Best Multi-tool maker???

M

mynd66

Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
6
Ok I'm new to this forum and I thought this is the best place to get some information. I'm a nyc ironworker (apprentice) and my forman wants me to get a leatherman cause its very versatile and comes in handy. So me being me I gotta get the best multi tool out there of course. I looked it up and we got Victorinox, kershaw, leatherman, gerber, and sog. I think those are the top names. I thought there might be some exclusive company that makes their knives out of some high tech metal that blows away the competition but could'nt find any.
Well the Gerber opens pretty quick and has the replaceable hacksaw which seems good. The sog has the gear opener, whatever that does. Leatherman has a good reputatioin, victorinox seems high quality, and the kershaw has the locking pliers (I guess gerber has that too). See I don't know much and I know it depends on your trade and what your doing. But whats the bottom line, which name has the best reputaion and most durable multi-tool? And is their something out their that kicks all their asses?? Let me know.
 
I have the SOG Powerlock and it works very well, the gear helps to increase gripping power of the pliers. However the steel does not have the best edge retention. But I have heard many good comments about the leatherman. I would get the SOG and just have a foldable utility knife. So don’t have to constantly keep sharpening your blade. But that’s just my 2 cents.
 
if you want better steel in the blades Leatherman makes the Charge with 154CM and soon S30V

i haven't used my Charge very much, it's pretty new, but i carried a Leatherman Wave for almost 7 years non-stop and it's held up pretty nicely
 
I have an old Gerber (Sportsman?) - it's great and I use it a ton. My plumber friend has a Leatherman Wave - this seems a bit more well built and now I want one :) I guess, if you use pliers more often and need quick access to them with one hand, the Gerber, but IMO the Leathermans are a tad sturdier.
 
once it's loosened up a bit you can open the Leatherman Wave (and Charge) one handed pretty easily
 
I have had two or three Leatherman tools. A supertool, super tool 200, and a wave. All worked very well. I purchased them in pawn shops and got great deals on them. Got a black supertool for 10 or 15 dollars. I was prying and useing way too much pressure and broke one of the supertools. Sent it in and back came a new one very fast. Don't take this as it was soft, but every tool has its breaking point. I just broke a Proto socket wrench and knew I was useing too much force on the tool. I was just lucky both times I didn't end up with bloody fingers or knuckles. I would sure like to get my hands on one of those new leathermans with the 154cm blades. sorry for rambleing on, but thats my $.02 cents woth.
 
I always thought that one of the high-end knife companies should start making a multi-tool, so it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thought that was an idea with some merit. Anyhow, I've tried Victorinox's Spirit and Swisstool, and while they are very nicely finished, they both seemed to have a few durability issues after some thorough examination. Also, I once broke a SOG pliers on a multi-tool while changing a headlight on my car- I don't think that I was using excessive force on the tool- and so my personal feelings on SOG tools is that they're a bit too flimsy. I finally settled on a Leatherman Surge after a few weeks of trying it out against the Charge and the Core. Overall it seems to have everything I want in a multi-tool and also appears to be tough and reliable (though the Core comes in a close second). Ultimately though, I think you have to decide what qualities you want out of a multi-tool since each brand has its own strong points and weaknesses, and since everyone here on the forum has their own opinion on what is the "best" tool, you'll invariably get a lot of different answers to this sort of post.
Good luck!
 
I've owned a SOG and a Leatherman and a Victorinox Swiss Tool and one Gerber. The first three are pretty close ties in my opinion with the Gerber dead last for sure. The Multi Tool I've had the longest and used the most and liked the best is the Swiss Tool though. I haven't had one of the new SOGS but to be honest I have not been able to find reason to look for anything else when the Vic works so well. I've used this thing so much and really abused it and it takes it all and asks for more. The blades hold their edge well, the tools are top notch and the thing is a tank. I've cut chain link and heavy gauge wire fence with it a lot and it never fails me. The Gerber snapped apart doing the same jobs this one eats up everyday.

STR
 
Welcome to BladeForums mynd66!
From the previous replies, you've probably figured out by now that there is no one multi tool that "kicks all their asses." Lucky for us, the consumer, the multi tool business has been pretty competitive. New improvements come out every year. (Although some of us still prefer the older models.) With greater variety available, manufacturers are targeting their tools more and more to specific niche markets. Different combinations of blades and tools better suited to a particular trade, etc.

Maybe you could get more useful advice from the Forum if you could give us some specifics. As a NYC ironworker, what will you be using your new multi tool for exactly?
 
Wow, I appreciate all the feedback. Despite all of the time I put into looking up each tool, actually talking to people who put the tools to the test is by far the most reliable information out there. So thanks again. Anyway yea I'm gonna be using it to do just about anything that I might need it for... nothing in specific. The knife and pliers/cutters will probably get most of the use. Next might be the hacksaw, file, and screwdrivers. I was not really looking for something with scissors. I mean at work I may use it here and there but even on the weekends I do some side jobs welding and some smaller fabrication... cars, trucks, bikes etc. I'm sure i'll beat on it. So far the leatherman sounds the most appealing cause of that high tech metal. Not that I know what 154cm blades are. I'll try to look into it but That might be what I wan't. Hey thanks again guys. -Ray
 
One quick caveat about the Leatherman Charge- although it does have the 154CM steel, it's (to the best of my knowledge) only the main non-serrated blade that is 154CM and the rest of the tools are the usual steel Leatherman uses, whatever that may be... so it isn't entirely made of impervious stuff (though the scales are Titanium and that's pretty darn near indestructible). Another thing is that it's kind of small and maybe not the best tool if you're going to be doing some serious work with it. I felt it was more suited to "tinkering". Consider a Core or a Surge if you decide to go Leatherman since they're the bigger versions of their tool line and are better for tougher jobs.
Your best bet is to find someplace that sells Victorinox, Leatherman and the rest of the bunch and to spend a while trying them all out and comparing them. Then you can really see for yourself which one is best suited to your needs.
-Tony
 
Imo, Gerber, leatherman and Sog based on personal experience (well ok i havent tried the sog powerplier yet, just ordered today based on anothers reccomendation) the gerber (older models) and leatherman's can take a beating everyday (though i have broken 1 leatherman wave and 1 other leatherman which i cant remember the model name on) they did last a pretty long time under my usage.
 
