Can't decide on a multi-tool...

[loft]

So I've been looking for a good multi-tool to replace my Leatherman MUT... I love it, but it's just dang heavy and I am looking for something a bit lighter that I'll get more use out of. I've been looking at a Victorinox CyberTool 34 but the size is what's stopping me currently. Leatherman Squirt PS4 looks promising but I've heard a lot of bad about the scissors.

Basically I need a multi-tool with a #0 phillips, pliers, and scissors. But everything I'm finding is overkill in the weight department or is on the low end for reliability.

Any of you out there able to point me in a direction to find something?

 

[Furious_Toast]

It may be a little on the heavy side but try the Leatherman juice line. I have the cs4 and it has almost all the tools of the wave in a perfect pocket size package. For what your needs are I'd look at the juice s2, it's very close to what your looking for and it'll take a beating

 

[loft]

How is the pivot on the scissors? And I can't tell from my phone but does it have a #0 Phillips?

 

[Capt. Spaulding]

Have you looked into the Juice S2?

 

[GooberBoober]

I really like my Squirt PS4 but if scissors are that important to you you might want to have a look at the Leatherman Micra. Cant go much smaller then that.

 

[Ultima Thule]

I have carried a Micra for years. Even with a Wave or SAK, a Micra goes in my pocket too. Do you require a multitool? I generally leave the Wave in my backpack due to the weight, and replace it with a SAK Explorer Plus. I need the scissors way more than pliers so a plier based tool is overkill for me. I use the Phillips, scissors, and blade mostly anyway.

 

[pinnah]

How important are scissors to you?

IMO, there is are the scissors on the Leatherman Micra and then there are the scissors on everything else. The 2 issues are the comparatively large size of the pivot and the spring design. Nothing is as durable or as repairable (if you stress the pivot, it can be peened back into line).

IMO, the folding scissor designs that fold into the handles just aren't as durable or as capable. Of the smaller scissors, the only one I can accept is on my Blast.

I really rely on the scissors on the Micra and typically don't need frequent access to pliers. My solution (for my day, which may be different than your day) is to carry knife in RFP, Micra in LFP and a Blast in my day pack as a back up.

If you really want both pliers and scissors in a single tool, then IMO you need to accept a compromise on the scissors front. I prefer the spring design on the Squirt to the Victorinox design.

Options include:
Key Chain Size (carry it in your pocket): Leatherman Squirt or Gerber Dime
Pocket Size: Leatherman Juice line.

Personally, I would love to see a Leatherman legacy style tool about the same size of the Juices. Make it a bit thinner than the Juice and lighter - sort of like a scaled down version of the original PST.

 

[znapschatz]

How important are scissors to you?

IMO, there is are the scissors on the Leatherman Micra and then there are the scissors on everything else. The 2 issues are the comparatively large size of the pivot and the spring design. Nothing is as durable or as repairable (if you stress the pivot, it can be peened back into line).

IMO, the folding scissor designs that fold into the handles just aren't as durable or as capable.

Agree completely with the above. The Leatherman doesn't quite have the precision of Vic scissors, but is good enough on a wide variety of materials and better on many tough ones because of superior leverage. In addition, the sharp cut screwdrivers, and that all the implements can be extended, keep the Micra as top mini-tool, to my mind, better even than the more hand friendly Squirt varieties. My one knock on the Micra is the sharp edges of the pivot fasteners. When I carried one in my 5th pocket, it kept trying to chew its way out. Most my jeans of a few years ago had holes in that place. Now I carry it in a leather slip. Works, but wish I didn't have to.

If you really want both pliers and scissors in a single tool, then IMO you need to accept a compromise on the scissors front. I prefer the spring design on the Squirt to the Victorinox design.

If you are referring to the Squirt PS4, I believe its pliers are good for the size, but the scissors barely useable, too tiny for much of anything more than fishing line or nose hairs. Besides, there have been a significant number of reported breakage on that particular spring design, including on my Style PS, essentially the same scissors. I simply opened the tool one day and the spring fell out, sent it off to Leatherman warranty and they returned a PS4, which is okay, but the spring design is the same. Instead, I prefer the P4, which has the same good for its size pliers and a few extra implements that had been eliminated in the PS4, replaced by nearly useless scissors.

However, all considered, Leatherman got it right first time out, IMHO. No wonder the Micra is still in production alongside no less than 3 "upgraded" models intended to replace it.