Hard use multi tools?

I snapped the pliers on a leatherman pulling a staple from a board.

Next multi tool I get is a swiss tool, but even then I won't consider it "hard use".
 
I have a Leatherman Charge Ti that I got when they first came out. I have not abused it, but have given it quite a few hard workouts. It is the only knife/tool/gadget that I have never considered selling, trading or giving away as a gift. As multi tools go, I feel it is as close to perfect as you could ask for.

I dont understand the advantage of Ti on this item. I checked the weights on the Charge Ti and Wave and the steel wave is actually lighter...
 
I know I'm being somewhat annoying to some, but I won't own a Leatherman b/c Timmy-boy LOOOOOVED Mr. Kerry 5 years ago. He made no bones about being a liberal and I make no bones about not buying his product.

I don't use them regularly, but I have a couple Gerbers and a SOG. SOG seems far beefier. Gerber is similar to the Leatherman I used to use pre-2004.

Im not sure i get this either. are you saying you wouldnt buy a leatherman because the owner liked Kerry and was a liberal? Dont you think that might be a bit, how do you say?....extreme. :confused::confused:
 
Im not sure i get this either. are you saying you wouldnt buy a leatherman because the owner liked Kerry and was a liberal? Dont you think that might be a bit, how do you say?....extreme. :confused::confused:

Not to delve deep into a political argument, but I will no longer buy leathermen products. The same reason I won't buy a Robinson arms XCR because he supported anti gun romney. I protest with my wallet.

That said, I think they're low quality tools for the money. You'd be better off with a swiss army knife and a small set of pliars.
 
I have a Leatherman that I wouldn't hesitate to use roughly, within the limits of it's intended purpose. (Thanks again to Guyon for that one, that was a great contest! :thumbup:)

I've had cheap multi-tools where simply applying too much pressure while using the pliers would cause critical damage.

I dont think I would really recommend any brand for hard use as it's my opinion that no multi-tool could ever live up to that title. Not with so many points of weakness in their design.
 
Your thread topic is a good one, MustardMan. We tend to like things here which are difficult or impossible to break. But I don't think that any multi-tool is reasonably defined as "hard use" when used in a manner for which it was not designed, like prying with a hinged screwdriver. JMO.
 
I dont understand the advantage of Ti on this item. I checked the weights on the Charge Ti and Wave and the steel wave is actually lighter...

The Ti isn't the reason I ended up choosing that particular model... Check out the leatherman site and compare the wave and charge- charge has 19 tools and 8 bits standard and better steel on the knife blade (my older one has 154cm instead of s30v). the wave has 17 tools and 2 bits standard. And to be fair, mine does not have the wire crimpers either because its older. But overall, just a bit better.
 
Your thread topic is a good one, MustardMan. We tend to like things here which are difficult or impossible to break. But I don't think that any multi-tool is reasonably defined as "hard use" when used in a manner for which it was not designed, like prying with a hinged screwdriver. JMO.

Or using the pliers... to remove anything but a splinter.

I snapped the pliers off a gerber too. I just kind of avoid multi tools now, but I am considering a swiss tool. If I need pliers, it more than likely isn't going to be to open a coke bottle. That said, I think the disappointment comes when people feel they will replace real tools. I would pay 200 dollars for a multitool that wouldn't break, but no one seems to offer one.
 
I've been pretty hard on my Leatherman Core, still looks new. I pry sheet metal, twisting and prying at times. I use just about every tool on it on a weekly basis. I got the deluxe bit set for it too. I wouldn't trade it for a whole toolbox full of tools. At $35 (got it on sale) it can't be beat! :thumbup:
 
obviously the OP has no mechanical/tool skills. i think leatherman will honor the warranty.

Thank you for this deep and insightful contribution :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


I've applied more prying force to my butter knife when spreading peanut butter on toast. The leatherman failed under such minor lateral force that I'd expect a slipjoint folder to handle it fine.


As I said, I've been using multi tools, and carrying them daily, for over a decade. I've never had one break on me, and have used them a heck of a lot harder than trying to get a washer out of a hole in a piece of flakeboard.
 
Even something cheap like this is far better than ANY Multi-Tool you can buy.

Kobalt 22-Piece Tool Bag Set at less than $50.

Personally I use Craftsman and Klein tools, but you get the idea. :)

Using the right tool for the job, there is no substitute.

820909509301lg.jpg
 
And for those of you who YET AGAIN insist on injecting politics into an unrelated thread....


