Leatherman Crunch Dead on Arrival

2

2005Intrepid

Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
38
I just purchased a Leatherman Crunch. The vise grip tool works well, but the lock release for the blades/screwdrivers does not work at all. No matter how much force is exerted pressing the blade lock release, the blade will neither disengage the lock nor fold back into the handle. I've had the tool for all of about 2 hours and am now packing it up and writing a letter for a warranty repair. What's happened to Leatherman and the concept of quality control?

Has anyone else had this same problem with the Crunch?
 
So you are returning the Crunch with some of its handle tools extended? Wrap it up carefully then (preferrably in a rigid carton)!

BTW, have you tried opening another tool halfway to see if the lock gets released/disengaged? =)
 
I tapped the Crunch in the original container as best I could considering and then used a good bit of heavy tape around the outside of the original container. And took other packing precautions as well.

When I tried each of the other tools, they in turn became locked (jammed open). I assume, if the lock release were to work, in theory they would all disengage at the same time and fold back into the handle. Now, they are all locked open, perminately.

Other than the letter, I placed other ominous warnings conspicuously inside the main shipping box.

The box will not be shipped back until Tuesday. Now that I think about it, maybe just disposing of it would be safer for all concerned -
 
Did you try to pry open the lock plate with a screwdriver to see if the tools would disengage?

I am curious if this is a failure of the lock system of a problem of tension with the tools.

Are you pressing hard enough on the correct side of the lock plate? The Crunch has a fairly hard to sqeeze lock plate that isn't very tacticle.

Please update on this situation, I am very curious how the lock is jammed. The system is very simple and barring some odd set of circumstances it seems very hard to jam the lock; if the lock spring broke the tools would not lock at all and if the lock plate somehow jammed the tools would not open. This is very odd, once one tool is open and lock opening any other tool automatically disengages the lock.

I don't see how you could continue to open tools without disengaging the lock, no matter what it looks pretty impossible.

:confused:
 
spoonrobot said:
Did you try to pry open the lock plate with a screwdriver to see if the tools would disengage?

I am curious if this is a failure of the lock system of a problem of tension with the tools.

Are you pressing hard enough on the correct side of the lock plate? The Crunch has a fairly hard to sqeeze lock plate that isn't very tacticle.

Please update on this situation, I am very curious how the lock is jammed. The system is very simple and barring some odd set of circumstances it seems very hard to jam the lock; if the lock spring broke the tools would not lock at all and if the lock plate somehow jammed the tools would not open. This is very odd, once one tool is open and lock opening any other tool automatically disengages the lock.

I don't see how you could continue to open tools without disengaging the lock, no matter what it looks pretty impossible.

:confused:
Click to expand...

I used all the pressure I could muster to unlock and/or to disengage the lock. I seriously thought of even pulling out my vise grips or pliers to help, but didn't. But I tried to release the tool lock until my fingers were shot, and even today, I can tell I tried way too hard. I had the same curiosity you have as to why, during a very slow attempt to lock the other tools, this didn't release all of them - or allow the opportunity for this to occur, but it didn't. One other thing - and I don't know whether this was the way it was designed or not , is that the grips would not lock together at all on my Crunch, meaning that after I closed the two handles together, as if to put the tool away, the handles don't stick or snap together - but I only assumed at the time that that is the way it was meant to be - but I also thought at the time how clumsy it was to pick up the Crunch by one handle, and have it fall open under its own weight. I do not have anything to measure this by, except other leathermen tools that operate differently. I can see why Kershaw got out of the vise-grip business.
 
Man, that is weird. I've talked with a lot of guys here and elsewhere who have owned Crunch's, and I've never heard of that happening before. :confused:

Bob
 
2005Intrepid said:
One other thing - and I don't know whether this was the way it was designed or not , is that the grips would not lock together at all on my Crunch, meaning that after I closed the two handles together, as if to put the tool away, the handles don't stick or snap together - but I only assumed at the time that that is the way it was meant to be - but I also thought at the time how clumsy it was to pick up the Crunch by one handle, and have it fall open under its own weight. I do not have anything to measure this by, except other leathermen tools that operate differently. I can see why Kershaw got out of the vise-grip business.
Click to expand...

The way the Crunch works, is that when you are closing the handles there is a section on the Phillips driver (when said driver is closed) that snaps into a segment on the other handle. Thus, when the Phillips driver is opened the handles do not "snap" together and are held by tension from the plier head end of the tool. This should[i/] only the case when the Phillips driver is extended.

I've been thinking about your Crunch and the only thing I could think of is that the tools were not finished entirely and the lock channel in each tool was not ground correctly and thus each tool could not disengage but could still become jammed.

Well, let us know what Leatherman says.
 
I have purchased 4 crunches and all were perfect. Send that one back and try another. Don't give up on it yet!
 
It was almost a close call as to whether to forward the Crunch to Leatherman under warranty or return it to Amazon for a refund. Decided to go the Leatherman route in light of the tool having a dangerous blade stuck open --- and because I would have liked the Crunch a lot if it just had not been defective. I'm willing to give Leatherman another chance as to the Crunch due to having nothing but extremely good experiences with several of their other tools which I've owned (and use a whole lot), one of which I've had almost since first Leatherman production. Either option causes more than a typical amount of logistical trouble (considering the proximity to a shipping locations and restrictions in getting it there) -- and there is the ever-present potential for getting lost in transit or, more commonly, lost during the return check-in process. Amazon undoubtedly has a great & simple refund/return policy, but I did not and do not have time and energy to deal with figuring it out - nor to do due diligence in finding out if in practice, Amazon's return procedure is as advertised 90% or more of the time. The Leatherman return procedure was well written and in four (4) different languages (including English) on the literature that was in hand. In final analysis . . .
 
I understand from 2005Intrepid that the Crunch was repaired and returned from the factory, and is now working properly except for a few minor nicks that apparently occured during the factory tear down of this otherwise new multitool. No written explanation was given by Leatherman as to the defect or repair except "Repaired by . . .". He said that all of the tools in the handle and the locking mechanism now work smoothly and properly. He also said that the Crunch no longer falls open when the entire tool is picked up after it has been closed.

2005Intrepid also indiated he has ordered a second Crunch to keep in his truck.
 
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