I am a NYC Elevator Constructor and I carry the Leatherman Charge XTi. It has done everything I have asked of it with no problems. Although we don't do as much heavy duty stuff as you do, it has never failed me and seems to handle all the chores I have thrown at it. However I mainly use it as a backup to my regular tools. Hope this helps.
 
favorite. I have the swiss tool, power lock from Sog, the leather wave and the titanium version. In my opinion the Leatherman Surge beats them all.

1.The Swiss tools pliers are way to small, but great looking tool. And I found the mini flat head would bend very easily. The philips head just didnt grab very good for me and started having damage on it pretty quickly after putting some torque on it. The scissors worked okay. Overall my least favorite of the bunch for my personal needs. For others Ive heard its perfect.

2. The Power lock from sog I just loved the wide pliers and the scissors on it worked really good. Ive heard the opposite from some about the scissors though. But when you go to pull out a tool the entire set of tools would clump and come with you at one time. So it gets a little tedious when your doing that 30 times a day and have to find the right tool.

3. The waves pliers were very weak in my opinion and would mark up very easy on both versions if you put any stress on them. If I was really torqueing down on something the tips would bend in opposite directions. And now they dont close straight. Also the pliers didnt open very wide. The rest of the tools worked really good though. But if I couldnt have a decent set of pliers I might as well carry a Sak.

The Surge has big opening pliers the way I like. And there strong. Used it the other day to take out a drain stopper for a tub. I really had to do a lot force by twisting on the Surge. Pliers held up perfect. Ive heard people say they dont like the removeable tips for the flat head and philips. Personally I think there great. Havent found a situation where I coudnt use them. If the space is to tight just fold over one end of the tool until its straight and now you have a long set of philips and flat head. That will pretty much get you into anything. Had to open up a microwave and change out a transformer and I was able to get in most tight spots with it. Cant do that with a Sog. It has nice big blades. You can change out the saw blades for new ones. The scissors work really well. The only downsides I see with the
tool are its a big heavy piece. And it picks up rust easily. I stopped most of thar problem by taking it all apart and sanding every piece with 2000 grit until every piece was smooth. Now with a little bit of oil its not attracted to rust as easily. I would have never bought this tool if a friend didnt let me borrow his for a week. I had spent so much money on the others and was dissapointed that I just went to a sak and a rigged a knife holder pouch so I could carry a big pair of pliers on me all the time. Good luck hope you find one you like.
 
Really, you can't wrong with any of them (although i personally place Gerber dead last). I have always been a leatherman fan. However, after my last few tools from them, I feel that their QC might be slipping. From 1999 to 2003 I carried a variety of Leatherman tools: The PST, PST II, Wave, and Super Tool 200. Every one of them great:) I also was given a Crunch (locking pliers) by my wife this past Christmas and the handles date to '03. It is a great tool as well. HOWEVER, since the "new" line came out in 2004, I have had more issues with hang ups and QC issues than I ever had with my 2003 tools. The "lower end" tools like the PST and PSTII used to be highly polished and shiny stainless steel. Now they come with sort of a bead-blasted look that DOES NOT aid in rust provention. I really, really like my fuse, but I wish I still had my PST II.
I have a Surge and if you want one hand opening for your knife blade and a tool that will withstand an atomic bomb...there ya go. However, the dang pliers on mine get stuck (for lack of a better word) every time i close it. The same thing happened on my 2004 wave that I bought before the Surge. I thought it was just a fluke. It annoyed me so much i gave it to a friend that couldn't care less about that. It bothered me so because NONE of my other tools did that. So, the Surge now sit in my glove box as a back up with its bit kit and its stubby driver. I now use my ST 200 for my hard use tool. The drivers are worn and you can flip it open like a bali, the tools clump some times, and the thing is all scratched to hell. However, I know it won't fail me. The thing of it is that it REALLY needs to go back to Leatherman for a facelift, but I'm scared that their customer service might just send me a Core. I guess I wouldn't MIND that if I knew the Core was as good as my ST200.

In short, and sorry about the long winded reply, if you can find a good robust Leatherman that was made before 2004, then you will have a tool that won't let you down or lock up on you. I personally, LOVE the ST 200 for heavy use. Even if it does lock up or have a few hic-ups, LM has GREAT customer service. That is a huge plus. However, i really believe that I shouldn't have to send a NEW tool in for service right out of the blister pack;)

Best of luck
Jake
 
Steely_Gunz said:
...From 1999 to 2003 I carried a variety of Leatherman tools: The PST, PST II, Wave, and Super Tool 200. Every one of them great:) I also was given a Crunch (locking pliers) by my wife this past Christmas and the handles date to '03. It is a great tool as well. HOWEVER, since the "new" line came out in 2004, I have had more issues with hang ups and QC issues than I ever had with my 2003 tools. ...
Jake
Click to expand...

I bought an original Leatherman Tool (before they called it a PST), an original Super Tool, and a 1999 Crunch. They have all worked great. I've been hesitant to invest in the newer generation of full sized Leatherman tools because they just don't seem as well built.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top