. That being the case, the Leatherman Wave would be a good fit. It's very similar to the classic Leatherman in terms of quality and function, and the blade lock is a nice touch.
Gerber, Victorinox, Leatherman, SOG - whatever floats your boat for the multi-tool.
However, if your primary concern is one that has a locking knife blade just get a knife to compliment the package. I find knives on pocket tools clumsy and of dubious quality/utility. I don't like fumbling around with my Victorinox when I just want to quick cut something, so I carry a CRKT M16-14M. I've had a few CRKT knives in my posession and have found that they take a nice edge, keep that edge, are ambidexterous, and of fairly good quality for what you're paying.
A good folder with a thumb-stud for easy opening and a locking blade means that you're knife can be out and ready in just a couple seconds, vs however long it takes you to unfold a Leatherman. You can deploy, use, unlock, and clip them back onto your belt with a single hand and that's handy if you ask me. Comes in handy at work, and makes it easier and cleaner to open packages, snipping a cable tie, or stirring my tea.
While not of concern in your post, this also makes them a last-ditch self defense weapon. Not a very good one... but if you don't have a gun on ya, it's better than nothing!
Personally I wish somebody made a multi-tool that didn't waste space with knives in them.
Oh, and don't discount the idea of a neck knife! That would be a knife you hang around your neck with a sheath, the handle pointing toward your abodomen. Depending on your attire they can be very comfortable to wear and nobody knows its there... less stuff hanging off your belt too. However, I've found producing a fixed blade knife from under your shirt at a moment's notice tends to freak people out. Some also come with a sheath that could alternatively be mounted to your belt for extra flexibility (ie: You're out in the woods, you can keep your every day knife with you but in a bit more accessible manner).
Most importantly, if you're using it for a knife most of the time, a real knife is more comfortable than a multi-tool -- which means better control overall.
I'd recomment Knife Country USA if you want to buy online. No special reason, but the prices are competitive and the owner knows the subject matter if you have any questions about this or that. Also, a very friendly guy. I found his booth at the local gun show and use him for my online purchases.
Victorinox got it right on their series of SwissTools. On the one I have, all the tools lock into place, the whole thing is quite sturdy, but the wire cutting part of the main tool can only cut very small things.
chl
I've had my Gerber Multi-Plier for about 8 years now. Very happy with it; I did manage to break the tip off the serrated knife blade. Mine's old enough that the blades/tools don't lock, but newer models do. The one-handed plier-opening thing (you sort of flick your wrist and the pliers mechanism slides out the the handle) is very handy, you can be holding something with one hand and draw, deploy, and use the pliers with the other.
When I get some money to play with later this year, I'll probably by a new upgraded Gerber amd keep the old one in the car.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
Just as in Linux, the best tool is not always a "does-everything" tool.
:)
:)
I have a Leatherman Micra that has the bare essentials: scissors, small and big flatheads. There's also a "philips" (flathead with tapered head). Plus it has a bottle opener. The knife blade on it sucks.
I have a couple of dedicated knives, however - Benchmade Knife Company's 3550SBK (switchblade) and the 42S (butterfly). Sure, they're expensive, but buying cheap crap is stupid.
PS: I work for Benchmade, but I owned their product long before I ever got a job there.
Exocet Industries - Taking over the world, one computer at a
Gerber is a great company and I've liked every knife I've bought from them (and it's been several). So when I was in the Navy I decided to buy one of thier multitoolts rather than a leatherman and the salt air started rusting it within a few days. This happened to all the other sailors I knew that had other models also.
You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
I got myself the New Model Leatherman Wave at the moment it came out, and can't be happier. It has 2 large knives, saw, file, 2 bits-holders(which includes two two-sided bits, additional bits are available from Leatherman), scissors, Large flat screwdriver(phillips-screwdrivers in two sizes in the included bits), can opener, better ruler, etc.
:)
You can also get a 21 piece bit-kit for it, which is great for technicians(check the link, and scroll down.). It also appears that it's has a lower price than the titanium Leatherman models, while having the same amount of tools. The reason, ofcourse, is that it's steel, and therefore somewhat heavier.
