- Joined
- Sep 30, 2001
- Messages
- 932
The brown truck brought my new Leatherman P4 Squirt yesterday. I played with and have some initial comments.
It is small., smaller than my Micra. The one that I got has the pliers instead of the scissors. The tools are a bottle opener/medium screwdriver, small Phillips screwdriver, and crosscut file on one side and small screwdriver, awl and knife blade on the other. All of the tools can be opened and used without opening the handle.
When I first opened the tools I thought that the springs were a little weak. This made me nervous because there is no locking mechanism the handles won't stop the tools from closing on your fingers. I used the medium screwdriver to tighten screws on a door faceplate and a hose clamp. To my surprise it didn't try to close on me. It worked pretty well but the handle would be too small for a something that needed a lot of leverage. I tried the Phillips head when putting together a cheap lamp from Target. It worked okay but I needed more torque that I could easily get from the little handle. I tried drilling a hole through the top of a 20 ounce Diet Pepsi bottle and decided that the awl needed a little sharpening. I also tried the knife blade. I read the blade was double ground but this one isn't. It also needed a little sharpening. I cut a plastic bottle with it but when I pulled the blade out it unlocked. Kind of startled me but I didn't lose any blood. I also tried it on a small piece of scrap pine. I wasn't too impressed. The knife blade should only be used for very light duty. Finally, the pliers. They do work better than the SAK pliers but aren't close to either the Juice pliers. (I expected that due to the size difference.) They do cut 18 to 20 gauge wire pretty well though. I managed to twist out a small screw with them too. They aren't really adequate for either medium or heavy use but are pretty effective given their size.
Overall, the tool is pretty good. For small tasks that need pliers I would much rather have a Juice. The gadget factor is neat and if you are really pushed for either space or weight the P4 are probably a good option.
I'm ordering a Crossgrip and will post a comparison when I get it.
It is small., smaller than my Micra. The one that I got has the pliers instead of the scissors. The tools are a bottle opener/medium screwdriver, small Phillips screwdriver, and crosscut file on one side and small screwdriver, awl and knife blade on the other. All of the tools can be opened and used without opening the handle.
When I first opened the tools I thought that the springs were a little weak. This made me nervous because there is no locking mechanism the handles won't stop the tools from closing on your fingers. I used the medium screwdriver to tighten screws on a door faceplate and a hose clamp. To my surprise it didn't try to close on me. It worked pretty well but the handle would be too small for a something that needed a lot of leverage. I tried the Phillips head when putting together a cheap lamp from Target. It worked okay but I needed more torque that I could easily get from the little handle. I tried drilling a hole through the top of a 20 ounce Diet Pepsi bottle and decided that the awl needed a little sharpening. I also tried the knife blade. I read the blade was double ground but this one isn't. It also needed a little sharpening. I cut a plastic bottle with it but when I pulled the blade out it unlocked. Kind of startled me but I didn't lose any blood. I also tried it on a small piece of scrap pine. I wasn't too impressed. The knife blade should only be used for very light duty. Finally, the pliers. They do work better than the SAK pliers but aren't close to either the Juice pliers. (I expected that due to the size difference.) They do cut 18 to 20 gauge wire pretty well though. I managed to twist out a small screw with them too. They aren't really adequate for either medium or heavy use but are pretty effective given their size.
Overall, the tool is pretty good. For small tasks that need pliers I would much rather have a Juice. The gadget factor is neat and if you are really pushed for either space or weight the P4 are probably a good option.
I'm ordering a Crossgrip and will post a comparison when I get it.