I voted for Kerry. I hope you will consider that if you see me selling something you want. I wouldn't want you to upset your blind allegiance to your party by lowering yourself to doing business with someone who disagrees with you on politics :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
And for those of you who YET AGAIN insist on injecting politics into an unrelated thread....


I voted for Kerry. I hope you will consider that if you see me selling something you want. I wouldn't want you to upset your blind allegiance to your party by lowering yourself to doing business with someone who disagrees with you on politics :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Someone brought politics into the Busse forum again..... :eek::eek:
 
Using the right tool for the job, there is no substitute.

What, like using a fat knife for an axe's job, or maybe a prybar's job?


Give me a break. This whole place is built around using the wrong tool for the job.



I already told you once that your particular insight was unwelcome - why do you keep insisting on injecting it?









To everyone who participated in this thread without the BS, thanks for your ideas - you pretty much confirmed for me that I already own the toughest tools out there and I'm not missing anything. I will probably switch back to carrying my schrade tough tool, which, while bulky, is a much more robust multi tool than the wave. I might also pick up one of the newer swisstools - they seem to get a lot of rave reviews and be built to a higher quality standard than the wave.
 
What, like using a fat knife for an axe's job, or maybe a prybar's job?


Give me a break. This whole place is built around using the wrong tool for the job.



I already told you once that your particular insight was unwelcome - why do you keep insisting on injecting it?

When the fat knife can outperform the axe then yeah. :thumbup:

And they can a lot of the time, anyone who has used an axe a lot can tell you they can wear you out if you use them a lot. :)

You asked about tough, there are none currently on the market that will perform even close to the said standard tools. :)

I can't help it if you don't like the answer. ;)
 
Last edited:
This thread turned nasty pretty quick.

I use my Busse for cutting and fondling. Pretty sure either would be generally accepted as proper usage.

The fact that it CAN pry, bonus.
 
And for those of you who YET AGAIN insist on injecting politics into an unrelated thread....


I voted for Kerry. I hope you will consider that if you see me selling something you want. I wouldn't want you to upset your blind allegiance to your party by lowering yourself to doing business with someone who disagrees with you on politics :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

This is, in a sense, somewhat comical. Considering he got close to half the votes that means, following the same logic, you wouldnt be doing business with A LOT (10 of 10s of millions) of people in America. To each their own though...
 
This is, in a sense, somewhat comical.

Way more than "somewhat". ;)


To answer your earlier question, which I missed in all the "you don't know how to use tools" and politics nonsense...


I will sometimes carry a multi tool when backpacking, depending on what I'm planning to do. If it's a quick overnighter with gear I have used a million times, the multi tool probably stays at home. If it's my first time out using a new alcohol stove I built, I might want to have some pliers in my pocket just in case something doesn't work quite right.

In day to day life, I am a lot more likely to run into various minor tasks that require a screwdriver or pliers when I'm not carrying a toolbox than I am in the woods, where there won't be many mechanical devices around me. So a beefy knife is a lot more useful than a pliers out there.

Rather than a pliers based multi tool, I've occasionally carried one of the scissors based ones, like the Sog Crosscut, which can be really handy for things like cutting away clothing in case of an injury, and are also much, much lighter. Not "hard use" by any stretch of the imagination, but light and handy.
 
Way more than "somewhat". ;)


To answer your earlier question, which I missed in all the "you don't know how to use tools" and politics nonsense...


I will sometimes carry a multi tool when backpacking, depending on what I'm planning to do. If it's a quick overnighter with gear I have used a million times, the multi tool probably stays at home. If it's my first time out using a new alcohol stove I built, I might want to have some pliers in my pocket just in case something doesn't work quite right.

In day to day life, I am a lot more likely to run into various minor tasks that require a screwdriver or pliers when I'm not carrying a toolbox than I am in the woods, where there won't be many mechanical devices around me. So a beefy knife is a lot more useful than a pliers out there.

Rather than a pliers based multi tool, I've occasionally carried one of the scissors based ones, like the Sog Crosscut, which can be really handy for things like cutting away clothing in case of an injury, and are also much, much lighter. Not "hard use" by any stretch of the imagination, but light and handy.


On my last trip I brought my wave. It added some weight to my already heavy load (its the little things that add up quick). It just occurred to me that the plier function and saw, IMO, are the two things that I prob bring it for. Im thinking of just forgoing the saw (chopping and batonning with my camp knife can suffice) and bringing some light weight needle nose pliers for grabbing things.
 
Back
Top