I have used mine extensivly, both at work, and at canoe-trips into the wildernes, and just love it. All the tools and knives are locking, and the whole thong is just dandy.
I got a Leatherman for Christmas before I was old enough to appreciate it. I was in awe that my parents bought me a butterfly... pliers? I broke it in High School. Sent it off to be repaired (under 25 year warranty, no receipt, only the knowledge that the product wasn't that old) and it came back fixed, and the handle still had my name engraved on it. Nice service. In Boy Scouts, I learned that the Leatherman was good for whittling, but anything I had to do with the pliers must not involve much force on the handles because they dug into my hands.
In college, I became a teaching assistant for an electronics course. Lots of proto board work, wires, chips, the like. Needlenose pliers were a must, and the ability to pull them out of my pocket and butterfly my pliers out in less than a second was very timely. I ended up selling about 2 dozen (not direclty, but through telling students where to go purchase a tool like my Geek Tool). As I continued to advance in my own coursework, my rising experience with my Leatherman was a competitive advantage. The other tools were easy to find, but any tool you've used regularly for any length of time will be that comfortable to you. I ended up spraying a bit of Pam (the cooking spray) in the handle to make it open faster and smoother, but getting too much in there makes it close too easily to hold.
In a senior level course, a buddy of mine whipped out his Leatherman in front of our professor. The professor demanded, "What are you doing?" My buddy responded, "I'm too lazy to walk across the lab and get the public pliers, so I brought my own." To which the obese professor, recovering from a bypass surgery responded, "Get up. WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"
To summarize: I'm sure just about any tool will be useful for most people who are asking. You will develop a fondness for whatever you get. If you need to apply force, however, carefully consider the Leatherman model. Gerbers are more universally appropriate.
You can't beat real tools though. My primary toolset came from a combination of the Craftsman and Techni-tool catalogs. I only use the leatherman when in a bind.
I've had an original Leatherman (stolen by a hippie) and a Leatherman II for the past 10 years. The L-2 has two blades, many screwdrivers and all that, and mine came in anodized BLACK. It's the only one i've ever seen like that. Only problem after a decade of use is that I snapped the smallest flat-head driver. It mostly gets used for computer and bike repair, and all the tools lock and have no wiggle after intense use. The L-2 at least is heavy enough to open the pliers one-hand, but the little tools require both hands.
They don't make that model any more, but the new Wave models are the follow-on. Some of them come with replacable screwdriver bits. Not sure about the new ones, but the original Leatherman is milspec, which is part of why they are so sturdy.
I agree with one of the above posts, too, consider a completely separate knife for your toolkit. Nothing beats a good one-hand, thumbstudded, locking knife. I recommend Benchmade (I've got an Elishowitz StrikerII), CRKT and surprisingly the new Buck knives are pretty nice.
Josh
gigantino.tv - Heavy but weighs nothing.
I know it isn't what you are asking for, but the little Micro-Tech
tool made by http://www.swisstechtools.com/ is really neat. It is
really small, small enough to go in your pocket or on a keyring
without geeking up. It is a small pliers, slotted screwdriver,
phillips screwdriver, wire cutter, and small shears. The newer
Micro-Plus models even have very little slotted and phillips
screwdrivers.
Really impressive is that the thing is dang well made: the various
articulating joints are stronger than I am, and the driver bits stay
sharp and square.
Yes, it is no Leatherman, but anyone who is interested in a Leatherman
probably *also* wants one of these.
-kb
I have a SwissTool that I can't do without. It's sturdy, well built, has tons of different tools, locks on every single tool, and you can get a set of screwdriver bits that fit into the sheath and give you a bunch of different torx and phillips/robertson heads. The biggest benefit is that you can access the blades and such without opening the pliers - that fact alone really aggravates me about the Leatherman multitools.
Sometimes the single phillips head screwdriver is hard to fit into small places (like inside cases and whatnot), but for most things it's okay. I'd recommend it for sure.
So, you need a multitool that doesn't have a blade. I've never seen one that I'd consider useful, but that's because I consider a knife to be essential. 8^(